RepMo Expo draws huge crowd to Community Center

While a wet and cold snap last Saturday spelled doom for most outside events, the 2019 Republic Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo inside the Republic Community Center flourished in comfortable climes. In fact, the cold weather possibly benefitted the expo, as more than 800 attendees turned out to see what Republic area vendors had to offer.
“I think the weather helped it,” said Chamber Director Tonya Hammons.
And vendors, they were aplenty. Hammons said that more than 70 businesses set up shop for the event that lasted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year saw an increase in vendors also, more than 10 extra over last year’s total.
In years past, the event charged a small admission for entry, but this year’s was free. Another likely reason for the uptick in expo-goers. Additionally, there was a kids zone—replete with inflatable houses and games—in an adjacent building, where kids could pass the time. There was even a demonstration with animals from the Dickerson Park Zoo.