Chamber scales back "Second Saturdays"

The Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is scaling back its monthly “Second Saturday” activities, limiting this year’s events to the final four months of the year, the Holton City Commission noted on Monday.

During the commission’s regular meeting that evening, commissioners approved a resolution authorizing businesses on Holton’s Town Square that participate in “Second Saturday” activities to serve complimentary alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine to shoppers, setting this year’s promotions on Saturday, Sept. 12, Saturday, Oct. 10, Saturday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 12.

Holton City Manager Teresa Riley said during Monday’s commission meeting that in recent months, the Chamber’s monthly promotions of the Square and its businesses from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month “have not been as well-attended,” a statement later backed up by Chamber executive director Ashlee York.

“We’ve seen that some months naturally have stronger participation and foot traffic than others, especially during already busy seasons,” York said Tuesday. “A big factor for us is funding and resources. Promoting these events, along with supplies and coordination, all adds up. We want to make sure that when we do host Second Saturday, we’re able to do it well and make it worthwhile for businesses and attendees.”

Limiting the “Second Saturday” promotions to the last four months of this year, York said, “helps create a better overall experience and stronger impact” during months when “we tend to see the most engagement,” particularly during the Christmas shopping season.

The “Second Saturday” promotions began in October of 2014, when then-director Carolyn McKee organized an art-themed event to go along with that year’s Fall Fest activities. The promotions have continued on and off during the years, with some of the events dovetailing with other activities on the Square and in Holton.

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