Tonight is the night for members of the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce to hold its annual banquet at the new high school at 6:30 p.m.

Chamber Director Ashley Barnett said the evening will look back on the year’s activities and honor the businesses and people who made Wilkes County a better place to live in 2009.

The banquet’s format will be different this year. “Instead of an outside speaker, we’ll be focusing on our great local businesses and our wonderful business people,” she said. “It will be a great time.”

Local businesses and citizens will be saluted, she said, as awards will be given to Big Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year.

The banquet is set for 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the new Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School cafeteria/ auditorium. The tickets are $20 each. Call or email your reservation to 706-678-2013 or to chamber@ washingtonwilkes.org.