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“Stronger together” is our campaign motto for the 2020 Membership Drive here at the Clarksville Lake County Chamber of Commerce. Every January we send out well over 300 membership packet applications to partner with area businesses & organizations. In 2019, we reached an all-time high of had 239 members of the Clarksville Chamber.

Our primary purpose of this Chamber is to our members. Members are “preferred” businesses because they make the commitment to the purposes of the Chamber – to promote civic, economic, and area enterprises. Chamber members promote job readiness for youth, efficient public services, a positive business climate, and solid customer service. This Chamber refers only to investing members’ information throughout the year. We make thousands of referrals yearly via telephone, email and person-to-person, In our office alone, we handled more than 15,000 inquiries in 2019—phone calls, emails, social media contacts (Facebook) and people walking through our door, all asking questions and needing assistance with information.

We accomplished so much in 2019, and not without the help of our members! Together we have accomplished so much this year, and not without the help of our members! In 2019 we reached an all-time high of 239 members, held 12 main events: Wine Festival, Big Lake Flea Market, Lake Festival, Harvest Days, Trick or Treat the Avenue, Estate Planning Seminar, Fall Lamppost Decorating Contest, Holiday Open House, Christmas Parade, and our Christmas Social, plus 14 Saturdays hosting the new farm-fresh Marketplace events. A new addition this year was the Grand Tree Illumination and with the overwhelming support of the community, we were able to purchase an 18 ft tree. We had 9 “Business After Hours” events, 3 ribbon cuttings, assisted with 4th of July Parade, Cruise-ins/Lake Life Live concert series and started the new annual tradition, Tree Lighting event.

Not only does the Chamber organize, host and help at events, much time is spent providing the community with weekly news, bi-monthly newsletters, marketing efforts on Facebook & Twitter, and recruiting new members. The Chamber also assists visitors, promotes the coupon and Chamber Bucks programs, and continues to maintain the LOVE sign.
With the support of our members we are also able to purchase three NEW cameras streaming live videos of our beautiful downtown & lake views. We also, partnered with Microsoft and their project, providing our town with access to free Wi-Fi for downtown Clarksville.

This coming new year, we hope to accomplish even more, as we celebrate 50 years and hope that you know we could not do it without our members! Please join our organization for another successful year by joining our organization of businesses. We are stronger together! There is strength in numbers and we are looking forward to promoting you to the visitors & residents in this great community. Join in 2020!

Thank you, in advance, for supporting your Chamber and your community!

Christmas in Clarksville Open House

Make your holidays extra special by attending the Christmas in Clarksville Open House on Sunday, November 24th! Downtown merchants have made special plans to be open from 1-5 pm and help you to wrap up your holidays with one-of-a-kind special gift ideas, discounts and refreshments. In addition, Christmas music will be playing  your holiday favorites. Santa Claus will be at Santa Land located in Virginia Avenue Mall. Take a ride down Virginia Avenue in a horse drawn carriage, provide by B & W Carriage, of Buffalo Junction. Downtown Clarksville will be shining in its beautiful splendor of the holidays that take you back to Christmas of yesteryear.

Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy what Downtown Clarksville has to offer for the holidays. Remember that when you spend your money here, 1% of your tax dollars go back into our community!  SO…SHOP MECKLENBURG FIRST!

NEW EVENT!! Clarksville’s Grand Illumination Tree Lighting event. December 4^th

Come celebrate our new Christmas tree and lighting. There will be Christmas caroling, free refreshments, Santa Clause, & a whole lot of Christmas Cheer! 6pm  Downtown Clarksville.

Clarksville Christmas Parade

Kick off December by attending or participating in Clarksville’s annual Christmas Parade, December 6th at 6:30 pm. What’s more fun than marching December in with a Christmas Parade, cant think anything? Me either. So come enjoy the floats, bands, & see Santa in his sleigh!

It’s time to register for the Clarksville Christmas Parade ENTRY FORM must be received in the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber Office by Thursday, December 5th, to be eligible for the December 1st event. We are seeking participants—beauty queens, businesses, community clubs, organizations, churches, antique vehicles and others interested in making this the best parade to date.

The parade will be fun-filled with no competitions and each entry is required to adhere to the parade regulations below. The parade is hosted and sponsored by the Clarksville Chamber and the Town of Clarksville. For more info, contact the Chamber at (434) 374-2436.

RULES & REGULATIONS

• Registered entries only—deadline December 6th; NO Santa on any entry, Line-up format is provided when registering is completed.
• All entries must be decorated in a Christmas theme for the Holiday and abide with these parade rules and regulations
• No candy may be thrown from entries; walkers alongside may hand candy to the children.
• No sirens, horns or air-horns may be used.
• Drivers of all entries must have a valid driver’s license.
• No entry may halt the parade (only exception will be marching bands).
• Participants must be in line by 6:15 p.m. sharp; specific line-up location is provided with the registration form.
• The Parade Committee reserves the right to reject any and all entries for any reason before and during the parade. No inappropriate actions or displays will be tolerated.

Please be aware that Highway 58 Business will be closed to truck traffic (trucks will need to utilize the Highway 58 Bypass) from 6-8 pm. During this same time, Virginia Avenue (2nd to 9th Streets) will be closed to vehicle traffic from 6-8 pm. So parade preparations may be completed, parallel parking along the parade route will be eliminated beginning at 5 pm through the duration of the parade.

Come and celebrate the fall season the first Saturday in October at the Annual Harvest Days Festival! Saturday morning, vendors will line the streets facing the storefronts and sidewalks along Virginia Avenue offering seasonal crafts, specialty items, antiques, collectibles and antiquities (items of an era) from 9 am to 3 pm.

In addition to the vendors, the one-of-a-kind specialty shops and restaurants will offer specials throughout the downtown area, along with a host of games & crafts for the kids to participate in.

Come out and enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and the activities that are available. The event is opened to the public and there is no admission charge. This year the festival will continue into the late afternoon & evening with the Lake Country Cruise-in and last LAKE LIFE LIVE event for 2019. Steve Owens and Summertime is coming to Clarksville for the Lake Life Live: Beach & Brew Bash on October 5, 2019. “Bringing the Best of Beach Music to the Lake”, Gates open at 3:00!! This event will feature some of the best local and regional craft beers in Virginia!!  We are excited to add this element to our event!  (Check back later for a list – we promise you won’t want to miss this!) All vendors will have beverages available for purchase.

• 1st Place: Owl Hollow Creations, Virgilina, VA – Donald Honeycutt
• 2nd Place: Left of Center Pottery, Forest, VA – June Martin
• 3rd Place: J & M Crafts-Millersburg, PA – Martha And Joel (not pictured…Amish) this was a stand in LOL
• Honorable Mention: Plans of the Heart/Tots for Jesus, Waynesboro, VA – Pam Carter

6 pm-until (Lake Country Business Park, Noblin Farm Road). FREE Tethered Hot Air Balloon.

Due to the growing numbers we have modified the ages this year for the tethered ride to children ages 5-12 only.  Last ticket given out at 8:15! We will have a photos only balloon for the 4 & under age. Lakefest-Hot-Air-Balloons Lakefest Highlights start on Thursday…Come out and enjoy the beauty of the hot-air balloons! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and spend the evening watching the balloons inflate and provide fun, FREE hot-air balloon rides for children 12 and younger. This event is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, starting at 6 pm at the Lake Country Business Park located on Noblin Farm Road (next to Clarksville Elementary School). Hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks will be available, courtesy of Sentara MeadowView Terrace. Children’s games, a dunking booth and other activities will be available at the event, too, all courtesy of Sentara Halifax Regional Health System. A minimal fee will be charged for the food and activities; however, all proceeds will be donated to the Southeastern Alzheimer’s Association.

With the weather cooperating (pilot can fly only when the wind is less than 10 mph and there are no storms within a 60 mile radius), all activities will continue until dusk. For more information, contact the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce at 434-374-2436.

Friday, July 19th stop by the corner of 4th & Virginia Avenue, where sand artist, Ed Moore, of Sandy Feat, has already begun his larger-than-life creation, I wonder what it will be this year? Ed Moore has been coming here for many years and is a N.C. State University residence; he lives in Raleigh with his wife, Sally Moore.

The town will be busy preparing for the night’s activities as the main stage will be rolling in as well as a few selected vendors & Fun Time Amusements of Danville will be setting up all their machines for the all the children’s games & rides.  Around 6:30 pm everything should be set & placed into action. At 7 pm, we the night’s MC, Bill Baker will take stage and announce and bring our wonderful, sponsors to the stage! We couldn’t do it without them!!! Make sure you thank a sponsor if you see one!! Click here for to go to our Sponsor page. As soon as we are finished with taking the sponsor photo, the live entertainment for the evening takes stage….The FAB-Feature Attraction Band! 

We will be selling lakefest t-shirts by the Clarksville Ruritans Thrift Shop, and also raffle tickets for the Signs of Summer Fundraising Raffle, which the winner will be drawn at 9:30 that evening. Buggs Island Brewery will be here again this year offering their craft beer.

Opening night-July 19th at Live on Stage at 7:30 p.The Feature Attraction Band-starting all the way back in 1986, FAB began as “The Overtime Band” and they performed countless festivals, private and corporate events throughout the Southeast. Fast forward to 2014 and they brought together a dynamic group of musicians whose background consists of Blues, Southern Soul, Beach, Country and Rock. Nominated in 2017 for the Carolina Beach Music Association (CBMA) rising star award, this helped promote their music throughout the Carolinas. Their song “Sunny Day” was also included on the Patman and Robin Records compilation “Tranquil Bay” and their newest single “This One’s For the People” was recently released in October of 2018 on the Cape Fear Studio compilation “Carolina Moon”.

All of this combined has gained more airplay throughout Virginia and the Carolinas and FAB is looking forward to what 2019 has in store. From your intimate black tie affair to an outdoor festival playing to a crowd of thousands “Feature Attraction” delivers the same quality performance each and every time. The members of FAB have shared the stage with such artists as: Percy Sledge, Delbert McClinton, Clarence Carter, The Showmen, The Drifters, The Rhondels, Dan Peek and more. Available for Festivals, Corporate Functions, Clubs, Private Parties, Nightclubs, Weddings or any occasion where professional “100% LIVE” entertainment is desired. Be sure to visit their website by Clicking Here and find them on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Our Raffle is complete and we have three great prizes lined up for three lucky winners just great for Summer fun!! Valued together its filled with nearly $2000 in prizes… Package #1 is the home & patio Package, Package #2-Wagon full of Beach fun & Package #3-Buggs Island Fishin’ Package. From Adirondack Chairs, Beach toys & accessories to fishing fun on Buggs Island lake prizes. It’s a must stop in a see. So when you come to get your lakefest shirts…be sure to buy raffle tickets too!! $5 each or 3 for $12 or 6 for $20.

Juried Arts & Crafts-The arts & crafts show is juried and the jurors have been kept busy reviewing applications and photographs since early in February. It is a packed house this year with over 200 vendors ranging from Crafts, Food, Non-profits & Retail items. Vendors this year are coming not only from Virginia, but also other states: Florida, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania & Georgia.

The crafters have been extremely active in applying for this year’s show. We have lots of new & exciting booths this year, from amazing woodworkings, acrylic and oil paintings, pottery, leather products, birdhouses and garden accessories, carvers and sculptures, personalized jewelry, items to be personalized on the spot, pain relief jewelry, photography, clothing, home accessories and even homemade pet food & attire… just to name a few.

We have great things for the kids from to Disney characters, face painters, magic shows, balloon twister & amusement rides.

There will be no shortage of food vendors and we have some new and exciting food trucks vendors this year ranging from BBQ, crab cake sandwich, to our usual Asian, Seafood, Mediterranean, Greek & your All-American choices too! There will be special items such as along with all the other fair favorites. For the sweet tooth, every kind of funnel cake you can think of which they have evolved into all the toppings and flavors a sugar lover could only dream about. There will be deep fried candy bars, & Oreos to icees, smoothies & popsicles. Cheesecake on a stick anyone? Smell the aroma of kettle corn, popcorn, cotton candy & more! All here on Saturday.

Disney Characters will be here for a short time from 10:30-1:30, so don’t miss them performing at the United Country Realty Stage. Virginia Avenue from Second through Fourth Street will not re-open at 5 pm so we have about 25 vendors opting to stay until the fireworks, so come on down any time of day. If you want to keep up with all activities, details & more of who is coming to Lakefest, go to our Lakefest Event page on Facebook to view our daily post on updates and information.

The new ride we plan on bringing for Lakefest is called “Berry-Go-Round” . A berry fun ride for all ages.

Fun Time Amusements Rides has been providing family entertainment for more than 58 years and they plan to bring a wonderful array of rides and games that will enhance the main stage area adjacent Third Street (access at the corner of Third and Virginia Avenue) on Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. Usually they bring eight or nine rides, which can range from their Flying Super Spinner, Fun Slide, Jurassic Adventure, Scooby Doo Combo Inflatable, Windjammer Kite Flyer and Rock Climbing Wall & more. Most of the rides and games will be located on the grassy lot adjacent to the area. The company’s top priority is that of safety for their patrons and their guests. Safety mechanisms on all rides are constantly monitored on an on-going basis, and the rides are inspected by Virginia State Safety compliance.

Train Rides

All aboard! No need to get your ticket punched for this train ride— passengers ride for free and there’s no ticket needed. Lakefest’s Fun-Time train will be chugging up and down Virginia Avenue (from 3rd to 7th Streets) on Saturday, July 20, from 9 am-5 pm. Turn-around locations will be at the main stage area (lot connected to 3rd Street) and at the Bank of America parking area (between 7th and 8th). The train holds up to 18 passengers, packages and baby strollers.

Helicopter Rides

For the last six years, Paul Jackson, Helicopter Pilot, has been flying the friendly skies and giving our Lakefest visitors rides over Clarksville and the Lake. Take advantage of seeing Lake Country from the air this year, it is a memory you will never forget. Rides will be available starting Friday evening, at the Food Lion lawn area & Saturday for most of the day. It is $40 per person to ride.

The Water Wars Booth

Play the ultimate water balloon game! From Warsaw, NC Water Wars is bringing some water balloon fun that you will have fun either as a game or competition–here is how you play: Opponents go to opposing battle stations with buckets of water balloons. Each battle station has a water balloon launcher. Place a balloon in the launcher, pull down on the handle, aim, and fire! Your balloon soars high through the air and comes crashing down on your opponent’s battle station. There are strategically placed slots and holes in the structure that allows the water to come through. You might get sprinkled, sprayed, or saturated, but watch out, retaliation comes quickly! Water Wars will be located in front of Watkins, Cooper, Lyon’s FH.

The Lakefest Logo committee is thrilled  to announce our 42nd Virginia Lake Festival Logo Design & Winner….Todd Tedder from Kernersville, NC  was awarded our $250 prize for his winning artwork. Todd & his wife Cheryl are summer residents and they often come up to Clarksville. They love to shop and eat here and always make it to Lakefest. They moved to Garner North Carolina from Perry FL in 1975, they met some friends in their new neighborhood and started camping at Kerr Lake/Buggs Island in the Hibernia and Satterwhite camp grounds as kids, they would take a lot of boat rides over to Clarksville Va. Cheryl and Todd continue to camp here, their friends they camped with got to looking to purchase property on Kerr Lake/ Buggs Island, they both located a house & lot side by side in the Ponderosa area in Clarksville, VA.

They saw our call for artist contest on Clarksville Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, so they started thinking about the events that happen on at Lake Fest and started drawing a design. They both love the lake and wanted to be part of a very special event that’s been going on for so long. His logo depicts a Lakefest directional sign, lake life and relaxing  looking over the lake in Clarksville all while watching the fireworks & balloons, and even displaying some sand art.

Enter your antique automobiles in the 25th annual Antique Auto Show, which will be featured at Lakefest in Clarksville on Saturday, July 21, at Century 21 On the Lake (412 Virginia Avenue) and the lawn areas adjacent to realty office. Great trophies will be made in the categories of

• Hard Luck Story
• Oldest Vehicle
• Longest Distance Traveled
• Diamond in the Rough
• Tom Lilly BEST IN SHOW Award (The most important trophy of the show!)

Among those who have registered their vehicle in the show, there will be two prizes of $50 each that will be given away that afternoon. To register your vehicle for the show, complete a registration form (available at Century 21 On the Lake 434-374-2279 or at the Chamber Office 434-374-2436 or Click Here to Download/Print and return with the $10 fee prior to festival or $20 day of the show. Or it can be mailed out or faxed to those interested in participating.

One of the events major attractions to Lakefest each year is the Sand Sculpture. We wait for almost three whole days to figure out what great work of art will be carved out of that huge pile of sand. The attraction is located in the Pocket Park, located at the corner of 4th & Virginia Avenue, near the LOVE sign.

Back this year is Ed Moore who was here last year and has been the main sand artist for Lakefest for many years. Ed is the Founder of the Sandy Feat sand sculpture group, who grew up to be an architect. But he never gave up on his childhood pastime, which resulted in ever more complex creations, from elaborate castles built on beach vacations to the scores of sculptures he has cut into blocks of wet sand since founding the professional sand-sculpting team Sandy Feat 26 years ago.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in architecture, is a N.C. State University Residence, lives in Raleigh with his wife, Sally Moore. The Moore family has a long history at N.C. State, where he, his father and one of his sons all earned degrees. Moore says his father would often recall a tradition there from the 1920s called “Rush the Grand,” in which groups of students would take the trolley downtown to the Grand Theater. (Later called the Ambassador Theater, it has since been razed.) A large enough group would overwhelm the attendants, allowing the students to get in free.

The Killer B’s will be performing live at LAKEFEST.The Killer B’s are a popular Richmond based band that features a variety of music from the 60’s to the present..from Motown to Clapton. The Killer B’s take pride in performing songs that most other bands don’t play earning them the nickname of the “ Oh Yeah Band”. Set lists are tailored to specific audiences at different venues and various events. Killer B’s..always sure to please !!!

We have hit a record this year having the Lakefest T-shirts in the house this early!! We are happy to announce that our official 2019 Lakefest t-shirts have arrived and they are fantastic and so colorful just great for summer!

Todd Tedder, who is this year’s winner of the LOGO contest won $250 for his artwork is the official logo for this year’s Tee shirts.

Each shirt has the official ADMIRAL VETS INC Sponsor on the left sleeve  

On the right sleeve are our three of our Captain Sponsors logos, Food Lion, Microsoft & Ruritans.

This year we have ordered more ladies V-NECKS in Orange, Lagoon Blue & Pink

The 42nd edition shirts are super spectacular and have many colors to choose from this year. But some are very

limited in quantities, so you must come quickly because these colors won’t last long. Colors—we love the soft style we ordered more of those this year too, colors available in soft style are: white, Daisy, heather orange & black! New Colors are Kiwi & Heather Orange & Lagoon Blue! All colors range in sizes from youth small to adult 3xl. Youth shirts are $15 and come in Safety Pink & Lime Green, Adult Tanks & Tees & V-Necks sizes small to x-large are $20 and 2XL’s and 3XL’s are $22.

Tanks are in limited sizes & colors. Colors for the Ladies are: Pink & Terracotta, men we have Caribbean Blue & Orange

Get yours before they are gone! T-shirts are now available at the Clarksville Chamber Office (105 Second Street) and the Virginia Avenue Mall (317 Virginia Avenue). Proceeds from the shirts will help with the various expenses of Lakefest such as live bands, fireworks and hot-air balloons.

Left to R (FL Manager, Dennis Hudson, Jeremy Satterfield-TechSpark Community Engagement Manager for Microsoft & President of the Clarksville Ruritan Club, Janice Edwards & our Admiral Sponsors VET’S Inc-reps-Josh Glasscock & Kendele Underwood)