Visit the Farmers Market Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  You'll find fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, homemade bakery items, jams and jellies, bedding plants, and much, much more!

   Hutchinson Dixieland Band performs at

1st National Bank during the Art Tour 

Downtown Hutchinson has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center.  Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs that have built strong revitalization organizations and demonstrate their ability in using the Main Street Four Point Approach methodology for strengthening their local economy and protecting their historic buildings.

"We congratulate this year's nationally accredited Main Street programs for meeting our established performance standards," says Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center.  "Accredited Main Street programs are meeting the challenges of the recession head on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive revitalization strategy to keep their communities vibrant and sustainable."

The organization's performance is annually evaluated by Downtown Hutchinson, which works with the National Trust Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards.  These standards set the benchmarks for measuring an individual Main Street program's application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach to commercial district revitalization.  Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress, and preserving historic buildings.  For more information on the national program accreditation program, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/mainstreet/.

Since 2006 Downtown Hutchinson has reported to Kansas Main Street public investment of $9,509,394 and private investment of $9,019,385 based on occupancy and building permits filed with the City of Hutchinson.

Spend that same $100 in a national chain, only $42 stays in your community.

Spend that same $100 on-line, $0 is returned to your community.

It is important to post a "Buy Local" sign in your place of business or window.  A community needs to realize "This Is Their Home" and their way of life depends on the support of its independent, locally owned businesses.

Give your community a reason to shop local!  Let's transform your community into a retail destination, draw traffic and encourage sales.

Buying local is the right choice for your schools, your families and for your community.  Keep your community strong.  Invest in your locally owned businesses and keep your money in town!

1.  Shopping local creates jobs.  Shops in your town create local employment and self-employment.  These people in turn spend in the local economy.

2.  Local independent shops invest more in your communities.  Local businesses are proportionally more generous in their support of local charities, schools, and community events.  So supporting local shops means a financial contribution to your community.

3. Local shops sell great products at affordable prices. Some people get out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products available.

4. Shopping locally saves you time and money. You travel less, saving on time and fuel.

5. Shopping locally retains your communities. People don't like losing shops and services in small towns but don't equate this with how they spend their money.

6. Shopping locally retains your distinctiveness. Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products. Local businesses respond more quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet changing population needs.

7. Shopping locally saves the environment. Local shops often stock a high percentage of locally sourced goods that do not require long-distance transportation, helping to reduce our global footprint.

8. Local shops are for everyone. Most people can get to their local shops easily. This is especially important for the elderly, young people and others who rely on public transportation.

9. Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business, which means you get a higher standard of service.

10. Shopping local saves services. Private and public sector services cluster around shops. As shops disappear so do hairdressers, banks, restaurants and other businesses.

Consumers can pledge to Think, Shop, Buy, Local and commit to patronizing businesses near where they live and work. Local stores employ your neighbors, pay taxes that support your schools and improve your roads, and contribute to local non-profit groups.

Together we can strengthen relationships that improve our quality of life. So next time before you make a purchase, Think, Shop, Buy, Local.

The summer fun continues on Third Thursdays with activities for the entire family.  Be sure and share your Third Thursday activities by visiting  www.thirdthursdayhutch.com or if you have been contacted by a vendor or wish to have a vendor in front of your store please contact Brenda Hoefer at hoefer83@sbcglobal.net who is coordinating vendor spaces for Third Thursday.

Despite the heat we see a lot of construction going on and we can't wait to see the finished projects.  We so appreciate the energy, investment and vision by those who are transforming Downtown Hutchinson into a great place. 

We are looking for a great project to submit to Kansas Main Street for the August 30^th IWW, Incentives Without Walls no-interest loan (up to $20,000) program by August 1st.  We are also looking for paint, signage and small façade renovation projects (up to $1,500 at no interest) that we can loan from our local funds.  I'm available to help with the application so please call if you would like additional information or discuss your project.

To learn more about Downtown Events visit www.DowntownHutchinson.com and become our Facebook friend.

A lot of dedicated people are working hard to make downtown a better place.   If you are interested in helping or need more information about Downtown Hutchinson Kansas activities, events or volunteer opportunities, please call our office at 694-2677 or e-mail jims@hutchgov.com 

We'll be glad to include this information in our newsletter.