Kanab Area Chamber Luncheon in Arizona!

We had a great turnout and a great luncheon at the Buckskin Tavern in Fredonia. Our “Kanab Area” Chamber includes members from outside of Kanab – up the Valley, Duck Creek, Fredonia, and other areas in Arizona and Utah, and we were happy to meet up at the Buckskin for good camaraderie and good food.

Chamber secretary/treasurer Don Jennings greeted the crowd and handed the mic over to Buckskin Tavern co-owner Craig Embley. Craig was warm and welcoming and said that he loves that his establishment has become a gathering place for so many people and events. He shared that the lunch would include various items from their regular menu, to give folks a taste of what they offer: hamburger & fries, chicken sandwich & chips, and the veggie sandwich & chips which is also the vegan option. To top off the food, Lacee Brown, chamber board member and co-owner of Brown Box, provided a variety of scrumptious cookies.

Don welcomed two new Chamber members this month, KWOT Community Radio and Noble Grading LLC, and gave a shout out to several renewing members.

The guest presenter for this event was Kelly Stowell, with Kane County economic development. He’s involved in a lot of things in our county and covered topics such as the Rural County Grant program from which local business grants and workforce development grants are made, trails, films/commercials made in the area, OHV planning and even a proposal for a 100-foot dinosaur at the BLM visitor center in Big Water with artist renderings of the creature at a proposed Big Water Village. The audience enjoyed hearing about Kelly’s adventures with film crews and all of the business they bring to Kane County each year. He wrapped up reminding everyone that tickets are on sale now for the annual Raising Kane Business Summit taking place at Kanab Center on Friday, January 9th , 2026.

Since it was a holiday time of year, attendees were asked to “Share the Gift of a Helpful Tip” writing a business or general life tip or piece of advice on the paper provided and then they were hung on the Buckskin’s Christmas tree. At the end of the event, everyone was to take one off the tree on their way out. It seems that more people hung tips than took them, as there were several left on the tree after all was said and done. To make sure those remaining tips were received by someone, we’d like to include them here:

• Don’t give in to the overwhelm. Think of all you’ve done, all you’ve accomplished

• Life is for service

• Keep most of your business income in your savings account – much harder for criminals to access

• Help others without expecting something back

• Make a point to be in a good mood

• Courtesy is cheap

• Be active in your community and vote!

• Try sound therapy for anxiety and depression. It helped me!

• Focus on a strong foundation

• Never use your debit card for purchases, only for cash withdrawals. Credit transactions are covered by consumer protection laws, debits are not

• If you need a housewarming gift, bring a pineapple! It’s nice to look at if they don’t want to eat it right away, and it’s delicious if they do!

There will not be a Kanab Area Chamber luncheon in January, as we’d like everyone to attend the annual Raising Kane Business Summit on January 9th . We’ll see you at our next luncheon that will take place at State Bank of Southern Utah on Thursday, February 12th .