New Port Richey Main Street unveils rebrand, new website and expanded events to draw visitors year-round

New Port Richey Main Street reported to the City Council on new branding, digital tools and expanded downtown events aimed at increasing year-round visitation. Kim Brast, speaking for the organization, said Main Street now has 10 board members and one staff person and has built a new brochure that will be distributed to four Florida visitor centers.

"We focus on supporting and promoting downtown businesses, creating certain experiences like wine micros and stuff like that," Brast said. She also highlighted a new website with individual pages for downtown businesses, a searchable events calendar and an SEO-optimized event page that, the group said, recorded roughly 2,300 visits in June. Main Street provided a breakdown of top visitor origins on the site: Ireland, the United Kingdom and Sweden among countries; Georgia, New York and Colorado among states; and Tampa, Miami and Trinity among cities, with New Port Richey listed fourth.

Nathan Ward (Main Street) described recurring programming that aims to encourage repeat visits and overnight stays: Fourth Fridays with vendors and entertainment, a Summer in the City promotional rebate program that returned $2,000 to participating local businesses last year, a pet-friendly "Puppy Crawl," an annual Art on Main event and a sellout murder-mystery fundraiser. The organization also said it will speak at the Florida Governor's Conference on Tourism in September to promote the city's efforts.

Brast and Main Street asked the council to continue supporting public art, wayfinding and volunteer engagement as tools to build local economic activity; council members thanked the group and invited a group photo.

Main Street noted state awards for communications and local leadership; the presenters said those recognitions and the expanded digital tools will help attract visitors and provide marketing support for downtown businesses.