Downtown Sounds

Awardee: Downtown Bellingham Partnership

Award: Outstanding Promotional Event

Year: 2019

City: Bellingham

In 2019, downtown Bellingham will be celebrating its 15th annual Downtown Sounds summer concert series. Firmly cemented as downtown Bellingham’s hottest summer attraction, this free, urban music festival activates two full city blocks for five consecutive Wednesdays in July and August, showcasing high-quality bands, local food, award-winning beer and cider, and activities for the entire family.

Like any successful program, Downtown Sounds has become a positive, impactful event through careful curation and strong partnerships over the last 15 years. The concert series started in an underutilized alley in 2005 with goals that it has held firm ever since: to foster a sense of community, to create equitable access to culture and arts, and to encourage creative use of existing space.
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership has coordinated the series since its inception. Local businesses, like The Wild Buffalo music venue and a stage/sound/lighting company called Groove Merchant Northwest, have been crucial and reliable partners over the last 15 years.

As the series became more and more popular, it inevitably grew into larger spaces downtown, making its way to Bay Street in the heart of downtown Bellingham’s Arts District. More partners also came on board, including SPARK Museum and Boundary Bay Brewery, which donates product to the beer garden. By 2015, up to 3,000 people were attending each concert and the event expanded its footprint yet again, making more room for the “Family Alley” and other features to engage the community.

Over the years, Downtown Sounds as grown tremendously, but also very intentionally. With nearly 1,000 volunteer hours going into the event, over 15,000 people visiting downtown Bellingham for the concerts each summer, and over $100,000 in gross income, Downtown Sounds has stayed remarkably true to its originally goals of fostering community, creating equitable access to the arts, and encouraging creative use of space. We commend the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and their partners on 15 years of creating space for people to experience the joy of being in community together.

Paving the Way to a Brighter Future

Awardee: Port Townsend Main Street Program

Award: Outstanding Special Project

Year: 2019

City: Port Townsend

Anyone who has been part of a major street rebuild knows the negative impact it can have on the district’s businesses. The general impression from locals and visitors that they “should just avoid downtown during construction” can take a dramatic toll. Port Townsend was facing their third major construction project in a ten-year span, and the Port Townsend Main Street Program knew they had to be extremely proactive in order to help their small business community survive the six-month stretch in 2018 during which Water Street, their Main Street, would be torn up.

The Main Street Program mobilized volunteers, community partners and business owners to create a multi-faceted communication and marketing strategy. Planning began a full year before the Water Street Enhancement Project broke ground by gathering input from business owners. Their requests included retail promotions, downtown greeters, a trivia game to generate foot traffic, a map and promotion of transit options. Between the City and a grant from First Federal Community Foundation, the team secured $60,000 to implement the plan that included the merchants’ ideas as well as print and online marketing, electric taxi rides free to the public, coupon books and reusable totes, historic walking tours, and more.

Yet another part of the Main Street Program’s strategic effort to support their businesses during construction was Port Townsend’s successful application to host our state conference, RevitalizeWA, which generated nearly $140,000 in local spending, a major boost during the peak of construction.

Whereas some businesses projected 40% profit loss during construction, the reality was that many businesses reported they were down only as much as 8% and some reported no losses at all during the six-month period. The district also saw four new business open and one business expansion during construction!

The campaign resulted in major relief to the small businesses and brought energy and optimism to the construction experience. Because of the new public spaces and streetscape some businesses are now reporting up to 20% increase in sales above preconstruction numbers. This was possible because people worked together to make the best of a challenging time – which has led to an even more beautiful downtown for all.

Kris Nelson

Award: Excellence on Main Award

Year: 2019

City: Port Townsend

Each year the Excellence on Main selection committee chooses one exceptional person or project that most embodies the Main Street spirit to receive our top award. If you tell Kris Nelson of Port Townsend that owning four successful restaurants, employing more than seventy people, giving generously to her community, and serving as a leader in her local Main Street program – all while being an avid traveler and Zumba instructor – makes her exceptional, she’d say, “I thought that’s just what people did.” Kris’s level of energy for and dedication to her downtown district is nothing short of extraordinary.

Let’s start with Kris as an entrepreneur and downtown property owner – she has owned Sirens Pub, a local institution, for 18 years and has seen growth each year. Her other restaurants – Alchemy Bistro and Wine Bar, The Old Whiskey Mill, and her newest establishment, The In-Between – are all located in the heart of downtown Port Townsend.

As an employer, Kris cultivates her staff and pushes them to become entrepreneurs themselves, often serving as an informal adviser to them. Kris’s personal philosophy is “you are only as good as the people around you, and you should give them the opportunity to be their best.”

Kris has served for 11 years on the board of the Jefferson County Chamber and 6 years on the board of the Port Townsend Main Street Program, of which she is currently board president. Her past civic service has included leadership roles on city council, the planning commission, and the community foundation board. She is exceedingly generous with the profits from her businesses, supporting many festivals, organizations, and arts programs.

Kris has been instrumental in many of the Port Townsend Main Street Program’s initiatives over the last several years – from the Water Street construction project and bringing RevitalizeWA to town to chairing the team that oversees the downtown loan program and participating on the Creative Districts planning committee, and much more – Kris is continuously striving to make her community more prosperous and vibrant.

People sometimes say they are too busy to volunteer in service to their community; they may say “their plate is full.” Then there’s Kris. Port Townsend is fortunate to have her vision, energy, and community spirit light up their town.

Justin Dennis

Award: Entrepreneur of the Year

Year: 2018

City: Gig Harbor

Justin Dennis approached the Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance in Spring 2017 to present his proposed product – succulent planters utilizing recycled Cougar Gold cheese tins – for sale at the Gig Harbor Waterfront Farmers Market. Justin received coaching from his father, Chet Dennis, prior to the presentation, including advice to “be sure to look them in the eye when you are talking to them”. His product was approved by the jury and Justin set to work preparing to be a vendor at the market that summer.

Justin had found his inspiration after visiting the WSU Creamery in Pullman and seeing a large stack of empty tins. With guidance from his parents, Justin has taken responsibility for every aspect of the business, including putting together his plan, buying supplies, meeting permit requirements, managing multiple methods of payment, and social media promotions. Each week spent at his “WSU Table Plants by Justin” booth included different learning opportunities on topics such as salesmanship and taxes.

The Waterfront Alliance staff were impressed by Justin’s creativity and commitment. He arrived on time for set-up, and always had his booth taken down quickly at the end of each market day.

Justin’s goal is to create a “Kids’ Farmers Market Booth” at the market so that other young people can join him. He is actively working toward this goal, as well as on introducing new products into his own line. In addition to his budding entrepreneurship, Justin has also shown himself to have a philanthropic nature; he sold his planters at Gig Harbor’s Girls Night Out, and donated $1 from every sale to a local charity.

Main Streets are, at their best, places for people of all ages to learn, explore, challenge themselves, and engage in their local economy. We are delighted to recognize Justin for his entrepreneurial and community-minded spirit.