Category: Downtown

Main Street America Accredits 24 Virginia Communities

June 19, 2017

The National Main Street Center recently announced that 24 Virginia Main Street communities have been accredited for their performance in 2016 – congratulations to – Abingdon, Altavista, Ashland, Bedford, Berryville, Blackstone, Bristol, Culpeper, Danville, Farmville, Franklin, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Harrisonburg, Hopewell, Luray, Lynchburg, Manassas, Marion, St. Paul, South Boston, Staunton, Winchester, and Wytheville The Main Street … More Main Street America Accredits 24 Virginia Communities

Public Art: Making downtown a joyful, active, and social place

June 9, 2017

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

A Tale of Two Community Engagement Events

April 24, 2017

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

“Booster Rockets” For Downtown Revitalization Momentum

March 30, 2017

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

Virginia’s Award Winning Destination Tourism

March 28, 2017

Governor McAuliffe recently announced that the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) received a national tourism industry award for its work promoting the Virginia Oyster Trail, a new initiative connecting travelers with Virginia’s oyster farms, raw bars, wineries, restaurants, artisans, and downtowns like Urbanna, Cape Charles, and Chincoteague. VTC was recognized with the prestigious National Council of … More Virginia’s Award Winning Destination Tourism

Berryville Main Street Celebrates 25 Years

March 15, 2017

Guest blogger Sue Ross, Executive Director of Berryville Main Street, has 10 years of Main Street experience and recently returned to Berryville to lead a refreshed program, creating new partnerships and an enhanced marketplace.  Berryville Main Street turned 25! We celebrated with bluegrass, local food, and friends in a restored downtown dairy barn.  Started in 1992, … More Berryville Main Street Celebrates 25 Years

Tell a Compelling Story to Raise Awareness and Revenue

March 10, 2017

Is your nonprofit telling a compelling story? The mission of Main Street is to enhance the economic prosperity and cultural vitality of historic downtown districts. To succeed, organization’s must be able to demonstrate real change on the ground with visible improvements AND specific metrics of success. To do this, use positive statistics such as jobs added, … More Tell a Compelling Story to Raise Awareness and Revenue

Creating a Successful “Entrepreneurial Ecosystem”

February 14, 2017

In Main Street districts, one of the best ways to fill vacancies, and prevent new ones, is to foster a setting that is attractive to entrepreneurs and where small businesses can thrive.  The buzz word nowadays for that setting is “entrepreneurial ecosystem,” which refers to the elements outside the individual that encourage entrepreneurship and increase the probability … More Creating a Successful “Entrepreneurial Ecosystem”