BV Chamber organizes ‘Ladies Night Quarter Auction’

There’s a buzz of excitement building around town these days. Women have been spotted whispering about it in the grocery store, texting their gal pals and penciling what the buzz is all about into their personal calendars.

So, now that we’ve got your attention ladies, here’s what’s in store: a Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce-hosted Ladies Night Out Quarter Auction. The event is Friday, Sept 12 (and no, the football team is playing on Saturday) at Tailgator’s Bar & Grill. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the auction and the fun that comes along with it gets rolling at 6 p.m.

“With the camaraderie of all the ladies together, plus we have some amazing prizes, and of course, you throw in a few cocktails from Tailgator’s, and I think that’s a recipe for a great night out,” shares Rachael Neiman, executive director the Chamber. “I think as women, we can easily get stuck in the rut of being a wife or being a mom or being in a rut in our careers, and so just being intentional about, ‘This is the night I’m going to take off from having to cook dinner or do laundry or run errands or work late at my job. I’m taking this night off for myself. I’m going to get some friends together, and we’re just going to go out and have a good time.’”

By now, you may be wondering what exactly a Quarter Auction is all about. For starters, it involves paddles, auction prizes, bidders and of course, quarters, and lots of them!

On the night of the event, upon arrival bidders can purchase a paddle for $15 or have the opportunity to go all out by purchasing an “all-in” paddle for $50. The “all-in” option does not require bidders to bring a stash of quarters, but it does require them to raise their paddle.

Auction items will be in display with their minimum quarter bid, and as each item is presented, interested bidders will place the required number of quarters (based on prize value) into bowls that will be on each table, and then simply raise your paddle to bid.

Here’s where the fun comes in. A number will be drawn for each auction prize, and if the gal with that numbered paddle is bidding on the prize, it’s theirs for a handful of quarters. However, if a number is drawn, but gal did not bid on the prize, well then, she’s in for a chorus of “boo’s”, all in the name of fun, of course.

Neiman and the special events committee have been collecting donations of prizes from local merchants.

“We have some great gift cards to Yeti water bottles, we have photography sessions, and swim lesson packages for families. We have women’s self-care baskets, nail salon gift cards, all kinds of things that would excite pretty much every woman,” Neiman said.

If the Chamber’s Ladies Night Out Quarter Auction sounds like an event that you don’t want to miss, then register ahead of time on the Chamber’s website, brandonvalleychamber.com, or you can show up that night, too. The pre-registration is only to help determine the number of charcuterie snack cups to prepare.

“When you get there, you’ll have the opportunity to order off of Tailgator’s menu if you want to order dinner, and then obviously, the bar will be open as well,” Neiman said.

She adds that the Quarter Auction will become a yearly “ladies’ night out” event.

“It definitely is our hope that everyone comes out and has a good time,” Neiman said. “Like most other things, this will be our first run at it and after this year, our committee will get together and maybe tweak things here and there for next year. But yes, our hope is that we’ll make this an annual thing.”