Main Street Hanford reports record attendance and proposes $40,000 downtown speaker project

Michelle Brown, executive director of Main Street Hanford, presented the nonprofit’s 2025 annual report during the council’s study session and outlined programming, grants and proposed projects for 2026.

“Main Street Hanford’s mission is to support and promote Downtown Hanford and improving the quality of life for the people who work and live in our community,” Brown said. She credited volunteers and a small staff with delivering signature events — notably Thursday Night Marketplace — and with a digital storytelling program that she said produced millions of social-media views.

Brown said Main Street Hanford provided about $21,000 in façade grants last year, invested roughly $67,600 in downtown improvement activities in 2025 (up from about $40,400 in 2024), and claimed 149,000 visits to the Thursday Night Marketplace across 25 nights. She also outlined a pilot project to install 15 outdoor speakers across downtown — from Civic Park through Dowdy Street — in a first phase that she estimated would cost approximately $40,000. Brown said the project would be phased and subject to property‑owner approvals.

Councilmembers and members of the public praised Main Street’s work. Council members suggested Main Street explore revenue opportunities and cross‑promotion with larger city events to maximize downtown economic benefits. Brown said the organization is rolling out an associate-membership program (Friends of Main Street) and a community gift-card program, Main Street Money, to keep spending in downtown businesses.

Next steps: Brown said she would return with implementation details for the outdoor‑speaker project and continue Main Street’s outreach to businesses and event partners.