Our busy season has arrived! What a joy is it to host our community’s two largest events each year – the 4th of July Honor America Celebration and Fireworks and the Pekin Marigold Festival! Stay tuned each month and we will share up-to-date information about each of these community traditions. It takes a village to make these events possible. We thank our membership, our sponsors, city staff, community partners, and volunteers. Speaking of volunteers, we would love more volunteers. Contact us at [email protected] to contribute your time, treasure, or talent to these events.

Welcome New Chamber Board Members: The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce recently hosted our 2024 Annual Meeting. This celebration included a celebration of chamber successes for the past year, as well as a look to the coming year. The evening included networking and live entertainment by Pekin’s own Brian Carroll and special musical guest, Suzanne Miller, both of Jim Maloof Realtor. In addition, new officers were approved and include Chamber President – Dr. Danielle Owens, Pekin Community High School; Vice President – Todd Benton, Alto Ingredients; Treasurer – Tony Howard, Carle Health; and Past President – Laurie Gruse, Pekin Insurance. New chamber Directors serving a term from 2024 to 2027 were introduced and include Chris Deverman – Deverman Advertising; Josie Esker – City of Pekin; and Dennis Short – Pekin Community Bank. A full listing of Chamber Directors can be found at www.pekinchamber.com. The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization with the mission of creating opportunities for Pekin area businesses to succeed. The Chamber Board sets policy and direction for the Chamber.

2024 Pekin Marigold Festival: The Pekin Marigold Festival Committee attended the Annual Meeting and we are excited to announce the 2024 festival theme – Marigolds Rockin’ the Bicentennial! Always the weekend after Labor Day, the 2024 Pekin Marigold Festival will be held on September 4–8. Returning events will include classics like the Carnival, Art in the Park, Festive Foods, and many more. There will be new, returning, and theme-related events announced in the coming weeks. 3-on-3 Youth Basketball, Cardboard Boat Races, and an evening concert are all in the works. Each month, additional information will be provided in the Pekin Hometown Voice, on the Pekin Marigold Festival Facebook page, and also at www.pekinmarigoldfestival.com. 

Applications for the 2024 Grand Marshal will be accepted until May 14, 2024. The application can be found on the festival website and Facebook pages. We are seeking nominations of community members who demonstrate extraordinary service to the Pekin community. 

Save the date for the Miss Marigold Pageant – Saturday, August 10, 2024 at 7 pm at Pekin Community High School. Contestant applications will be available soon. This scholarship pageant awards Miss Marigold a $3,000 scholarship. Follow Miss Marigold Pageant on Facebook for all of the details. 

The Pekin Marigold Festival is managed in part by the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, but with great support from a volunteer committee. This group of energetic, amazing, and dedicated volunteers meets monthly year-round to plan and execute this long-time community tradition. Baylee Gambetti is the 2024 Festival Chair. Baylee is a lifelong Pekin resident and quite possibly Pekin’s biggest cheerleader. Baylee also served the festival as chair in 2020.

    Honor America Celebration: The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the continuation of the 4th of July “Honor America Celebration” fireworks display held at Pekin Memorial Stadium this summer. The Honor America Celebration is funded by members of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Pekin business community, and donations from community members.

***Due to construction in and around Pekin Memorial Stadium, the stadium will be closed to spectators in 2024 and 2025. The Arena Parking lot will be used for VIP seating for sponsor ticket holders, wheelchair accessible seating, and a free General Admission area. Vehicles will not be allowed in this area. ***

The display begins at nightfall on July 4th with a rain date the following evening. 

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amy McCoy states, “We are proud to offer this event to our community, and we could not do so without the support of our sponsors. The Honor America Celebration is a hallmark of our community. While it will look a little different for the next couple of years, we pledge to treat our guests to a fantastic show!”