We’re proud to be working to enhance downtown Apalachicola. Here are some of our programs and projects that we’re focusing on:
- Apalachicola Main Street brought fireworks back to the July 3 Independence Celebration, which draws thousands of people downtown to Riverfront Park. 2016 will be our fifth year of organizing the fireworks show over the river, and will be the best yet! Click here to learn more.
- A new signature event, the Autos & Oysters Car Show, debuted in fall of 2015 and will be an annual event that draws visitors in the off-season. We actively partner with businesses to offer package deals to encourage our visitors to stay the weekend, dine, and shop. This year, the show will be on Saturday, October 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a Sock Hop on the docks at 7 p.m. Click here to learn more.
- A grant from Visit Florida is funding the production of a brochure to promote Apalachicola’s meeting venues, to draw large groups year-round. This is a project of the Promotion Committee. Last year a similar grant funded a series of rack cards that promoted local events throughout the year and provided downtown businesses listings.
- Three city lots next to the Chamber of Commerce building on Commerce Street were donated to the City for a park, with the caveat that the space be designed by Apalachicola Main Street. The Design Committee will begin work on this project this year, with input from the public.
- Our Design Committee is working to launch an historic plaque program will make interpretive plaques available to downtown building owners that highlight our history, culture, and architecture. This will augment Apalachicola’s appeal as a destination for heritage tourism.
- Our quarterly downtown cleanups bring volunteers together to make downtown cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing to locals and tourists. We also clean up the Battery Park Playground in response to concerns from parents.
- We are planning to co-host a series of forums for business owners, in partnership with the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin County Tourist Development Council. The goal will be to discuss challenges that business owners face and to identify collaborative solution. Details to be announced.
- One of our newest projects is an initiative to assist the City with a GIS mapping project to catalog all available properties in the district and their attributes for buyers, developers, or potential business owners. This will be a project of the Economic Vitality Committee.
- Another project we are beginning this year is to gather information to update the downtown kiosk visitor maps with up-to-date business listings and locations. We are also now managing the kiosk postings, so that new events are promoted and old postings are promptly removed. If you would like to have your event flyer or poster placed in the kiosks, please bring three copies to the Main Street office at City Hall.
- We provide ongoing volunteer support to implement the City’s landscape and streetscape improvements.
Interested in getting involved? Click here to learn more about volunteering, and click here to learn about supporting our efforts by becoming a donor.
