Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc.

It takes a team of volunteers to keep downtown bright and vibrant through the upcoming summer heat. Thank you to all the dedicated partners and individuals who keep downtown colorful by watering flower baskets, painting sidewalks, and touching up murals.

The third Community Empowerment Grant workshop has concluded! Thank you to everyone who participated yesterday during our workshop and “Lunch & Learn.”

We had a big group of curious & invested city officials and community members, which led to great conversations and inspiration being gathered.

Your engagement will help strengthen Missouri through widespread community and economic development with an emphasis in historic preservation. We look forward to seeing how our conversation sparked your desire to revitalize your Main Street.

Missouri’s Main Streets partner with local organizations to implement and sustain initiatives that revitalize their community. For design efforts, such as cultivating a sense of belonging, adding color, and preserving a historic site's atmosphere through gardening, Main Street Design Committees partner with local garden clubs and individuals in these partnerships to beautify their district and maintain the setting of historic sites located downtown.

You are invited to be a partner with MMSC through a Heritage Circle contribution to continue our support of these efforts by local Main Streets who celebrate their local history, preserve memories, and beautify their district.

Check out some businesses in Missouri that have celebrated grand openings, anniversaries, and more on Main Street. There are so many unique businesses that can thrive on Main Street with the imagination of the entrepreneur and the beauty of a historic building’s architecture.

What is designation?

National and state recognition of a Main Street organization’s impact and implementation of the Main Street Approach™. This recognition is awarded annually following an evaluation that uses the Six Community Evaluation Standards set by Main Street America.

Designation is awarded by Main Street America at the Accredited or Affiliate level, while Missouri Main Street Connections awards designations at the Accredited, Associate, and Affiliate levels. Check out five key areas that Main Street programs that receive national and state Accredited designation have in common.

Two fantastic keynotes await you at the 2026 Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference.

- Welcome & Opening Address: Leadership Lives on Main! For 20 years, Missouri Main Street has been leading the charge for meaningful, sustainable downtown revitalization. Local programs followed MMSC’s lead to bring people together and accomplish the incremental, gritty work that has shaped what residents and visitors experience today. Join Deb Turcott in celebrating this not‑for‑the‑faint‑of‑ heart work and the twenty years of success with her Top 20 Leadership Lessons from Main Street. Prepare to laugh, feel seen, and be invigorated for what comes next, because the best recognition of success is the opportunity to do more!

- Closing Address: The Culmination of 20 Years: The Story, Impact, and Future of Missouri Main Street. Conclude conference with an engaging fireside chat between Phil Eich and Gayla Roten that explores the 20 years of Missouri Main Street Connection’s statewide impact. Together with other visionaries, they will reflect on the organization’s origins, the milestones that shaped its growth, and the many people who played a role in bringing the Main Street Approach™ to life in Missouri, including early champions, board members, dedicated staff, volunteers, and local program leaders. The conversation will highlight success stories from rural towns to larger cities, the evolution of preservation‑based economic development, and the collective efforts that strengthened Missouri’s historic commercial districts.

The Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference’s Exhibitor Hall will be full of professionals from across the state and country! Between sessions, make sure to meet them to see what services and products they have that can assist your community in implementing its strategic goals.