Call for Mardi Gras Sponsors & Silent Auction Items!

Now in its 24th year, the Chamber's Mardi Gras event has been one of the best winter parties in our community! Each year, hundreds of guests enjoy a catered meal featuring creole dishes, a silent and live auction, music, games and much more. Monies raised from the event help fund college scholarships, promote business and economic development, provide business communications, referrals, and networking opportunities in and around our community.

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The 2026 event will take place on February 21st at Prairie View Reception Center in Chatham. Click on the graphic below to download a PDF of the flyer and sponsorship form, or go online to chatham-il-chamber.com/mardi-gras-community-celebration.

Join us for lunch on January 8th at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel

January's luncheon topic is, "Helping Main Street Navigate Washington’s Tax Changes." It will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., January 8th, at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 701 E. Adams St. in Springfield. The presenter is Brian Bates, Senior Tax Manager at Coonrod Financial Services. This past year saw numerous changes that have direct tax implications for your business. It's not too late to learn how to shelter your business from tax fall-out, and also take advantage of any new tax benefits.

The Business Exhibitor is Ryan Sinks, owner of RJS Home Remodeling & Architectural Landscaping.



The Pres. Abraham Lincoln Hotel will serve:

Pasta Buffet - Romaine Salad, Garlic Bread, Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce, Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Cookies & Brownies, and Water/Iced Tea.

Lunch is $20 per person

You have the option to pay online when you register at the link below, or pay at the door with check, cash, credit card, or member punch card. Please RSVP by 4 p.m., Monday, Jan. 5th.

If you register and your plans change, please notify the Chamber office as soon as possible by emailing Director@chatham-il-chamber.com since we must pay for every confirmed reservation. Please note that you will be billed for the cost of food if you do not cancel your reservation by the indicated RSVP deadline.

Mark Your Calendars for Wake Up Chatham Chamber! on January 21

Start your day with coffee and conversation! The Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce's breakfast networking event will be held from 7:30-9 a.m., at Pole Barn Chic, 4491 Old Chatham Rd., Springfield, on Wednesday, January 21. It will be an open house format.

Though there is no charge for the event, we ask that you RSVP by January 16, so that our hosts can make appropriate plans.

This is a great way for Chamber members to connect with one another, meet other business owners and operators, and learn more about the local business community.

We would also like to extend a special invitation to any local businesses interested in joining the Chatham Area Chamber to stop by for more information.



Thank you to Pole Barn Chic for hosting our breakfast event!

January 2026

Member of the Month

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

Pictured L to R: Courtney Bouvet, Nathan Stotts, Travis Blaney, Jeff Dillman, Charlie Morris, Elizabeth Hula, and Michael Brassfield.

Congratulations to TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® for being chosen the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce’s Member of the Month for January!

For over a decade, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® have been the go-to movers for Springfield, Chatham, Rochester, Decatur and Jacksonville. They are dedicated to making their clients’ moves as smooth as possible. Their team of experienced professionals offer a variety of moving solutions tailored to their clients’ specific needs.

They specialize in local moving, long-distance moving, junk removal, packing services, business services, and boxes and supplies. Whether it’s only a single item that needs to be moved, or a whole business, or anything in between, they have the experience, equipment, and expertise to handle it.

They can also help with internal moves, when you just need items moved from one room to another.

The Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® as our Member of the Month for January.

Library News

Upcoming Member & Community Events

Please note: The Chamber reserves the right to request modifications to submissions to ensure software compatibility.

Letter from the Chatham Railroad Museum Association President

Help Keep the Chatham Railroad Museum Rolling Forward!



The Chatham Railroad Museum Association is at an important crossroads, and we’re reaching out to our community for members and volunteers.

We need members/volunteers to help with our events. You don’t need to be interested in trains at all. If you have a knack for decorating for Christmas or Halloween, if you are good at event organization, if you are good at advertising and social media or if you think you could help in any way, we would love to have you.

We do Santa at the Depot the first Sunday of December. We do Trunk or Treat with the Police and Fire departments. And of course, we have the Locomotion Cruise In the 3^rd Sunday of August. One year we tried a Touch a Truck. We had a fire truck, ambulance, police cruiser, semi grain hauler and the specialty bike from the Chatham Library. We would love to have this event again if we had more vehicles and more people to help.

We’re also seeking volunteers for museum projects such as yard maintenance, artifact display setup, and archiving. Businesses and people with access to construction equipment could make a huge difference by helping us properly mount outdoor artifacts. And for those who enjoy data entry or organizing, our archiving work is a great way to lend a hand during the winter months.

The Chatham Railroad Museum has long been part of what makes our town unique. With your help, we can ensure it continues to educate, inspire, and bring the community together for years to come.

If you or your business would like to get involved, please come out to the depot on Sunday, January 11 from 3-5PM to learn more. We will have home baked goods from the Girl Scout troop #6225 and hot chocolate from Scoop Du Jour. We’d love to have you aboard!

Nick Goedecke, President Chatham Railroad Museum Association

ngoedecke@comcast.net

217-622-6532

The depot was built in 1902 by Chicago & Alton. The last passenger train to stop in Chatham on “The Alton Route” was in 1952 when it was the Gulf Mobile & Ohio railroad. The depot was used by GM&O as a freight depot until 1972. Many people do not realize there was another railroad that ran parallel to the Alton Route, the Illinois Terminal. It was known as the traction and was an electric railroad. It ran passenger service in Chatham until March 1956. To learn more, come into the depot.

Volunteers are Needed for Senior Services of

Central Illinois

Computer Works Holiday Sale to Benefit Titan Fuel

Computer Works will donate $100 for every Computer Works branded machine that they sell, and $50 for every non-Computer Works branded machine: Dell, HP laptops and desktop computers.

Birth to Five Illinois News

Birth to Five Illinois offices will be closed on the following dates:

• Wednesday, December 24, 2025
• Thursday, December 25, 2025
• Thursday, January 1, 2026

We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to working with you in 2026!

In Honor of the Victims of the April 28 Event