Get out this weekend and see what some local businesses have to offer at the 2026 Home & Business EXPO, the GK Band Mattress Sale and the Taste of Genoa!
The air has a chill, the grass has yet to turn green and I am beginning to go a bit stir crazy. If you are like me, you want to get out of the house and connect with people! The Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce and the GKHS Band has the perfect solution for you: The 2026 Home and Business Expo and the GK Band Mattress Fundraiser sale.
This is a great opportunity to get out of the house, connect with neighbors and see what our business members have to offer. As we patiently await warmer weather, the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting our Home and Business Expo & Taste of Genoa, this Saturday, March 7 at the Genoa-Kingston High School.
We invite you and your entire family to enjoy the day meeting people while seeing what some of the Genoa area has to offer! Come and check out some of our amazing small businesses, organizations, industries and restaurants at this one-day event. Vendors will be highlighting their businesses giving you a chance to have one-on-one conversations with those who keep our area thriving.
This year the Chamber is joining forces with the Genoa Kingston Band Mattress Fundraiser Sale. The GK Band will be headed to Hawaii in December for an amazing opportunity to play at Pearl Harbor for Pearl Harbor Day. The mattress fundraiser will help offset the cost for the students to represent Genoa in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Come hungry to the Expo and the Mattress Sale and grab something to eat at the Taste of Genoa. The Taste of Genoa will feature food from Ralfie’s BBQ, Nina’s Tacos, Rosati’s, Jiggy Jerky, Keep it Poppin, Lou’s Lemonade, Sweet De-Lights and The Treehouse Pie Co. Let the kids enjoy the exhibitions by the Genoa Park District and Fitness Center, while you enjoy getting to know our local businesses and have a chance to win great prizes at our door prize raffle.
This year we will be raffling off a Ninja Ice Cream Maker sponsored by Re/Max Classic, a GE Air Fryer/Toaster oven donated by Paulsen Appliance, a 15” digital calendar from Northern Illinois Realty and a YETI cooler from Kunes Auto Sales and Service in Sycamore. The Expo entry is FREE and everyone over 18 who visits 15 booths or more will be entered to win one of these awesome raffle prizes! We hope to see you this Saturday at the Home & Business Expo!
The Genoa Chamber would like to thank all of our sponsors, we could not continue our events without their continued support and investment. To find out more about the Expo and which of your favorite businesses will be there, visit our website at www.genoaareachamber.com. We hope to see you this year at the 2026 Home & Business Expo.
In May, we will be hosting a new event, The Back Road Derby Drive! Deck out yourself, your street legal golf cart or utv and have a theme song to join us in a mini parade. If the judges like your struts, you could be selected to be a jockey in our own Genoa Derby! The cost of admission is caned and boxed goods that will be collected and donated to the Genoa Food Hub, Rooted for Good! More information will be coming out soon so for now, save the date, Saturday, May 9 at the Genoa Veterans Club for what is sure to be a hilarious and fun day!
The Genoa Area Chamber will also continue our small-town traditions with the Genoa Days Royalty Scholarship contest otherwise known as the Genoa Days King and Queen Competition.
The Chamber and member businesses recognize the importance of education as well as the increasing costs that come with it. One of the ways we support our students and future leaders is by providing a scholarship contest opportunity open to ALL graduating seniors.
All seniors at G-K High School, home-schooled and parochial school students that would fall within the Genoa-Kingston School District are able to apply for the scholarship. The application can be found on our website, www.genoaareachamber.com.
To be considered, candidates need to complete an application and submit it on or before April 7. All completed applications will be reviewed and finalists will be notified. The finalists will then compete in a final judging that will take place on the first evening of Genoa Days, Wednesday, May 27, at Heartland Bank from 6 to 7:45 p.m., and then completed on the main stage in downtown Genoa at 8 p.m. where our 2026 Genoa Days King and Queen will be announced and each will be awarded at least $1000.00 to be put toward continuing education.
The Genoa Chamber continues to grow and would love to have you grow with us! We would be happy to tell you about our upcoming events, chamber membership and sponsorship opportunities. Call us today at 815-784-2212 or email info@genoaareachamber.com to make an appointment with Krissy or Emily. We are here to serve you and to spotlight your growing business!
We hope to see you this spring while you are out Exploring Genoa!