[OMS_MANAGERS] How are Oregon Main Streets handling Halloween and annual meetings?

Thu Sep 16 10:14:36 PDT 2021

Hi all,

I don't know if this will be helpful for those on the fence about Halloween-

We haven't decided if we are doing Halloween yet (I'm pushing to do it
because the way we did it was so easy last year and took very little effort
for a productive event). We also don't have any other coordinated Halloween
events in town currently so I feel like it'll be important this year. If we
do it, it will likely be on the 31st so parents don't have to worry about
getting kids dressed up twice, and it's a good stop before they do whatever
else they have planned for the day.
We partnered with our Event Center to use their parking lot on Main Street
and just invited any businesses who wanted to pass out candy for a couple
of hours in a drive through style. We had about 8 different businesses
participate, and they just brought their own set ups and candy, and because
we were providing the space we had participation from businesses who
normally don't get to participate in events that require brick-and-mortar
space on Main Street. All I really did was create a sign-up form for
businesses, create an event flyer, and help set up the space. We had just
over 450 people drive through (about 117 vehicles), which is pretty hefty
for a 2,000 person population.

Pictures attached because the businesses went all out with basically no
direction from us:
[image: IMG-5720.jpg]
[image: IMG-5723.jpg]
[image: 123245017_4079485875413362_6538315303784033273_o.jpg]

Thanks,

*Lyndsey Dixon *(she/her/hers)
Business Outreach & Community Coordinator | Gold Beach Main Street
541 247 7029 | goldbeachmainstreet.org
PO Box 1203, Gold Beach, OR 97444

On Wed, Sep 15, 2021 at 3:40 PM Lise Grato <director at albanydowntown.com>
wrote:

> *Halloween* - We haven’t made a decision yet about 2021 Downtown Trick or
> Treat in Albany. It’s traditionally held the Saturday morning before
> Halloween (or on Halloween if it’s a Saturday). The majority of Downtown
> businesses participate and hand out candy on the sidewalk outside their
> stores. We have always discouraged inviting the kids into businesses as it
> is normally too tight and hard to manage kids and regular customers in the
> same space. It’s pretty much a “mall crawl” situation. A few years ago, we
> changed our crowded costume contest to a FB vote adding photo booths. That
> worked out well for us last year. We offered photos most of the week after
> school and later one evening to accommodate working parents. That spread
> out folks timewise and easily made it COVID-friendly. We had NO activities
> on the traditional Saturday.
>
>
>
> *Annual Meeting*  - We don’t have an annual meeting. For the past few
> years, we have combined our quarterly Building & Business Owner Mixer with
> a local Excellence in Downtown Albany awards ceremony. This is usually held
> a few weeks before OMS and our local winners go to OMS to see if they won
> (yes, we keep it a surprise and get them to drive to the awards before they
> know!!) This year we are looking at an outdoor event at Albany Alley
> <http://www.albanydowntown.com/albanyalley>, our new seasonal, weekend
> dining space. We hope the weather holds.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
>
> *Lise Grato*
>
> Executive Director
>
> Albany Downtown Association
>
> 126 SW Ferry Street
>
> Albany, OR 97321
>
>
>
> Email: director at albanydowntown.com
>
> Phone: (541) 928-2469
>
> Cell: (541) 905-2908
>
>
>
> *From:* OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> *On Behalf Of
> *Condon Chamber of Commerce
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 15, 2021 11:52 AM
> *To:* Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject:* Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] How are Oregon Main Streets handling
> Halloween and annual meetings?
>
>
>
> Hi!!!!
>
>
>
> We coordinate our Trick or Treat Main Street event with our school and
> their Class Parties.
>
> We reached out to our local businesses, and they too favored doing the
> event during regular business hours.
>
> Our event will be held on Thursday October 28th 3-5:30 pm. All
> participating businesses will have a representative outside their
> businesses to hand out treats.
>
>
>
>
>
> [image: horizontal bar]
> K'Lynn Lane
>
> Condon Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director
> Proudly Serving Gilliam, Sherman & Wheeler Counties
> [image: Condon Chamber of Commerce]
> 541-384-7777
> 311 S. Main Street
> Condon, OR 97823
> https://www.condonchamber.org/
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of
> W Darin Rutledge, Executive Director <darin at downtownklamathfalls.org>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 15, 2021 11:49 AM
> *To:* Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject:* Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] How are Oregon Main Streets handling
> Halloween and annual meetings?
>
>
>
> Our “Scarecrow Row” always happens the last Saturday in October (except
> last year, which was Halloween proper). There are a ton of Halloween events
> all over town, so we like to do it ahead of the holiday – plus, having it
> on a Saturday in conjunction with Farmer’s Market makes it easy for
> downtown businesses to prepare and plan.
>
>
>
> As for the Annual Meeting, ours is usually in February, but we opted for a
> virtually-presented annual meeting this year. Our Chamber just canceled
> their 100th anniversary gala event scheduled for 9/25 – they are planning
> to move it to the January timeframe, as are a couple of other local indoor
> events.
>
>
>
> Good luck!
> D
>
>
>
> *From: *OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of
> Director LGMSD <director at lagrandemainstreet.org>
> *Reply-To: *Oregon Main Street program managers <
> oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Date: *Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 11:17 AM
> *To: *OMS List <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject: *[OMS_MANAGERS] How are Oregon Main Streets handling Halloween
> and annual meetings?
>
>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> In today's Board meeting, we discussed a couple of upcoming events, and
> were wondering how other Oregon Main Streets are handling them.
>
>
>
> The first is Halloween; we're confident in doing our usual trick-or-treat
> event, as it's completely outdoors. But Halloween is on a Sunday this year,
> when almost all of our Downtown Businesses are closed. So, in your
> communities, are you having your event on Halloween itself? On Saturday,
> when offices are still closed? Or on Friday, when all Downtown businesses
> would be open?
>
>
>
> The second is our annual meeting. We usually conduct this as a banquet,
> contracting with a local restaurant or caterer and having a dinner followed
> by a dessert auction fundraiser. Our COVID numbers are not great, so there
> is some trepidation among the board with having the event as we normally
> do. What are you all looking at in terms of an annual meeting?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Taylor Scroggins, Executive Director
> La Grande Main Street Downtown
> 102 Depot St
> Office 541-963-1223
> Cell 541-975-4591
>
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