By STEPHANIE FORTH

Stephanie.forth@leaderpub.com

The Edwardsburg Area Chamber of Commerce will be having its annual Discovery Expo on Thursday, Sept. 21 at the Edwardsburg Fire Department.

The event is open to the public and the doors will open at 3 p.m. and close at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to get to know the area’s businesses and discover what kinds of services are being offered in the community.

“My favorite part is the free food,” said Roy Smothermon, who is an Expo planner, advertiser and marketer. Roscoe’s Pizza, Captain’s Pizza, and Union House Bed and Breakfast are just some of the food vendors that will be offering free food to guests this year.

The Discovery Expo was originally started as a way for chamber members to network with other businesses and get to know any potential customers. In recent years, all community members with a business were invited to register to receive the same opportunity.

The Expo and vendors will also be offering raffles for guests to have a chance to win prizes and give aways. Smothermon could not say what the prizes will be yet, but he said that the vendors often giveaway certain service deals to guests who win their raffles.

This year, Smothermon said that event planners are attempting to make the Expo more kid-friendly by having a bounce house. “We’re still having meetings on the matter, but we think it’s important to incorporate kids more into the event,” he said.

In 2016, the Discovery Expo had more than 40 vendors and are expecting the same amount this year. Vendor registration for both chamber members and non-chamber members will be open until Sept. 1 and late registration will be available until Sept. 15.