- <h2>Boosting Clinton Main Street with art, food</h2>
Boosting Clinton Main Street with art, food
Downtown development is currently a very hot topic.
Main Street programs across the state are busy with the business of downtown revitalization. Main Street Clinton is no different; our organization has been focusing our energy on Clinton's Olde Towne area and the Clinton Boulevard Business District, and the many ways to attract destination businesses to these areas.
Our board of directors has come up with a creative way to raise funds to continue our revitalization efforts. On Oct. 7, we are thrilled to be holding our first fundraiser featuring the talents of Mississippi native and celebrity chef Robert St. John and award- winning watercolor artist Wyatt Waters.
This fun-filled evening, which the pair has titled "Dueling Demos," will consist of Robert cooking some favorite Southern recipes, while Wyatt competes to finish an original painting. Guests will be treated to an entertaining evening and dine on a five-course dinner prepared by Robert. Proceeds will benefit the Main Street Clinton mission of revitalization.
Most Clintonians would agree that Olde Towne, Clinton's downtown, is a jewel in our crown. It is well on its way to becoming a destination for residents and visitors alike with its abundance of brick streets and charming atmosphere. We have many components of a great downtown which neighboring communities try to emulate: attractive streetscaping, places for visitors to gather and linger and unique, locally-owned businesses.
We have wonderful specialty retail shops and art galleries, a great locally owned coffee shop and a unique Mediterranean restaurant.
Part of Main Street Clinton's vision for the growth and revitalization of Olde Towne includes an expanded retail/restaurant core. Our 26,000 residents and Mississippi College students, who live just a few hundred yards from downtown, need more retail and restaurant choices. Opportunities could include a trendy fashion accessory shop that would appeal to multiple age groups, a gourmet pizza and pasta restaurant, an ice cream parlor and sandwich shop, and a bakery. We could also support specialty clothing shops. We are headed in the right direction; we just need a few more businesses to become all that we envision it to be.
We would like to continue to see Olde Towne as a venue for more entertainment options, special events and festivals. The downtown should be the heart of the community, the go-to place for activities. Our successful Olde Towne Markets are helping to establish this. Organizations like the Arts Council of Clinton are already using Olde Towne to show their Flicks on the Bricks outdoor movie series.
The Main Street Clinton program has become a vibrant and respected part of the Clinton community in the short three and a half years since its beginning. We have been fortunate to have committed board members, volunteers and financial partners who are patient and tenacious. They understand that a program of this size and complexity which is governed by volunteers takes a while to get off the ground. We have begun to see how the incremental successes of the Main Street program are working.
The hard work and passion of the Main Street Clinton volunteers has made the program an award-winner at the state level. Mississippi Main Street Association has selected Main Street Clinton to receive several awards for three consecutive years. Recognitions of success are terrific to receive, especially for an organization that relies so much on its volunteers to implement its mission.
The awards re-energize us to tackle existing and new challenges. As with all nonprofits, funding is always one challenge we face. "Dueling Demos" will certainly help Main Street Clinton with our funding challenges. If you are interested in attending the event, tickets are $100 each and will be limited to 150. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For information, call (601) 924.5472. Visit Main Street Clinton at http://www.mainstreetclintonms.com.
Tara Lytal is manager of Main Street Clinton. Contact her at (601) 924-5472 or
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Downtown Columbus
Main Street Columbus leads the state in the number of upper level apartments with approximately 146 apartments. |
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