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Hagerstown proposes $1,000 ‘Main Event’ grants for downtown businesses
Summary
City staff proposed a new Main Event grant that would allow Main Street businesses to apply for up to $1,000 per eligible event (up to five times per calendar year) with $20,000 reallocated from existing downtown event funds; council members asked about eligibility, collaborations and application details.
City staff presented a new Main Event grant program on Nov. 18 that would let Main Street businesses apply for up to $1,000 per qualifying event to help offset costs for larger indoor or on‑site events that current downtown-event funding does not cover.
Britney, a Downtown/Main Street staff member, said the program would not seek additional funding; instead, $20,000 would be taken from the existing downtown events fund. Eligible applicants would be businesses located in the Main Street area; the program is not structured as a matching grant. Applicants could receive the award up to five times per calendar year or until funds are exhausted. Staff said the program would begin Jan. 1 and run on a calendar-year basis.
Council members suggested adding an event-description field to the application checklist to give reviewers more context, and asked whether nonprofits could participate and whether businesses could collaborate on events. Staff replied that the program is open to any Main Street business and that collaboration is possible but that funding would likely be allocated to the event location rather than split equally among multiple sites.
Staff said they will track initial expenditures and return to council in six months with data on program use and suggested eligibility adjustments if needed.
