Main Street Blog

Main Street Blog

Carlsbad Farmers Market Celebrates 25th Anniversary

October 10, 2019 | Community Spotlight: Carlsbad Farmers Market Celebrates 25th Anniversary | Photo credit: Carlsbad Village Association What started 25 years ago as a way to help maintain local agriculture and promote its long-term benefits for the community, while also enhancing business downtown, has truly become the heartbeat of downtown Carlsbad. From its beginnings in a parking lot one block off the Main Street to its current location in the center of downtown, the State Street Farmers Market has become a vital part of the Village tapestry. The State Street Farmers Market, also known as the Carlsbad Farmers Market, has been in operation since ...
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Bringing Opportunity Zone Investment to Central Appalachian Communities

October 10, 2019 | Bringing Opportunity Zone Investment to Central Appalachian Communities | 158 OZs in Central Appalachian coal-impacted communities in WV, OH and VA. Photo credit: Appalachian Community Capital  Appalachian Community Capital today announced receipt of a $1,000,000 technical assistance grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to help bring Opportunity Zone investment into Central Appalachian communities in Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.  Main Street America is a lead partner in Opportunity Appalachia , a technical support initiative designed to strengthen investable transactions in target rural communities, ...
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Maine Downtown Center to Participate in the Historic Commercial District Revolving Fund Program

October 9, 2019 | Maine Downtown Center to Participate in the Historic Commercial District Revolving Fund Program | Bed Races in Skowhegan, Maine. Photo credit: Brandie Burrill Photography  Main Street America (MSA) is pleased to announce that the Maine Downtown Center (MDC) is the next state partner to participate in the Historic Commercial District Revolving Fund (HCDRF) program. Established in 1999, MDC currently has 10 nationally accredited Main Street Maine programs and 17 state designated Maine Downtown Affiliate programs. MDC is committed to supporting and building a sustainable economic future for its communities. Since its founding, 222 ...
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Chicago UrbanMain Applications Due November 15

October 9, 2019 | Chicago UrbanMain Applications Due November 15 |  The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce a third funding opportunity for Chicago neighborhoods through UrbanMain . This program will support commercial district revitalization efforts in Chicago neighborhoods, thanks to the generous support of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Applications are due November 15. UrbanMain, launched in September 2017, was designed to support the needs of urban commercial districts in distressed neighborhoods through a suite of tailored technical services and a dynamic network to connect individuals leading local revitalization efforts. UrbanMain ...
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Main Spotlight: Celebrating Community Leaders

October 8, 2019 | Main Spotlight: Celebrating Community Leaders Mark Bloomfield, Co-Founder of Bloomfield Partners, and Mayor Beth Taylor of Wytheville, VA proudly display their #WeAreMainStreet postcards. The second month of the We Are Main Street campaign is well underway! This month’s theme is community leaders. From Main Street staff and board members to city leaders and community partners, take this month to celebrate the professionals who are committed to the success of your Main Street by sharing their stories on your social channels using #WeAreMainStreet! In honor of this month’s theme, we are taking a look back on an article written by Norma ...
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The Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion Application is Live!

October 8, 2019 | The Small Business Saturday® Neighborhood Champion Application is Live! |  Did you know that approximately 67 cents of every dollar spent at a U.S. small business remains in that local community? * Supporting local businesses makes a difference – and lending your support on Small Business Saturday® as a Neighborhood Champion could be invaluable! Which is why we are reaching out to share that the 2019 Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion application is officially open! As a reminder, thanks to our sponsor American Express all Main Street America organization members have been pre-qualified to serve as American Express® Neighborhood ...
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District Spotlight: Woodlawn UrbanMain

October 4, 2019 | Neighborhood News: District Spotlight: Woodlawn UrbanMain | By Julie Clark McKinney, Director of Communications at REV Birmingham | Woodlawn Street Market. Photo credit: REV Birmingham With support from Main Street Alabama and UrbanMain, REV Birmingham is focused on making way for equitable entrepreneurship in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. The organization believes UrbanMain has unlocked a magic formula for community transformation in Woodlawn. We recently caught up with Julie Clark McKinney, Director of Communications at REV Birmingham, to learn more about the Woodlawn Urban Main program and their thoughts ...
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Neighborhood News: Fall 2019 UrbanMain Update

October 4, 2019 |  Neighborhood News: Fall 2019 UrbanMain Update | By Dionne Baux, Director of Urban Programs at the National Main Street Center | A visit with Vanilla Beane, Washington DC's famed milliner who celebrated her 100th birthday this past September. From left to right: Edwin Washington, Executive Director of The Parks Main Street; Cristina Amoruso, DC Main Streets Coordinator; Vanilla Beane, owner of Bene Millinery & Bridal Supply; Dionne Baux, NMSC's Director of Urban Programs; and Jon Stover, Managing Partner, Jon Stover & Associates Greetings Neighborhood News readers!  The dog days of summer have passed, and fall is in full ...
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Allied Member Spotlight: Heritage Consulting

October 4, 2019 | Allied Member Spotlight: Heritage Consulting | This week, we caught up with Donna Ann Harris, Principal of Heritage Consulting Inc., an award-winning consulting firm that provides highly valued training, workshops, research, coaching, and consulting services. A certified woman-owned business, Heritage Consulting provides services in historic preservation, audience development, volunteer management, heritage tourism, program planning, preservation planning, and organizational development issues for historic sites, downtowns, and other heritage destinations. Prior to starting her firm twelve years ago, Ms. Harris was state coordinator for the ...
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Just Released! Navigating Main Streets as Places: A People-First Transportation Toolkit

October 2, 2019 | Just Released! Navigating Main Streets as Places: A People-First Transportation Toolkit | We are pleased to announce the release of Navigating Main Streets as Places: A People-First Trans­portation Toolkit. Produced in partnership by Project for Public Spaces and Main Street America, Navigating Main Streets as Places provides guid­ance to Main Street leaders, community advocates, local officials, transportation professionals, and everyone else in between on how to: Evaluate streets and transportation through the lens of placemaking; Balance the needs of mobility and other street activities; and Build stronger relationships with ...
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#WeAreMainStreet In Action: September 2019 Roundup

September 30, 2019 | #WeAreMainStreet In Action: September 2019 Roundup | This September, we officially launched the We Are Main Street campaign , a year-long 40th anniversary celebration showcasing the people who make Main Streets shine. In just a month, we are amazed by the outpour of individuals and organizations who have already participated in the celebration – from inspiring stories and fun features, to in-depth profiles of the people who power Main Street.  For the opportunity to be featured in our national campaign, we invite you to take photos of the people that make your communities shine. Each month we’ll be showcasing these Main Street stories ...
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Community Spotlight: Ponca City Main Street

September 26, 2019 | Community Spotlight: Ponca City, Oklahoma | Photo credit: Brook Lindsay Last July, property owners, merchants, volunteers, donors, board members, city officials, and residents attended the “Main Street Mixer” in downtown Ponca City, Oklahoma. However, this wasn’t your average meet-and-greet. Ponca City Main Street staff organized creative and fun activities for attendees – and the outcome was a huge success. The three-hour event had an excellent turnout, with a crowd of about 125 guests. During the first half of the mixer, participants mingled and enjoyed complimentary beverages and snacks during social hour. Next up was a program ...
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Champion Small Business Saturday on Your Main Street

September 25, 2019 | Champion Small Business Saturday on Your Main Street: Join the Movement to Shop Small | For 10 years, Small Business Saturday® has helped rally communities around the businesses they love. The Main Street America network has been a proud supporter since the beginning in 2010, and we are honored to once again team up with American Express. We hope you’ll join us to help make this year's Small Business Saturday an even bigger success than last year's by serving as a 2019 Neighborhood Champion. Let's make this a record-breaking year for Main Street's participation in celebrating and supporting small businesses!  New this year, all Main ...
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Sneak Peak: Navigating Main Streets as Places: A People-First Transportation Toolkit

September 25, 2019 | Sneak Peak: Navigating Main Streets as Places: A People-First Transportation Toolkit | Main Streets are many things. They are economic, cultural, and historic centers. They are small business hubs. They help move people and goods from point A to point B, and they are community destinations in their own right—one of our most underappreciated public spaces. Despite this significant role, many Main Streets managers and other district leaders often feel ill equipped to address transportation issues that affect their work, like transit access, traffic engineering, parking policies, or streetscape enhancements. Since 2016, Main Street America ...
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Help Main Streets Win Vital Funding: Partners in Preservation 2019

September 24, 2019 | Help Main Streets Win Vital Funding: Partners in Preservation 2019 | #VoteYourMainStreet  American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Main Street America, announced today that their annual Partners in Preservation campaign this year will shine a light on historic buildings and sites celebrating the contributions of women in local communities across the country. In honor of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, the Partners in Preservation program will feature 20 sites that each play a role in highlighting and raising ...
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Community Spotlight: Big Horn Basin, Wyoming

September 20, 2019 | Community Spotlight: Big Horn Basin, Wyoming |  Shopko Retail Store, recipient of the 2019 Innovation Award presented by the Wyoming Economic Development Association. Photo credit: WEDA A project focused on helping communities recover from the closing of Shopko stores was presented the 2019 Innovation Award during the Wyoming Economic Development Association’s annual Wyoming Working Together Conference. Held at the Cam-Plex Event Facility in Gillette September 4-6, more than 100 community leaders and business owners attended the 3-day conference. The award recognizes a project significantly impacting the community and its citizens. ...
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Main Streets Are for Everyone

September 17, 2019 | Main Streets Are for Everyone | Dear Network, Over a year ago, we at the National Main Street Center began a process to develop a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement for the organization. This has provided our staff and board with the opportunity to look critically at our own work and our role in advancing these important values. Our statement, which was unanimously adopted by the National Main Street Center board of directors, reads: We believe Main Streets are for everyone. At the core of our approach to revitalization is a commitment to creating places of shared prosperity, equal access to opportunity, and inclusive ...
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Community Spotlight: #WeAreMainStreet

September 12, 2019 | Community Spotlight: #WeAreMainStreet  This week, we officially launched the We Are Main Street campaign, a year-long 40th anniversary celebration showcasing the people who make Main Streets shine. Individuals and organizations from across the Network have already kickstarted the celebration!  Below are a few snapshots of those who shared what Main Street means to them. Scroll through the photos and get inspired with our helpful tips at the end.  Main Street is... Momentum! “I chose the word MOMENTUM because that is what it is happening here in Woodlawn! We are moving onward and upward supporting our business district. You ...
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Main Street America Institute: Take Your Leadership Skills to the Next Level

September 11, 2019 | Main Street America Institute: Take Your Leadership Skills to the Next Level |  Learn what it takes to become a revitalization leader in the Main Street America Institute’s live webinar series Advanced Principles of Leadership Development . Led by the National Main Street Center’s own Norma Ramirez de Miess , this three-part course will focus on how to influence diverse stakeholders toward a common goal and execute your community’s vision for downtown. Learn what it takes to become a revitalization leader in the Main Street America Institute’s live webinar series Advanced Principles of Leadership Development. Led by the National Main ...
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Main Spotlight: We Are Main Street Officially Launches!

September 10, 2019 | We Are Main Street Officially Launches! Share Stories of the People Who Power Main Street | It’s the official launch month of the We Are Main Street campaign, and we can’t wait to start this year-long 40th anniversary celebration of the people who make your Main Streets thrive. Be sure to check out our We Are Main Street landing page for everything you need to know about the campaign, including a toolkit that outlines ideas of how to get involved, an overview of monthly themes, and tips to raise the profile of Main Street in your community. You’ll also find a range of downloadable assets, including social media shareables, a printable ...
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