The Shelburne Falls Area Business Association serves its members and our communities in a variety of ways. We organize, sponsor, and support events like Moonlight Madness and the Lighting of the Village, the Bridge of Flowers Road Race, and the Bridge Dinner. We work to promote our area businesses both locally and to the world beyond through our Web site, our advertising, our brochure, and our own newspaper -- the Shelburne Falls Area Business Bulletin. We have successfully lobbied for a good part of our village to have access to affordable high-speed commercial Internet service. We work with local officials, boards, and police departments in the best interests of our members to manage our economic activities responsibly.

Behind the scenes, we manage the Shelburne Falls Area Partnership, which joins the selectboards from the Town of Buckland and the Town of Shelburne with the board of the Business Association. Through efforts of the Partnership, our tax money has come back to us to improve Memorial Hall, rebuild Deerfield Avenue, create the Riverwalk on the Buckland side, improve parking, and create new signs and facades for 17 businesses in the village. Through the Partnership, the SFABA and town officials work together on issues of mutual concern and on economic development opportunities.

Membership in the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association helps us advance the economic health of our local business community on every level. Our membership has more than doubled over the past few years, an indication of the strength and importance of the organization. Our board and committees are comprised of some of the hardest working volunteers you'll ever meet. Volunteers are sorely needed to contribute talents and skills for a variety of projects ranging from accessibility to event setup.

Your annual dues provide access to cooperative advertising and marketing campaigns, supports our community activities (Moonlight Madness, the Bridge Dinner, etc.), provides discounts on advertising for your business, gives you a listing in our tear-off guides, includes you on the www.shelburnefalls.com comprehensive business list and gives you multiple opportunities to network with other business owners. We also represent our membership's collective interests through our organization's seat on the board of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

When the business community works together, everyone benefits from the effort. You can join the SFABA directly from this site or print out a form. If you'd like more general information, contact SFABA Executive Director Art Schwenger; throughout this site, you'll also find other appropriate contacts for specific projects.