Hilton Village Joins Main Street Program
By: City of Newport News
| Year-round Farmer’s Market begins this weekend |
| Historic Hilton Village in Newport News is joining the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) first-ever Mobilizing Main Street cohort-based program. This two-year program provides targeted organizational development support to communities interested in pursuing Advancing Virginia Main Street designation and Main Street America accredited status. These designations revitalize historic commercial districts and support the vitality of small to mid-size downtowns. The Virginia Main Street program has been transforming communities for over 35 years and it continues to be critical to economic development, small business growth, and job creation. This new Mobilizing Main Street cohort-based program will foster local and ongoing community development efforts while offering targeted support to participating organizations to ensure their future success in the Virginia Main Street program. Participants will work with DHCD staff to bolster their community for economic opportunity. Teams will develop individualized work plans and implement program benchmarks. Staff from DHCD will help organizations with market analysis, design assessments, grant management, and other essential tools. For more information and a list of other 2023 Mobilizing Main Street Cohort Participants, read the DHCD press release. For details about the Virginia Main Street program, visit dhcd.virginia.gov/vms. While the Main Street Program work will take two years, the Hilton Village team is already implementing new plans for 2023. They have partnered with a Virginia farmer and, this weekend will begin a new year-round, weekly Farmers Market, bringing fresh organic meats, seafood, and a rotating selection of other consumables to the Peninsula. To ensure variety, additional vendors will join the anchor farmer to provide farm products direct to consumers. The market will also serve as a hub of community connection and education. By spring, the market will integrate nutrition programs, live cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, and lesson plans. The market will be located in the parking lot beside First United Methodist Church of Hilton Village and will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. For more details on this and other Main Street events, follow the Hilton Village Facebook page. |