Downtown Events Coming Up
• Chilifest and Painted Milk Cans silent auction, Oct. 4
• Scare on the Square, with kids' costume parade and 'trunk-or-treat' in the parking ramp, Oct. 31
• Shop Small Saturday, Nov. 29
• Lighted Christmas parade, with a chance to meet Santa Claus, Dec. 5
MONROE - Amy Brandt will close the office door of Main Street Monroe as its executive director one last time Tuesday. But that doesn't mean Main Street Monroe is going to stop.
"Not at all," Brandt said.
Brandt said she is stepping aside after 28 months as director to focus more time on her family, but she expects she will still be participating in a volunteer T-shirt.
"I love it - it's just not the right time," she said.
Under Brandt, Main Street Monroe has expanded its Concerts on the Square, took on a two-year theme of Farmin' on the Square, increased its volunteer pool, expanded its car shows, pumped up its public exposure with a new website and Facebook page, and is keeping downtown buildings filled with stores and residents.
And, Brandt said, the organization has several events planned for the rest of the year, plus a new summer theme in the works.
"Our program is in such a great place," she added.
She attributes the successes to the enthusiasm of all the volunteers and event sponsors who have joined the effort to make Monroe a notable place to live, shop and play. She believes the 60 new volunteers, including many younger adults, over the past two years came from "seeing bigger things happening on the Square."
Main Street expanded its Concerts on the Square, underwritten by Colony Brands, to nine shows in 2014. About 2,000 people attended the first one, and about 1,500 at each concert thereafter, Brandt said.
The two car shows in 2014 had more than 300 cars and required the entire Square for each event.
"Except for Cheese Days, never before was all the Square closed for an event," Brandt added.
Awareness of the Main Street Monroe program and all of its events has traveled beyond the city and even beyond Green County, making the organization a representative of the county, Brandt said. Other communities have asked her how Monroe maintains such a high occupancy rate in its downtown.
"People want to be on the Square," Brandt said. "They want to be downtown, and we are just blessed because of a beautiful historic downtown and the historic courthouse."
"Band members (playing at Concerts on the Square) have told me what a beautiful downtown we have," she said, "and they are noticing what a wide range of demographics we have at the shows."
Classes and families have started pre-planning their reunions with a call to the Main Street office for concert dates and asking about reserving space, she added.
Brandt said what she most liked during her tenure were all the people she came into contact with and the relationships that were created.
"Being away and coming back to my hometown, and doing something that is making a difference, it's such a gift," she added.
"Not at all," Brandt said.
Brandt said she is stepping aside after 28 months as director to focus more time on her family, but she expects she will still be participating in a volunteer T-shirt.
"I love it - it's just not the right time," she said.
Under Brandt, Main Street Monroe has expanded its Concerts on the Square, took on a two-year theme of Farmin' on the Square, increased its volunteer pool, expanded its car shows, pumped up its public exposure with a new website and Facebook page, and is keeping downtown buildings filled with stores and residents.
And, Brandt said, the organization has several events planned for the rest of the year, plus a new summer theme in the works.
"Our program is in such a great place," she added.
She attributes the successes to the enthusiasm of all the volunteers and event sponsors who have joined the effort to make Monroe a notable place to live, shop and play. She believes the 60 new volunteers, including many younger adults, over the past two years came from "seeing bigger things happening on the Square."
Main Street expanded its Concerts on the Square, underwritten by Colony Brands, to nine shows in 2014. About 2,000 people attended the first one, and about 1,500 at each concert thereafter, Brandt said.
The two car shows in 2014 had more than 300 cars and required the entire Square for each event.
"Except for Cheese Days, never before was all the Square closed for an event," Brandt added.
Awareness of the Main Street Monroe program and all of its events has traveled beyond the city and even beyond Green County, making the organization a representative of the county, Brandt said. Other communities have asked her how Monroe maintains such a high occupancy rate in its downtown.
"People want to be on the Square," Brandt said. "They want to be downtown, and we are just blessed because of a beautiful historic downtown and the historic courthouse."
"Band members (playing at Concerts on the Square) have told me what a beautiful downtown we have," she said, "and they are noticing what a wide range of demographics we have at the shows."
Classes and families have started pre-planning their reunions with a call to the Main Street office for concert dates and asking about reserving space, she added.
Brandt said what she most liked during her tenure were all the people she came into contact with and the relationships that were created.
"Being away and coming back to my hometown, and doing something that is making a difference, it's such a gift," she added.