The Ainsworth Area Chamber of Commerce builds on a long tradition of promoting the commercial interests of this region in North Central Nebraska .  The varied membership reflects retail trade, farmers, ranchers, organizations, and individuals who what to do their part in promoting the business community.    The Chamber office in the North Central Development Center building is the hub of activities.   Staffed by a part-time secretary the Ainsworth Area Chamber of Commerce is greatly involved with the community.  Visitors, phone calls,  emails, and organizational meetings make the Chamber Office a community center.  Close cooperation with the North Central Development Center facilitates chamber awareness of economic growth and welfare of the region. 

Commercial Club activities were important 75 years ago when the rural people came to town to do their weekly trading (eggs, cream and other rural products for the manufactured necessities that the Ainsworth Stores could offer).  The journey into Ainsworth could take several hours over the rough trails that served as public roads in those days. Rural visitors were hungry for some social and business opportunities.  The Ainsworth Area Chamber keeps this spirit alive and continues to help plan or be involved in several community events. 

Fall Festivals predominate the month of October.   Four of the local churches hold annual community dinners and bazaars.  This year the retail trade group is sponsoring the Harvest Hoopla. The chamber hosts the Scare Crow Festival and Chili Feed combined with a contest over who can make the best Chili Soup.  The Ainsworth High School Homecoming Parade is also a usual late September or early October event.  Deer, turkey, and water fowl hunters visit the area to seek their limit from the plentiful game that abounds in the surrounding area.  A fall foliage tour of the area is well worth the time.   The reds and oranges of the deciduous trees and foliage are in beautiful contrasts to the dark green of the native pine and cedar forests.  The majestic spiny green yucca plants stand out on the grazed slopes of the undulating Sandhill’s landscape.

November is the kickoff for the Christmas shopping season.   The annual lighting of the city lights takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  The Chamber sponsors a lighting contest for city and country residents.   The women’s club Nativity Scene is placed and lit for the remainder of the Holiday Season.  Some years carolers from different organizations stroll the Main Street. 

During December our many churches and the school feature special programs.  There is something for everyone to attend.  The restaurants are busy with annual Christmas Dinner parties for a variety of businesses and organizations.  The Ainsworth Lions Club holds their annual family Christmas Party and delivers fruit baskets to some of the community’s needy elderly and shut-ins.    The Sheriff’s Posse collects donations to get toys for needy families.  The Brown County Arts Council takes advantage of the Christmas break to host a program at the school performing center that features artists with local connections that are home for the Holidays.   Through the approximate four week Christmas Green Slip Holiday promotion the chamber distributes a total of $2,000 to lucky shoppers who have their local sales slip information drawn from the week’s entrants.  Those lucky winners receive the amount of their slip back in the form of chamber checks (to be spent locally with participating chamber members).  The Chamber Chocolate Fair, Parade of Trees, and visit from Santa takes place the first Sunday in December and is held in conjunction with the Women’s Club community Christmas pageant and Brown County Historical Society’s Ginger Bread House Contest. 

January can be a month of snow, ice and plunging temperatures.   Local sportsmen take advantage of this to do some ice-fishing on the lakes south of Ainsworth.   North of Ainsworth the Polar Bear festival is held at the Niobrara River and the Meadeville Store.  The Brown County Arts Council host the visiting actor/director team from Missoula Children’s Theatre every other year during the first week in January.  Some fifty to sixty children grades K-l2 have the opportunity to audition, train and perform a major musical.  During their last visit the group performed “The Pied Piper.”  High Schools Activities of Basketball, Wrestling, and Speech Tournaments occupy many. 

February quite often is when the chamber helps the local community college, Northeast Community College at Norfolk, NE, get some community non-credit course going such as basic computer skills, yoga, water aerobics, and craft type classes.  The Chamber/NCDC meeting room provides a location for many of these activities.

March is the month for the annual Merchants Garage Sale.   Fantastic bargains can be found as participating merchants open their store rooms and bring out items to sell at near give away prices. 

April is a big month for the Chamber.   The month starts with the April Fool’s Day take over of the local KBRB radio station.  Chamber members man the radio station during the day and use this opportunity to conduct a community auction of items donated by Chamber members as well as a membership promotion opportunity.  This is a good fund raiser and promotional activity for the business community.  April is also the usually time for the annual Chamber Membership Banquet and Awards Night.  Each year the chamber recognized the youth of the year, the volunteer of the year, and the businessperson of the year, as well as the outgoing chamber directors and past-president.   New Chamber Board Members are also elected at this time.   The Lions Club hosts the All Sports Banquet on the 4th Tuesday of the month.   High School athletes receive recognition during this banquet. 

May is a full month of events.  School activities wrap up for the summer and high school graduation takes place on the 3rd Sunday of May.  The Sand Hills start to green up and become alive with a myriad of wild flowers.  Many ranchers congregate at each other’s place as they work the spring calves and ready them for summer pasture.  The migration of the thousands of birds can be witnessed over the sand hills.  Summer baseball and softball starts.   The swimming pool opens over the Memorial Day weekend.  A flurry of agriculture practices take place.  The irrigation canals are once again filled and the yards and gardens of the city provide a show of natural beauty.  The Brown County Arts Council sponsors the annual Fine Arts Awards Night and high school students in a variety of fine arts activities receive recognition. 

June is a busy tourist month for the lodging places in Ainsworth.  The Ranch Expo takes place in Bassett.  The Alumni Banquet is held in Ainsworth and the chamber sponsored Middle of Nowhere parade takes place on the last Saturday of June.  The 2008 parade will pay special tribute to the l25 anniversary of Ainsworth and Brown County.   The Johnstown Bible Rodeo Camp takes place at the Brown County Fair Grounds in the neighboring village of Johnstown.