Virginia Main Street

A small, overlooked space in the heart of downtown Occoquan now gives residents and visitors a new reason to linger. For years, a former pump house at 172 Mill Street served primarily as storage for the Town of Occoquan. The Town recognized the potential to transform the highly visible, underused building near the entrance to … More Small Grant, Big Transformation in Occoquan

Virginia Main Street is excited to welcome the City of Richmond’s Broad Street Corridor as the newest community to join our Exploring Main Street program! Stretching from 14th Street to Belvidere Street, the corridor brings plenty of strengths to build upon—and Richmond isn’t starting from scratch. In recent years, the City and its partners have … More Richmond’s Broad Street Corridor Joins Exploring Main Street

Every downtown has a story to tell. This September, 148 Main Street leaders, community partners, business owners, volunteers, and downtown advocates came together across Virginia to learn how to tell those stories with greater purpose and impact. This marks a new attendance record worth celebrating! Virginia Main Street’s Fall 2026 Regional Rev Up workshop series … More Virginia Main Street Takes Storytelling on the Road: Fall 2026 Rev Up Recap

The Town of Hillsville is making strides in improving the downtown experience for residents and visitors alike. Through a recent Community Vitality Grant (CVG) from Virginia Main Street, Hillsville completed a series of wayfinding and pedestrian improvements designed to enhance connectivity, strengthen the sense of place, and make downtown easier to explore. A key component … More New Signs and Spaces Enhance Downtown Hillsville

Since 2023, Mobilizing Main Street has helped Exploring Main Street communities build capacity by establishing and developing their Main Street nonprofit organizations. The biennial education program prepares communities for the highest tier of participation in Virginia Main Street: Advancing Virginia Main Street. Along the way, the Virginia Main Street team has learned a great deal … More A Year to Build: Mobilizing Main Street and What Comes Next

Guest blogger Jen Carpenter has been the executive director of Main Street Buena Vista for almost two years. She is also a co-owner of a downtown bookstore, Leaf & Lore, and an author. Main Street Buena Vista hosted our own “Downtown Walking Tour” on Wednesday, Aug. 9, where community members had the chance to walk alongside our staff and … More Walk the Block: A Lesson Learned from Across the State

Many Virginia Main Street organizations operate as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, but nonprofit status alone does not exempt an organization from Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). During a recent Advancing Virginia Main Street Board Forum, Megan Rhyne, Executive Director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, explained that a nonprofit may be subject to FOIA if … More When Does FOIA Apply to a Main Street Nonprofit?

The first thing visitors notice when they arrive in downtown Clarksville is its character. Historic storefronts, welcoming sidewalks, locally owned businesses, and views of nearby Kerr Lake create an experience that invites people to slow down, explore, and stay awhile. While that charm may seem effortless, it is the result of intentional investment and strong … More Clarksville’s Façade Improvement Program Strengthens Downtown