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.
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.
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!
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Peak Immersive Learning: A Snapshot of Mobile Workshops Main Street Now 2023
A vendor serves beverages at the Roslindale Summer Farmers Market in 2022. Courtesy of Bruce Spero Photography.
Next month, Main Street leaders, place managers, and economic development practitioners from across the country will convene in Boston for three days of dynamic education sessions, thought-provoking keynote discussions, and countless opportunities to celebrate and connect at the 2023 Main Street Now Conference. In addition to 100+ crash course, deep dive, and panel-style sessions, the Main Street Now 2023 agenda includes 12 unique mobile workshops. These immersive learning experiences are packed with informative tours and tangible examples of locally-led community preservation and economic development efforts impacting communities in Boston and the surrounding area. A few have already sold out, but opportunities to witness time-tested Main Street Approach techniques and creative solutions in action abound with these six great excursions.
Conference registration is open, with regular rates available through March 16. Learn more about these mobile workshops here. Reserve your spot on a mobile workshop during registration by clicking here, or add it to your existing registration by clicking the link included in your registration confirmation email. Check out the conference website and follow the conference's Facebook and Twitter accounts for the latest updates.
Mission Hill Arts and Gastronomy, with a Dash of COVID Survival
Left: A colorful indoor mural welcomes visitors at Penguin Pizza in Mission Hill. Right: The vibrant and unique sign for Taven of Tales. Courtesy of Sean Hurley.
Mission Hill, Boston, Mass.
Mission Hill is home to architectural landmarks, magnificent views of Boston’s skyline and a vibrant culinary scene. This tour begins at the Museum of Fine Arts with a conversation on partnering with institutions in your community. From there the tour will be split in to 4 groups, with each visiting a different Mission Hill establishment: 1) Learn about survival techniques at The Mission Bar & Grill; 2) Hear inspired business sustainability ideas at Penguin Pizza; 3) Learn the importance of social media at Milkweed Café; 4) Discover an entirely new business plan at Tavern of Tales – Boston’s only board game bar!
Eye of the Commonwealth Tour
Left: Black and white aerial photo of American Optical complex, circa 1935. Right: 12 Crane at Dusk. Courtesy of Optical Heritage Museum.
Southbridge, Mass.
Spend a day appreciating the place that played host to the advances in protective/corrective eyewear and their mass production, and learn about efforts to preserve and reimagine the historic structures, streets, and spaces of downtown Southbridge—the Eye of the Commonwealth. This historical walking tour of the core downtown area will include a review of public improvements, as well as an exploration of significant sites. Learn about the current reuse and development efforts underway at the American Optical campus, the unique materials used to construct the Pope John Paul II Church, the recently completed project to transform the Wells School from a former middle school to residences, and the evolution of the abandoned Providence/Worchester Railroad spur into the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail. Admission to The Optical Heritage Museum, housed in a beautifully renovated meat packing plant at the trail’s head, is included. While there, enjoy a light lunch and explore the history of the optical industry through one of the largest collections of spectacle frames and ophthalmic optical items in the world.
Main Streets Affordable Housing & A Taste of Hyde Park
Left: A rendering of The Pryde affordable senior housing project. Courtesy of LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. Right: Rincon Caribeño, a popular Dominican restaurant in Hyde Park, with the owner standing outside the front door. Courtesy of Hyde Park Main Streets.
Hyde Park, Boston, Mass.
Join Hyde Park Main Streets Executive Director Thien Simpson and LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. Executive Director Gretchen Van Ness for a tour of The Pryde, Boston's first LGBTQ-welcoming affordable senior housing project. Learn about the efforts to leverage an adaptive reuse strategy to transform the former Barton Rogers Middle School into 74 mixed-income senior apartments developed through a universal design approach. Round out this informative experience with a tasting tour of the Hyde Park Main Streets district, known for its unique and resonant history, amazing cafes and eateries, lush green space, art galleries, theater, and diverse festivals.
Heart of the Commonwealth: Exploring Worcester
People gather at umbrella-covered picnic tables in front of Worcester City Hall. Courtesy of Erb Dufault Photography.
Worcester, Mass.
Experience downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, the second largest and fastest-growing major city in New England. The tour kicks off at City Hall with discussion about the history of the city and recent developments downtown which include class-A office developments, urban housing, upscale dining, and a new art gallery and performing arts theatre. Then enjoy free time to explore on your own and grab refreshments from a downtown café or eatery, followed by a short drive to Polar Park, home of the Worcester Red Sox, for a brief tour of the brand-new stadium. This visit to the Heart of the Commonwealth concludes with a walk to the nearby Worcester Public Market in the city’s vibrant Canal District, and an opportunity to check out the area’s retail and food purveyors.
Discover B.RIGHT.ON Scavenger Hunt Tour
Left: Vibrant and unique signs promote locally-owned small businesses on Washington Street in Brighton. Right: Oak Square with flowers in full bloom. Courtesy of Brighton Main Streets.
Brighton, Boston, Mass.
Are you looking for a handcrafted, customized scavenger hunt adventure you’ll never forget? This Discover B.RIGHT.ON tour is for you! Carefully combining both an in-person and online app-based components, this tour route will guide you through 8-10 sights of the Brighton neighborhood and business district, including time for enjoying food, beverages, and whatever catches your eye. Form your own team of 5 (great for teambuilding with local or coordinating program) or choose to be assigned to a group (perfect for meeting new people and growing your network). The adventure is sure to help you explore Brighton, laugh, discover, and connect – this is memory making at its funnest!
Art is the Handmaid of Human Good: A Tour of Lowell’s Historic, Cultural, and Innovation Assets
Left: Boot Mills. Courtesy of National Park Service. Right: Market Street Mural. Courtesy of City of Lowell, Cultural Affairs and Special Events office.
Lowell, Mass.
Lowell is an historic mill city in northeastern Massachusetts. Its rich history includes being the birthplace of Jack Kerouac before he famously went “On the Road,” as well as the present-day home to a large immigrant community. This tour features visits to four different sites that demonstrate how the city and nonprofit partners support small businesses, start-ups, artists, and historic preservation efforts in a holistic and collaborative manner. Visits to Downtown Lowell, the Hamilton Canal Innovation District, Mill No. 5, and Western Ave Studios and Lofts will give tour-goers a glimpse of how arts, culture, innovation, and historic preservation can support a thriving, diverse community and regional economy.
Whether you are interested in history and historic preservation, arts and culture, adaptive reuse and redevelopment, or local food and retail trends, the mobile workshops at Main Street Now 2023 offer something for everyone! It may be difficult to decide which to choose, but combined with amazing session offerings, it will be impossible to return from Boston without feeling empowered and inspired.
Learn more about these mobile workshops here and be sure to secure your reservation soon! Conference registration is open, with regular rates available through March 16. Reserve your spot on a mobile workshop during registration by clicking here, or add it to your existing registration by clicking the link included in your registration confirmation email.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
Online registration and the regular rate are available through Friday, April 26. Download the conference mobile app, sign-up for the attendee webinar, grab some Shop Main Street merch, get recommendations, and more!
With just a little over a month to go until we convene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference from May 6-8, we are excited to announce that the full schedule is available online and the mobile app is ready for download.
From budgets and staffing to programming priorities and the myriad of backgrounds that bring people to Main Street, the insights and key findings from this year's trends survey provide a snapshot of the state of the Main Street Movement.
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
With a specially priced registration rate of $199, tailored education track, free lunch & learn session, and abundant networking opportunities, Main Street Now 2024 is made for civic leaders passionate about community preservation and economic development in historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.
Opportunities to experience time-tested Main Street Approach techniques and creative solutions in action abound in Birmingham with these great excursions.
Starting in early 2024, we will engage in an intensive program assessment of MSAI. We look forward to bringing an enhanced Main Street professional development experience to the network later in the year.
Founded in 2003 and currently housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Main Street (MMS) recently celebrated 20 years of impact across 41 communities.
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
We are excited to share a recent collaboration with Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program.
We are excited to welcome Jenice Contreras to the Main Street America Board of Directors. Jenice has a long record of leadership across community and economic development with deep experience with equitable growth, small-scale development, and cultural preservation.
Join Main Street America experts in Vancouver, Wash., to gain first-hand experience in harnessing transformation strategies to successfully revitalize your Main Street!
We are excited to announce that 862 Main Street programs across the country have earned Accredited status, Main Street America’s top level of recognition.
The MSARP credential is the highest level of achievement offered through the Main Street America Institute, requiring dedication to completing a rigorous curriculum of online courses, readings, assignments, workshops, and a challenging final exam.
Over the course of three days, nearly 1900 Main Streeters from near and far gathered for dynamic educational sessions, immersive mobile workshops, and network-building activities.
Check out our new shop featuring clothing and apparel, accessories, home and office goods, and kids’ and baby items inspired by the Main Street Movement.
Main Street America is proud to recognize John Bry, Program Coordinator at Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) in Michigan, as the 2023 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient.
We’re excited to announce a new suite of resources designed for Main Street! The Main Street Foundations Series provides an overview of each Point through four comprehensive introductory videos, one-page guides, materials from our resource center, and more.
From the ongoing pivots needed to meet changing community needs to the timeless power of place, these are the most popular blog posts we published this year.
At the Opening Plenary at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, Virginia, Patrice Frey shared lessons and reflections from her past nine years at Main Street.
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.