I usually don’t go to many Chamber of Commerce events even though my work has a membership, but there is one that is pretty fun to go to. It’s the annual Stampede Business After Hours hosted by Old Chicago, a local restaurant/bar. If you pre-pay it is only $7 and it gives you all you can eat food and drinks! Plus, practically everyone in the community comes out to this particular event, so it’s a great chance to rub shoulders (or is it elbows?) and network.

Kelly and Me at the Stampede Business After Hours Event

So, last night Kelly and I went down there and mingled. It was pretty fun, and I had never seen the Sky Boxes at the Stampede (Island Grove) arena before, so that was cool.

This is the view from the Sky Boxes looking to the east of Greeley from Island Grove Arena

Everyone dresses up all cowboy in hats and boots. I even wore one of my gingham shirts to get into the spirit.  I talked with some old friends who have just bought a Lock and Key business, an acquaintance at the Greeley Tribune, our neighbors with the horses behind our house, local and state-level politicians or aspiring politicians, fellow Leadership Weld County graduates, and Stampede Wranglers and Committee Members to name a few. It was a good time!

Speaking of Leadership Weld County graduation, there was a picture in the newspaper the other day of the graduation event.

Article in the Greeley Tribune

When I was talking with one of the Greeley Stampede Committee members I asked him what he thought about the new change that they are going to institute this year of charging admission just to walk around. Britton and I usually will walk or ride our bikes down there and just do a lap or two of people watching like we did last year, maybe get an expensive snack and come back home. The Committee Member said that they had no way around it, but I am solidifying my opinion that this is not a good thing. Considering that for $7 at this Business After Hours event you got all you could eat and drink, $5 per person admission to just get in and walk around the carnival seems ludicrous. I’ll write more on that later as the Stampede approaches, but that’s my initial thought on it.