PORTSMOUTH— The Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce is ready to shamrock the evening away at another popular St. Patrick’s Day Business After Hours this March 14 to kick off the season and prepare people for the upcoming community-wide celebration.

After many years of organizing a week-long celebration of the Irish holiday, people come from all over the region to watch the parade organized by the 7 Nations Celtic Club before spending the day at Port City Pub, where Cory Maillet and friends have planned a day of bagpipes, dancing, and other music.

The weekend will boast not only the parade and pub celebration, but also the Second Annual 7 Nations Celtic Club Drink Toast Contest and Sunday brunch. To prepare people, Maillet says the Business After Hours is a great way to get in the spirit for both community and staff.

“Our annual Business After Hours is one of the main events of our week-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration,” Maillet claimed. “Not only is it a way to showcase our, as well as our sponsors’, businesses, but it is also a preview of what is in store for the upcoming Saturday and the big parade put on by the 7 Nations Celtic Club. It’s also a great way to introduce new employees to what the weekend is going to be like. During the Business After Hours event, we always have live Irish music, and invite the Celtic dancers from the Cirque d’Art Theatre to perform. I would also like to thank our sponsors for returning each year for now as long as I can remember. Their continued support keeps the March event something everyone looks forward to.”

Maillet’s Business After Hours event works as planned, too, as it is one of the most popular Business After Hours of the year.

“The March business after hours at the Port City Pub has become a March tradition among our chamber members,” Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Carver said. “The Pub has partnered with Sherman Kricker Insurance, OSCO Industries, and TSHD Architects for the last several years and this year they have brought in Mexitali as a cosponsor as well. The Business After Hours events are a great platform to meet new people, build relationships, and expand professional networks.”

The monthly Business After Hours events are hosted at a different location each month by a grouping of Chamber members. Each year, Carver spends time planning next year’s hosts and sponsors and allows them the freedom of planning their events to their liking. They always feature food and fun, and sometimes drinks, as well as giveaways. Carver explained that they are designed to allow the local professional community a chance to meet with one another after they’ve clocked out and to network and socialize.

To attend a Business After Hours, you must be a registered Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce member. To become a member in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Business After Hours, call Carver at 740.353.7647.

There are a lot of benefits to becoming a member of the Chamber. The organization had 55 networking events last year, organized 18 ribbon cuttings, sent out over 30,000 emails, and more. To learn more about the Chamber, visit www.portsmouth.org.

To stay updated on St. Patrick’s Day activities, follow Port City Café and Pub on Facebook.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.