Serving the Business Community for Over 120 Years | | Weekly Update: September 29, 2026 | | |
Thank You for Making the 2026 Annual Business Awards, Trade Show a Success!
On behalf of the River Heights Chamber staff, thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Annual Business Awards, Trade Show & Luncheon on Thursday, September 24 at Southview Country Club. We are grateful for the tremendous support of our sponsors, trade show exhibitors, award nominees, award winners, volunteers, board members, ambassadors and attendees who helped make this year's event a wonderful success.
Congratulations to our 2026 award recipients:
🏆 Forrest Gleewe Visions of Excellence Award – Ann Bailey
🏆 Rising Star Award – Amy Countryman, Inver Hills Community College Foundation
🏆 Small Business of the Year – Limitless Chiropractic
🏆 Large Business of the Year – Sovran, Inc.
Highlights from the day include:
- Tradeshow featuring some of the Chamber’s businesses.
- Networking opportunities that sparked new connections and collaborations.
- A delicious Coffee Bar experience sponsored by Key Community Bank and served by Caffeination Station.
- A powerful keynote from Patrick Klinger, who sharedan inspiring message about embracing opportunities and taking risks.
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Nicole Engstrom of Little Mac Design for capturing photos of the event.
Thank you again to everyone who participated and celebrated with us. We are proud to recognize the outstanding businesses and leaders who make our community stronger and look forward to another great year ahead!
~The River Heights Chamber Team
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Event Photos Available to Purchase
Nicole Engstrom from Little Mac Design captured some amazing photos from the 2026 Business Awards Luncheon on September 24. If you would like to purchase photos from the event, use the link below, click on the photo you would like and add it to the shopping bag. Prints will be shipped directly to you.
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Date and Time: Tuesday Sep 29, 2026
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
RSVP Requested by September 18th
Location: Viking Lakes, 2645 Vikings Circle, Eagan, MN 55121
Join local partners, residents and the business community as Dakota County Board Chair Laurie Halverson and county officials discuss leading in challenging times, the state of Dakota County and the 2027 budget.
More Details Here
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Welcome ChiroWay to Eagan!
Join the River Heights Chamber as we celebrate the grand opening of ChiroWay Eagan!
Come meet the team, connect with local business leaders, and help us welcome ChiroWay to the community.
🕞 3:30 PM - Refreshments & Networking
✂️ 4:00–4:30 PM - Ribbon Cutting & Welcome Remarks
Bring your business cards and community spirit as we celebrate this exciting milestone!
We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP HERE
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Schedule Update:
CD2 Congressional Debate - October 12, 2026
Hear directly from the candidates at the upcoming CD2 Congressional Debate hosted at Dakota County Technical College on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
🗓 Monday, October 12, 2026
📍 Dakota County Technical College
⏰ Registration Opens: 2:30 p.m.
☕ Light snacks and refreshments available
🎤 Debate: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Important: Doors close promptly at 2:15 p.m. and no late admittance will be allowed.
This is a great opportunity to hear candidates discuss the issues that matter most to our region before Election Day. Limited seats and you must pre-register to attend.
👉 Click here for event details and RSVP
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Business After Hours at Nowhere Entertainment
Join us on Tuesday, October 13, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM at Nowhere Entertainment in Inver Grove Heights for an evening of networking, family fun, and exclusive Chamber-only discounts on mini golf, arcade games, haunted house attractions, food, and beverages.
Bring your family and friends! This event is not open to the public.
RSVP by Monday, October 12.
👉 Click here for full event details and registration
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Join the River Heights Chamber of Commerce as we celebrate the new office location of American Family Insurance - Branson Smith with an official Ribbon Cutting ceremony!
Start your morning with coffee, pastries, and networking at the River Heights Chamber office, located at 5782 Blackshire Path. Following refreshments, we'll take a short walk next door to 5790 Blackshire Path to tour the new office and celebrate with a Ribbon Cutting at 9:30 a.m.
More Details and Registration Here
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Save the Date: Good Morning River Heights
📅 Friday, October 30
⏰ 8:00 a.m.
📍 B-52 Burgers & Brew
Join us for Good Morning River Heights featuring updates from local school leaders:
- Dr. Brian Zambreno, South St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent
- Dave Bernhardson, Inver Grove Heights Public Schools Superintendent
- Ben Kusch, Director of TriDistrict CAPS
Learn about district initiatives and the TriDistrict CAPS internship program.
$20 per person (includes breakfast and lunch)
RSVP required.
👉 More event details and registration
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📅 Save the Date! County-Wide B2B Expo 📅
Join us on November 12 for the County-Wide B2B Expo, a premier networking and business showcase event bringing together businesses from across the region.
River Heights Chamber members: We have only 2 booth spaces remaining at a special member rate of $150 per booth. Don't miss this opportunity to highlight your business, connect with potential customers, and build valuable relationships.
🔗 More details and registration
Reserve your booth early, as spaces are limited and expected to fill quickly!
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MidCountry Bank Community Appreciation Event
Please come join us on September 30th, 2026, from 11-2pm for our community appreciation event. There will be food provided by our vendor Slightly Sauced - BBQ food truck, and tons of prizes. Our grand prize will be an air compressor.
Hope to see you there to enjoy good food and register to win prizes. Address is 6505 Cahill Ave, Inver Grove Heights.
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Open House at The Backyards Apartments
Thursday, October 1, 2026
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The Backyards Apartments
225 Concord Exchange N
South St. Paul, MN 55075
The Backyards Apartments are excited to open their doors and welcome members of the South St. Paul community to stop by.
They will be showcasing the newly upgraded Golf Simulator - stop in, check it out, and take a swing!
It’s a great opportunity to connect, network, and get a firsthand look at The Backyards.
Please feel free to stop by anytime between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
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Congratulations to Jersey's Bar & Grill on celebrating 25 years in business in Inver Grove Heights!
For a quarter of a century, Jersey's Bar & Grill has been a welcoming gathering place and an important part of our community. From hosting Chamber events and serving as a Friday night stop for live music, to bingo nights, sports-game giveaways, celebrations, and countless get-togethers, Jersey's has always found ways to bring people together.
Of course, the experience wouldn’t be complete without the amazing food and drinks, along with the friendly service that keeps customers coming back year after year.
We’re grateful for all the memories Jersey's has helped create and for the many ways they continue to support and connect with our community.
Congratulations, Jersey's Bar & Grill, on 25 incredible years! Here’s to many more years of great food, great people, and great memories in Inver Grove Heights! Stop by to for a great meal and congratulate them.
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Congratulations Wipaire! - Coolest Thing Made In Minnesota Finalist
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce started with 64 amazing products and public voting has narrowed it down to our FOUR finalists:
- Teardrop Trailers by Vistabule
- Trackchair by ATZ Manufacturing
- Fire Boss aerial firefighting system by Wipaire
- Bair Hugger Warming System by Solventum
Now you get to decide the winner of the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota contest!
The final round of public voting opened Monday, September 28 and runs until Tuesday, October 6 at 11:00 a.m. Here are the rules for voting:
- One vote per person.
- For this round, you will get to vote for ONE of the top FOUR products.
- Check the Rules & Terms tab on the voting page for more voting tips!
More Details and Voting Here
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Visit Inver Grove Heights is looking for a part-time Digital Marketing & Content Creator contractor!
Visit Inver Grove Heights is seeking a creative, organized, and community-minded contractor to help showcase Inver Grove Heights as a destination for visitors. This role will create engaging social media and digital content, promote local businesses and attractions, and keep the Visit IGH events calendar current.
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Upcoming Assessment Open House Meetings and Public Hearings
Prior to assessments for road improvements in IGH, the City will host a set of open house meetings and public hearings on the assessments.
For a list of all upcoming open house meetings and assessment public hearings, you can visit www.ighmn.gov/Transparency and click on the first tab: Improvement & Assessment Hearings.
You can also visit: www.ighmn.gov/Pavement and select the project that you would like information on.
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38th Annual On the Road Again
Date: Saturday, October 3
Time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: Southview Boulevard
Join the community for the 38th Annual On the Road Again on Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Southview Boulevard!
This long-running community celebration features something for everyone, including an arts and crafts flea market, delicious booya, a classic car show, live music, family-friendly activities, and much more.
Bring your family and friends and enjoy a full day of fun, entertainment, great food, and local vendors.
Want to help at the River Heights Chamber of Commerce booth? We’re looking for a business or two to volunteer and help staff the Chamber booth on Saturday. Businesses that volunteer are also welcome to bring a few promotional items, giveaways, or other materials to add to the table and share with event attendees.
If your business would like to volunteer or participate, please contact Lilly Miller.
For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
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We love to share news about your
business or organization!
Any news to be included in the Weekly Update needs to be sent to chris@riverheights.com by Thursday at 12 noon CT for the next week Tuesday update email. Any additions to the Weekly Update will be approved by the Chamber President.
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