The name of retail expert Paco Underhill was batted about at the recent Virginia Main Street toolkit. He’s the fellow who puts a lot of time into considering things like Why We Buy and The Call of the Mall, respectively his 2000 and 2004 treatises on The Science of Shopping and The Geography of Shopping. … More Women and the quality shopping experience
Governor Bob McDonnell has proclaimed August 1 – 7 as Virginia Farmers’ Market Week, and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Across the country, farmers’ markets are rising in popularity and number. Between 2008 and 2009, their number increased 13 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And in Virginia, you expect to find them … More In season: Virginia’s farmers’ markets
The Virginia Main Street staff does a lot of travelling each year and that travel can be hard on the stomach. Luckily, we know that when we arrive, the local hospitality of our destination Main Street communities will be evident, and the top rate dining choices will be numerous. While having an office day, we … More Vote for the top 25 Virginia Main Street “Downtown Dining Destinations”
There’s still time to register for the Virginia Main Street Summer Toolkit (until Monday), and the board and staff of Downtown Franklin, Inc. are eager to welcome you to our district. We’re going to spend a day and a half (July 22 and 23) focused on “Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Downtown.” The speakers are top-notch, and this is a vital … More Guest blogger “Downtown Dan” Howe: Franklin awaits
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has listed the downtown historic district in Gate City, VA on the Virginia Landmarks Register. According to the official announcement: The Gate City Historic District, in Scott County, is a five-block district that emerged as a vital commercial hub for the surrounding countryside beginning in the 19th century. While settlement in the … More Gate City downtown historic district gets Virginia listing
This is just a reminder: thank those who make what you do possible. “Thank you” is one of those simple must-dos, one so simple, in fact, that we sometimes overlook it. And it’s too bad, because showing the sincere appreciation of an organization, the people who run it, and the people who benefit from it is a … More Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It’s going to be a real scorcher. While not everyone can spend the day on a shady river bank to wait out the record highs this week, you can seek out your own cool spot in your downtown district. 1. The historic theater. Summertime is a great time for an old-fashioned movie matinée. The daytime prices are cheaper, and those … More Five places to beat the heat on Main Street
For fund development efforts, Main Street organizations have no better tool than the Internal Revenue Service’s designation as a 501 (c) 3 organization. Lately some communities have struggled for it, trying hard to clarify the nuances of how Main Street groups pursue their goals so that they are not designated as economic development or membership organizations. … More Main Street organizations and nonprofit status
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