Chamber Planning 2023 Downtown Sounds Lineup

Members of the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce met last Friday, February 3 to discuss progress that had been made and finalize certain plans for the 2023 Downtown Sounds series of events. This year, Downtown Sounds will be held on June 16, July 21 and August 18.

The members first discussed the potential food vendors and where they would be located at the Hickory Square event. This season, the space will be re-arranged for better utilization, with the majority of vendors being on one side and the majority of the east and west areas left open so attendees can enjoy the shade on what are usually hot summer Friday nights.

They also discussed the licensing requirements for the vendors, and the need to make sure there aren't too many duplications in food offerings by participating vendors. There was also a discussion about an open container ordinance being waived so there's not a need to have a fenced-off area within a fenced off area, which disrupts the flow of attendees being able to move from one area to another. The plan is to have the food vendors on the north and south sides of the square. Vendors would have to pay $50 and the fee of a city permit, but this is waived if they are members of the Chamber, incentivizing these businesses to join the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s cheaper for them to join the Chamber plus they get all the benefits of membership,” said Toshia Jones, President and CEO of the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce.

Food vendors will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, with the Chamber trying to prevent overlap of food items offered. Vendors can choose one date, two or all three dates to participate. The conversation then moved to the music entertainment, which has been challenging due to budget constrictions. Todd Krasco had identified a number of bands that would fit for Downtown Sounds, and gave the other committee members links to performance videos so they had a chance to pick which bands should be approached for performing at the events. Most of the bands are from the Denver area and include a mix of pop, rock and country music.

The group also discussed sponsorship and advertising, with space available on the fences for advertising banners for local businesses looking to sponsor the events. More details and schedules will be printed in the Sun-Telegraph as they become available.