The Perry Chamber of Commerce held a pair of events throughout the day Friday, one to officially welcome a new business to town, and the other to allow members to meet each other.

The monthly Chamber Coffee event was held in the morning, with the host on this occasion being Great Western Bank. Attendees were able to help themselves to refreshments, network with others, and learn more about what’s going on in Perry. The bank staff also introduced themselves and discussed the services they offer. The Chamber hosts the Coffee events on the second Friday of every month, each time at a different location.

The second event Friday was the ribbon-cutting to introduce the community to Art on the Prairie’s Atelier at 1109. In addition to being the new headquarters for the yearly art gathering, the building also contains a fiber art business, print making, and will host a variety of workshops throughout the year. Chamber Director Lynsi Pasutti welcomed the large crowd to the store, and introduced owners Mary Rose Nichols and Jenny Eklund, who talked about the goals of the business. Everyone then headed outside to cut the ceremonial ribbon, and Eklund gave out some free merchandise to attendees. The celebration also served to kick off the 10th annual Art on the Prairie event, which runs the rest of this weekend.