The Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce held its monthly Chamber Mixer on Thursday, April 17. This month’s mixer was hosted by Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum, a new Black Hills tourist attraction that is preparing to officially open its doors on May 23. Chamber members got to see a sneak peek of the museum while mingling with other business owners and enjoying a bite to eat.
“I honestly was expecting maybe 20, 25 people tonight, and this has been a really wonderful turnout. So thank you guys for coming out,” said Walter Stein, museum owner, to the crowd. “We’re very excited to bring this museum here to Belle Fourche. We’ve got all kinds of things. We’ve got original fossils from the ranches that are from this area, and we’re hoping to keep some more of these original fossils right here instead of being sent off to cities and towns everywhere else.” Along with original fossils, the museum features casts and animatronic dinosaurs, which proved to be popular with the kids at the mixer!
Michaela Horn, the Chamber’s Executive Director, said “I think it’s a great member-to-member benefit that he (Stein) thought of us and was like, ‘Hey, do you guys want a sneak peek?’ We’re kind of the testers, the guinea pigs, mapping it out. As soon as I walked in, they’re like, if you notice anything that needs to be fixed or addressed, let us know so that they’re ready for the ribbon cutting and ready to open up to the public. So that’s kind of fun!”
The evening featured the chamber mixer’s monthly Connect & Collect Drawing, where a chamber member’s business gets pulled to win a pot of money. The winner was E&M Steel Products, but since they were not present, the prize will roll over to next month’s mixer. The pot is now $250.
Next month’s Chamber Mixer will be May 15, hosted by the Black Hills Roundup at the Roundup Grounds. Bring a friend—it’s open to the public!
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