Spring has sprung, crocuses will soon be peeking up, and Northville is humming — which could be the continued development at the former Northville Downs site, or just all of us trying to out-cheer each other. Either way: great things are happening, and we’re here for it. Speaking of great things happening in Northville, we recently had a wonderful ribbon-cutting for VEG ER. Welcome to our community, and thank you for being active in our Chamber of Commerce!
 
The Northville Chamber of Commerce was happy to participate in the NCBA’s Chili’in the Ville event in February. Thanks to Olivia for weathering the cold to hand out water and chocolate with me! We froze but enjoyed visiting our local businesses and seeing so many folks brave the weather to enjoy this very Northville event. I enjoyed meeting many of our community dog owners and sharing with them a discount card from Chamber Member, Celebrity Pets! I am a big fan of Celebrity Pets, and so is our golden retriever, Milo! Congratulations to Chili’in the Ville winner: The Garage! I enjoyed all the Chili I sampled, but my personal favorite was from Mr. Thai!
 
Thank you to all who attended our 4^th Annual Community Awards Banquet on February 5th. Special thanks to the First Presbyterian Church of Northville and Genitti’s for hosting this event. Congratulations to our award winners and raffle winners! We appreciate our basket donors and the tremendous support in our community for recognizing people who go above and beyond to make Northville extra special. It was great to celebrate this wonderful community I have called home for the past 30 years.
 
We received very positive feedback and suggestions from our participants, and we are grateful to the “Official Party” for helping me support our awardees in my first year as the master of ceremonies. Another big shoutout to Maddy and Olivia for their hard work in making this event happen. Please take a look at our social media (Instagram and Facebook) as well as our website to see pictures and videos of this event. Special shout-out to the ‘Ville and Kurt Kuban for the article on the event and the 2026 John Genetti Citizen of the Year, Nancy Darga. This award has been given each year for the past 50 years, and the Chamber is proud to continue this tradition in honor of its namesake, John Genitti.
 
2026 Northville Community Award Winners:
1.  The Northville District Library, Volunteer of the Year: Doris Oltersdorf
2.  City of Northville, Volunteer of the Year: David Marold
3.  Township of Northville, Volunteer of the Year: Diana Wallace
4.  Northville Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer of the Year: Stacy Pearson
5. Northville Chamber of Commerce, Servant Leadership Award: Timothy Gilbert, James Gietzen, Michael King, Jennifer Schembri
6. Northville Chamber of Commerce, Small Business of the Year: Orin Jewelers
7. Northville Chamber of Commerce, Large Business of the Year: The Davey Tree Expert Company
8. Northville Chamber of Commerce, Spirit of Northville Award: Browndog Barlor & Restaurant
9. Northville Public Schools, Educator of the Year: Michael Rumbell
10. John Genitti Citizen of the Year Award: Nancy Darga 
 
What’s coming up (put these on your fridge, in your phone, and tell someone you know!):
  
April 24, 2026 — State of the Community Luncheon, Schoolcraft College. Grab a seat, enjoy lunch, and hear from our three guest speakers: Township Supervisor Mark Abbo, Mayor Brian Turnbull, and Northville Public Schools Superintendent Dr. R.J. Weber. They will share exciting updates, key initiatives, and what’s on the horizon for our community.
May 7, 2026 — Northville Farmers Market opens for 2026! Fresh produce, friendly vendors, and the unofficial town sport: “Which vendor has the cutest reusable bag?” Come for the strawberries, stay for the community vibes, fresh coffee, veggies, bread, and so much more!
May 22 & 23, 2026 — Northville Flower Sale, Downtown Northville. Find a wide array of locally-grown flowers and plants to brighten your home and workplace! This event features local growers, artisans, food trucks, live music, and more.
May 25, 2026 — Memorial Day Parade & Veterans Banner Program. The Memorial Day Parade will make its way through Downtown Northville and conclude at Rural Hill Cemetery for a short ceremony. Additionally, Veteran Banners will be displayed throughout Downtown Northville during the entire month of May.
 
School Spirit Alert: Northville Public Schools Spring sports are launching — baseball, Soccer, lacrosse, tennis, golf, softball, men’s and women’s track, etc. Plus: graduations and end-of-year celebrations are right around the corner — caps, gowns, and proud parents with cameras ready. For more information, check out the Northville Public Schools and Northville Athletics website!
 
This is a fantastic time to do business here, open a shop, expand, or simply enjoy the renewed buzz of our community. Btw…If you have not stopped by Kilwins yet, you should! I highly recommend the strawberry shake or a truffle! I hope to see you around the “Ville, at the market, and cheering in the bleachers.
 
Go Mustangs!