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Main Street Advisory Board approves 'Taste of Downtown' vendor model and moves forward with ticketed awards event
Summary
The board approved a curated 'Taste of Downtown' awards event for 2026, endorsing a tasting-style vendor model, a stipend approach for small downtown businesses, and a tentative ticket price range; the board voted to proceed but transcript did not record a roll-call tally.
The Main Street Advisory Board approved organizing a "Taste of Downtown" awards event to pair a short awards program with a tasting-format vendor area featuring downtown restaurants. Committee members discussed venue constraints (the KD Depot would be infeasible if the board had to pay to rent it) and proposed a model in which 12–15 downtown businesses would offer small tasting portions, aided by a stipend to offset costs.
Speakers debated ticket pricing, with members suggesting $15–$20 per person and estimating attendance in the 150–200 range depending on vendor participation. Speaker 11 described prior calculations for a sample size, and Speaker 12 said staff would prepare a clear vendor call with a proposal template to avoid duplicate food types. The committee discussed operational details including providing vendor stipends, whether stipends should cover full costs or offset them, and the need to ensure participating restaurants also engage with the awards program rather than only providing food.
A motion to proceed with organizing the event was made and seconded; the board voted in favor. The transcript records voice votes of "Aye" and the chair noting the motion is approved; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. Organizers will issue a call for vendors with proposed stipends and set a registration deadline so small businesses have priority for guaranteed slots.
Next steps: staff will distribute vendor application materials and finalize a ticket price and cap on participants; organizers will aim to balance small downtown businesses' participation with the presence of larger corporate chains to ensure local representation.
