MAIN STREET BRENHAM CELEBRATING 20 YEARS WITH “AN AUTUMN EVENING ON MAIN” NOVEMBER 7TH
Main Street Brenham is marking 20 years of downtown revitalization.
To celebrate, the program will host “An Autumn Evening on Main” on November 7th. The reception dinner will include an auction, and recognition of three individuals with Distinguished Main Street Honoree Awards.
Having celebrated anniversaries after five, ten, and 15 years in the program, Main Street will continue the tradition of honoring individuals who have contributed their time, talent and resources to build a successful downtown. This year’s honorees are Tom Whitehead, and Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam.
Whitehead has served numerous terms on the Main Street Board, and has been active on the Promotion Committee for many years. He was instrumental in early planning of Tastes, Tunes and Treasures that eventually became Hot Nights, Cool Tunes. He has worked diligently on Main Street events, including Uptown Swirl, Spring Eggs Art Walk, Summer Sip and the Scarecrow Extravaganza, and on the creation of the Downtown Master Plan.
In addition, through KTEX/KWHI, Whitehead has been a major sponsor of events and promotions that help keep downtown Brenham a vital and thriving part of the community.
Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam first opened Home Sweet Farm Market in Downtown Brenham in 2013 as a farm store, and expanded in 2015 with a biergarten and live entertainment. It was this venture that took downtown to the next level, serving as a catalyst for additional nighttime activities for locals and visitors.
Brad was also a co-founder of the Texas Arts and Music Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit developed to promote music and arts throughout Downtown Brenham, with the first festival in 2016. Each year, the murals painted during the festival bring thousands to the community. In addition, the Stufflebeams have been instrumental in collaborating with other business owners on the Brenham Bounce, and holding a Gumbo Cookoff and Chili Throwdown annually.
Former Main Street Manager Jennifer Eckermann said the success of the Main Street program has been a great public and private partnership with people motivated to keep downtown Brenham “the vital and thriving core of our community”.
Eckermann said the program’s mission is to use National Main Street’s four-point approach to revitalization, including organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality. She said these efforts encourage reinvestment with preservation, and entice businesses, customers, visitors and residents to Brenham’s historic downtown.