Enter Our Holiday Storefront Decorating Contest
* Light up the night and let’s shine as a community! *
Open to all businesses on Main Street – downtown Laurel
Registration opens November 20th
All Entry Forms In By: November 30
Decorations should be up by December 2
Voting: Judging will take place Dec 18-19
Winners will be announced: December 20th
Judges will pick 3 main winners
1st Prize: $250
2nd Prize: $125
3rd prize: Dinner – Olive on Main* ($50, Terms & Conditions Apply)
Judges will pick 3 additional “runner-ups” to be placed on Facebook for the public to vote for the “People’s Choice Award”
Prize: Holiday Gift Basket (Made up of generous donations from our small business community)
Guidelines
Decorate the inside and/or outside of your front display windows(s) with holiday decor and lights. If you don’t have a display window – decorate the outside of your building or your front door. All decorations should be up by December 2 for viewing Judging will take place on December 18-19. All lights should stay on every evening after work hours – thru Dec 25. Businesses that are interested in participating, please fill out an Entry Form. They can be found outside our office and on our website. 383 Main Street, Laurel, Maryland 20707. Email, drop off or mail entry forms to the Laurel Board of Trade office by November 30.
Questions, email us at: laurelboardoftrade383@gmail.com
Signature Events
Main Street Festival
Back 2 School Jam
Riverfest
Trick or Treat on Main Street
Welcome to The Laurel Board of Trade
Bringing Laurel Businesses Together
The Laurel Board of Trade, Inc. is a local non-profit membership organization that has been bringing together Laurel merchants since the early 1960s.
The Laurel Board of Trade today includes over 100 small business members including retail merchants, restaurant owners and professional and B2B service providers. We work in direct partnership with the City of Laurel, Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland to help our local merchants work towards the common goal of keeping Laurel a hub of commerce.
Get Involved
Over the years, our basic mission has not changed; to help members be their best through connections to knowledge, ideas, relationships with other small businesses in the area and educating the community on the importance of buying local and supporting your local small businesses.
IFEOMA C. O ONYIA (“Clyopatra”)
Ifeoma C. Onyia is a healthcare executive, a fashion designer, a winemaker, and a philanthropist. She is a Nigerian-born, British-raised, Maryland-based entrepreneur using her diverse life experiences to make a positive impact on the fashion and healthcare industries for over the past twenty years. Ms. Onyia is now the first African to open a winery in the United States – Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard located in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
In her early career, Ms. Onyia worked in the fashion industry. Ifeoma C. Onyia, in her first years out of college, opened her first fashion line in London, UK and later went on to launch the first Afrocentric Bridal Exhibition that earned her an award – Keeper of Heritage from Essence Magazine. As a result of this success, Ifeoma was offered membership to The Federation of Black Women Business Owners UK at the age of 22. In addition to founding the first Afrocentric bridal store–WIA Brides–in London, Ifeoma was a pioneer in establishing Afro-Fashion in London. In addition, she launched Ebony Wedding Fare’s first Afrocentric Fashion Show. In recognition of her efforts, the Queens Council invited her to the House of Lords.
After moving to the U.S. in the early 2000s, Ms. Onyia launched “MISS Healthcare Agency,” a home health business, “MS Medical Supply,” a medical supply company, and “MISS Healthcare Training Institute,” a nursing school. She served as the CEO of MISS Healthcare Training Institute, a licensed private career school in the state of Maryland offering training programs for Certified Nursing Assistants / Geriatric Nursing assistant, Medication Technician, CPR, First Aid, Inservice as well as Assisted Living Facility training. The company was successful in supplying experienced and trained nurses for many years with a mission to provide the best possible nursing care.
Ifeoma C. Onyia launched Clyopatra Couture, a Couture/ Ready-To-Wear fashion line, in 2016. Taking African fabrics and arts to a whole new level, Clyopatra Couture is a marriage of all three continents Ifeoma so loves. A number of leading fashion publications, including Fashion Week Online, have featured her designs. Ms. Onyia was recently named the official swimwear designer for the Miss Black America Pageant.
In her quest to connect and educate folks in the fashion industry, Ifeoma C. Onyia launched DMV Fashion Week™ and House of Clyopatra Foundation, a nonprofit organization that she uses to elevate poverty and homelessness for the underprivileged families both in Maryland and Nigeria. DMV Fashion Week™ aims to bring upscale and unique fashion back to the DMV area — D.C., Maryland, and Virginia–, while creating a worldwide platform for designers and shows. As part of her Foundation House of Clyopatra, she also founded Junior Bosses of Fashion (JBF) in memory of her Father and Brother who believed so strongly in education for young people. According to this belief, “it is never too early to teach our youth the fundamentals of business management.”
Ms. Onyia established MISO Medical Center (MISO) which provides outpatient and intensive outpatient care with coordinated mental health services for minors, adolescents, and adults with mild to moderate mental illness. MISO is bridging the gap in the child welfare field by partnering with families to prevent foster care placements or reunify children with their families. MISO also works with Returning Citizens to help them adjust to their “new normal” after incarceration. Ms. Onyia continues to advocate for the affairs of the African Diasporas in Maryland, USA.