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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

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We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

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Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

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Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

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People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

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Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

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Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities

Sixth and Main, Juneberry Cottage, and Evart Pharmacy. Photos courtesy of Evart Main Street.

These short stories were originally published by Evart Main Street. You can read them, and others, on their Facebook page.

Deborah Knowles, Owner of Sixth and Main

Deborah Knowles

We had owned a restaurant and bar in Clare for 15 years and sold that in 2015. I didn't think we would get back into this business, but Evart didn't really have a restaurant where you could get a drink and a burger—you had to travel 30 miles to do that. My husband and son kept saying we should do it and I kept saying no. And then they said, ‘Well, let's just go look at this building’ because they knew I would love it and enjoy fixing it up. We bought this building in November of 2017 and then opened Sixth & Main Bar and Grill in October of 2018. This is one of the oldest buildings in town, built in 1883, and it was in really bad shape when we bought it. A lot of pipes had frozen and busted. The old boiler system was in rough shape. The floors were covered with subflooring and carpet. But the fireplace is original to the building. The stone porch is another huge feature and in great condition—whoever did that was immensely talented. We had 15 years’ experience before opening this and built a reputation for serving good food.

Food is a big thing for us. We have a lot of different things on the menu, so you know we are definitely not just a bar, but more of a restaurant that serves alcohol. I knew this building had enough character that it would attract people, but mostly I knew that there was a niche Sixth & Main could fill because there was nothing in Evart like it. I grew up here, so I knew the community and the potential that was here. Evart hadn't had anything like this in a while where you could sit down, especially with larger groups of people. We’ve accommodated 30-40 people without a reservation and there's really not any place else you could do that. I love Evart—the people and the location. Other than my senior year in high school, I actually spent my entire life in this area. The community is a nice size—it's not so big that you get lost in the crowd. I think Evart has a lot of potential for growth.

June-Marie Essner, Owner of Juneberry Cottage

June-Marie Essner

I have wanted to own a fabric store ever since I was in middle school. I’ve always liked fabric and natural fibers, and I come from an entrepreneurial family. My grandparents came from Germany and started a business they owned until they retired. My parents owned a business. My husband and I started a business. Then, about 10 years ago, he said, 'If you want to open a fabric store, you need to do it.' And in the spring of 2014, I opened Juneberry Cottage. When I was working on opening the store and couldn’t decide on a name, my kids said, ‘Mom, remember when…?’ They reminded me that when we had gone on a camping trip in the Upper Peninsula, we saw a juneberry tree and I said, ‘If I ever have a store, I’m going to call it “Juneberry”, and that’s how the name came to be. I love creating and there are so many possibilities when you’re sewing. You can design something completely on your own, or you can purchase a pattern that's already been designed, but you still have the option to make it your own depending on the fabrics you choose, the embellishments, the type of stitches you use, and the colors. There are so many variations.

I enjoy all aspects of sewing. I like looking at patterns, cutting, and the sewing process. I love that it makes you slow down. If you're feeling anxious and angry, you have to slow down, or you’re going to make mistakes, so the whole process is calming to me. And then having the finished product is satisfying. I have to call Evart ‘home’ because until I moved here, I never lived anywhere longer than three years, on average. We moved here in 1995, so this is home. I have a lot of good connections here, and there's a sewing and quilting community here, so I thought I could make Juneberry work here, and I have. It’s been a good community to start a business in. When I first opened, there were not that many retail businesses on Main Street, but since I've opened, 14 new businesses have opened and are still here. Sometimes it may feel like not that much has changed, but it has. It’s neat to see that.

Michelle Ladd, Owner & Pharmacist, Evart Pharmacy 

Michelle Lad

I grew up on 200 acres here in this small town called Evart. It’s a beautiful area. My husband and I both grew up and graduated from high school here. After graduation, we both went to Ferris State University, and after college, we wanted to settle down and have our family here—it’s one of those small towns where you feel at home. I became interested in the pharmacy field because I had a family member who started going to pharmacy school; I job shadowed them, and I thought there were a lot of options in the pharmacy world. I started working at Evart Pharmacy at 18, just out of high school, and I worked all throughout college as my first pharmacy job. It confirmed that I liked the work. I enjoy helping people, it’s fast-paced, and it's something different every day.

We're trying to help our community members and neighbors as much as we can. With Evart being a rural area, there's not as much medical support here as there is in bigger areas, and there aren’t as many physicians, so you have to make extra calls and referrals. We try to do all that for people, and we mail prescriptions for free because traveling can be hard for some people. I love the supportive community we have in Evart. Even all the new people we see coming in are very kind and supportive of each other. Sometimes people feel like small towns don’t have as much to offer, but here, we all have each other's backs. For example, let’s say I can't get a drug a patient needs, I can call the pharmacy across the street and say, ‘Hey, are you able to get this drug for this patient? I’m going to send her over to you,’ or, ‘I don't have this in stock. Could I borrow some from you?’ It’s nice to have that camaraderie. We want to help each other and work together to supply the best we can for all our patients in town.