Science on Main: Holiday Science with Main Street Malvern
Learn how Malvern brought the community together, and taught them something new, with their Holiday Wonders: In Science event.
Join us for three days of learning, connecting, and celebrating at Main Street Now 2025 in Philadelphia, from April 7 – 9.
Secure Your Spot!This month, we are exploring how different Main Street communities have incorporated science into their events and promotions. For some, the word “science” can intimidate, evoking memories of heavy textbooks and high school chem labs. The truth is, though, science is everywhere – even on our Main Streets. And inviting residents and visitors to experience science doesn’t have to mean breaking out the test tubes, either – instead, we can help foster meaningful and memorable experiences within our communities as they reimagine and expand their relationship with science outside of the traditional classroom setting.
Today's story features Hendersonville, North Carolina – where, through the passion of residents and strong ties to local organization, they launched their first annual Earth Day Festival to celebrate their local environment and educate residents about ways to get involved with regional environmental sustainability efforts.
Hendersonville, North Carolina is in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the most beautiful hiking trails, waterfalls, greenways, and farmlands. The environment is what makes our community whole. In celebration of Earth Day, people in the community and members of the Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board demonstrated a desire for a worthy Earth Day celebration. In the past, Earth Day had been observed primarily with park trash pick-ups. This year could be different.
Our lovely, old timey downtown Main Street is the site of numerous family friendly festivals and events. It is the hub of our town and festivals held here bring everyone from our community together. Therefore, we wanted a festival to occur here in commemoration of Earth Day for our residents and visitors to enjoy and participate in. In 2023, we launched the annual Hendersonville Earth Day Festival – and through research, collaboration, and hard work, our first year was a resounding success. Though there were some hiccups along the road, we welcomed over 2,500 visitors and received a wealth of positive feedback from attendees.
We hope you can learn from our triumphs and challenges as you work towards building more science-related events and activities into your Main Street program.
The Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) is an advisory board to the City Council that provides guidance on the best policies and practices that will achieve environmental sustainability. Board members and the team who planned the first Hendo Earth Fest represented notable area environmental organizations (Conserving Carolina, Mountain True, Caregivers of Mother Earth, and the Earth Caring Ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church) and engaged and motivated community members. The proprietor of the Aquarium and Shark Lab by by Team ECCO in downtown Hendersonville and a representative of the Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club were instrumental in orchestrating the event. The committee came together to design their mission of joining with others from around the globe to celebrate Earth Day more actively (in its 53rd year). Our purpose was to promote education for all ages on environmental and sustainability practices, inspire action, and renew and expand commitments to protect our planet.
It took extensive collaboration to design and implement a successful event. From community members coming together to gather exhibits and entertainment to coordinating with Public Safety, Public Works, Administration, and the Planning and Downtown departments within the city government. A local marketing company, Summit Marketing, worked with us to produce our banners, yard signs, posters, postcards, and a billboard. Volunteers were gracious to devote time, energy, and resources that made the first Hendo Earth Fest possible.
Hendersonville residents were eager to participate in the festival. Twenty-eight exhibitors lined the streets with interactive and educational activities. The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited set up an aquarium with live native brook trout and demonstrated fly tying. The Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District brought their mobile walk-in interactive education trailer. Bartlett Tree Experts gave away sycamore and oak saplings, the NC Institute for Climate Studies explained various climate trends, the Henderson County Beekeepers exhibited a hive behind glass with the queen identified, and Mountain True gave an E. coli testing demonstration, environmental programs, and a card game. These exhibits were a huge draw, and it was extremely enjoyable to witness the community coming together to celebrate Earth Day 2023.
After months of hard work, it rained with thunder and lightning all night long on event-day – every festival planner’s nightmare - and the morning loomed dark and dreary. Would all our planning come to naught? Miraculously, at 7 a.m. the rain stopped and preparations for the day could begin on Main Street without everyone getting drenched! Although the rain had stopped it was still chilly, cloudy, and blustery. Would anyone show up? By 9:30 a.m., all exhibitors except two had arrived and set up. We were ready! The sun peeped out and folks started to arrive. The entertainment, interactive demos and informative activities attracted around 2,500 visitors!
The Hendo Earth Fest is the epitome of Hendersonville values. A celebration cultivated by its residents with the goal of educating and inspiring others held in the heart of our downtown where families and friends gathered, and kids played. Local organizations provided insightful information and engaging exhibits. The event was the first of many and was a significant accomplishment.
Learn how Malvern brought the community together, and taught them something new, with their Holiday Wonders: In Science event.
Winter can be a challenging season for many Main Streets. Here are five ideas for events that will encourage people to brave the cold and come downtown.
Three examples of creative science programming from grant recipients of the In the Path of Totality program.
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The application opens in early October and will remain open until mid-November, or until all the spaces are filled.
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Middlesboro, Kentucky © Levitt Foundation
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Heart of Biddeford in Biddeford, Maine, explains the process they used to create robust new communications procedures.
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.
From Maine to Texas and beyond, people gathered to bask in the the totality or peer through funky glasses at the Great American Solar Eclipse!
Erie, Pennsylvania © Dave Tamulonis
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This Washington Main Street is encouraging people to brave the rainy weather with their free umbrella share program.
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Bainbridge Island, WA © Anna Carson
Small Business Saturday is an important opportunity to show your support for local businesses. We asked business owners across the network what your support means to them.
Laramie, WY © Laramie Main Street Alliance
Celebrate this traditional Mexican holiday with Gardnerville, Nevada.
Gardnerville, NV © Main Street Gardnerville
This holiday season, rally your communities around the small businesses that help make your downtown thrive.
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Learn how this community in Oklahoma celebrated Dia de la Independencia with a big festival.
Tulsa, OK © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Get ready to support your small business owners and encourage people to shop small this November!
Learn how the South Carolina Coordinator Program is uplifting small businesses across the state with their dedicated e-commerce platform.
© Main Street South Carolina
Learn how Majd Alsaif, Celeste Constancio, and Leilani Commons supported Main Street America this summer.
Check out this vibrant event celebrating small businesses and community joy in Massachusetts.
© Devon Moos Photography
Celebrate summer in Louisiana—Cajun style!
© Abbigail LaCombe
Learn how this Georgia town is recruiting their furry friends to help spread the word about Main Street.
© NewTown Macon
Learn how this Massachusetts community uses their farmer's market to increase access to fresh food.
This unique event brought new life to an old space while celebrating everything 90s.
© Downtown Little Rock Partnership
Are you in the path of totality? Check out these tips from Carbondale's experience in 2017.
Main Streets across the network are bringing science downtown. Check out these examples from Hendersonville, NC, Los Alamos, NM, and Sweetwater, TN.
© City of Hendersonville
Learn how Main Street leaders and residents in Los Alamos, New Mexico have used the town's fascinating history to create a hugely successful week-long ScienceFest, going 16 years strong and counting.
Jessica Morgan and Hayley Isbill from the City of Sweetwater (Sweetwater, Tenn.) explain how they prepared their community for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse and give useful tips and tricks for those who are preparing for the next eclipse coming in April 2024.
Spring is a great time to do some spring cleaning and maintenance for your digital storefront: your website.
Meet Kavi, the first Indian American Girl of the Year doll and a (fictional) resident of 2023 Great American Main Street Award winner Metuchen, New Jersey!
Metuchen, NJ © Lauren Beischer Photography
Check out these marketing tips from Allied Member Tourism Currents.
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Kendallville, IN © Historic Downtown Kendallville
Orlando, FL © Milk District
Rhe City of Conway, SC rebranded for the month of October as the City of Halloween. Check out this photo essay showing their month of spooky fun.
Conway, SC © Adam Emrick
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Oceanside, CA © Road West Photography
Staunton, VA is full of fascinating people, so when Greg Beam took over Staunton Downtown Development Association SDDA in 2019, he wanted to find a way to showcase them.
Staunton, VA © Greg Beam
Emporia Main Street celebrated the return of their college students with their annual Welcome Back Student Block Party.
Emporia, KS © LatinFit
Learn about Friendly City Fortune, Downtown Harrisonburg Renaissance's largest annual fundraiser. It provides flexible revenue for a variety of projects including art installations, façade enhancements, and small business support services.
Harrisonburg, VA © Downtown Harrisonburg Renaissance
As a social impact funder, the Levitt Foundation partners with changemakers nationwide to create those destinations, leveraging the power of free, live music to amplify local pride, inject joy into underused public spaces, and foster more equitable, healthy and thriving communities.
A roundup of exciting, innovative, and romantic initiatives created by Main Street programs to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Siloam Springs, AR © Main Street Siloam Springs
Learn how this exciting winter event leveraged a rail trail to bring communities together.
York, PA © Downtown Inc
Is your Main Street ready for the biggest small business shopping day of the year?
We challenged our Main Streets to tell us their downtown’s strange sightings, haunted buildings, or other paranormal activities for a chance to be named a 2021 Great American Haunted Main Street.
Main Street America hosted our first-ever Instagram Stories Takeover, giving six Main Street organizations from around the Network direct access to our Instagram account.
Emporia, KS © Emporia Main Street
Interested in creating a StoryWalk in your downtown commercial district? Read on to learn more about installing a successful story walking trail.
Love Letters for Local is a new initiative that encourages community members to write letters of appreciation and support to small businesses as they persevere into the new year
Frederick, Maryland © Downtown Frederick Partnership
Read on to learn about a few of our favorite COVID-friendly holiday initiatives we’ve seen across the network.
Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids brought some retro movie magic to their downtown with their pop-up drive-in movie theater.
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.
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
The Main Street America Institute (MSAI) partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to offer Historic Real Estate Finance, part one of a two-course certificate program, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Creating a historic or art walking tour is much more than simply a collection of pictures and descriptions.
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Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
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.
The Maine Downtown Center launched an interactive web portal aimed at attracting visitors through one-stop shopping and compelling content.
Promotion positions the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.
The Ocean Springs Chamber Main Street gave their logo and branding a fresh look incorporating their 2013 Great American Main Street Award victory.
Too often, as we’re strolling our favorite Main Street, we pass empty or dark shop windows that make us want to hurry home a little bit faster. Imagine instead, a charming streetscape adorned with vibrant, lively window displays, showcasing retailers’ favorite products and seasonal gift ideas.
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Oklahoma's Main Street Guymon Director Melyn Johnson found more than just an innovative way to engage nearby college students in Main Street activities.
Main Street Hanford hosted a special Lemoore Naval Air Station Appreciation Night at their weekly Thursday Night Market Place.
Carbondale Main Street, established 1989, is located at a “sweet spot” for watching the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21—it’s just a few miles north of the point of greatest duration within the path of totality
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.
The Easton Main Street Initiative, established just a decade ago and serving the riverside city of Easton, Pennsylvania, decided it was time to give ourselves a pat on the back.
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.