MARFA — The Marfa Chamber of Commerce, a local nonprofit that has been around in some form or fashion since 1912, is under new leadership after a brief period of board restructuring following the November resignation of previous President Abby Boyd.
Joe Williams, owner of Big Bend Coffee Roasters, has been reappointed as the chamber’s president, having served in the role once before. Yasmine Guevara is serving as vice president, Lindsay Smith as secretary and Kate Calder as treasurer. Board members at large include Hector Sanchez, Mandi Sanchez, Parker Sanchez, Laura McShan, Kendall Craig and Rene Cardona Jr.
Williams said the new team is “incredibly enthusiastic” about leading the chamber into its next chapter and continuing the tradition of hosting the Marfa Lights Festival, a beloved homecoming event in its 37th year. “All of a sudden, we had a handful of people who were excited about doing it again,” Williams said.
This year’s Marfa Lights is set to take place from Friday, August 30, to Sunday, September 1. Williams said the musical acts and stage are already booked for the three-day fest, and plans are underway to recruit vendors and organize the Marfa Lights Parade. The Big Bend Sentinel will announce the musical lineup soon.
Guevara, the office manager for the Judd Foundation, is in her second year with the chamber and said it was “super important” for the Marfa Lights Festival to continue this year. “Honestly, I couldn’t imagine not having one this year just because it’s been an important festival to the community, even to the people who left the community,” Guevara said.
New board members are generating fresh ideas for the festival, she said, but the chamber also plans to keep it classic, “sticking to Mexican music, Tejano music, country, and trying to keep that alive as it’s been going on for 37 years,” Guevara said.
The City of Marfa awarded the forthcoming 37th Annual Marfa Lights festival $13,500 in HOT grants, and the chamber recently held a well-attended fundraiser in the form of a Mario Kart tournament at Bitter Sugar which raised $880 for the event.
Beyond Marfa Lights, Williams said the chamber plans to continue community events established by previous leadership like the Easter Egg Hunt and Christmas Bazaar. Guevara said she’d like to see the chamber offer more community events in the form of dances and activities for local kids, something as simple as a summer cookout with a bounce house, ways for families “to come and enjoy their time with their kids here in Marfa,” she said.
“Most people would travel to Alpine, Fort Davis. I know that could be hard for some people around here. So we want something in our own hometown,” Guevara said.
Smith, who co-owns Bitter Sugar with her husband Adam Boyd, said chamber leaders have also discussed the possibility of expanding programming to include lunch-and-learns for local businesses owners, and resume writing and interviewing workshops for high school students.
Smith, who worked in corporate advertising before moving to Marfa in August to start Bitter Sugar with Boyd, said she was eager to lend her expertise to the community and jumped at the chance to join the chamber when she heard they were looking for new members. “We didn’t want to just move here and open a business,” Smith said. “Both Adam and I wanted to be active members of the community.”
Williams said the group plans to grow the chamber’s membership base and hold weekly meetings on Monday nights. For now, their focus will be on gaining exposure for Marfa’s businesses, which he said are going strong and contributing to the town’s offerings.
“We have more businesses in Marfa now than ever before, even five years ago, particularly 10 years ago. We’ve got good, solid businesses. That’s pretty exciting,” Williams said. “We’ve got something to show off now, not just art.”