Experience Rexburg took over Porter Park on Saturday with over 85 booths from local businesses promoting their services by playing games, holding raffles and giving away free treats and promotional items.
Experience Rexburg is an annual event held by the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce to help new students and community members learn about what the area has to offer.
“The goal of the whole event is to let the new students at BYU-I know how great of a city they have come to,” said Janalyn Holt, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. “We have all of their needs met right here in Rexburg, Idaho.”
Freddy's booth featured a chance to win ice cream sandwiches or coupons for items in store. Photo credit: Gabriela Fletcher
In previous years, about 80% of the event’s attendees were students from BYU-I. This year, there were as many students in attendance as Rexburg residents.
Trenton Burns, a brand-new freshman studying general education, attended the event. Like many, Burns said his favorite parts of the event were the raffles and free swag.
“I think it’s beneficial for the entire community,” Burns said. “Rexburg gives you the park, all the companies come out and share their business, it’s kind of a win-win for everybody.”
Some of the busiest booths at the event were run by popular local businesses. Fat Cats, the movie theater and entertainment center, gave away vouchers for free mini golf, bowling and other sponsored activities. Local ice cream shop Crispy Cones gave away T-shirts, pints of ice cream and points in their loyalty system for discounts on purchases.
“The event’s been really good (for business),” said Alyssa Archibald, regional manager of clothing store Love Olive Co. “We’ve been handing out lots of fliers for future events we have going on and people have been really happy about that, and we’ve also been making some sales. Overall, I think it’s been really good to get exposure out about the business and a lot for the new students that haven’t really been in Rexburg and haven’t ever heard of us.”
Many students enjoyed free snacks, bags, and coupons from vendors. Photo credit: Gabriela Fletcher
Experience Rexburg featured multiple local food trucks, such as El Pollo Loco, Basil and Bloom and Steak n’ Berries.
The event also featured live performances from different local talents, such as the Spirit of Mexico dance team. Spirit of Mexico performed various dances local to Mexico in traditional clothing. In between performances, winners of the raffles conducted by the Chamber of Commerce were announced.
Experience Rexburg will be back in the fall of 2024. Any businesses that would like to be involved in the event can sign up through the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce website or follow their Instagram for more events and updates.
