The Downtown Lynchburg Association (DLA) knows how to lift up their community. Right now they’re raising awareness of the hardworking entrepreneurs who, with their own hands, are making downtown the destination for local shopping. Our guest blogger, DLA Executive Director Ashley Kershner, gives us the goods. As part of our overall marketing strategy this year, … More Downtown Lynchburg: Where the Makers Are
Virginia Main Street has opened the application process for our first ever Commercial District Affiliate Grants! Affiliate Grants are designed to assist organizations and communities in achieving their downtown revitalization goals and be used for projects or planning purposes. The maximum grant amount is $7,000 and can be used for… non-profit organizational development; vision/mission development; … More VMS Commercial District Affiliate Grants Now Available!
The Ashland Main Street Association and its local partners are dedicated to making downtown an amazing destination. How? By embracing their transportation history they are improving the visitor experience and creating memorable central gathering spaces. Executive Director Tom Wulf is our guest blogger with the details. Earlier in 2017, mural artist Ed Trask and … More The Destination Express: Enhancing the Visitor Experience with History
On October 24, 26 and November 8 in St. Paul, Franklin, and Ashland, the fall edition of the Regional Rev Up workshops will equip your Main Street program with the tools you need to develop events that add up to meaningful change. When taking on a special event or festival, what guides your allocation of … More Start With “Why”: Creating Purpose-driven Special Events
Warrenton has earned more than 25 years of wisdom as a Virginia Main Street Designated Community. In 2017, their Main Street program celebrated a reboot, a new “booster club” and mantra: Experience Old Town Warrenton. To get there, the first thing the community leaders did was invite all stakeholders to be proactive participants in the … More The Heart of the Revitalization Process: Community Engagement
In my Virginia Main Street wanderings and conversations with directors I’ve been hearing a common refrain – “What should our Economic Vitality committee be doing?” A thought provoking question that I am sure goes unasked more often than asked. As fate would have it I recently participated in a Hillary Greenberg webinar on supporting small businesses … More Five Things your Economic Vitality Committee can do Today to Support Downtown
Governor Terry McAuliffe recently announced that Virginia is now home to 206 licensed breweries, a 468% growth since 2012, when the tasting room bill, SB604, passed the General Assembly. A newly released economic impact study shows that Virginia’s booming beer industry contributes more than $9.34 billion annually to Virginia’s economy. “In addition to the direct … More Virginia’s Craft Beer Scene is Booming
May 15-19, 2017 marked Art Week @StrongTowns and, while those days have come and gone, public art catalyzes Main Street’s unique vitality throughout the year. Old Town Winchester, host of the upcoming Virginia Main Street Downtown Intersections, creates an outdoor gallery experience through the Artscape program. An annual, juried art competition, Artscape reproduces selected artwork on … More Public Art: Making downtown a joyful, active, and social place
As an inherently grassroots movement, effective community engagement is an essential component of any successful Main Street program. Without it, organization’s cannot effectively plan their work, recruit volunteers and board members, promote the district, or communicate impact. Main Street must be community driven. This week I had the opportunity to participate in two very different community … More A Tale of Two Community Engagement Events
After decades of market preference for suburban development, Main Street and downtowns are hot again! Back in the market, they are once again desirable targets for investment, business startups, expansion, the creative economy, housing, and tourism. So, how do we sustain that momentum, take advantage of the attention, and keep the revitalization progress moving forward? … More “Booster Rockets” For Downtown Revitalization Momentum
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