Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce

05/12/2026

Have you been to the Midsummer Kickoff before?

It’s become one of the best ways to start the weekend, bringing the community together before everything officially begins.

This year’s kickoff is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet thanks to several organizations helping make it happen.

New Life Church will once again host the evening, providing a free hot dog dinner, leading a community prayer over the weekend, and bringing inflatables for families to enjoy.

The Phelps County Community Foundation will also return with free ice cream floats.

We’re also excited to partner with the Holdrege Optimist Club and the Don Sjogren Community YMCA to bring games and activities, while Sherri Ellsworth leads Midsummer Pole Frog Dances.

For the first time, the Lindsborg Swedish Dance Group “Lindsborg Folkdanslag” will travel from Lindsborg, Kansas to join the celebration, bringing couples dancers and a fiddler to perform during the evening.

It’s a fun, welcoming way to kick off Midsummer and a reminder of how many groups come together to make the weekend special.

05/11/2026

The Holdrege Chamber created the Lemonade Scholarship to give students a real opportunity to experience entrepreneurship before they graduate.

Students submit business plans through their school, and selected students receive a free booth space during Midsummer Festival and Sidewalk Sales. We promote their business to the community, and they get the chance to actually run their idea in a real event setting.

Last year, both student businesses sold completely out.

That’s why this matters.

Programs like this help students build confidence, communication skills, and real-world business experience while showing them that their ideas have value right now, not someday down the road.

When you see student booths during Midsummer, stop by and support them.

05/10/2026

A lot of businesses are putting time into content right now.

Posting regularly. Trying to stay consistent. Doing what they think they’re supposed to be doing.

And still, it feels like nothing is really gaining traction.

Most of the time, it’s not about effort. It’s about direction.

The content that works in 2026 does one thing well, it solves something for the person seeing it.

That’s it.

At the Chamber, we’ve seen this play out. During Midsummer season, our content reaches over half a million views. Not because we’re doing anything groundbreaking, but because we stay consistent and intentional.

Every post has to answer:
What’s the purpose
Who is it for
Why should they care

If you can answer those, your content starts to work.

If not, it just fills space.

05/09/2026

Here’s a simple weekend challenge:

Try one new business in Phelps County.

A place you’ve driven by
Heard about
Or just haven’t made time for yet

You might find a new favorite, and you’re supporting someone local while you do it.

If you try somewhere new, drop it in the comments. Others might be looking for the same idea.

05/09/2026

Member: “Can you break down the benefits of joining the Holdrege Chamber?”

Us: “Of course we can.”

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

This week was all about students, schools, and workforce conversations in Phelps County.

From behind-the-scenes changes with Workforce Draft Day to conversations inside a JAG classroom, this episode of Connect looks at the work that goes into helping students see what’s possible for their future.

One of the biggest takeaways:
There’s no single path to success.

Sometimes students just need exposure to ideas, careers, and opportunities they haven’t seen before.

05/08/2026

Most businesses think they know what a Chamber membership includes.

There are a few things that tend to get overlooked.

Accepting the SPARK Gift Card is one of them. It gives people in the community a direct way to spend locally at your business. For some members, that alone can offset the cost of membership.

Directory listings are another. Ours aren’t just a name and phone number. They show up at the top of local search results and are increasingly being pulled into AI recommendations as people shift how they search.

Then there are referrals. We take hundreds of calls every month from people asking where to go, who to use, and who to trust. Being part of the Chamber puts your business in those conversations.

There are also the things most people expect, posting jobs, ribbon cuttings, and having a partner to call when you need it.

What often gets missed is how all of it works together.

Consumers notice it too:

64% are more likely to buy from a Chamber member
63% are more likely to recommend one
81% see their local Chamber as a trusted resource

Membership isn’t one thing. It’s a set of tools.

The value comes from using them.

05/07/2026

If you do one thing this week, make it this:

Post a behind-the-scenes photo.

Not a perfect one. Not a designed graphic. Just something real.

What your day looks like
What you’re working on
What people don’t usually see

That’s the kind of content people stop for.

05/06/2026

Join us on May 8 from 12:00–1:00 PM at 106 Commercial St in Loomis for a ribbon cutting and a chance to see it for yourself.

You’ll get to meet owner Abbi Thorell, enjoy some sandwiches and snacks, and stick around for a walking tour of the space.

Heads up, the tour will take you outside, so bring shoes you don’t mind getting a little dirty.

05/05/2026

Midsummer Festival was named Outstanding Event of the Year (Established) at the 2026 Nebraska Tourism Industry Awards, recognizing events held in 2025.

That means a festival built right here in Holdrege was chosen among some of the largest events in the state.

Before that, Midsummer was named Phelps County Event of the Year in 2024.

That kind of recognition doesn’t come from one weekend. It comes from years of businesses showing up, volunteers putting in the work, and a community that continues to support it.