While the Virginia Main Street (VMS) program seeks to bring increased vitality to the places people call home, Main Street empowers communities to set their own destinies and offers a road-map for locally-owned, locally-driven prosperity. Through the time-tested Main Street Approach, which is a framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization, your community, along with assistance from … More Getting Started With Main Street

In response to the increasing number of mural projects across Virginia, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) architecture and design firm, Frazier Associates, recently launched a technical briefing about murals and mural programs. The new Mural Tech Sheet is available online and covers best practices for mural program development and management, as well as community engagement … More Virginia Main Street Launches New Mural Tech Sheet

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE), a nonprofit resource center dedicated to helping nonprofits succeed, is excited to launch the 7 Actionable Principles for a Strong Social Sector. Building on themes from 10 discussion sessions with 67 community members, and several leading national frameworks for nonprofit health and impact, the 7 Actionable Principles aim to … More Firm Principles, Flexible Paths: Seven Actionable Principles for a Strong Social Sector

During the month of August, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published eight blog posts, highlighting the latest community vitality-related news, events and more! Here’s a recap: Harnessing Your Local Assets: The Cost of an Empty Building Promotions Farmers Markets Small Business Health and Organizational Wellbeing Virginia Retail Matters Stay tuned for lots more great content in … More In Case You Missed It: August 2023 Digest

Our guest blogger is Jenny Crittenden, President and CEO of Retail Alliance, an organization serving the interests of local retailers in Greater Hampton Roads. In this blog post, Jenny discusses the critical insights that will be unveiled at the upcoming Virginia Retail Matters event in Portsmouth, Virginia on September 22 and why you should attend … More Empowering Virginia’s Main Street Retailers

Harrisonburg is halfway through their 10-week summer concert series featuring a diverse line-up of national artists. Thousands of residents and visitors have enjoyed the concerts that covered wide range of genres including jazz, soul, bluegrass, indie rock, hip hop, and mariachi. Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) received a $90,000 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award to … More The Shenandoah Valley is for Live Music Lovers!

This summer has seen a wave of pink splash onto Main Streets across Virginia. The new Barbie movie has inspired several of communities and their small businesses to participate in the phenomenon that has been growing worldwide. The buzz has provided a fun and creative means of promoting Main Street businesses, while joining in on … More Barbie’s Main Street Takeover

In most communities, there are buildings that are currently unoccupied for a variety of reasons. We all can agree they’re bad for downtown, and if they sit vacant for too long, these properties can have serious negative effects, harming the district’s image, economy and overall activity. They can result in: A vibrant downtown relies on … More The Cost of an Empty Building: Revisited

Join Virginia Main Street (VMS) for an immersive half-day workshop that digs into Main Street America’s (MSA) fifth Accreditation Standard, Preservation-Based Economic Development. Led by Kathy Frazier, co-founder and Principal-in-Charge of Frazier Associates, this workshop will cover how successful Main Street efforts are built on the guiding principle that district economic development is obtained by … More Registration Open for VMS Regional Rev Up Workshops: Preservation-Based Economic Development

Every year, the first full week of August (8/6 – 8/12) is recognized as National Farmers Market Week! It’s a time where local farmers and others are provided with a special opportunity to market the goods they grow and/or make, as well as a chance to highlight the vital role farmers markets play in fostering … More It’s National Farmers Market Week!