Inyo County Local Events News Recreation

Newsletter from Bishop Chamber of Commerce

News StaffJuly 9, 2025

581 7 minutes read

From The Executive Director:

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the summer in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Yes, we know it’s H-O-T outside, but we are fortunate to have the mountains close by for a refreshing retreat. A quick drive up Bishop Creek Canyon offers an easy way to escape the heat, with stunning lakes, high-elevation wildflowers, and places like Cardinal Village, Bishop Creek Lodge, or Lake Sabrina Boat Landing for a refreshing beverage or yummy meal. It’s a mini-vacation in just half a day!

Your team at the Bishop Chamber of Commerce has been quite busy working on many projects that benefit our local economy.

A Big Thank You for a Memorable CHSRA State Finals Rodeo!

Last month, the Bishop Chamber of Commerce — with tremendous support from the City of Bishop, County of Inyo, generous co-sponsors, and dedicated volunteers — was proud to welcome over 300 families to the CHSRA State Finals Rodeo. We were thrilled to provide custom t-shirts and gift bags to all contestants and host a welcome luncheon for more than 700 guests. A special shout-out to the 51 volunteers who contributed over 150 hours to help with check-in, ticket sales, and notary services — your efforts made a huge difference! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our local lodging partners, we were able to provide over 100 complimentary room nights for CHSRA judges, timers, and announcers. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the CHSRA State Finals being held in Bishop — a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. We’re honored to be part of this tradition and sincerely hope Bishop remains home to the finals for many more years to come!

Eastern Sierra Shines at IPW 2025!

We were proud to represent the Eastern Sierra at our nation’s largest gathering of international travel professionals — the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW Conference, held June 16–18 in Chicago. With over 6,000 attendees, the event offered an incredible opportunity to showcase our region on a global stage.

During the conference, we had one-on-one appointments with travel agents, tour operators, and media representatives from around the world — including Spain, Mexico, Vietnam, Belgium, Brazil, China, Argentina, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Honduras, Korea, Indonesia, France, India, Peru, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Jordan, Colombia, and the U.S.

We were pleased to share a booth with our partners at Mono County Tourism, working together to promote the Eastern Sierra Tour (EST) and highlight the region’s breathtaking landscapes, outdoor adventures, and welcoming communities. Many attendees were especially excited to learn about the new flights into Bishop Airport, which make accessing our region of California easier than ever. We’re thrilled to be building global connections and inspiring future travel to the Eastern Sierra!

Contractors Classic Golf Tournament

The 2nd annual event was held at Bishop Country Club on June 21st and by all accounts, it was a great success! We’re thankful to High Country Lumber for allowing the Bishop Chamber to collaborate. And, we are thankful to the many hole sponsors that supported this important fundraiser for our organization. Adventure In Camping, Alex Printing, Bishop Automotive Center, Bishop Twin Theatre, Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union, Le Blanc Rose, Looney Bean, Our Water Works Car Wash, Perry Motors, and State Farm Insurance Tom De Leo.

Chamber Board Updates

The Bishop Chamber of Commerce is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors that provides oversight and direction to the organization. The annual election was recently held and the following are your 2025/2026 representatives:

President: Robert Sharp

Vice President: Sarah Freundt

Immediate Past President: Sunil Lad

Treasurer: Cheryl Underhill

Board Members: Luis Barrantes, Donna Bird, Jason Brown, Lisa Coedy, Dustin Del Giudice, Tara Frank, Gary Gunsolley, John Marko, Jennifer Morrow, and Debi Yerkes.

It is truly inspiring to see such a talented and diverse group of individuals — each representing different sectors of our community — come together with a shared commitment to Bishop’s continued success.

Summer Fishing

Thanks to a partnership with all five resorts in Bishop Creek Canyon, the Bishop Chamber has arranged for supplemental stocking of catchable rainbow trout raised and delivered by Wright’s Rainbows in Idaho. The first truckload (1200#) was delivered mid-June and the second is coming next week.

Upcoming Events

There are several exciting events coming up, which you can find listed in this e-newsletter and on our website at www.bishopvisitor.com. We are excited to see that EVERY DAY in July has at least one fun activity. If you’d like to have your event featured on the web calendar, please use the “event submission” tab on the website.

Thank you for taking the time to read this e-news. We hope you find the information useful and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Tawni

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WELCOME NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS!

bishop chamber

New Bishop Chamber members, Alpenglow Gardens is a local florist and flower farm in Bishop. They specialize in custom-grown flowers for people who appreciate locally sourced, sustainable bouquets and arrangements for special deliveries, weddings, and workshops.

Photo credit, Gayla Wolf

Pro Builders Design & Construction. Ten years ago, Pedro Ibarra dreamed of starting a construction company, inspired by his father, who worked in the industry for many years. This dream has gradually become a reality, and he is excited to share it with you.

Pro Builders was founded on the principles of resilience and integrity, and Pedro’s goal is to contribute to our community by helping others build their dream homes, businesses, and more.

Photo credit, Gayla Wolf

“Handy Sandy” is a new member of the Bishop Chamber of Commerce! Kirk Sanderson is a handyman based in the Owens Valley, bringing decades of experience in household construction and repair.

He promptly returns calls, texts, and emails.

You can view examples of his work on his website: 1handysandy.com.

Photo credit Gayla Wolf

Le Blanc Rose is a women-owned and operated business dedicated to creating stunning floral designs for all of life’s special moments. Whether it’s a vibrant floral bouquet to brighten someone’s day, heartfelt funeral flowers to express sympathy, or elegant wedding flowers to celebrate love, each arrangement is crafted with care and attention to detail. Visit them online or at the shop – 789 N. Main Street, Suite 135 in Bishop.

Photo credit, Gayla Wolf

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Travel Industry Insights…

According to Visit California, Excitement for travel remains high, with 87% of U.S. travelers and 90% of California residents saying they are excited about leisure travel in the next 12 months.
Hotel room demand in California grew by 2.1% year over year in May, while room revenue increased by 3.3%. Year to date, demand and revenue are up 2.6% and 4.5%, respectively.
Summer season bookings on flights between San Francisco and Bishop are up considerably as compared to last year at this time. 372 vs 269 last year, now up 950+ pax and 4 points on load at 26%.
In May, www.bishopvisitor.com had 76K views.
BookDirect widget on www.bishopvisitor.com generated 855 partner referrals in June resulting in 170 reservations and $53K in revenue.
Visit Bishop has 69.6K followers on Facebook and 43.1K on Instagram.
June hotel occupancy for Bishop was 81.8% (finally reaching 2019 benchmark)

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Rural County Photo Contest Returns for 9th Year

From now through July 31, the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is accepting entries for its popular digital photography contest aimed at highlighting and celebrating life in California’s rural counties.

The contest, now in its ninth year, is used to promote tourism and economic development in RCRC’s 40 member counties. “This annual contest invites you to share captivating images that showcase the incredible diversity, breathtaking scenery, vibrant activities, rich history, and undeniable charm that make RCRC’s member counties truly special,” an RCRC spokesperson said. “We’re eager to see rural California through your lens.

Highlight your community’s unique beauty and spirit, whether it’s serene waterways, fascinating wildlife, majestic livestock, or distinctive architecture.” Humboldt County was the subject of the 2024 winning photo, taken by Lisa Wilhelmi Perkins. Tulare County was featured in the 2023 winning photo and Inyo County got its time in the spotlight in 2022, with a grand-prize winner taken by Jay Coberly of Modesto, and in 2019 with a photo taken by Fares Alti. Past winning photos can be seen here.

Fourth District Supervisor and RCRC Delegate Jen Roeser encourages both residents and visitors to take a shot – pun intended – at top honors in 2025. “Anyone even remotely familiar with Inyo County knows we have no shortage of compelling subject matter for contests such as these. We’re blessed with some of the most unique landscapes in the world, and Inyo County’s rich history, culture, and traditions only add to our vibrant tapestry,” she said. “I strongly encourage interested residents and visitors to take advantage of this chance to highlight the wonders of Inyo County.”

The contest is open to anyone in the general public age 18 and older. Click here for details and official rules. The winning photo will be selected at the RCRC Board of Directors meeting in August and unveiled at the September RCRC annual meeting in Placer County.

The winning photo may also be used in various marketing materials or work products distributed throughout California and the U.S. over the next year. The grand prize winner will receive a $300 Visa gift card; second place, a $150 gift card; and third place, a $75 gift card.

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