Happy Halloween! | October 31, 2024  Director of Government Relations Kelly Humrichouser shares how Main Streets can support their communities both during and after the election. Learn More  Coming Soon: Science Discovery on Main Street Grants Main Street America, through a generous grant from Simons Foundation International administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division, is thrilled to announce our new Science Discovery on Main Street grant program. This initiative aims to help Main Street communities uncover and leverage their unique science assets, history, and features towards building local pride and creating engaging local attractions and activities. Opening on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 10 a.m. CT, the grant program will offer 12 grants of $12,500 to help Main Street communities research, identify, and celebrate their unique scientific assets or history through partnerships and programming. After the Discovery Grant period, there will be an opportunity for up to seven (7) communities to receive Implementation Grants to put their plans into action. Learn More: You are also invited to join an informational webinar on Monday, November 18 at 11 a.m. CT to learn more about the program, eligibility and how to apply. Register here : Check Out: BOOMS Tracker 2.0! The BOOMS Tracker, our property and vacancy inventory tool, recently received its first major update. We are excited to announce that the BOOMS Tracker 2.0 features include:Access for 115 additional current and aspiring Main Street programsUpdated boundaries for 45 programs currently incorporated into the BOOMS Tracker platformMany, many refinements to the inventory questions and response options, including a fix for the character limit bug on open-ended questionsDeeper filtering functionality on all property dashboards—filter by owner type, number of floors, maintenance or significance status, and more. Check it out today > Questions? Need help? Email booms@mainstreet.org  2025 Mary Means Leadership Award Nominate an outstanding leader from your community! Due Dec. 6 Hill Day 2025 Join us in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Main Street Movement. Register by Dec. 15 2025 Main Street Now Conference Join us in Philadelphia to learn, network, and get inspired! Apr. 7-9 Small Business Saturday® Neighborhood Champions Rally your community to Shop Small®. Rolling Applications: See All Events and Opportunities Last Chance: Small Business Success and Support SurDon’t let your small business owners miss the opportunity to contribute to the Small Business Success and Support Survey! We want to hear about the wins they’ve had in 2024, the challenges they face, and the types of support the Main Street America network would help them most.The survey is quick, easy to fill out, and available in English and Spanish. We need 300 additional responses by Thursday, November 7. Share with your small business community >   Happy Halloween! From small business trick or treating and parades to art installations and festivals, Main Streets across the Network love to go all out for spooky season. We gathered a few examples of fun Halloween events in Main Street communities this year. Read Here: Image: Salisbury, North Carolina © Downtown Salisbury  Gen Z Entrepreneurship with Patrick Jackowski and Matt Horne, Firehouse Coffee 1881 Join host Matt Wagner for his conversation with Patrick Jackowski and Matt Horne, the duo behind Firehouse Coffee 1881, a thriving coffee shop housed in a firehouse in historic Fort Monroe, a decommissioned military compound located in Hampton, Virginia. Fresh from their appearance as featured panelists at the Virginia Retail Alliance’s Retail Matters Summit, these young entrepreneurs are redefining what it means to be business owners in today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape. Listen now > Join us next week for more insights into the evolving landscape of Main Street business.  Don’t miss your chance to be a Small Business Saturday® Neighborhood Champion this year! This holiday season, rally your communities around the small businesses that help make your downtown thrive. Encourage your community to Shop Small® on Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season by applying to be a Neighborhood Champion today*! All Main Street America members have been pre-qualified to serve as Neighborhood Champions on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited so apply for your spot before applications close. All you need to do to apply is fill out a brief Neighborhood Champion application and indicate you were referred by the National Main Street Center (NMSC).Why Apply? Inspire Your Community: Encourage everyone to shop local and support small businesses throughout the holiday season. Host a Local Event: Partner with local businesses to create a festive event on Small Business Saturday. Get a Free Shop Small Kit: If selected as a Neighborhood Champion, you will receive merchandise to promote your events! This year, the kits will include new “I SHOPPED SMALL” stickers for small business owners to share with their customers on Nov 30, thank them for their business, and encourage others to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday. Applications will remain open through mid-November or until spots are filled, so be sure to apply soon! Kits are shipping now, so sign up early to get your kit with plenty of time to prepare before the big day. Apply Here*Terms Apply.”Submit a Proposal for the Public Markets Conference The call for proposals is now open for Project for Public Spaces’ 12th International Public Markets Conference on June 12-14, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Share your experience, tools, and lessons on how public markets can help address local and global challenges. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 13. Learn more >  • Recreation, Entertainment, and Event Facility Market Assessment & Economic Development Strategy • Downtown Giftcards • Interior Renovations • Looking for lessons learned from any municipality partnerships re: downtown trash / dumpster issues • Merchant Meetings  • Next Stop, Mexicantown: A Historic Detroit Neighborhood Prepares for Change (Mich.) Preservation Magazine • Main Street Clinton selects artist Lucía Duque to create a botanical mural (Miss.) Magnolia Tribune • Climate Change Is Killing Buildings in Slow Motion (USA) Bloomberg  How to Survive and Thrive During Construction From preparation to completion, these best practices will help your Main Street thrive during construction. 15 Ways to Celebrate 15 Years of Small Business Saturday® Creative ways for Main Street and downtown leaders to make this year’s Small Business Saturday truly special. Copyright © 2024, National Main Street Center, Inc., All rights reserved. This email is a benefit of Main Street America membership. Our mailing address is: Main Street America 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 350 Chicago, IL 60604 P: 312.610.5613 Email: info@mainstreet.org |