Spring is on the way, and communities all over Virginia are welcoming it with outdoor athletic events. From 5Ks to marathons, every athlete can find something to participate in over the next several months. This June, Radford, a Designated Virginia Main Street Community, will be hosting one of the most unique events Virginia has to offer—the Bike … More Radford to Host Bike Virginia Tour 2011
Buy Local: Build Community, the Spring 2011 Virginia Main Street Monitor focuses on maximizing your return on a buy local campaign. Of course as far as campaign results, we think first of dollars spent in a downtown district, but you can also achieve outcomes in terms of community strength, leadership, and connectivity. And for a community benefit nonprofit … More Buy Local: Build Community. Monitor technical brief now available
When people proudly shop locally, they do so to support their neighbors and fellow community members–those working to earn a living, create a job or two, and invest in the district. It makes sense then that highlighting people behind the business can strengthen the the link between merchants and their customers. That is exactly the point of one of … More Advance Abingdon gets up close and personal with merchants
Community members working to revitalize their downtown often reminisce of Saturdays when residents poured into the streets. Frequently the movies are part of those recollections, and the black and white photos show it to be the case. People crowd the sidewalks, and on the marquee above them: Double Indemnity, Singing in the Rain, Some Like it Hot. These classic … More Classic settings for classic films
In the summer of 2010, Virginia Main Street (VMS) provided seven Downtown Improvement Grants (DIGs) that allowed designated Main Street communities to undertake specific projects for which they did not otherwise have funding. The small grants, capped at $2,500, were awarded in a competitive process based on projected outcomes, committee and volunteeer leadership, and the capacity to successfully complete the planned project. While Virginia Main … More Virginia Main Street Downtown Improvement Grants at work
The Yellow Button, a clothing boutique for the fashionable in the heart of Harrisonburg, knows its cutomer. Students and professionals in the Shendandoah Valley don’t want to give up access to quality clothes and accessories just because they’re not in a major urban area. In fact, this 2009 photo shoot, which uses Harrisonburg’s downtown streets as … More Main Street Merchant Profile: The Yellow Button
Filmakers frequently shoot on location to capture a specific sense of place, making the location a sort of character in and of itself. Location sites of Sex and the City are the subject of New York City tours. In New Zealand, Lord of the Rings fans visit the stand-in locations for Middle Earth. And closer to home, Mountain Lake Hotel (“The real … More Big screen plans for Big Stone Gap
Traditional holiday events continue to draw crowds downtown this year in spite of the bone-chilling weather experienced in many parts of the commonwealth. Last Friday, Rocky Mount’s “Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas,” had its largest turnout yet as guests enjoyed music, food, and shopping with vendors and merchants. “The horse-drawn carriage rides and the miniature horse … More Downtown remains the holiday gathering place
All along Main Street, changing technology is shifting buying patterns. Some projections put online spending at half of all retail spending by 2015, and smartphone applications like ShopSavvy allow for instore price comparisons against competitors. The challenge is to work with the technology where you can to increase sales while still maintaining the commitment to place-based strategies and … More New Google ebookstore a tool for local independents
Merchants make the Main Street, and Lynchburg’s Accents Flags and Gifts proves the point. Deborah Fears Keeling, owner of the 21-year old business, has been involved in Lynch’s Landing, the city’s Main Street organization, for seven years. But this year, she says, the events and cooperative marketing strategies have really taken off. In January, Lynch’s … More Main Street Merchant Profile: Lynchburg’s Accents Flags and Gifts
Virginia Main Street 