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Please join us at Kendallville City Hall this Wednesday, November 1 at 5:00 PM for a Town Hall meeting and to hear updates from Historic Downtown Kendallville. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and provide feedback on Main Street projects and endeavors, and to share your ideas and suggestions for what comes next for downtown Kendallville. We hope to see you there!

Please join Historic Downtown Kendallville and 231 Main for a behind-the-scenes "sneak peek" of the new coworking space in downtown Kendallville! Refreshments and tours will be provided during this open house. This is a great opportunity to see the progress being made to the building, learn about the space, and ask questions. We hope to see you there! This event is open to the public. For more information, call (260) 777-0773. Visit the coworking website at https://kendallvillecoworking.com.

Have you visited the new Main Street Shop? We've got what you need for the Halloween Lantern Parade and more! Now, in addition to finding Historic Downtown Kendallville and Kendallville Car Show exclusive logo merchandise, you can find supplies to participate in the annual Lantern Parade, Fairy Festival apparel, and more! Make your purchase online, or pay when you pick up. All orders will be fulfilled and made ready for pick-up at the Main Street office at City Hall in downtown Kendallville. All proceeds benefit YOUR downtown corridor by supporting the work of Historic Downtown Kendallville!

Take the free shuttle to/from the Noble County Community Fairgrounds to enjoy the Vintage Market in Historic Downtown Kendallville during the annual Apple Festival! Vintage Market will feature food, crafts, and fun along Main Street on October 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be sure to explore the many shops and guest vendors - and #shoplocal!

Main Street in Historic Downtown Kendallville will soon feature a co-working space to support small business owners, gig workers, entrepreneurs, and traveling professionals. Local and traveling workers will enjoy access within walking distance to a number of restaurants, movie theatre, and boutique shops in the vibrant, growing historic district. A generous investment by the Kendallville Redevelopment Commission (RDC) helped Historic Downtown Kendallville recently purchase the building at 231 S Main Street, formerly an auto garage, car sales lot, and metal fabrication business, to be transformed into 231 Main Kendallville Co-Working, a co-working space and significant enhancement to Noble County's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The building will also become the office of Kristen Johnson, Main Street Manager, when renovations are complete. The funding provided by the RDC, along with grants from the Don Wood Foundation and T-Mobile Foundation, will cover renovation costs. Plans include the creation of private offices, dedicated work stations, and "hot seats" - work spaces for individuals who just need a spot to "park and work" for a few hours or a day. By enabling members of 231 Main to share amenities, the costs of having an office are drastically lower than most other options. A month-to-month membership makes a co-working space a more practical, flexible solution over entering into a long-term lease contract. Many new and growing small businesses benefit from using a co-working space as a short to mid-term solution to fill a gap until they are ready to take on a long-term lease for a dedicated space on their own. ​ Membership at 231 Main will include all utilities, access to high-speed (fiber optic) internet, 24/7 site access, and other privileges. The co-working space will also be used to host workshops and mentoring sessions for new start-ups and businesses looking to grow and expand. Once completed, 231 Main will also offer a large conference and event area with streaming capabilities, a private and well-equipped podcasting room, a small kitchenette, rentable lockers, and the equipment necessary to ensure productivity, including items like a copier and scanner. Renovations are expected to be complete in early fall, after which Historic Downtown Kendallville will open the space for public tours. An official grand opening is being planned for a date in early 2024. Monthly memberships will start at $100/month. "Founding members,” those who sign up for a 24-month term, will receive a substantially discounted rate on membership as an exclusive offer at launch. To learn more, or become a member, to contact Brandon Still at info@kendallvillecoworking.com or (260) 777-0773.

The Kendallville Car Show returns for its 18th year in 2023! Celebrate this long-standing tradition in Historic Downtown Kendallville by purchasing a commemorative, custom tee-shirt or hoodie! A variety of colors and styles of shirts are available, starting at $20.00 each. Plan to participate or visit the 18th annual Kendallville Car Show on Saturday, September 9, 2023.

Each year, Historic Downtown Kendallville hosts an Art on Main project that features local artists who have designed or decorated an item to be displayed on Main Street throughout the summer. Past projects have included windmills, benches, bee boxes, and rain barrels, to name a few. This year, the project was bird baths. Historic Downtown Kendallville had 12 different artists create or embellish a bird bath in their own unique style. Those artworks have been on display downtown since May, and are now coming up on the auction block to the highest bidder. The auction, which helps Historic Downtown Kendallville deliver its mission of “encouraging the economic development, historic preservation, and continuous improvement of downtown Kendallville” will be held on Friday, September 15, 2023, at Hosler Realty on Main Street. Doors will open at 5:00pm, with light appetizers and a cash bar, followed by judging and awards at 6:00 p.m. Awards include First Place/Best in Show ($250), Second Place ($150), and People’s Choice ($100). Once judging is complete, the auction will begin, estimated at 6:15pm, facilitated by Dean Rummel. Artists for this year’s Art on Main project include the following individuals/groups: Andrea Beachy Stephane Langelier Ania Hornberger Rebecca Stahl Kaila Mruk Kathy Lawson Kailey LaRoy Summer Treesh Helen Gebhart Racoon Forge IMPACT Institute Students: Bryce Roberts, Nick Kaiser, Madeliyn McElroy, Audrey Bair, Xavier Allen, Aden Stanko, Lane Wolfe, and Matt Quickery “We have such amazing artistic talent here in Noble County, and I’m grateful that so many artists have participated in the project this year," said Kristen Johnson, Main Street Manager. "Each bird bath is uniquely beautiful and will make a great addition to someone’s back yard oasis.” For answers to questions or additional information, please contact Historic Downtown Kendallville via email at kendallvillemainstreet@gmail.com or call 260-318-0883.

Saturday, September 9, 2023, marks the 18th year that the Kendallville Car Show has been attracting classic cars to downtown Kendallville. The show runs from noon until 6:00 p.m. and typically draws hundreds of cars and trucks, along with thousands of car enthusiasts. Judging begins at noon, with dozens of awards given at 5:00 p.m., including Mayor’s Choice, Police Chief’s Choice, Fire Chief’s Choice, Raddest Rat Rod, and Best in Show. The first 250 cars registered will receive a goody bag sponsored by Black and Ramer Insurance, and a one-of-a- kind dash plaque. The Hot Rod Kings band will be in Founder’s Park playing lots of great oldies. There will be a DJ, a 50/50 drawing, as well as food vendors and merchants to satisfy hungry appetites and shoppers. Registration is just $10 per vehicle. Register online using the button below, or in person the day of the event. Vehicle owners are asked to enter downtown from East William Street, where they will then be directed to a designated parking spot. After parking, vehicle owners are asked to visit the registration table at the corner of Main and William Streets to check in or register, and to collect their goody bag, dash plaque and door prize (first 100 attendees.) Only registered vehicles are eligible for door prizes, awards, and dash plaques. For answers to questions or additional information, please contact Historic Downtown Kendallville via email at kendallvillemainstreet@gmail.com, or call 260-318-0883.

Have you heard? Historic Downtown Kendallville's Fairy, Gnome, and Troll Festival has been nominated in this summer's Readers' Choice Contest at Fort Wayne Newspapers! Nominations include "best community festival", "best family friendly event", and "best festival". Your votes can help us win a top spot in the region and bring greater awareness to the many positive things happening in the community! Voting begins on July 8, 2023. Please mark your calendar or set a reminder to vote! The official nominees booklet will be published in the Journal Gazette. As soon as we have the link to share so you can cast your votes, we will share it here and on our Facebook Page.

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2023) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced the PreservINg Main Street program is open for applications. In partnership with Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Humanities, the program is designed to create a sustainable historic preservation model while building local capacity and a comprehensive downtown revitalization plan. The program additionally provides funding for the preservation of downtown Main Street buildings. “The PreservINg Main Street program is a success story of how collaboration between state government, local officials and non-profits can produce worthwhile, sustainable projects,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Not just a historic preservation project, the PreservINg Main Street program can enhance quality of life and economic revitalization in Hoosier communities.” Non-entitlement communities with an established Nationally Accredited or Indiana Accredited Main Street organization are encouraged to apply if the community has a National Register of Historic Places downtown district. "The PreservINg Main Street program aims to encourage historic preservation in our rural communities," said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. "Preservation efforts help to stimulate job creation, community revitalization, improve quality of life and more. I encourage our interested Main Street communities to apply and take advantage of this program." Three finalists will be selected based on the submitted application, community support and 2022 Main Street annual report data. Site visits will be scheduled for each finalist, which includes a presentation outline of their partnerships and a high-level vision for downtown development. The selected community will be eligible for implementation funds of up to $2 million through OCRA’s Community Development Block Grant program. Additionally there will be multiple capacity building opportunities through a partnership with Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks. Spinner said a partnership with Indiana Landmarks was important to create and continue this program. Indiana Landmarks will: Offer workshops to building and business owners to encourage creativity. Conduct conditions assessment or recommend design and improvements to building owners. Provide education opportunities on preservation. Provide technical assistance to the community foundation on developing a long-term downtown endowment fund. Provide staff for a historic preservation commission with local ordinance. "PreservINg Main Street inspires excellence in communities and demonstrates that preserving historic character is a powerful tool for economic revitalization," said Indiana Landmarks President Marsh Davis. Indiana Humanities will also provide a $10,000 grant to the selected Main Street organization to implement humanities-based programs and activities focused on historic preservation. The Main Street organization may use these funds for short- and long-term humanities efforts in downtown. The funds can also be used for communications and storytelling around the program. Indiana Humanities will also assist and support the community in developing its plans for humanities-based programming and activities. “Indiana Humanities is pleased to partner again with OCRA and Indiana Landmarks in offering the PreservINg Main Street program,” said Indiana Humanities President and CEO Keira Amstutz. “With Indiana Humanities funding, previous grant recipients have engaged their communities in downtown preservation and revitalization work through history-related exhibits, walking tours, video projects and more. Our goal is to help PreservINg Main Street grant recipients utilize the humanities to share the stories of the people and businesses behind their downtown commercial districts, so that the community better understands the value of the grant-funded preservation work and feels a connection to the project.” An informational video on the overall program, timeline and application process are available on OCRA’s website. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on July 13, 2023, through eGMS. Visit in.gov/ocra/preserving-main-street/ for more information.

To the Kendallville Community: On Thursday, March 2, Historic Downtown Kendallville received the exciting news that we achieved accreditation with the National Main Street Association. This is a designation that brings our organization to a whole new level of prestige, while also opening up a variety of new funding opportunities and resources to help us continue our momentum; and to deliver on our mission of “encouraging the economic development, historic preservation, and continuous improvement of downtown Kendallville.” I would like to personally thank the board members, volunteers, downtown merchants, donors, stakeholders, city employees, patrons, and community members who participated in some way to help us achieve this goal. Whether you attended one of our roundtable sessions with the OCRA review team, helped with a Main Street project, donated your time and treasure, provided council and constructive feedback, or participated in some other way — you are ultimately responsible for our success, and for that I am extremely grateful. I look forward to continuing the incredible momentum in downtown Kendallville, and hope that you will continue to engage with us as we move forward in 2023, and beyond. Words are truly not enough to thank you all for your ongoing support! Kristen Johnson Main Street Manager Historic Downtown Kendallville

The event scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2023 has been cancelled. Contact Kristen at kendallvillemainstreet@gmail.com or (260) 318-0883 with questions. Thank you.