By Rebecca Adcock
The holiday and end of year events are upon us. So much has been happening that I forgot to write a “Chamber Chat” for November. So, here is a combined article.
We blinked and November passed us by, but not before we were able to do some events for the Chamber. During the first half of the month, we held our annual Community Leaders Forum. This year’s featured speakers included the Virginia Department of Transportation, Patrick County EDA & Tourism, Town of Stuart and Triton Inc., the contractor for the Highway 58 Vesta section. Thank you to everyone who attended and to our speakers. Lots of exciting projects will be happening in Patrick County in 2026. We also assisted Reynolds Homestead with our Leadership Patrick County cohort as they visited businesses in the Woolwine area. Meetings throughout the month helped us catch up with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Patrick County magazine, Downtown Revitalization Project, dam removals along the Mayo River and projects along the Mayo River Rail Trail.
December is always a whirlwind, and this year was even more so with the winter weather that helped to usher in our Hometown Christmas weekend. Having a beautiful blanket of white snow draping the tree as we participated in the Grand Illumination made the event even more magical. The snow held on as all of our Saturday events were successfully attended leading up to the annual Patrick County Christmas Parade. The holiday happenings have not stopped and will continue through the New Year, with special dinners, parties and first day hikes. We were also busy in December delivering some extra special gifts through our Secret Santa program. One of the best perks of being with the Chamber is helping to distribute funds to some of our hard working, much deserved citizens of Patrick County. We are thankful and appreciative to our sponsor of this program.
Another year has come to a close. It has been a whirlwind for sure. We have hosted some great programs from our Community Leaders Forum, educational classes with P&HCC, to promote all the great events that are happening in our county. We were fortunate to host the Federal Reserve for a first ever county visit back in August. And, we are continuing to work on enhancements for our beloved Mayo River Rail Trail. While we have had some setbacks, the Chamber of Commerce continues to be committed to working with our local town and county in cultivating a diverse and healthy economy for our residents and visitors.
As we look forward into 2026, The Chamber is continuing to work on educational offerings for our community, the Patrick County magazine, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as working on some new and exciting initiatives for our county. We could not do it without your support. Our 2026 Chamber Membership will be rolling out the first of the year. To those businesses, individuals, and organizations that are current members, Thank you! To those who have been members in the past or have never joined, I hope you will consider joining. Our Chamber plays a vital role in helping to assist the town and county, as well as assisting our local non-profits with information and resources. We are always happy to talk to anyone who is interested in learning more.
On behalf of the Chamber board and staff, we hope everyone is able to enjoy the holiday season with friends and family. And, here’s to a prosperous and healthful 2026!
(Adcock is the director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce)
