Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

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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.

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Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

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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.

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Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

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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!

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The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

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Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

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.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

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.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

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!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

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Main Takeaways

  • Parks are an important feature of many Main Street communities, and projects or collaborations featuring parks can help further your mission. 
  • Parks and recreation projects can be more than summer concert series and events.
  • Creative partnerships with local parks and other organizations can help with vacancies, fundraising, public engagement, and more.
  • Increasing access to unique green spaces can turn your Main Street into a destination.
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July is National Parks and Recreation Month. Parks and other green spaces play an important role in Main Street districts. They provide gathering and resting spaces, improve recreational opportunities, increase sustainability, and add to a sense of place. To celebrate #ParksMonthOnMain, we have been featuring videos of innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities on our social media channels. Check out the videos here and learn more about each project.

Foundation Plaza: Ashland Main Street

In 2021, Ashland Main Street in Ashland, Ohio, opened Foundation Plaza, a park and performance venue in the heart of the downtown district. Since then, they have used the Plaza as the home of their ‘Music on Main’ summer concert series. The Plaza was created in collaboration with the Ashland County Community Foundation, which gave the Plaza its name. This project transformed an underutilized downtown lot into a vibrant community space. The project has also activated collaborations with other local organizations, bringing continued momentum for community change.

Gaston Edwards Park: Ivanhoe Village

Gaston Edwards Park, located in Ivanhoe Village in Orlando, Florida, hosts the annual Jingle Eve event, the annual kick-off to the Orlando holiday season. Ivanhoe Village has run the event for more than 20 years, and it has grown to include music, arts and crafts, food vendors, a holiday village, and promotions from local businesses. To help pay for Jingle Eve, Ivanhoe Village partners with the local parks department and Keep Orlando Beautiful to host annual district-wide clean-up events. “Our Parks Department allows us to log volunteer hours from our clean-up to go towards the cost of renting the park for Jingle Eve,” said Allex Englett, Executive Director at Ivanhoe Village. “In recent years, these clean ups have helped us cut the cost to rent Gaston Edwards in half.”

Skowhegan River Park: Main Street Skowhegan

Main Street Skowhegan in Skowhegan, Maine, is lucky to be home to a section of the Kennebec River, and their new river park will help them take full advantage of this unique asset. The project has three parts. First, they are increasing river access by adding a set of stairs and an ADA ramp down to the water. Second, they are enhancing the whitewater in the river to turn it into a destination for kayaking, surfing, river boarding, stand-up paddleboarding, and tubing. Finally, they are adding a two-mile pedestrian and bike path. These improvements will strengthen the downtown’s connection to the river and turn Skowhegan into a regional recreation destination.

Tips for Planning Your Next Great Parks Project

Looking to get started on a parks and recreation project or collaboration in your district? Check out these quick tips to get inspired.

Familiarize yourself with the assets in your community. Do you already have a solid park with strong programming? Do you have unique natural features that may draw people in? Is there a vacant lot nearby in need of creative redevelopment? Keep an eye on the green spaces (or potential green spaces) in your district and stay open to opportunities.

Start small. If you don’t already have a strong parks and recreation component in your district, now is a great time to start planting those seeds. Try setting up a temporary parklet and see how people interact with it. Add planters or a community garden. Foster connections with nearby green spaces that are outside your district.

Identify key partners. Is your local parks and recreation department familiar with your Main Street organization? Are there local environmental organizations, greenways, or volunteer groups that manage green spaces in your community? Many successful parks projects rely on strong partnerships. Start building those relationships now, even if you don’t have a project in mind yet.

Be creative. Parks and recreation projects can be more than summer concert series and events. Think outside the box and imagine larger ways that your mission connects with the green spaces around you. Can you use a park to improve walkability? Add a sense of place? Mitigate climate effects? Provide opportunities for entrepreneurship and small business support? Turn your downtown into a regional destination? The possibilities are endless!

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Hestia Creations, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter's Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the products and services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >