Oklahoma Main Street Announces Award Finalists
(Oklahoma City, Okla.) – The Oklahoma Main Street Center announced today the finalists of the program’s annual statewide awards competition. All finalists will be honored and the winners announced at the 29th annual Main Street Awards Banquet, May 8, at the Embassy Suites OKC Downtown/Medical Center Hotel.
“Each year we take a moment to recognize the people, projects, events and programs making a difference in our Main Street communities across the state,” said Buffy Hughes, Oklahoma Main Street director. “We choose to celebrate the volunteers, the business owners, the building owners and the dedicated program supporters because they all uniquely contribute to making these historic commercial districts thrive for the betterment of their local areas. Economic development at the local level is spurred by these hard-working people. We want to say thank you for their efforts — not just in their communities but for all of Oklahoma. This is our way to demonstrate our appreciation on a statewide level.”
There are 21 competitive award categories representing the “four points” in the Main Street Approach – Organization, Promotion, Economic Vitality and Design. Panels of outside judges for each point review the entries and determine the winners.
The Main Street Program of the Year award recognizes the top program in the state. The top programs earning the most quality assurance points during the 2017 calendar year are invited to submit a short essay in support of their selection as Main Street Program of the Year. A panel of outsides judges review the essays to determine the winner. Programs for 2017 (in alphabetical order) include: Altus, Cherokee, Claremore, Collinsville, Enid, Newkirk, Okmulgee, Ponca City, Sapulpa, Stockyards City and Tulsa Route 66. The top program will be announced at the banquet.
In addition, the top Main Street Program Directors will be recognized at the banquet. Those making the top three this year include Melyn Johnson, Main Street Guymon Inc.; Ed Sharrer, Kendall Whittier Main Street; and Chelsea McConnell, Ponca City Main Street.
The award finalists are:
ORGANIZATION:
Premier Partner
Enid – City of Enid Parks & Recreation
Newkirk – Albright Abstract & Title Guaranty, Inc.
Sapulpa – SeneGence International
Best Community Education/Public Awareness
Enid – Annual Infographic
Enid – Business Recruitment Package
Newkirk – Good Luck Card Game
Best Volunteer Development Program
Durant – Volunteer Meeting Social Media Campaign
Hobart – Hobart Main Street Design Committee
Wilburton – Digger Forward
Main Street Hero
Durant – Tammy Cross
Okmulgee – Dr. Bill Path
Ponca City – Rhonda Skrapke
Tulsa Route 66 – Linda Jordan
Best Creative Fundraising Effort
El Reno – Reindeers at the Rock
Newkirk – Spirit Sightings Tour aka Ghost Tours
Okmulgee – Big Brain Trivia Night
Ponca City – Battle of the Burger
PROMOTION:
Premier Special Event Under 1,000 Attendees
Collinsville – Taste of Collinsville: Music is to the Soul as Food is to the Body
Kendall Whittier – Kendall Whittier After Five
Wilburton – Relics and Rods Car Show & Swap Meet
Premier Special Event Over 1,000 Attendees
Ada – Ada Fest
Claremore – Food Truck Thursday
Collinsville – Hogs ‘N’ Hot Rods
Best Retail Event
Durant – Live Local Night
Enid – Maker Trail
Ponca City – Ladies Night on Grand
Outstanding Image Promotion
Claremore – DowntownClaremore.org
Durant – Durant Main Street Rebrand
Ponca City – Outside the Box
Creative New Event
Ardmore – Farm to Table Dinner
Hobart – 9/11: Never Forget
Kendall Whittier – Kendall Whittier Mercado
DESIGN:
Best Placemaking Project
Enid – Bright Future Mural
Kendall Whittier – Whittier Wood Garden Public Art Installation
Ponca City – Outside the Box
Best Sustainable Design Project
Claremore – Studio B Artworks
Enid – Downtown Mural Program
Ponca City – Veterans’ Plaza
Best Interior Design Project
Kendall Whittier – Heirloom Rustic Ales
McAlester – The Venue
Okmulgee – The McBrayer Building
Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000
Ardmore – The Stag
Claremore – 318 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Rhapsody Boutique, Salon & Spa
McAlester – Common Roots
Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000
Kendall Whittier – TPC Studios
Okmulgee – The McBrayer Building
Tulsa Route 66 – Meltdown Diner
Best Visual Merchandising
Ada – The Rustic Ridge
Durant – Bella Ragazza Boutique
McAlester – Harper and Grey
Best Building/Business Branding
Ada – Farm Girl Boutique
Durant – Bliss Boutique
El Reno – Wandering Daisy Boutique
ECONOMIC VITALITY:
Best Adaptive Reuse Project
Kendall Whittier – Heirloom Rustic Ales
Okmulgee – The McBrayer Building
Tulsa Route 66 – Meltdown Diner
Best Business Practices
Durant – Foster Creativity
El Reno – Ross Seed Co./True Value Hardware
Enid – Davis Law
Best New Business
Claremore – Main Street Tavern
Kendall Whittier – Fair Fellow Coffee
Newkirk – A Perfect Day
Business of the Year
Ada – McSwain Theatre
Newkirk – Albright Abstract & Title Guaranty Inc.
Ponca City – Liles and Company
The reception will begin at 5:30 and the dinner and program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from your local Main Street Program representative for $45.
For a listing of Main Street programs in the state, or for more information about the Oklahoma Main Street Program, please call (405) 815-6552 or visit OKcommerce.gov/mainstreet.
