Register now to attend the Crawfordsville Main Street Exchange

On Friday, Oct. 11, Crawfordsville Main Street is hosting the next Main Street Community Exchange! Come learn more about how the City completed its 2015 Stellar designation projects and how each project successfully addressed aspects of the National Main Street's Four Point Approach. Other speakers for the day include:

• Zachary Benedict of MKM Architecture & Design will be the keynote speaker. He is a leading figure in the "Lifetime Community Movement" and was the kick-off presenter at the 2019 Great Lakes Main Street Conference.
• Indiana Landmarks' Emily Eckardt will deliver convincing numbers on the locally-powered economic benefits of historic preservation.
• Meet new Indiana Main Street Coordinator, Jackie Swihart, as she shares updates from OCRA.
• Learn from the Crawfordsville Main Street as they share notes on their "Greening For Success" journey.

Lunch will be served courtesy of The Juniper Spoon, which features locally-sourced farm products available the downtown. The cost is $30 to attend and the fee includes lunch and snacks.

Continue to send us your DDW & October events!

Downtown Development Week is almost here! And as a part of our celebration, we want to celebrate alongside you and help promote all of your planned events.  Whether these activities are planned specifically for DDW or not, we want it to be a special time for all Hoosiers to visit their downtowns and commercial cores.

• Click this link and complete the form for each planned event.

An interactive map is available on our DDW website and we will continue to update as more events are submitted. Thank you to all who have sent us your events and we cannot wait to see the success of these fun activities!

Save the date for the "Main Street Now" Conference in Dallas

Planning to attend the Main Street Now conference? The largest national conference of local leaders working to advance economic opportunity in downtowns and commercial districts takes place May 18 to 20, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. Network with peers from across the country, find solutions to common problems, and discover innovative techniques and tools to help your community continue to thrive. Get inspired by Dallas and surrounding Main Street communities as you learn from their revitalization successes and challenges. Registration opens December 4. Click here to learn more.

Thank you to all who presented, participated and attended this year's IMPA/OCRA Conference!

Important Dates

Friday, October 4 − CDBG Round 2 proposals are due.

October 7 to October 11 − Downtown Development Week.

Friday, October 11 − Main Street Exchange - Crawfordsville.

View our full calendar.

Continue to vote for the Best of Indiana

Each year, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development holds voting for the Best of Indiana.

This year, voters will choose Indiana’s best brewery, hiking trail, and Main Street. Voting runs through Nov. 3. There are 50 breweries, 33 trails and 36 Main Streets up for the prestigious honor.

Head to visitindiana.com/vote to cast your ballot for your favorites. Vote as many times as you like!

Apply for a Destination Development Grant

Applications are being accepted for Indiana Tourism’s Destination Development Grant Program. Grant requests between $50,000 and $250,000 will be considered through this competitive application process. Entities that have previously received a Destination Development Grant may not apply for additional funds for a two-year period from the date of their last award.

The deadline for applications is December 6, 2019 by 4 p.m. ET. Finalists will be announced on February 7, 2020.

Destination Development Grant program timeline, guidelines and application can be found here.

We Are Main Street campaign officially launched

Main Street America officially launched a year-long 40th anniversary celebration of the people who make your Main Streets thrive. Visit this website for simple steps on how to get started. Download the official campaign Toolkit, purchase merchandise and access social media shareables. Join the conversation and share the stories of Main Street heroes in your community with the #WeAreMainStreet hashtag on social media.

During October, MSA is looking to spotlight your community leaders! From Main Street staff and board members to city leaders and community partners, take this month to celebrate the professionals who are committed to the success of your Main Street. Please email apup@savingplaces.org with your interest.

Be a part of a national network of Main Streets. Visit mainstreet.org or call 312-619-5611 to join Main Street America.