Five Ideas for Successful Winter Events | Main Street America
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A crowd of people on a downtown street in winter

Winter events are a great way to get people downtown in colder months. © Discover Haverford

Winter can be difficult for many Main Streets, especially those in chillier and wetter climates. It can be challenging to entice people to brave the snow, rain, and darkness to head downtown. But winter holidays, seasonal weather, and unique attractions also make this season a great opportunity to bring people downtown. Winter events can help engage your community, increase downtown foot traffic, and remind people that wintertime is fun, too. Here are five examples of awesome winter events on Main Streets.

Owatonna Main Street (Owatonna, Minnesota)

Owatonna Main Street leans into the cold with its Beverages, Bites, and Brrr-ingo event. It focuses on the bars, breweries, and restaurants that make its downtown special. Local businesses donate prizes worth at least $30, which are advertised on social media to entice people to attend the event.

Participants receive brr-ingo cards containing the names of participating businesses and Main Street trivia that can only be answered by exploring downtown Owatonna. To complete their brr-ingo card, people must visit the businesses to discover the trivia answers. Completed cards are entered into a drawing for the prizes. The event is a great way to invite people to explore downtown, check out local businesses, and learn more about their community. 

A laundry basket full of folded paper bingo cards

Owatonna collects brr-ingo cards during the winter season. © Owatonna Main Street

Downtown Lynchburg Association (Lynchburg, Virginia)

Last year, downtown Lynchburg welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors to kick off eight weeks of holiday lights and winter festivities. Event attendees enjoyed local vendors, musical acts, food trucks, and more before heading to the Bluffwalk to experience the displays. Of the 5,000 event attendees, 32% traveled from outside of Lynchburg to visit downtown for the event. 

The attraction continued to draw visitors after the kick-off, welcoming 8,000 visitors during the eight-week installation. This resulted in an incredible 233% increase in foot traffic compared to the previous year and a 42% increase in local business sales. According to Plac​er​.ai data, approximately 15% of visitors who came downtown at that time lived outside of Lynchburg. 

Colorful lights wrapped around trees in a downtown park

Beautiful displays of lights transform Lynchburg’s Bluffwalk. © Downtown Lynchburg Association

Downers Grove Downtown Management Corp (Downers Grove, Illinois)

Downers Grove hosts an annual Ice Festival in early February to entice people to brave the cold. The festival is centered around ice sculptures highlighting the beauty of the harsh midwestern winter. Daily live carving demonstrations bring the drama and artistry of ice sculpture to life, while the rest of the downtown is decorated with pre-carved sculptures sponsored by local businesses. 

While exploring the icy wonderland, visitors also enjoy downtown shopping and dining. Last year, the event boasted almost 60 ice sculptures. Based on Plac​er​.ai data, the Ice Festival weekend drew 36,200 visitors to the downtown. 

A woman with a chainsaw carves a block of ice into a sculpture

An artist crafts an icy masterpiece during Ice Fest. © Downers Grove Downtown Management Corp 

Downtown Rock Springs (Rock Springs, Wyoming)

January and February are typically the slowest, darkest, and coldest months in Wyoming, so it was the perfect time for Downtown Rocks Springs to launch their annual Snowman Stroll. They partnered with a company to create life-sized fiberglass snowmen and invited local artists to paint them. Downtown Rock Springs started with six snowmen and added six more each year, bringing the total to 18.

The snowmen are placed throughout downtown, and the organization hosted a scavenger hunt and other fun activities to encourage people to get out and enjoy the installation. Small business owners join the festivities with themed window displays, special offers, and more. Last year, Downtown Rock Springs added ​“S’mores Saturdays” to the event, featuring fire pits and s’mores in a downtown plaza, which was a big hit. 

Two young girls pose next to a fiberglass snowman painted with unique art

These unique snowmen highlight the talents of local artists. © Downtown Rock Springs

Discover Haverford (Havertown, Pennsylvania)

In early December, Havertown closes the downtown streets for their annual Havertown Holiday Festival. The event is jam-packed with wintertime activites, including live music, costumed characters, food trucks, caroling, ice carving, and a local-vendor marketplace. It includes the many holidays happening in December, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, as well as general winter season fun.

“Havertown is known for its close-knit community and small-town feel,” said Executive Director Jeanne Angell to the Delco Times. The event attracts visitors from around the Philadelphia metropolitan area, and entrance fees help support Discover Haverford’s year-round economic development efforts and community programs. 

Four men on a stage performing carols

Carolers perform during the Havertown Holiday Festival. © Discover Haverford

Wintertime does not have to mean the end of downtown fun. From ice carving to holiday festivals, winter events are great ways to help support small business owners and provide your community with year-round opportunities for placemaking and connection ❄⛄

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