Affiliate Chamber Spotlight: Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce

Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce 

Elected leader for 2019: Alicia Hadfield, President 

Professional Staff Leader of the Chamber: Deb Bengtson, President

What inspired you to first get involved with your Chamber?

Having worked in the community for five years before taking a seat on the board, I knew I wanted to do more within the community. I was still pretty new and had only lived in Adel for several years. As my daughter readied to start school, I realized my own personal goals of wanting to become more physically active, as well as help my community grow, couldn’t wait. I wanted to be a part of that growth in a positive way to create the type of place I wanted to raise my daughter in. 

What’s a signature offering of your Chamber? 

The 40th Sweet Corn Festival will be held on Thursday, August 9 and Friday, August10 this year. The annual event kicks off with corn shucking and a princess contest. Saturday morning begins with a 5k at 8 a.m., followed by the largest parade in Dallas County down Adel’s Main Street at 9:30 a.m. After the parade Festival attendees can enjoy free sweet corn and visit the many vendors around the square. There will also be free rides for children and bounce houses! On Saturday evening, stop by and enjoy the Street Party where the High South, out of Nashville, TN, entertains! The Street Party is open to ALL ages — a change from previous years when it was reserved for ages 21 and older. Adel continues to welcome new families to the area and aims to include them in this part of the festival. 

What is your Chamber’s biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months? 

The Kinnick to Raccoon Trail Improvement Project is an exciting project that will develop the bike trail focusing on the area from Highway 169 to the Raccoon River. This project includes landscaping to enhance the trail, art at pedal plaza highlighting the “Rails To Trails” theme and lighting the trail bridge over the Raccoon River with light-changing LED lights. The entire project is a $125,000 investment into the Adel community, of which over $70,000 has been raised to date. After three years of work, it’s exciting to see these plans come to fruition. 

Any initiative or project that you are looking forward to in 2019?  

The project I’m looking forward to most in 2019 is the Sweet Corn 5k. This is my second year on the committee, and we have worked hard to create a significant growth in runners and find ways to continue to grow the event each year. All event proceeds go to The Kinnick to Raccoon Trail Improvement Project 

What upcoming events should people watch for?  

Rock’n Friday events began Friday, May 17 and will be held all summer long on the third Friday of every month. Events are held at 10th and Main on our Stage and Pavilion and feature a different band each month. The Rock’n Friday events and the Annual Sweet Corn Festival are this summer’s not-to-miss Adel events.  

Find more information on Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce events. 

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the fourth largest regional Chamber of Commerce in the nation. Learn more about Partnership Affiliate Chambers, browse the Membership Directory and read additional Affiliate Chamber spotlights.