Burlington Chamber of Commerce

June 11, 2023

#GSVMemberMonday Feature

As we continue through #NationalDairyMonth, we’d like to take a moment to tell you about our friends and Genuine Skagit Valley Supporters at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is dedicated to providing advocacy, promotion and training for its members. The team at the Chamber facilitates community events to foster positive relationships between local businesses and the community as well as promoting Burlington and the Skagit Valley as an exceptional tourist destination. The Burlington Chamber of Commerce staff and volunteers contribute outstanding experience, caring support and dedication.

The happy and hard working team at The Burlington Chamber of Commerce.

From community news, job postings, professional development/education, member spotlights, community events and networking opportunities, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce provides a one-stop-shop for information and is seen as a symbol of community involvement and integrity. Chamber membership is also a great way to showcase to your customers that you are invested in the community where you live and/or work.

One of those community events is the Berry Dairy Days Festival. Berry Dairy Days started in 1937 and this year is celebrating its 86th year, making Berry Dairy Days one of the oldest festivals in Skagit County. This year’s festival is from Friday, June 16th through Sunday, June 18th in Downtown Burlington.

The Grand Parade at the Berry Dairy Days Festival. Photo courtesy of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce.

Although it originally started as the “Strawberry Festival”, Berry Dairy Days has been a consistent part of the community for the past 86 years. Berry Dairy Days continues to celebrate Burlington’s history, agriculture, farming, traditions and community. King 5’s Evening Magazine recently featured an episode about the festival.

A bit of history can also be found below, courtesy of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Website:

“In 1937, the first annual “Berry Dairy Days” was launched when the Burlington volunteer firefighters organized a fundraiser to purchase new equipment. The community event served as a fundraiser and a way to celebrate strawberry farming in Burlington. To add excitement and draw a crowd, they made a giant strawberry shortcake that was pulled down Fairhaven Avenue in red wagons. Pieces of the cake were handed to the crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of the shortcake.

As the festival grew not only in size but in scope, in 1965 the event was handed over to the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to continue the tradition. Then-President Roger Hulbush, along with other community members, decided to re-name the festival “Berry Dairy Days” to reflect the growing influence of the dairy business and ongoing strawberry farming in Burlington. Now, the festival is co-hosted by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the City of Burlington.”

We recently caught up with the hard working team over at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to see what their favorite Skagit Valley grown fruit and or vegetable was. They enthusiastically replied, “We as a team feel Berries and Potatoes are the best in Skagit Valley! 😄 ”

The Burlington Chamber office is located at the Burlington Visitor Center at 520 E Fairhaven Avenue in Burlington and is open from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thank you for being this week’s #GSVMemberMonday feature, Burlington Chamber of Commerce!