Announcing the Science Discovery on Main Street Grant Recipients
Main Street America is thrilled to announce the 12 Science Discovery on Main Street grant program recipients.
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania © Sean Pavone/iStock
If you want to get inspired by powerful thought leaders — and feel the energy that only happens when Main Streeters gather to explore big ideas — then you must attend the 2025 Main Street Now Conference! Taking place April 7 – 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our featured speakers lineup includes local leaders and industry experts sharing first-hand insights about how to create a sustainable movement where everyone can fully participate and thrive.
Main Idea Tuesday — Why Trust Matters on Main Street
If you want to see the true health of a Main Street, you have to look beyond the economic, cultural, and built environment. You have to look at the people. We’ll explore how to foster healthy downtowns and commercial corridors by weaving trust and connection in our communities, even when it feels like America’s social fabric is at risk of unraveling. Join us for this interactive, connection-focused Main Idea session with:
Dawn Arrington, Founder at Comics at the Corner, a literacy organization that uses comic books to promote reading in traditionally underinvested communities, like the ones where she grew up and now lives.
Asiaha Butler, Co-Founder & CEO at Resident Association of Greater Englewood, an organization dedicated to mobilizing people and resources to uplift, restore and heal the community.
Frederick Riley, Executive Director at Weave: The Social Fabric Project at The Aspen Institute, which connects and supports the people building trust within their communities and weaving a strong, inclusive social fabric.
Jackie Wolven, Executive Director at Main Street Eureka Springs, who has worked to foster stronger connections and relationships within rural communities for over 17 years.
Main Idea Wednesday — How to Dream, Play, and Build with James Rojas and John Kamp
Discover how creativity, storytelling, and connection can transform community engagement with James Rojas and John Kamp, co-authors of “Dream Play Build: Hands-on community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places.” In this interactive session, James and John will share their transformative process and stories of their work with Main Street communities, showcasing how playful, tactile approaches inspire meaningful connections and unlock shared visions, followed by a robust Q&A hosted by Erin Barnes.
James Rojas, Founder at Place It!. James is an urban planner, community activist, educator, and artist whose planning, model-building, and community-outreach practice uses play to help improve the urban-planning outreach process.
John Kamp, Urban Designer at Prairieform. John is an urban and landscape designer, licensed landscape contractor, and facilitator who has developed innovative tools to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in urban and landscape design, transportation, walkability, climate change, and water conservation.
Erin Barnes, President and CEO at Main Street America. Erin is a leader at the intersection of civic technology, community organizing, place, and inclusion.
Registration Rates & Dates
Regular (by March 31*): $565 Member | $755 Non-Member
On-Site (April 6 – 9): $775 Member and Non-Member
One Day: $399 Online | $425 On-site
Civic Leader: $200 Online | $225 On-site
Student: $200 Online | $225 On-site
*Deadlines are subject to change.
Important Updates
🌟 Primo Experiences — Tickets to mobile workshops and the Big Bash are available. Quantities are limited and selling out fast! Don’t miss out on these unforgettable experiences: Include them in your registration >
💡 Exceptional Sessions — From revamped favorites and new sessions to curated learning tracks and networking meetups, this year’s schedule is packed. We’ve designed it to equip you with tangible takeaways, inspiration, and peer connections to take your organization’s Main Street efforts to the next level. Explore the schedule >
🏨 Hotel Reservations — Specially priced room blocks are available at three hotels and they’re filling up quickly. For the easiest access to conference activities, make your reservation now. Book your stay >
In Case You Missed It
Who Was Marian Anderson and Why Is FDR Park So Special? Two can’t‑miss events are taking place at incredible offsite venues: Monday’s Opening Plenary will be held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ Marian Anderson Hall and Wednesday night’s farewell Big Bash will be at FDR Park. Uncover Their Histories >
Have questions? We have answers!
Check out our FAQs library and conference policies for helpful tips and important information. For additional support, email info@mainstreet.org. Due to the high volume of requests, please allow up to 72 hours to receive a response.
Conference Co-Hosts
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Chicago, IL © Main Street America
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Washington, IA © Kathy La Plante
2020 Year in Review: A Letter to the Network
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Florence, SC © True Light Photography
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Meet Sharon Jablonski, the Director of Morganton Main Street in Morganton, North Carolina, and the first recipient of the Mary Means Leadership Award.
Announcing the 2020 Great American Main Street Award Winners
Congratulations to these Main Street programs for their fantastic work!
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Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) had the opportunity to take Missouri Executive Directors and other community representatives on the Iowa Community Expedition
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2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Winning Sites
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2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
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.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
Announcing the 2017 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
