Community Spotlight: The Holidays on Main Street

Over the past few months, we’ve been inspired to see the clever and engaging ways Main Streets have kept the holiday spirit alive both in their commercial districts and their communities despite the pandemic. Read on to learn about a few of our favorite COVID-friendly holiday initiatives we’ve seen across the network.

Virtual Holiday Markets. Online marketplaces are a great approach for supporting local safely. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of a good virtual holiday market is that no two are the same! For instance, The Procrastinator’s Holiday Market from Friends of Rhode Island Ave NE (Washington, DC) is branded specifically for last-minute shoppers. Further west, the MainStreet de Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NM) Holiday Market is kicking it up a notch with their Las Vegas Holiday Market Cash Mob event.

Gnome for the Holidays. As part of their month-long Lit Up and Local programming, Alberta Main Street (Portland, OR) has organized a gnome scavenger hunt in their business district. Participants can pick up a gnome game card from a “Gnome Depot,” featuring 30 unique locations to visit. At each small business, a gnome has been hidden in the storefront’s window display. For each gnome found, participants receive a sticker from the small business owner. Finding all 30 gnomes will enter players into a raffle for a year’s supply of candy! Learn more.

Deck the Meters. Decking the halls to a new level, FrostburgFirst (Frostburg, MD) is calling on their residents to decorate the parking meters around their business district in celebration of both the holidays and free parking. From ski-ready mannequins to glowering Grinches to Santa’s mailbox, local businesses and families have gone all out to make their meters a celebratory holiday spectacular. The Deck the Meters project was spearheaded by the Frostburg State University Children's Literature Center, the City of Frostburg, and the Storybook Holiday Committee, including the Main Street program. This year marked the 16th annual Storybook Holiday event in downtown Frostburg, but due to the pandemic, the event was shifted to a virtual format that included the Deck the Meters initiative. Frostburg First is featuring a different decked-out meter every day on their Instagram page. Learn more.

Gift Local Gift Line. The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation (Walla Walla, WA) is making it easier than ever to buy gifts from local small businesses with their Gift Local Gift Line. This shop small hotline connects callers and texters with customized suggestions of gifts from downtown small businesses. Callers share a bit about the person they’re buying for and their ideal budget, and Downtown Walla Walla does the rest—including free giftwrap and local delivery! Learn more.

Local Gift Box. Several Main Street programs are gathering goodies and gift cards into boxes filled with small business love. In California, Main Street Martinez created their own Downtown Martinez Gift Boxes full of items and coupons from downtown Martinez small businesses. The purchase of each gift box supported both the small businesses and the Main Street organization. The Main Street organization in Quincy, Illinois—The District—has teamed up with other local organizations to create Love Local Gift Boxes: gift boxes filled to the brim with gift cards and certificates from local small businesses in Quincy’s commercial district.

Wytheville Christmas Show. Downtown Wytheville (Wytheville, VA) is a town rich in holiday traditions and festivities. Instead of canceling these traditions outright, the Main Street program pivoted the town’s celebration into the Wytheville Christmas Show: a 40-minute holiday extravaganza video. This virtual variety show featured festive performances and segments from the community, including The George Wythe High School Choir, The Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, and The Homestead Museum as well as local musicians and artists. Learn more.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Face Mask Promotion. No doubt the theme of 2020 has been “Support Local Safely.” In New Mexico, Silver City MainStreet (Silver City, NM) is thanking those who go the extra mile of wearing a face mask with holiday spirit. The first 50 people to send a photo of themselves wearing an Ugly Swear Face Mask will receive a $10 MainStreet Gift Certificate to use in participating downtown locations. Learn more.

Whether you’re engaging in festive initiatives like these in your Main Street or supporting your local small businesses, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season!