Every community has something that sets it apart from all the others. For the Town of Marion in southwest Virginia, one of these unique assets is being the birthplace of the modern Mountain Dew recipe. In the 1950s, William Jones became president of the Tip Corporation in Marion and acquired the trademark for Mountain Dew, … More Leveraging Your Unique Assets: Marion Mtn Dew Museum

In 2024, Altavista On Track was awarded a FY25 Downtown Investment Grant, totaling $54,000, from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development‘s (DHCD) Virginia Main Street program to support physical improvements and the installation of protective curbing in the street-facing parking lot of the Spark Innovation Center. Leveraging additional public investment from the Town … More New Parklet Ignites a Spark in Downtown Altavista

Virginia Main Street (VMS) hosted Spring Regional Rev Ups last month in Gloucester, Harrisonburg and Marion. Over 100 participants from the VMS network engaged in interactive sessions focused on fostering high-impact organizations. Led by Cindy Colson, Deputy Director of Partnerships, Consulting and Impact at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, attendees learned to focus on three … More Building Stronger Nonprofits: How Leadership, Boards & Meetings Make the Difference

Rebecca Logan has served as the Executive Director of Main Street Lexington (MSL) for a little more than six years and was a founding board member of the organization in 2013. While six years may feel like a blip in some of our lives, it’s a lifetime in the Main Street world. Logan led downtown … More A Changing of the Guard in Lexington

May is Preservation Month! Led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Month celebrates the cultural and built heritage of communities across the country. It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the places, stories, and individuals that have shaped the character of Virginia’s historic downtowns. Main Street programs across the Commonwealth continue to champion … More Make It Last: Celebrate Preservation Month in May

Data is the foundation upon which Main Street organizations can build powerful narratives of revitalization, economic growth, and community impact. Without it, successes can be overlooked, and opportunities for future support may be missed. Recently, through a session offered at the Main Street Now Conference, attendees had the opportunity to dive deeper into the importance … More Good Data Habits for Main Street Success

In today’s digital landscape, a blog can be one of the most powerful tools Main Street organizations have to share their stories, celebrate successes, and deepen engagement with their communities. A well-maintained blog not only highlights revitalization efforts, new businesses, and upcoming events—it strengthens your brand, builds trust with stakeholders, and can even support fundraising … More Every Main Street Organization Should Invest in a Strong Blog

In partnership with the City of Petersburg, the Metropolitan Business League (MBL) hosted a celebratory “Success Walk” last month, embarking on a short guided tour of businesses that opened or expanded in Historic Old Towne Petersburg as part of MBL’s Petersburg Small Business Launch Program, which received a $100,000 Community Business Launch (CBL) grant in … More Celebrating Entrepreneurship: Petersburg Success Walk Showcases Small Business Growth in Old Towne

During the month of April, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published seven blog posts, highlighting the latest community-vitality news, events and more! Here’s a recap: Blueprint Virginia 2035 Main Street Now 2025 | Conference Highlights Portsmouth’s Bloom Market Empowering Minority-Owned Businesses Unlocking Capital on Main Street A Look Into Virginia Main Street Stay tuned for lots … More In Case You Missed It: April 2025 Digest