Today the Chamber staff is putting the finishing touches on our Annual Gala, and we will be away from the office for most of the day. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Samoset tonight. The Social Hour starts at 5 PM, and dinner will commence at 6:15 PM. Be sure to allow time to view and participate in our Table Centerpiece Raffle -- you will be amazed by the creativity and generosity of our decorators! The Awards Ceremony and After Party Dancing will cap off the evening.

Thank you to our Gala Sponsors:

Lead Sponsor:

Social Hour Reception Sponsor:

Honoree Sponsors:

First National Bank and Edward Jones, Ken Gardiner - Camden

Looking for a way to wine and dine your Valentine? In addition to our monthly dining grid found in the left column of this newsletter, we have compiled a list of member restaurants offering Valentine's dining options. We will continue to add listings right up to Valentine's Day, so send your offerings to Amy@CamdenRockland.com today.

The Chamber is thrilled to announce that our popular Business & Community Expo will return to the Samoset Resort on Tuesday, March 28. The Expo presents an opportunity to meet and network with more than 85 local businesses and non-profits, all under one roof!

Booth reservations will open next week, and a targeted email will be sent to all Chamber members with the details. Stay tuned!

Rockland Main Street (RMS) and the Chamber are working with Maine Downtown Center and communities around the state on an entrepreneurship ecosystem project. Those that regularly attend RMS Morning on Main events are familiar with this great opportunity!

We are working to ensure our community is welcoming to entrepreneurs and small businesses. This project supports entrepreneurship and innovation by strengthening local support systems that offer resources and assistance to new and existing small businesses. How can you help? Please take this brief survey. Surveys must be completed by Feb. 12.

Your feedback helps determine how $50,000 of funding gets spent in our community! For more information or to fill out a paper survey, contact david@rocklandmainstreet.org

Each week, the Chamber features one of our members here in our Friday Report e-newsletter (distributed to 2,000 emails) and on our Facebook page (5,000 followers). Featured Member posts link directly to your Chamber business profile webpage and to your Facebook page.

Simply click below to complete the two easy steps. Featured Members will be chosen as submissions are received (limit of one featured listing per member, per calendar year). We invite you to take advantage of this great Chamber member benefit to promote your business.

Breakwater Design & Build, Inc is a construction company that has been building beautiful, energy-efficient homes, renovations and additions, for over 20 years. We provide kitchen design services and two cabinet lines to choose from. We are also a certified installer and distributor for PVE elevators, which are energy efficient and can make your home fully accessible, with easy installation.

To learn more about becoming a Featured Member, click here.

Submit your news releases to Amy@CamdenRockland.com.

The downtown Camden Opera House will offer a Summer Theater Camp Monday through Saturday, July 10-15, for children who will enter first through 12th grade in the fall. Registration will open 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10. The acclaimed nonprofit Missoula Children’s Theatre will lead this week-long workshop that culminates in a public performance of “Beauty Lou and the Country Beast,” a fun show with music, sets, costumes, makeup and a cast of local students. Space is limited and registration is by age groups, due to casting constraints.  More...

Cabin fever setting in? Looking for a sweet pick-me-up? This March, Maine Coast Heritage Trust invites all ages to learn about making maple syrup from scratch (sap) at Aldermere Farm in Rockport. Individuals may register for one or more hands-on sessions to learn about the syrup-making process: identifying sugar maples, tapping trees, collecting sap, and running the evaporator. Sessions will run from 3:30-4:30 PM on March 9th and 16th and from 2:00-2:45 PM and 3:00-3:45 PM on March 24th. More...

On Wednesday, February 22, at 6:00 p.m., the Rockport Public Library will screen the film “By the Waters of the Winds.” The 36-minute film documents a 50-mile hike by a group of Mainers in August 2019 visiting the Wind River Range of Wyoming. The film will be followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, Maureen Egan and Tim Seymour of Rockport. More...

As part of a continuing effort to improve service this tax season, the Internal Revenue Service today announced special Saturday hours for the next four months at Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across the country. The special Saturday availability across the nation will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Feb. 11, March 11, April 8 and May 13. The IRS encourages taxpayers to visit a special IRS.gov page for the latest information on the special Saturday hours. More....

On January 25, The James Beard foundation announced its long list of 2023 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists. The nomination in itself is an honor chefs, mixologists and hospitality professionals can add to their accolades, before the list is further curated to finalists (called nominees) and winners are announced on March 29. On this year’s long list in the Best Chef: Northeast category is Chef Sara Jenkins, owner of Nina June restaurant in Rockport, Maine. Jenkins has been named to the James Beard long list twice before, both times while working in New York. This is the first time Jenkins has been named since moving to Maine and opening Nina June in 2016. More...

OUT Maine is excited to welcome Tara Barker (she/her) to the team! Tara is OUT Maine’s Program Operations Coordinator and works closely with the programming team organizing details of all of OUT Maine’s programming including professional development for adults who work with LGBTQ+ youth and OUT Maine’s statewide youth programs! More...

United Midcoast Charities recently announced the addition of three new Board members, whose diverse professional experiences range from organizational and community development to law. Shown in the photo, L to R, are Melanie Frazek, Jim Povec, and Amanda Cunningham. More...

To help kickstart our new catering venture, Claws is offering Chamber members a 10% return on any catered event in the form of Claws gift certificates. For example, if you book a Claws-catered event that totals $1000, you will receive $100 in Claws gift certificates! Use the certificates for yourself or reward clients, guests or employees! Visit our website for more details and give us a call at 207-596-5600.

Not sure how to get hot, fresh Causeway dinner delivered to your door by our staff? Look no further. We offer free delivery to St. George, Thomaston, Rockland (and points in between)! Visit us at https://craignair.com/maine-inn-restaurant

Members are invited to email Amy@CamdenRockland.com with details of goods, programs, products, or services they would like to offer to their fellow members. Please limit your offer to headline + 75 words and include an end date not to exceed 1 month.

Our online calendar is your guide to live & virtual events in the Camden-Rockland Region. Click here to view.

Have an event to share? Members are invited to share events on the Chamber Calendar. Login to your Chamber Profile Page to get started.