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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
Trabajamos en colaboración con miles de socios locales y líderes de base de todo el país que comparten nuestro compromiso de fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías resistentes y mejorar la calidad de vida.
Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Formadas por pueblos pequeños, comunidades de tamaño medio y distritos comerciales urbanos, las miles de organizaciones, personas, voluntarios y líderes locales que componen Main Street America™ representan la amplia diversidad que hace que este país sea tan singular.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
¿Busca estrategias y herramientas que le ayuden en su trabajo? Sumérgete en el Centro de Recursos de Main Street y explora una amplia gama de recursos, entre los que se incluyen nuestro extenso Centro de Conocimientos, oportunidades de desarrollo profesional, ofertas de servicios sobre el terreno, apoyo a la promoción y mucho más.
Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo
Su ventanilla única para conocer las últimas historias, noticias, eventos y oportunidades -incluidas subvenciones y programas de financiación- en Main Street.
Kendall Whittier - Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Únase a nosotros en nuestro trabajo para fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías fuertes y mejorar la calidad de vida en los centros y distritos comerciales de los barrios.
Attendees enjoy a drag performance at Pikeville Pride 2023. © Pikeville Pride
Do you remember the first time you felt truly accepted? What did that mean to you? What did you have to do to find that acceptance? These questions are why we created Pikeville Pride. Through our annual Pride Month event, we work alongside Pikeville Main Street to create a welcoming, accepting community in rural Eastern Kentucky.
Pikeville is a beautiful town nestled in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. We make sure our neighbors are warm and safe when it storms and give them extra vegetables from the garden. Our rural community is surrounded by mountains that are tall enough to touch clouds and snaked by some of the best white-water rapids in the world.
In 2017, a group of neo-Nazis planned a rally in downtown Pikeville. Using the name “Traditionalist Worker Party” and symbols that evoked memories of coal mining, they hoped to recruit the stereotypical downtrodden and out-of-work coal miner to their white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ cause. They were organized by the same group of people that had previously rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in the death of Heather Hayer and injuries to 35 others. In response, the Pikeville community made it clear they did not accept these hateful groups. We knew we needed to make it clear that our community was welcoming and inclusive.
As part of this goal, we decided to create Pikeville Pride. The members of Pikeville Pride come from all walks of life, but we have one thing in common: we want to create the LGBTQ+ community that we needed when we were younger. We want younger generations to grow up knowing it’s okay to be queer and that hatred is not accepted in our community.
Pikeville Pride booth selling Pride merchandise. © Pikeville Pride
In 2018, we hosted our first Pikeville Pride event in Pikeville City Park. The event included vendors, nonprofit resources, drag shows, art, and live music. That year, around 200 attendees joined us to celebrate love and acceptance. The event continued to grow in 2019, doubling guest attendance and offering more vendors and entertainment. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented any in-person events in 2020 and 2021, so Pikeville Pride focused on maintaining a social media presence, providing mutual aid, and conducting fundraising efforts. We returned to an in-person event in 2022 and saw more growth: attendance nearly doubled from the last event! This incredible growth also meant that we were running out of room for vendors and activities in our current venue space. That’s when we realized we needed help. We reached out to Pikeville Main Street Program and began a partnership with them.
In 2023, Pikeville Pride moved to Main Street. The same day, Pikeville Main Street hosted Hippie Fest, an event that focused on peace and love. This ended up being an awesome coincidence, as guests were able to easily attend both events and spend a full day enjoying our downtown community. Over 2,000 people attended Hippie Fest and Pride, making this one of the largest events our Main Street has ever seen. Between the two events, we had nearly 80 vendors, music, art, drag performances, and most importantly, neighbors showing up in support of one another. One of the most beautiful parts of the day was the diversity of the crowd — young, old, many different ethnicities, all genders, all orientations.
We were excited to grow our Main Street connection when we were invited, along with Pikeville Main Street, to speak at the 2024 Main Street Now Conference. At the conference, we highlighted the amazing collaboration between Pikeville Main Street and Pikeville Pride and explained how we are committed to creating inclusive, safe communities in the mountains. Our relationship with Pikeville Main Street has been such a wonderful partnership because we have the same goals in mind — we want to create a vibrant, thriving community that welcomes everyone.
Pikeville Pride and Pikeville Main Street at the 2024 Main Street Now Conference. © Pikeville Pride
Are you interested in organizing a Pride event in your community, or bringing new energy to an existing celebration? Here are some strategies that we used to bring Pikeville Pride to life:
Getting the Word Out
We have used television, radio, newspapers, and social media platforms to advertise our event. We find that using a mixture of traditional methods, as well as digital ones, helps expand our reach and invite folks from many facets of our community.
Finding Vendors
We utilize our existing platforms and contact lists to book vendors. We put out calls for vendors on our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok), encouraging anyone who is interested to fill out an application online. Pikeville Main Street has also helped us tremendously by sharing their vendor list with our organization, allowing us to reach out to vendors from various backgrounds to invite them to apply to our event.
Encountering Pushback
Since our first Pride event in 2018, we have received pushback from community members and protesters have appeared at our events. We coordinate with local and state law enforcement to ensure the safety of our attendees, vendors, and team, as well as fulfilling our duty to respect the rights of those protesting. It’s a fine line to walk, and one that is difficult to navigate, but we have been fortunate to overcome this pushback as our event continues to grow in numbers and representation.
Making it Work on a Budget
At our first event, we saw over 500 attendees and only spent $800. It doesn’t take a lot of financial backing to produce an event that will bring a community together and set the tone for the future. We formed a dedicated group of volunteers that were willing to do the heavy lifting, like researching city ordinances and event guidelines.
We are so proud that Pikeville Pride has grown into a place to celebrate LGBTQ+ folks, build community, find resources, and show that rural towns can be for everyone. Whether you dream of starting a Pride event in your community or growing existing celebrations, we hope that our story offers inspiration and advice. And remember that you’re creating something more than just an event — you’re creating a movement. Happy Pride!
Redevelopment Resources, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter’s Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >
MSA President and CEO Erin Barnes explores how a holiday market in a public park brought a new focus on growing humanitarian needs in downtown city centers.
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! We collected ideas and resources to help you explore Jewish American history on your community and work toward a more inclusive Main Street.
At Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, Native Hawaiians played a critical role in the success of the Hudson Bay Company. Today, Vancouver’s Hawaiian history and heritage plays a crucial role in efforts to reenergize the city’s historic downtown.
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.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20B in federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards distributed to eight national non-profit consortiums. Main Street America looks forward to partnership and engagement with awardees and local programs to identify projects and expand impact throughout our network.
Hillsboro, Oregón © Alicia Gallo
La responsable del programa Main Street America anima a las comunidades a promover la igualdad para las mujeres con el fin de hacer crecer un Movimiento más inclusivo.
Descubra cómo esta ciudad de Luisiana ha dado prioridad a la accesibilidad para construir una comunidad acogedora e integradora.
Centro de Ruston, Luisiana. Fotografía de Henry McCoy.
Tasha Sams, Directora de Programas Educativos, comparte los aspectos más destacados de la primera fase del programa Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets y las principales conclusiones de los talleres.
En este vídeo, conozca mejor la historia de la familia Williams, cómo el negocio está ayudando a revivir el centro de Helena y la repercusión que están teniendo a nivel nacional.
Descubra cómo la ciudad anfitriona de Main Street Now 2024, Birmingham (Alabama), refuerza su compromiso de crear un entorno acogedor e integrador.
Alcalde Randall Woodfin
En este episodio de Main Street Business Insights, Matt se sienta con Derrick Braziel, propietario de Pata Roja Taqueria y cofundador de MORTAR, en Cincinnati, Ohio.
Aprenda cómo la micromovilidad puede aumentar el acceso, la equidad y la inclusión en su calle principal con ejemplos de programas locales de toda la red.
Conozca cómo Albany, Georgia, reconoce su legado en materia de derechos civiles y apoya a la comunidad afroamericana en la actualidad.
Celebre esta tradicional fiesta mexicana con Gardnerville, Nevada.
Gardnerville, NV © Main Street Gardnerville
Tasha Sams compartió sus experiencias en este festival cultural único de los Apalaches.
Descubra cómo esta comunidad de Oklahoma celebró el Día de la Independencia con un gran festival.
Tulsa, OK © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Descubra cómo Rio Grande City está construyendo una ciudad acogedora e integradora tanto para mexicanos como para estadounidenses.
Rio Grande City, TX © Rio Grande City
Descubra cómo el barrio Little Santo Domingo de Miami colabora con la Fundación Truist para reforzar las vías de acceso a la propiedad de pequeñas empresas.
Allapattah CDC
Descubra cómo esta comunidad de Massachusetts utiliza su mercado agrícola para aumentar el acceso a alimentos frescos.
Cada año, H2BE celebra en Dearborn, MI, su Paseo y Rodada por la Movilidad Juneteenth, que celebra a los negros estadounidenses y mejora las conexiones locales. Más información sobre el evento y por qué Juneteenth es importante para esta comunidad.
Dearborn, MI © H2BE
¿Quieres apoyar a la próxima generación de líderes de Main Street? Cree una junta de jóvenes. Aprenda cómo Historic Downtown Clinton creó la suya y cómo su organización puede beneficiarse de una.
El movimiento Main Street es un orgulloso aliado de la comunidad LGBTQ+. Hablamos con los líderes de Main Street sobre cómo apoyan a la comunidad LGBTQ+ durante el Orgullo y más allá.
Pasos que puede dar para implicar a su comunidad judía local y hacer que su calle principal resulte acogedora para los habitantes o visitantes judíos.
El 9 de mayo, el National Trust for Historic Preservation publicó su lista de los 11 lugares históricos más amenazados de Estados Unidos para 2023, que incluía un distrito cultural situado en una comunidad designada Main Street America.
Miami, FL © NTHP
El Desfile y Fiesta del Cinco de Mayo que se celebra anualmente en el distrito de Mexicantown Main Street es un magnífico ejemplo de colaboración entre asociaciones que honran el patrimonio cultural de la comunidad y apoyan a las empresas locales a través de eventos.
Te presentamos a Kavi, la primera muñeca indioamericana de la Chica del Año y residente (ficticia) de Metuchen, Nueva Jersey, ganadora del premio Great American Main Street 2023.
Metuchen, Nueva Jersey © Lauren Beischer Photography
Community Development Block Grants son herramientas poderosas para los programas de Main Street. Obtenga más información sobre cómo los CDBG se pueden aplicar a nuestro trabajo y cómo puede abogar por el programa.
Main Street America ha recibido 5,9 millones de dólares para apoyar a 20 comunidades de la Main Streets Community of Practice a través del Thriving Communities Program del Departamento de Transporte durante los próximos dos años.
Hablamos con Debbie Ho, Directora Ejecutiva de Chinatown Main Street, para conocer la historia de las mujeres en el barrio chino de Boston.
Boston, MA © Kyle Klein
Conozca a los nuevos beneficiarios de este programa de subvenciones para construir ciudades pequeñas y comunidades rurales más fuertes y prósperas.
Conozca la historia única de Folsom, Nuevo México, y cómo están trabajando con New Mexico MainStreet hoy.
Descubra cómo Equiticity, socio de Main Street America, está fomentando conexiones comunitarias más fuertes a través de su programa de paseos en bicicleta.
Chicago, IL © Óscar Sánchez.
Descubra cómo esta comunidad rinde homenaje a Martin Luther King Jr. y cuenta las historias de los líderes negros de su comunidad.
Dublín, GA © Visite Dublín GA
Conozca los esfuerzos de la ciudad de Boston por invertir en equidad económica.
La Downtown Sheridan Association se asocia con la tribu Crow para organizar el evento anual First People's Pow Wow durante la WYO Rodeo Week.
Hablamos con tres mujeres que recibieron subvenciones de Inclusive Backing para saber más sobre sus pasiones, sus negocios y sus consejos para otras mujeres.
Wixom, MI © Carissa Serylo
Contar historias es una parte fundamental del trabajo de creación de espacios que realizamos en los distritos de Main Street. Pero, ¿compartimos todas las historias por igual?
Jonesborough, TN © Jay Huron
Main Street Franklin es pionera en mostrar cómo las mujeres empresarias pueden ser una poderosa fuerza de cambio en sus comunidades.
Anette Landeros, Presidenta y Directora General de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Fort Worth, comparte la importancia de apoyar a los empresarios y comunidades hispanas.
#EquityRising, el nuevo programa de formación laboral de Old Algiers Main Street Corporation, pretende combatir el aumento del coste de la vida ayudando a los residentes a formarse en carreras que les permitan permanecer en su barrio.
Nueva Orleans, LA © Calle Mayor de Old Algiers
Hablamos con tres empresarios negros que recibieron subvenciones de Main Street America y American Express para comprender mejor sus retos, sus éxitos y los tipos de apoyo que más les han ayudado.
Camden, AR © Kimberly Moore Davis
Junio es el Mes del Orgullo. Descubre cómo Erie (PA), Emporia (KS), Frederick (MD), Macon (GA) y Billings (MT) celebraron la comunidad LGBTQ+.
Erie, PA © Dave Tamulonis
Stockbridge Main Street ha realizado importantes avances en la exploración y difusión de la historia de Martin Luther King, padre del héroe de los derechos civiles Martin Luther King Jr.
Stockbridge, GA © Calle principal de Stockbridge
Juneteenth es el aniversario de la emancipación definitiva de los esclavos en Estados Unidos. He aquí cinco ejemplos de celebraciones comunitarias de Main Streets de toda la red.
Charles Town, WV © Elizabeth Ricketts
Descubra cómo Downtown Florence se ha asociado con la Universidad Francis Marion para ofrecer oportunidades tanto a los estudiantes como a las pequeñas empresas locales.
Florence, SC © True Light Photography
Learn about The Bottom, a historic African-American community in Thomasville, Georgia, and efforts to preserve it's history and share it's story.
Thomasville, GA © City of Thomasville
Learn how four Main Street communities celebrated Black History Month.
Oklahoma is home to the headquarters of nearly 40 federally recognized Native American tribes, and many of their offices, cultural sites, and museums are located close to or within Main Street districts.
El Reno, OK © El Reno Main Street
Kendall Whittier is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in an ever-diversifying Tulsa. Learn how they are making efforts to engage their large Hispanic community.
Tulsa, OK © Kendall Whittier Main Street
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis, TN © Four Way
Heart of Biddeford shares the strategies they developed to support Black-owned businesses in their community.
Biddeford, ME © Corazón de Biddeford
This May marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We explored the impact and legacy of this tragic event.
Tulsa, OK © Dr. Tiffany Crutcher
Main Street communities across the nation are celebrating Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in America and the nation’s newest federal holiday!
Learn about the various programs and initiatives that Fremont is using to promote inclusive economic development.
Fremont, CA © Fremont Economic Development
From small business owners to public artists to local leaders, join us this month to amplify the impact of the LGBTQ+ community in your Main Street district.
San Luis Obispo, CA © Downtown SLO
Brooksville Main Street’s Women Leading the Way Campaign celebrated the legacy of the trailblazing women who made history in their community.
Brooksville, FL © Brooksville Main Street
For Black History Month, we want to recognize and celebrate the Black business owners and entrepreneurs who have overcome challenges and obstacles in launching and running their own businesses, thanks to resilience, creativity, and hard work.
In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Many are located predominantly in African American communities.
Milwaukee, WI © Historic King Drive BID
Downtown SLO has kept the magic of their holiday lights installation alive by evolving their winter wonderland into a dual celebration of Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year.
San Luis Obispo, CA © Downtown SLO
Main Street programs around the Network have created engaging and COVID-safe ways to honor and celebrate the histories and lives of Black Americans in their commercial districts.
Meet some amazing women business owners!
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Supporting new and existing small businesses, and the entrepreneurs who run them, represents a vital aspect of the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood business districts.
The Equitable Economic Development Fellowship is a two-year, one million-dollar effort funded by the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to help equity, transparency, sustainability and community engagement become driving forces in local economic development efforts.
The Zuni Pueblo MainStreet is the nation's first (and so far, only) Native American Main Street community.
As part of the Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge, Downtown Brattleboro created a pop-up, mobile mini-museum.
History and architecture play an active role in educating and immersing the next generation of preservationists in Le Mars. From museum visits, scavenger hunts, to "show and tell," involving the youth and senior communities is a priority for this Main Street.
Across the county, communities are embracing the arts as a catalyst for revitalization—of buildings, businesses, and local culture.
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Main Street America is committed to helping build inclusive communities. Homelessness is an increasingly important issue facing Main Street communities big and small, urban and rural.
Para comprender el papel que desempeñan los empresarios inmigrantes en el ecosistema de la pequeña empresa de Boston, basta con pasear por cualquier distrito de Boston Main Streets.
Los recién llegados han hecho que Shaw sea más diversa.
Preservar poblaciones diversas, no sólo edificios.
