Where would our community be without our Main Street organization? There wouldn't be any free concerts like JazzFest. No Friday Night Live concert series. No Christmas Tree Lighting or Trick or Treat on the Square. And no Main Street Saturday Market, which was an instant success introduced in the summer of 2010. In fact, much about downtown would be different, less charming, less picturesque and less vibrant.
What many don't realize is that Main Street Murfreesboro/Rutherford County is a nonprofit organization, relying on public and private donations for operations and projects. Main Street receives no funding from state or federal programs. Without the generosity of our community and the zeal of our volunteers, Main Street would disappear.
Main Street is committed to maintaining, enhancing and promoting the historic downtown as the heart of our community. Main Street capitalizes on the unique character of the courthouse square and the surrounding business district with the goal of transforming it into the cultural, social, professional and retail center of Rutherford County, in essence, the hub of community life. Affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Main Street Center, our organization focuses on the four elements that help define downtown success: organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring.
People consider shopping downtown as "experience shopping" interacting with people and supporting community retailers rather than frantically hunting only for bargains. There's a connection between customers and the entrepreneurial spirit of downtown businesses, which reflect the character of our community through their unique products, services and atmosphere. Located in historic buildings, these merchants preserve an authentic sense of place.
In fact, that's what Murfreesboro's downtown offers, an authentic sense of place unlike any other. It's unique and uniquely ours.
