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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Since their creation, StoryWalks® have been leveraged by Main Street programs to create walking trails in commercial districts. By posting pages from books in storefront windows, families are encouraged to explore their local small businesses while piecing together the storybook’s plot. This family-friendly downtown activity has been trending since it was initially developed in 2007, but the pandemic has caused a surge of StoryWalks in Main Streets around the nation.
This popularity is no surprise, as the original StoryWalk was created to transform people’s relationships with both public spaces and public health. The idea was remarkably simple: select a book, deconstruct it, laminate the pages, and post those pages along a walking trail. Anne Ferguson, Chronic Disease Specialist at the Vermont Department of Health, brought this idea to life in 2007 in collaboration with Montpelier’s Kellogg-Hubbard Public Library and the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition. Since then, the popularity of these initiatives has only soared.
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
The three key ingredients to a successful downtown StoryWalk are: a picture book, a walking trail, and a partnership. The first partnership of most successful Main Street StoryWalks is between a downtown development organization and their public library.
For example, the public library in Boone, North Carolina, and the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) had a longstanding tradition of working together before starting a StoryWalk program. In 2012, a youth services librarian suggested the idea of a StoryWalk as something fun to do downtown around the holidays. The DBDA would identify businesses that wanted to participate, and the library would post pages of the stories in the business windows. The first page would be posted at the library, who would also create and provide walking maps orienting pedestrians to the businesses to explore along their walk. Since then, the DBDA and the library have worked on StoryWalks to celebrate the summer and holidays downtown.
Even if your public library is not in your downtown district, there is plenty of potential for a fruitful partnership. Take for instance the partnership between the Orion Township Public Library and the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Lake Orion, Michigan. The public library has been an active member of the DDA for over five years, even though it is not in the downtown business district. For example, the library owns a Book Bike that they take to concerts and other DDA events to promote the library downtown. Library Director Karen Knox sees the library’s partnership with the DDA as an essential way to ensure the library has a presence in downtown.
During the pandemic, the DDA and the library started brainstorming what they could do together without gathering large groups of people downtown. They hit upon the idea of a StoryWalk, and during the month of October, the library brought the children’s story Owl Babies by Martin Waddell to the windows of various downtown businesses.
While a typical downtown StoryWalk features books that have been purchased or donated, other Main Street organizations have worked with their libraries to display stories that highlight local culture.
In Texas, Downtown Wichita Falls teamed up with the public library for a downtown Storybook Stroll in September. This partnership chose to feature a book highlighting the local community, in this case "Finding Fallstown": a children’s book celebrating downtown Wichita Falls. This children’s book was written by the director of the public library, Jana Hausburg, in 2019, and published through a collaboration with the Wichita Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Downtown Wichita Falls wrote in a press release: “The event was created to bring awareness and activity to the downtown district and to provide a free and family friendly activity to those in the community. This is a fun way to get out of the house and explore our own community and at the same time providing an activity that is easy to maintain social distancing and encourage sales at downtown merchants.”
To give a flavor of how this program looks in other communities, here a few other examples of Main Street organizations teaming up with public libraries to develop Storywalks.
Altavista, VA. This past summer, the Main Street Coordinator of Altavista On Track (VA), Kirsten Aherron, worked with the Campbell County Public Library system to find local businesses interested in participating in a book hunt program, in which businesses in both Altavista and neighboring town Brookneal would partner with their respective library branches to place pictures of books in their windows. “The idea is just to give kids and families something to do and get people to walk around town,” Aherron told a local reporter. Learn more.
Crystal Lake, Ill. In Crystal Lake, Illinois, Downtown Crystal Lake teamed up with the local library for a similar program. The Main Street scattered pages from the children’s book “Aliens Love Underpants” around the downtown district. The final business on the StoryWalk was Marvin’s Toy Store, where completed StoryWalkers could scan a QR code to be entered for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to the toy store and their very own small plush alien. Learn more.
Bradford, PA. In Pennsylvania, the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce teamed up with the Bradford Area Public Library over the summer to feature the book “My Grandmas Garden.” This children’s book was written by a local author Pat Drummond (Colley) and illustrated by her daughter Denise Drummond. The Bradford StoryWalk was set up as a scavenger hunt. “Begin your journey by finding each picture of the book at downtown local businesses,” challenged the Main Street program. “As you find each picture in your packet, you are required to write down where you found the pictures and continue your walk until you find each page of the book.” Families that completed the challenge were entered into a raffle for a $20 Chamber Gift Certificate. Learn more.
Emporia, KS. In Emporia, Kansas, the library and Emporia Main Street teamed up during October for a fall festival downtown StoryWalk, featuring pages from “We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt” by Mary Hogan Wilcox. “All are encouraged to enjoy acting out the action words in the story as they read and walk downtown,” according to the press release. Learn more.
The exact number of downtown StoryWalk partnerships remains unknown. A conservative estimate would put the number around 100, but the true measure is most likely much higher. Each initiative is a unique reflection of the community of the Main Street district and the partnerships created to bring children’s books to life downtown.
The StoryWalk is a flexible program that can and should be tailored to the unique needs of your community. Within the simple idea of combining reading and public space, a myriad of opportunities are available. You may wish to feature local authors, celebrate local holidays, or think of other ways to feature local culture. The easiest way to start it is to pick up the phone and call your librarian.
When you reach out to your local library to kick off this partnership, be open to brainstorming about what can be done in your community. This is not a program-in-a-box, but rather a flexible framework for forming and sustaining enduring partnerships between Main Street organizations and America’s nearly 10,000 public libraries.
Teaming up with your local library to bring stories to downtown businesses is a great way to build community, foster partnerships, and bring your members together to work collectively towards a common goal. Try it out in your community!
Music has a unifying power to bring people of all generations, backgrounds, and cultures together for creative expression. Let’s explore how accessible, family-friendly music experiences can strengthen Main Streets across America to build stronger communities, one concert at a time!
Main Street America is pleased to announce the launch of a $1.8 million sub-grant program as part of our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
Beloit, Kansas © Shane Hampton
Construction projects can put a lot of stress on your downtown. From preparation to completion, Brooke Prouty at Iowa Economic Development Authority shares best practices to help your Main Street thrive during construction.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
At the heart of thriving Main Streets are vibrant public spaces that unite people of all ages and backgrounds and enrich community life. And what better way to activate public spaces than through the power of free, live music?
Middlesboro, Kentucky © Levitt Foundation
Learn how Main Streets can tap into federal resources to improve transportation infrastructure, take down barriers, and improve access to key services.
Main Street America is proud to announce the release of a new resource to help Main Streets and commercial district organizations better prepare for and respond to more frequent and severe disasters.
Marion, IA © Uptown Marion
This Boston Main Street installed an innovative street mural to highlight crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety.
These seven Main Streets have implemented innovative, exciting, and fun programs to help welcome dogs to their downtowns.
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.
The RAISE program funds surface transportation projects with local and regional impact by enhancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and economic growth.
Streetscape improvements can make a big difference for Main Streets. © Grant Harper
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.
Apply for federal funding to remove, retrofit, or mitigate transportation infrastructure that creates barriers to community connectivity.
Art is a powerful tool for community change. Learn how the arts can improve community engagement, boost economic development, and connect with the Main Street Approach.
Streets play an important role in our downtown districts. Learn more about Main Street America's recent work with the Department of Transportation to promote vibrant and sustainable downtown roadways.
Learn how the Safe Streets and Roads for All program is providing grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
Streetscape in Denison, Texas. © Mel Climer — Climer Design
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.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
Miami, FL © Matt Alaniz
Learn how Bainbridge Island Downtown Association leverages their connection to the ferry to create a walkable and vibrant downtown.
Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
An innovative artistic project brings new life to the alleyways in Billings, Montana.
Billings, MT © Downtown Billings Alliance
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
Lansing, Michigan © Lansing 5:01
Learn how you can participate in the Thriving Communities program as a capacity builder or how you can receive support from the program.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Waterloo, Iowa, shares advice and lessons learned from their e-scooter program.
Learn how you can harness design principles and strategies to create a cooler, more welcoming downtown.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
Leeds, AL © Jeremy Dove
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
Coon Rapids, IA © Main Street Coon Rapids
Pollinator gardens are fantastic ways to increase green space, promote sustainability, and educate your community on the local environment.
Crofton, MD © Kerry Kelly
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
Learn how these outdoor microspaces can contribute to more vibrancy in our public spaces.
Chairman Emeritus Ed McMahon explores the power of place in creating spaces people love.
Boise, ID © christiannafzger
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Intentional placemaking has had many unexpected benefits for this Alabama town.
Wetumpka, AL © Jenny Sue Stubbs
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
Mount Airy Downtown, Inc., celebrated the return of their Market Street Arts and Entertainment District (MSA & ED) last weekend, as part of their pandemic recovery efforts.
Mount Airy, NC © Robbie Curlee
A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
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
Dubbed the Blues Alley, the Ripley Main Street program plans to install murals of local pioneering Black blues artists, cutout guitars painted by local art students, and blues lyrics painted on the walls.
Ripley, MS © Ripley Main Street
Wayfinding guides people to places they seek but it also brings awareness to places they may have otherwise missed.
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.
Main Street America partnered with OneMain Financial to create Made on Main Street.
Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions.
Over 300 attendees enjoyed a family-friendly block party that celebrated the community and showcased Prosser's upcoming streetscape improvement project.
Cambridge was the first Main Street community in Maryland to install public chargers.
The Downtown Newton Development Association (North Carolina) partnered with the City of Newton on a temporary tactical urbanism project to demonstrate how their permanent streetscape improvements will benefit downtown.
Over 500 people braved the misty rain this past weekend to come and celebrate Painesville and its Made on Main Street community transformation project.
Wilson Artsy Alleys is an initiative of the Wilson Downtown Development Corporation which takes the arts to new locations in forgotten places.
In October 2017, Main Street Ottumwa collaborated with local partners, Main Street Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Better Block Foundation to stop planning, talking, and wishing, and start doing.
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds,
A collaborative effort launched between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, looked to blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation, and activating overlooked spaces.
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.
Beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower fountain through Main Street Paris's new Love Lock Fence.
Kasey Drummond, Glenrock Main Street Director, explains how they brought the acclaimed graffiti artist ARCY to their Main Street and explores the work he produced in three additional Wyoming communities on his summer tour.
Karen Dye, Newkirk Main Street's program manager, was inspired to “make downtown more fun and festive” with painted water meter covers after learning about the practice at a recent Main Street Now conference.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In this article we’ll explore the process of planning, funding, installing, operating, and enjoying music on your Main Street.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
How one Wyoming Main Street implemented a free bike share program.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
Street pole banners preserve the historic character of main streets while fostering community awareness and engagement.
With strong community support, the Library Foundation was able to raise over $1.2 million dollars in private donations.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
A key goal of the Atlanta Streetcar is to attract investment to and revitalize the neighborhoods along the streetcar alignment.
