Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and Spring Break to all those that celebrate! As a business community, both celebrations bring interesting activity and excitement to a community. Today’s blog is a bit of a potpourri of things to think about!

Thank you to our friends at High Country Beverage and NoCo Unify for bringing the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration back to downtown Fort Collins. It was so exciting to see downtown turn green on Saturday and to have one of Fort Collins’ most beloved traditions return to Old Town Fort Collins. The free, family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day Parade, followed by the Old Town Irish Celebration, celebrated community, local nonprofits, and Irish spirit with live music, food vendors, and the opportunity to support our downtown businesses. I look forward to 2027 and invite our community to share that same cheer with local businesses today!

I hope you have Wednesday, April 8 circled on your calendar and that you will join the business community at our 2026 Annual Celebration! Business is the cornerstone of the community, and as the trusted business champion, catalyst and convener creating shared economic prosperity for Northern Colorado, it is our honor to celebrate community leaders and more. I can’t wait to take a moment to recognize the tremendous contributions the following have made to our business community:

• 2025 Collins Award Recipients: Dave and Steve Nichols, High Country Beverage
• 2025 David May Advocacy Award: Jeni Arndt, Former Mayor of Fort Collins
• 2025 Valerie Arnold Volunteer of the Year: Holli McElwee, Kilwins Fort Collins, Old Town Ice Cream & Treats, LLC

The Chamber convenes leaders and influencers who are making a difference in our community. We are honored to also recognize the following individuals for their contributions over the business community:

• 2025 Board Chair: Josh Guernsey, Waypoint Real Estate and Vuelo Investments
• 2025 Local Legislative Affairs Committee (LLAC) Chair: Holli McElwee, Owner, Kilwins Fort Collins – Old Town Ice Cream & Treats, LLC
• Retiring Chamber Board Members: Ryan Schaefer, CEO & Principal, Affinity Partners; Jennifer Johnson, The Light Center; Nick Haws, EPS Group, Inc.; Holli McElwee, Owner, Kilwins Fort Collins – Old Town Ice Cream & Treats, LLC

Tickets are on sale now – and you don’t want to miss the celebration. We will be at the Hilton Fort Collins from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Can’t wait to see you there!

The 2026 Colorado General Assembly is well underway and your Chamber is fighting for business each day of the session. With over 700 bills expected during the session, you can be certain that we are advocating for business protections and opportunities. Learn more about our current priorities and bill tracking HERE. To keep an eye on our positions and to activate your voice, sign up for our NCLA Newsletter HERE.

Finally, a shout-out to our friends at Colorado State University! As our largest employer in the Fort Collins Area, we are dependent on their leadership and economic impact on the region. The 2025-2026 Basketball Regular Season concluded last week at the Mountain West Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. It was thrilling to see the CSU Women’s program finish the year as the Tournament Champion while the CSU Men’s program made it to the Quarter Finals.

I can’t wait to cheer for the Women as they head to the NCAA Tournament in Norman, OK while the Men host a round of the NIT Tournament in Fort Collins. Make sure to buy your tickets to support both of these exciting programs.

• Visit CSURams.com for Spring programs, the return of the PBR to Fort Collins, and more
• Interesting fact – total economic impact of Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins last year was $60.1M

I invite you to harness that opportunity for your own local business. Go Rams!