Turning 30: Noblesville Main Street adds new events, celebrates three decades

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Noblesville Main Street is celebrating its 30th year and is getting better with age.

Executive Director Lorna Steele updated the community on the organization’s recent efforts to enhance the downtown district at last month’s annual meeting.

“The goal of Noblesville Main Street is really to represent downtown and everything that makes up our downtown district,” Steele said. “The other part is representing and helping out the downtown businesses, whether they be shops or restaurants. We really want to help them with marketing and getting people in their doors.”

During the presentation, Steele said 11 new businesses opened in 2018 in the downtown district. She also discussed history.

“I get this question a lot, ‘Where did you come from?’ Steele said of the organization. “The queen of nonprofits, Miss Nancy Chance, started Noblesville Main Street 30 years ago when she really saw the downtown was something we needed to brag about and invest more time and energy in. Now that were 30, we created all new branding.

“We have a strategic plan going through 2023. Everything we do from 2020 on will fall into our three focus areas: enrich community, cultivate partnerships and create culture.”

Steele showed photos from 30 years ago. Even then, as it does today, the organization incorporated the color orange into its themes and logos.

“As an organization, we understand our vibrant downtown is a treasure and amenity for our community,” Steele said.

ENRICHING THE COMMUNITY

Steele approached the organization’s three focus areas and discussed each one in detail. To enrich the community, Steele said Noblesville Main Street is creating an innovation event similar to the show “Shark Tank.”

“(The goal is) ‘How do we drive economic business in downtown? What are the kinds of businesses we want here and how do we go out and get those?’” Steele said. “We want to put on an event targeted to entrepreneurs who can come in, pitch their idea and hopefully get really great businesses to start their business in downtown Noblesville.”

A welcome packet will be given to each new business.

“The idea is when you buy a business downtown or move your business downtown, there are lots of things you need to know, like the parking map or about the façade grants,” Steele said. “We want to create a one-stop shop for people looking to open their business or have who have questions and be opening and welcoming in that.”

CULTIVATING PARTNERSHIPS

Steele said a focus of cultivating partnerships is rehabilitating historic buildings, supporting new construction and developing a design-management system.

“The look and feel of downtown Noblesville – its streets, its sign, its buildings, its store interiors – is very important to us and something we hold at a high standard,” she said.

Establishing a new donor network system that will work on reaching the east and west sides of Noblesville also is a priority.

CREATING CULTURE

Enhancing cultural and entertainment experiences also is a focus of Noblesville Main Street.

“We have more than 60 events, the majority of which are free,” Steele said. “There is the farmers market, the duck race, the street dance.”

One of the organization’s new events is Brunch at the Market.

“We are working on Brunch at the Market, which is giving Meals at the Market a bit of a facelift,” Steele said. “We want to do a brunch experience at the farmers market on the stage with a chef and plated meal. It would be a ticketed event. People can taste the food they’re buying and go buy it immediately.”

For more, visit noblesvillemainstreet.org.

Major events this year 

For more about the following events, visit noblesvillemainstreet.org.

  • March 30-April 11: Spring Break STAY-cation
  • May 1: First Friday at Upstairs Downtown
  • May 2: Farmers market season-opener
  • May 21: Music and All That Jazz
  • May 30: Peony Festival (tentative)
  • June 5: Bed race
  • June 13: Street dance
  • July 3: Music and All That Jazz
  • July 25: Duck race
  • Aug. 7: Music and All That Jazz
  • Aug. 15: Kids’ day at the farmers market
  • Sept. 7: Chocolate trail and Music and All That Jazz
  • Oct. 2: Fall Fest and Music and All That Jazz
  • Nov. 6: Craft beer crawl
  • Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday
  • Dec. 4: Santa House and Lights Over Seminary

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