The Gathering Center at The Orchard has been named the Carbondale Chamber’s 2011 Business of the Year. The Gathering Center was selected amongst a pool of 485 chamber businesses.

The Gathering Center, located within The Orchard at 110 Snowmass Drive in Carbondale, has been open for three years serving individuals, businesses, and the nonprofit community as a venue to host events, meetings, weddings and numerous other social and corporate functions. It is also home to Common Grounds Coffee Shop, which is open Tuesday through Friday and offers free WIFI and ample space to work, meet and study.

The Gathering Center at The Orchard is most commonly used by many of the valley’s nonprofits for fundraising events. The scenic space offers Mount Sopris views, and beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces that provide comfortable options for any event. The Gathering Center can seat up to 250 people and the entire Orchard facility can host more than 600, making it one of the largest event spaces in the lower Roaring Fork Valley.

Gathering Center Director Scott Robinson said, “It’s humbling to be thought of in this way. We are not a conventional business. Our staff is mostly volunteer-based and comes from within our church family. We enjoy hosting our neighbors, and it’s cool to see everyone in the midst of their own special gathering.”

In addition to The Gathering Center, The Orchard has multiple classrooms, an auditorium, a boardroom, a library and even an outside amphitheater available for events. The Orchard also has a state-of-the-art sound system and a large commercial-quality kitchen to assist in the ease of facilitating any event. Dates are still available for weddings, meetings and events in 2012. Contact Robinson at 970-963-8773, ext. 105 for more information or visit http://www.TheGatheringCenter.org.