Programs and Committees

Programs

Main Street 4 Point Approach:

The National trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street program offers an approach to downtown revitalization that has been successful in more than a thousand towns and cities through out the country. The four points descried below are the keys to the success of the Main Street Approach:

Design :

Helping to get Main Street into top Physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets – such as historic buildings and traditional downtown layout- is just part of the story. An inviting atmosphere created through window displays, parking areas, signs, sidewalks, streetlights, and landscaping conveys a visual message about what Main Street is and what it has to offer.

The Design Committee program plays a key role in shaping the physical image of Main Street as a place attractive to shoppers, investors, business owners, and visitors.
This committee meets the First Wednesday of every month at 4:00. We usually meet at the Heritage Council Office but this can change depending on what is being discussed.

Organization:

This means getting everyone working toward the same goal. The tough work of building consensus and cooperation among the groups that have an important stake in the district can be eased by using the common-sense formula of a volunteer-driven program and an organizational structure of board and committees. This committee takes responsibility for managing the activities and helping to recruit members to the organization.

The committee meets the Third Tuesday of every month at 8:30 am during our Coffee Chats. We usually meet in different restaurants, coffee houses, or business in the downtown area.

Economic Restructuring:

This is the committee that finds new purpose for Main Street’s enterprises. By helping existing downtown businesses expand and recruiting new ones to respond to today’s market, Main Street programs help convert unused space into productive property and sharpen the competitiveness of business enterprises.

Their job is to identify new market opportunities for the traditional commercial district, find new uses of historic commercial buildings, and stimulate investment in property. They must develop an understanding of the district’s economic condition and its best opportunities, focusing on incremental changes that gradually improve the areas economic foundation and make large-scale investment possible.

This committee meets the Third Thursday of every month at Noon. We meet in various locations downtown during the lunch hour.

Promotions:

This is selling the image and promise of Main Street to all prospects. By marketing the district’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, and visitors, an effective promotion strategy forges a positive image through advertising, retail promotional activity, special events, and marketing campaigns carried out by local volunteers.

The job of the Promotions committee is to PROMOTE downtown as the center of commerce, culture, and community life for residents and visitors alike.

This committee meets on the Fourth Thursday at Noon. We meet in various locations downtown during the lunch hour.

Committees:

Various sub-committees created with volunteers help to run the Heritage Council and organize their events. Currently we have in place the following committees that anyone can volunteer to help with. If something strikes you please notify the Heritage Council to let them know you are interested in volunteering.

Ghost Walk:

Traditional walk around downtown guided by ghosts and goblins and ghost stories about different structures. Takes place in October.

Christmas Tea:

This event is held by the Heritage Council and the Woman’s Club of Elizabethtown. It is held the first Saturday in December. Volunteers will set-tables with china and linens, donate deserts, sandwiches, etc.

Light Up Downtown/Christmas Parade:

This event brings people downtown to kick off the holiday season. This will be held in the weekend before Thanksgiving. All the businesses downtown will be hosting their Holiday Open Houses, there will be singing, Breakfast with Santa, classes on creating ornaments, wreaths, etc. and a Christmas Parade ending with the lighting of the city Christmas Tree.

Historical Time Line:

Revolutionary period through the Current time. – This is a new event that we are looking to create to help promote the City and County Heritage.

Dinner with the Dearly Departed :

This is a new event that will have a buffet dinner in the City Cemetery with character portrayals of various personalities of people that are buried there coming back to discuss their lives.

Children’s Easter Tea:

This event will take place before Easter and is a wonderful event for Children from age 2 to 10. They are plied with tea and cookies, as well as stories and an Easter Egg hunt. Pictures with the Easter Bunny are also available.

Flower Beautification:

The heritage council along with various businesses and individuals help to beautify the downtown area with the spring and fall flowers.  These flowers, hanging baskets and planted pots, provide beautiful landscaping to an already historic downtown.  In the spring we have lovely purple wave’s and in the fall various colored mums are placed in various locations around the downtown.  Everyone is encouraged to help the heritage council with this projects by purchasing these flowers for their store fronts or for their homes.  You don’t have to be a downtown businesses to take part in this beautification project.