After Christine Cribb turned the lights on inside the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce visitors center one night last fall, another light bulb went off inside her head.

Hired as the Chamber of Commerce’s executive director last September, Cribb frequently worked in her office during the weekends and left the doors open to the public.

She was surprised by the number of visitors who came by and remembers one particular Sunday evening in late September when a tourist from Canada stopped in.

“People might think peak tourism season wraps up on Labor Day, but it’s so incredibly beautiful in September and October, and we want to take advantage of people coming at that time,” Cribb said.

“I knew the first week I started that we needed to be open on the weekends through October.”

So, the stage was set. Cribb made the proposal to the chamber board and her idea was approved, allowing for extended visitor information center hours to better accomodate tourists as well as chamber members.

Starting April 4, the Chamber of Commerce will add Sunday hours and be open seven days a week through October.

Previously, the Chamber’s weekend schedule ended on Labor Day weekend.

Already in February, the chamber started staying open later on weekdays to accomodate its members, switching its hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This month, Saturdays were added to that schedule from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Discussions with chamber members led to the change in weekday hours.

“The whole point is I am a member-driven organization,” Cribb said. “Members pay to be part of the Chamber of Commerce. We need to be open and available for our members. We run a visitors’ information center. So we also want to be open for every guest that comes into our city.

“I think it’s exciting.”

Sunday hours will be from noon to 6 p.m.