At the heart of the Centerville and Washington Township business community is an association perfectly named—The Heart of Centerville and Washington Township—that intersects beautifully with the larger local family community.
The organization is an alliance of almost 100 members that aim to strengthen and grow the local community through business networking and family events. Members include boutiques and other retail establishments, restaurants, professional services, entertainment and philanthropic services, and more. The group serves as the de facto Chamber of Commerce to the area.
“Our tagline is ‘Eat. Shop. Invest Locally,’” says current President Christopher Wysong. “We want to create exposure for local businesses, while connecting the community through our networking, family events, social presence, and website.”
At their heart, the networking events are engineered around community, in vibrant and historic Uptown Centerville. Not only do these get-togethers support local businesses, but they foster interaction between members and prospective members. Weekly happy hours are held every Wednesday at Beckel’s Humidor; and Friday mornings are reserved for conversation and coffee at Archer’s Tavern.
If you are looking to join the organization, the second Monday of each month is an all-member meeting, to coordinate activities and committees and welcome new members! The organization sponsors business training for its members, to help them grow their businesses; and members are more than willing to share best practices, ideas, and challenges, to help each other grow.
Even during the pandemic, The Heart of Centerville and Washington Township was dedicated to creating awareness of local businesses. The group promoted gift cards, raffles, and more, to help keep local businesses alive during a very difficult time. “People in our community wanted to support our businesses, and we gave them ways to do that during COVID,” says Christopher.
“Not only do we have a great relationship with the community,” explains Christopher, “but we also have the cooperation and support of city government. They believe in our mission to support local businesses and hold community events.”
The group is committed to organizing several large community events throughout the year, to support local business awareness and foster business growth in the area; but its mission doesn’t end there. These entrepreneurs are proud of Centerville and Washington Township and want to spotlight its beauty and community spirit.
This year the group is sponsoring the Centerville Merchant Market, on May 22, 2022. This one-day market will bring together over 70 merchants, crafters, local food trucks, entertainment, and more that the whole family can enjoy. The event will be held in Stubbs Park, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
The group is also holding two evening family community experiences this summer. With food trucks, entertainment, local vendors, and crafters, the evenings will end with popular movie screenings of Encanto and Jumanji: The Next Level. These events for the whole family will be held on June 10 and July 15, in Stubbs Park.
