Connect, Explore, Learn
From inspiring plenaries and immersive mobile workshops to engaging education sessions and interactive courses, the Main Street Now 2026 schedule features 100+ opportunities for local leaders to strengthen networks, gain new skills, and find solutions to issues impacting their communities. Keep scrolling to learn more about this year’s agenda.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
About
Learn, Explore, Connect
Whether you’re a member of a team behind a Main Street program, a civic leader dedicated to supporting local development, or an expert in areas vital to fostering vibrant communities, the 2026 Main Street Now Conference offers an unmatched professional development experience:
Learn — Tap into the expertise of your peers, industry professionals, and supporters. With 100+ education sessions, learn how to leverage time-tested techniques rooted in the Main Street Approach and innovative methods to support your community’s Main Street efforts. Come with an open mind and return home with knowledge, best practices, and strategies backed by tangible takeaways.
Explore — Let curiosity be your guide at the largest convening of place professionals. Expand your horizons with invigorating Main Idea sessions and immersive mobile workshops. Find inspiration as you experience Tulsa’s vibrant historic districts, dynamic cultural heritage, and more. No matter how you explore, you’ll leave feeling rejuvenated, energized, and inspired to take your organization’s Main Street efforts to the next level.
Connect — Meet new people and connect with colleagues from across the Main Street network! From scheduled network-building activities and fun events to impromptu encounters at sessions and during breaks, you’ll find unlimited opportunities to meet new people, develop lasting professional relationships, and lean into the community that surrounds you at Main Street Now.
Schedule At-A-Glance
All conference activities and times are subject to change.
Sunday, April 12
- On-site Registration/Check-In — 7:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
- NAPC Main Street Preservation Short Course* — 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Mobile Workshops* — 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Main Street 101 Deep Dive: Sustainable Strategies for Lasting Impact — TBA
- Welcome Reception — 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Monday, April 13
- On-site Registration/Check-In — 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- First Time Attendee Meet & Greet — 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
- Opening Plenary and 2026 Great American Main Street Awards — 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
- Mobile Workshops* — 2:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Education Sessions — 2:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
- Special Networking Session — 3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, April 14
- On-site Registration/Check-In — 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Main Street Expo — 7:45 a.m. — 5:45 p.m.
- Mobile Workshops* — 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Main Idea Session — 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.
- Education Sessions — 10:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
- Special Networking Session — 3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
- Civic Leader Forum** —12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Exhibitor Reception — 4:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, April 15
- On-site Registration/Check-In — 7:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Main Street Expo — 7:45 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.
- Mobile Workshops* — 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Main Idea Session — 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.
- Education Sessions — 10:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
- Special Networking Session — 2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
- Closing Celebration and 2026 Mary Means Leadership Awards — 4:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
- Big Bash* — 6:30 p.m.-10:15 p.m.
*Additional registration required.
**Included in Civic Leader registration.
Conference Themes
In addition to perennial Main Street content, the Main Street Now 2026 agenda will highlight one key theme and three related sub-themes:
Main Street at the Crossroads: Building Durable Futures — Every community eventually reaches a crossroads — the point where past choices meet future possibilities. For Main Streets, that moment is now. Economic uncertainty, shifting demographics, disaster realities, and rapid technological change are converging, requiring leaders to make decisions that will shape the road ahead. At Main Street Now 2026, we explore how communities can chart durable pathways that will carry future generations. We invite you to think about what it means to build with endurance in mind: organizations that stand strong when they encounter an obstacle, places that are designed to adapt with time, and community systems that remain steady even when individual parts falter. It is about turning today’s crossroads into tomorrow’s foundations.
Designing for Durability — Enduring Main Streets aren’t sustained by luck — they are shaped with care and foresight. This subtheme highlights how to build organizational, cultural, and physical systems that endure: leadership pipelines that keep talent strong, preservation strategies that honor heritage, and infrastructure that adapts to change. Durability is also the weaving together of people, cultures, and identities into a shared fabric of place that carries Main Streets well into the future.
Financing the Future — A thriving Main Street depends not only on passion but also on strong financial footing. This subtheme explores strategies for long-term stability such as diversified revenue streams, innovative partnerships, and sound fiscal practices that help organizations weather uncertainty. It’s about creating not just a budget for today, but a financial roadmap that ensures tomorrow’s impact.
Elevating Rural Resilience — Rural Main Streets are deeply rooted in their landscapes, traditions, and connections that serve as powerful sources of resilience. This subtheme uplifts the distinct strengths and needs of rural communities, exploring how they spark vitality through small business ecosystems, housing solutions, arts and culture, and creative placemaking. Far from being peripheral, rural Main Streets stand as anchors of durability and vitality within the broader national economy.
Education Tracks
Education tracks are tailored learning paths designed to help you identify sessions most relevant to your role within your organization and the Main Street movement. With a couple of sessions per day, each track offers a curated experience of suggested content ideal for you, while also providing you with the flexibility to explore the full range of topics that Main Street Now 2026 has to offer:
New Director — Designed for early-career professionals, this track offers foundational knowledge, practical tools, and key resources to confidently begin your Main Street leadership journey.
Experienced Director — Find sessions focused on advanced strategies, leadership insights, and innovative approaches to take your Main Street program to the next level.
Board Member — Learn how to maximize your impact as a board member with sessions dedicated to governance, strategic planning, and collaboration with program staff.
Civic Leader — This track supports civic leaders in championing Main Street initiatives through sessions on partnerships, advocacy, and local policy alignment.
Coordinating Program — Explore strategies for managing statewide or regional Main Street programs, fostering collaboration among your local communities, and scaling the impact of the Main Street Approach.
Keep an eye out for the full list of sessions and education tracks debuting soon!
Session Types
Main Idea Session — Keynote session that provides thought leadership, explores our education themes, and celebrates the accomplishments of Main Street communities.
30-Minute Tactical Solution Sessions — Succinct sessions focused on key examples from Main Street communities and partner content through sponsors.
45-Minute Crash Courses — Topic-specific courses that provide quick information or skill-building.
75-Minute Classroom Sessions — Panel discussions or conversations on a topic with opportunities for audience engagement.
Deep Dive Sessions — Highly interactive 1.5 to 3‑hour workshops on topics that require detailed instruction or discussion.
Mobile Workshops — Off-site, ticketed excursions to Tulsa neighborhood districts and Main Street communities in the surrounding area. All mobile workshops will depart from the Arvest Convention Center.
Topic Areas
From evergreen strategies to innovative solutions, Main Street Now 2026 sessions provide actionable inspiration and tangible takeaways on a wide variety of topic areas central to the mission and vision of the Main Street movement, including:
- The Main Street Approach
- Community Preservation
- Real Estate and Property Development
- Public Space and Infrastructure
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship
- Equitable and Inclusive Community Development
- People Management and Work Planning
- Fundraising and Finance
- Marketing, Communications, and Events
- Policy and Advocacy
Schedule
Education sessions provide time-tested and leading-edge educational content on a wide range of topics relevant to commercial district revitalization professionals, civic leaders, board members, volunteers, and supporters of place-based economic development efforts. Explore the schedule preview below and keep an eye out for the full schedule coming in February!
Pro tips for navigating the schedule preview:
- Click on the “expand” icon near the title to expand the session listing.
- Click the “Filter” tool to explore the schedule by one or multiple fields. This is especially helpful to see all sessions by session type, track, and/or topic area.
- Use the “Sort” tool to view the schedule in chronological order by one or more criteria. Use the magnifying glass to search by keyword.
- In the lower right corner, find easy one-click tools to download the schedule as a CSV file or view a full-screen version.
Mobile Workshops
Led by expert guides and packed with tangible examples of locally-powered community preservation and economic development efforts, Main Street Now mobile workshops are the ultimate immersive learning experience. Space is limited! Reserve your spot on a mobile workshop during registration.
Important note: For all mobile workshops, transportation costs and arrangements are included. Please review the description carefully for details about lunch, walking/biking distances, etc. To inquire about accessibility accommodations, please email info@mainstreet.org by March 1, 2026 — we will do our best to respond within 72 hours and to fulfill requests.
Can’t Miss Events & Sessions
Photo by Gary Crow
Main Street Preservation Short Course
Sunday, April 12, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
$100 — Add-on at registration required
Join this special, one-day program to learn how Main Streets can take advantage of their historic assets to drive community development. Designed for Main Street professionals and volunteers, this course provides tools for incorporating the work of preservation commissions and Certified Local Governments (CLGs) in planning, programming, day-to-day operations, and resilience and disaster planning for your Main Street. This course is presented by the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions and offers AIA and AICP CE credits. Learn more >
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Welcome Reception
Sunday, April 12, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Mother Road Market, 1124 S Lewis Ave
Included with registration
Meet up with old friends and make new ones while exploring Tulsa’s premier food hall. Find tasty bites, refreshing beverages, and unique items from local shops. Come early to snag a $20 gift card to use at food stalls.* Whether you are a first-time conference guest or a frequent attendee, the Welcome Reception is an ideal way to start your Main Street Now 2026 experience!
Getting there: Transportation is provided. Buses will shuttle between the Arvest Convention Center and Mother Road Market starting at 6:15 p.m. The final return bus will depart from Mother Road Market at 9:15 p.m.
*Note: Quantities are limited to the first 1000 attendees. Vendors accept gift cards and other legal tender.
Photo by Marta Olmos
Opening Plenary
Monday, April 13, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Tulsa Theater, 105 W Reconciliation Way
Included with registration
Gather at the historic Tulsa Theater for the official start of the 2026 Main Street Now Conference! Hear energizing welcome remarks from City of Tulsa and tribal officials, Oklahoma Main Street representatives, and Main Street America President & CEO Erin Barnes, and celebrate the 2026 Great American Main Street Awards winners.
Pro tips: Transportation will not be provided; budgeting extra time to arrive early and secure a seat with peers from your state is strongly recommended. Volunteers will be available to guide attendees who opt to walk. Find lots of great lunch options in the nearby Tulsa Arts District.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Networking Session — Monday
Monday, April 13, 3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
Main Street Executive Director Round Table
Calling all Main Street executive directors, program managers, and lead staff to the table! At this facilitated session, find space to compare leadership strategies, problem-solve real world dilemmas, and gain fresh perspectives from your peers in the movement. Topics may include resource constraints, leadership transitions, building capacity, managing partnerships, balancing visions and operations, and sustaining momentum. Come with your current burning questions or quandaries and leave with new ideas, buddies, and practical next steps.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Main Idea — Tuesday
Tuesday, April 14, 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
The Durability of Main Street: Lessons, Momentum, and the Road Ahead
Join Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher at Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and Erin Barnes, President and CEO at Main Street America, for a reflective and forward-looking conversation on the evolution of the Main Street movement and the power it continues to hold today. Drawing on decades of experience, the session will explore how Main Street has always functioned as a people-centered economic development effort. Through real-world stories and hard-earned lessons, the conversation will surface practical strategies communities have used to organize locally, build political momentum, and keep economic power rooted in place. Together, Kennedy and Erin will connect the movement’s past to its present, offering actionable takeaways for today’s Main Street leaders.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Civic Leaders Forum
Tuesday, April 14, 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with Civic Leader registration
Building Durable Main Streets through Civic Leader Support
The Civic Leaders Forum is an annual gathering of local officials committed to supporting Main Street. This year’s forum will feature a dynamic panel discussion with local officials from our host state of Oklahoma, who will discuss core issues challenging civic leaders through the lens of fostering durable Main Streets: Where does Main Street fit as a piece of our community’s economic development strategy? How can I effectively support and advocate for our Main Street program? Learn how Oklahoma’s civic leaders are addressing these questions and hear how partnerships and policy build durable Main Streets.
Note: This session is an invite-only event for attendees registered at the Civic Leader rate; RSVP during registration is required. Seating will be allocated on a first-come, first-reserved basis.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Networking Session — Tuesday
Tuesday, April 14, 3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
Tribute to the Main Street Three Musketeers: Fireside Chat with Clark Schoettle
Join Dr. Bethany Rogers for a fireside-style chat with Clark Shoettle, one of the “Main Street Three Musketeers,” about his long career leading the Providence Revolving Loan Fund. Listen in on their conversation about how the fund supported the restoration of hundreds of residential and commercial properties in Providence and how similar tools can help you fund strategic initiatives in your downtown district. Bethany and Clark will also be joined by Main Street founder, Mary Means, and Clark’s fellow Three Musketeer, Scott Gerloff, to celebrate the late Tom Moriarity and reflect on the enduring power of the Main Street framework.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Exhibitor Reception
Tuesday, April 14, 4:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
Meet up with colleagues and friends to enjoy light refreshments while exploring the Main Street Expo! Find great services, products, and information you need to help support your organization’s efforts to bring your community’s vision to life. Make sure to complete and return your exhibitor raffle passport for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Main Idea — Wednesday
Wednesday, April 15, 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
Main Street Matters: The State of Economic Development
Join us for a powerful “State of Economic Development” presentation with Nathan Ohle, President & CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), exploring national economic trends through the lens of historic and neighborhood districts. Nathan will examine how local economic development strategies are shaping small businesses, downtown investment, and community vitality across diverse place types. Following his address, Nathan will join Main Street America CEO Erin Barnes for a live fireside chat and audience Q+A, connecting big-picture trends to on-the-ground Main Street realities.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Networking Session — Wednesday
Wednesday, April 15, 2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
The Main Street Meet Up
Whether you’re looking to meet new partners, share experiences, or simply enjoy conversation with fellow Main Streeters, this open networking session creates space for authentic, organic connection. No agenda — just community, collaboration, and the chance to strengthen the relationships that fuel successful Main Street work.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Closing Celebration
Wednesday, April 15, 4:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Arvest Convention Center
Included with registration
Join us for a jubilant conclusion to the 2026 Main Street Now Conference filled with community and joy. Our closing celebration will include remarks by Erin Barnes, President and CEO at Main Street America, the presentation of the 2026 Mary Means Leadership Awards, and an engaging celebration of leaders across the network. We’re also bringing back an old crowd favorite — the Dubious Achievement Awards! To cap it all off, our partners at Oklahoma Main Street will offer a final thank you and farewell before handing the baton to our 2027 Main Street Now Conference hosts.
Photo by BeauMonde Originals
Big Bash
Wednesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m.-10:15 p.m.
Sapulpa Main Street – Sapulpa, Oklahoma
$65 — Add-on at registration required
Celebrate the closing of Main Street Now 2026 with a huge block party on Sapulpa Main Street. Live entertainment, local food and beverage vendors, goodie bags, games, prizes, giveaways, photo ops, and more await in historic Sapulpa. This is one Big Bash experience you don’t want to miss!
Getting there: Transportation is provided. Buses will depart from the Arvest Convention Center from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Return trips will run from 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Budgeting at least 30 minutes per trip is recommended.