Mount Jackson 5 Completes Second Year, Bringing Seven Businesses to Town

Posted on by Department of Housing and Community Development
Valley Soaps business owner celebrates their grand opening (Photo courtesy: Town of Mount Jackson)

The Town of Mount Jackson is making bold moves to reinvigorate its downtown district through the expansion of its entrepreneurial initiative, the Mount Jackson 5 (MJ5) program. In 2024, the town received $50,000 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Business Launch (CBL) grant to launch MJ5. The CBL program is designed to assist localities in training entrepreneurs, preparing business plans, and providing seed grants tied to those plans.

In its first cohort, MJ5 filled four vacancies downtown with new businesses, including Valley Trail Bike and Run, Hero’s Journey, WILD CHILD: Museum and Menagerie, and Jillian’s Farmstead Kitchen. For 2025, Mount Jackson had even greater ambitions. With another CBL award in the amount of $75,000, the town will continue filling additional brick and mortars downtown as well as turning one large vacancy into a retail incubator space known as “The Nest”.

On October 29, businesses that completed the 8-week course and submitted a business plan were invited to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges, and on November 9, the town announced its winners. The 2025 winners include three entrepreneurs who will be opening their own spaces, including:

  • Nocturne Tattoo Parlor — Mount Jackson’s first tattoo studio, bringing a new creative offering downtown and specializing in American and Neo-American Traditional artistry.
  • Valley Soaps — An artisan retail space offering natural soaps, lotions, and art workshops.
  • The Little Lantern Co. — A faith-centered bookstore and creative hub for the community.

The remaining four winners will be co-located in The Nest, where businesses will share micro-retail booths, shared amenities, and a collaborative environment.

  • Two Turtle Doves — Providing retail of refurbished furniture and home décor.
  • Poppy’s Dust — Artisan retail focused on woodworking and limited-run merchandise.
  • Sunbliss — Ready-made healthy meals with handcrafted teas, herbs, small-batch coffee, and fine art.
  • Home Revival Décor — Specially crafted woodworking, décor, resin pieces, floral preservation, and custom laser engraving.

Awarded businesses are aiming to open by the end of 2026, although the town anticipates the Nest to be open by summer 2026.