Meet the 2026 DS Chamber Star Award Winners — The Businesses Dripping Springs Loves Most
Dripping Social Team · March 19, 2026
If you want to know who this community loves most, pay attention to who wins the Star Awards.
On March 5, the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Star Awards ceremony at Dripping Springs Distilling — handing out recognition to the businesses, nonprofits, and people that Dripping Springs residents voted as the best of 2026. The evening featured genuine moments alongside the hardware.
Here's who took home awards — and what it says about this town.
Business of the Year: Dripping Springs Automotive
There's something fitting about a local auto shop winning Business of the Year in a car-dependent Hill Country town.
Dripping Springs Automotive earned the top award — voted on by the community, not a panel of judges. Real customers, real neighbors, real word of mouth. In a market with plenty of options, being the place people genuinely recommend to friends carries serious weight.
Up & Coming Business: Slice Street Pizza
The Up & Coming category recognizes businesses open three years or less, and the 2026 finalists were a strong group: Dynamo Dusty's Tree Service, Fire & Flow Pilates, The Girly Birds, Natkhat Flavors, and Slice Street Pizza.
Slice Street took the win — and owner Darius Aram gave one of the night's most memorable speeches.
"So many of you came week after week, day after day, despite the fact that we made your pizza wrong, despite the fact that we were 30 minutes or 40 minutes or three hours late to make your pizza," he told the crowd.
"I think that this would not be possible in any other community. This community is really something special."
If you haven't made it to Slice Street on Mercer Street yet, that speech is probably your sign.
Non-Profit of the Year: Dripping Springs Community Library
The Dripping Springs Community Library won Non-Profit of the Year, with executive director Mindy Laird accepting on its behalf.
Her words captured something genuine:
"Looking out right now, I see friends. I see library volunteers, staff members, other nonprofits that support us, business supporters and sponsors. Everywhere I look is someone that has supported us. So, thank you so much."
Libraries don't often make headlines, but they're often the quiet infrastructure of community life. This one clearly has deep roots here.
Hometown Hero (Organization): Dripping Springs Cook-Off Club
This year marked a change — the Hometown Hero award shifted from an individual to an organization whose mission supports other nonprofits and organizations. Finalists included Dripping Springs Community Foundation, DS Lions Club, Hill Country Rally for Kids, the Rotary Club, and the Dripping Springs Cook-Off Club, which won.
If you haven't encountered the Cook-Off Club, they're the group that shows up behind the scenes at fundraisers and community events — providing the food, setup, and energy that make other people's events possible. A fitting Hometown Hero.
Featured Local: Acopon Beer Co
Another standout from this year’s recognition is Acopon Beer Co, representing the continued growth of Dripping Springs’ craft beer scene.
As the Hill Country cements itself as a destination for breweries and local pours, Acopon Beer Co reflects the kind of business that blends community, creativity, and craftsmanship. It’s not just about what’s in the glass — it’s about creating a place where people gather, connect, and keep coming back.
A Surprise Moment: 10 Years for Susan Kimball
Before the formal awards began, Chamber President Susan Kimball was surprised with recognition for 10 years of service to the organization.
"I wouldn't be standing up here today if it wasn't for Susan Kimball," said chamber board chair Eustacio Lara. "Many people here wouldn't be so involved in the business community."
Dripping Springs has changed dramatically over the past decade — more people, more businesses, more complexity. Kimball has been at the center of it through all of it.
Why It Matters
These awards are a real-time portrait of what this town values. A trusted neighborhood auto shop. A new pizza place that stumbled publicly and won people over anyway. A library that calls its supporters friends. A cook-off club that shows up for everyone else. And a growing craft beer scene, represented by businesses like Acopon Beer Co, helping shape what Dripping Springs is becoming.
That's the version of Dripping Springs worth knowing about.