Main Streets are for everyone, no matter what age. In Cumberland, Maryland, a rural Appalachian community of 18,000 people, we have worked hard to connect a multi-generational communities that brings everyone together through fun events and activations. 

We are very fortunate to have Cumberland Arms apartments as a focal point on our Main Street. This beautiful historic building offers affordable senior apartments in the heart of downtown Cumberland. We also work with local high school students, Girl Scout troops, and other groups to engage young people downtown and create opportunities for cross-generational connection. These efforts weave throughout our Main Street programming, creating a downtown that is exciting and welcoming for people of all ages.

Partnering With Cumberland Arms

Upon my arrival to Cumberland Main Street five years ago, I met with the Cumberland Arms property manager to discuss ways we could partner and support each other’s goals. Today, the Main Street organization enjoys a strong relationship with the building management that is mutually beneficial.

Each holiday season, Cumberland Arms serves as the host location as Santa arrives in downtown Cumberland and waves from the rooftop to hundreds of attendees gathered downtown for our Annual Tree Lighting. On New Year’s Eve, the building serves as the place where our annual ball drop occurs. These two beloved traditions are enhanced due to the support of this wonderful partner.

Residents of the senior apartments attend many downtown events, even handing out candy to young trick-or-treaters for our ​”Boo on the Bricks” Halloween event. Our Friday After Five summer music series is a favorite of the residents as it takes place just across the street from the building and they can easily attend.

The ground floor of the Cumberland Arms building offers beautiful and affordable retail spaces for rent for small businesses. I work closely with the Property Manager to identify new tenants when there are available spaces. This is a win-win effort, as we both know the benefit of retail spaces that are full. 

Partnering With Young People

As we engaged with a senior population downtown, we began to think about how we could engage with other age groups to create a welcoming, multi-generational community. The drill team of one of our local high schools marches every year in our Christmas Parade, leading Santa through downtown. Local Girl Scout troops have enjoyed Christmas caroling throughout downtown, visiting small businesses and our city fire station. Our local high school theatre departments dress in costumes for Halloween and Holiday events to add to the fun and festivities and to pose for photos with kids.

Our Annual Winter Festival boasts an entire Kids’ area complete with arts and crafts, games, carriage rides, and fire pits for smore-making. This is a very popular area for young families in our community. We welcome young adults to volunteer in this area, creating a multi-generational spaces and experience.

How to Build Multi-Generational Partnerships

If you have any kind of senior housing in your Main Street community, I encourage you to reach out and meet with them. They are often looking for activities for their residents and for ways to be engaged in their communities. Ask them about their goals and see how they align with yours. Here are some ways you can build a meaningful partnerships across generations:

• Meet with the management of senior housing facilities in your Main Street community. Ask them what their goals are and how you can work together to engage this valuable population.
• Consider each special event you already have and how you might better engage youth, either as volunteers or participants in other ways. High school kids often need community service hours for graduation requirements. They can volunteer at events and help with set-up, clean-up, or running an area of a festival.
• Engage local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as volunteers for events.
• Find ways to bring different age groups together, like having local students volunteer to sing carols at a senior housing community.
• Invite middle or high school clubs to decorate an empty storefront window to promote their particular club and brighten up a space. Most building owners would be thrilled to have someone do this for them.

A rich and diverse Main Street community needs all ages engaged with them and the possibilities are endless. You don’t need to recreate the wheel! Just inventory your current events and see how various age groups could fit in to engage. 

Learn more about Cumberland Main Street >

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Downtown Decorations, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter’s Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about what they do to support Main Street organizations, click here.