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Main Street America just announced its semifinalists for the 2023 Great American Main Street Award.
The program, which gave out its first award in 1995, recognizes communities across the United States that serve as a model for district revitalization.
Since its start, the nonprofit has recognized over 100 Main Streets in the country.
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The award winners will be announced on March 27, 2023, during the Opening Plenary of the 2023 Main Street Now conference in Boston, Massachusetts. (Last year three towns received the award.)
Does your town have what it takes?
Here are four of the eight semifinalists.
River District Association – Danville, Virginia
Main Street in Danville, Virginia, is pictured in a photo from 1948. (Getty Images)
Located in the south side region, Danville, Virginia is among the semifinalists for the 2023 Main Street award.
Danville, Virginia, houses a leadership group called the River District Association — which has created an environment of economic strength in their Main Street district.
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The organization has helped to improve business’ exteriors, develop an entrepreneurship environment, support small businesses in the area and overall increase commercial occupancy in the area.
With over 150 businesses in its downtown, the Danville association is committed to increasing capacity and connections in this new and lively environment.
Denison Main Street – Denison, Texas
Main Street in Denison, Texas, stays open late for special events in the community held during the year. (Lauren Spindle)
Denison, Texas, located one mile south of the Texas-Oklahoma border, is home to just under 25,000 residents.
It was the birthplace of President Dwight Eisenhower.
Those in the town recognized that steps needed to be taken to manage economic growth in the area — and thus, Operation Increase Occupancy was born.
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The program was created in 2011 to transform the town into a more vibrant space filled with retailers and entrepreneurs.
The establishment of an entertainment district was important to support various outdoor activities.
The organization credits its success in reviving the town to local history, heritage and arts organizations who worked together to help train volunteers.
Main Street director Donna Dow told Fox News Digital the town is honored to be on the exclusive list.
"We have significant development occurring in our downtown, and we feel we are well-positioned to succeed. We have spent years preparing for this growth," she said.
Main Street in Denison, Texas, is among one of the semifinalists for this year’s award.
Downtown Florence Main Street – Florence, S.C.
Main Street in Florence, South Carolina, is one of eight semifinalists. (True Light Photography)
About an hour and a half west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, lies the small town of Florence — population 38,000.
With its downtown comprised of just eight blocks, Florence’s Main Street district is quite small.
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Even so, it's architecturally unique — and the Main Street district has distinctive shopping, craftsman residential neighborhoods and early 19th and 20th century commercial buildings.
The volunteer program within the town is strong; dedicated volunteers contribute to consistent improvement and excellence.
Downtown Florence's Main Street program director Hannah Davis said in a statement to Fox News Digital that this is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the community.
"Making it this far is a true testament to the work and dedication of our entire community, from small business owners to elected officials, residents and businesses," she said.
The small-town Main Street is one of the semifinalists for the 2023 Great American Main Street Award.
Metuchen Downtown Alliance – Metuchen, N.J.
Main Street in Metuchen, New Jersey, is full of shops and small businesses like Cafe Paris. (Fox News Digital)
This Middlesex County suburban borough is known for supporting small businesses.
The Metuchen Downtown Alliance hosted its first retail promotion in 2016 with Small Business Saturday deals — and now, six years later, the town’s Main Street is booming.
"Here we have a downtown built for the future."
Fox News Digital spoke with the mayor of Metuchen, Jonathan Busch, about the success of the town.
"There was a time in the not-so-distant past where Metuchen’s downtown felt isolated and struggled with vacancies. Now it is a vibrant, active ‘place to be’ in Central Jersey," he said.
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The town offers multicultural celebrations, holiday contests, a winter market and themed promotional days.
Metuchen Main Street houses unique restaurants like Hailey's Harp and Pub. (Fox News Digital)
Busch said the town does "community" best.
"Here we have a downtown built for the future … The downtowns of America once struggled to compete with big box shopping malls, but times have shifted," he said.
Residents of the town say growth over the years has been huge.
Karen Logan has been a long-time resident of Metuchen, N.J. She said her husband owns a business on Main Street. "My mom and I always reminisce about how Main Street has changed over the years and I think it’s better than ever," she said.
"We left during the pandemic, realized our mistake and came back to Metuchen in March 2022."
Another resident, Amber Stiles, told Fox News Digital, "We left during the pandemic, realized our mistake and came back to Metuchen in March 2022. It’s the best downtown and community."
She added, "Metuchen is a special place and truly where we belong."
Fun fact about Metuchen, N.J.: Well-known magician and illusionist David Copperfield is from Metuchen — and often credits the town for his success. His dad once owned a business on Main Street.
Metuchen is one of eight semifinalists up for the award.
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Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Additional semifinalists for the 2023 Great American Main Street Award will be profiled in a future piece in Fox News Digital.
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