‘Round, ’round, get around – MainStreeters get around
This summer, MainStreeters have been getting around their districts, supporting businesses, hosting epic events and engaging their communities. Below are a few updates from New Mexico’s 32 MainStreet districts and we’d love to see more – we’re asking MainStreeters to show us what they got for our Get Around contest.
We’re inviting Executive Directors and staff to send us a photo of them getting around their district for a chance to win a $25 gift card! The winner will be chosen at random and awarded at the upcoming Gallup Institute in September. Send photos to info@nmmainstreet.org before September 16 to qualify. Special thanks to Robyne Beaubien for sponsoring this contest.
Mimbres Co-op supports community with fresh, local food
The Mimbres Thrift & Farm Store on Highway 35 opened in February 2026 and has been bustling ever since. As part of the Mimbres Food & Agricultural Cooperative, the store is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm to provide locally grown food, secondhand items such as clothes and housewares, and prepared foods ready to enjoy. Volunteers, Board members and two part-time employees operate the store which shares the building with the Mother Earth Dispensary.
Mimbres Valley joined NM MainStreet’s Project Based Initiatives in 2023 to get support with creating an agricultural cooperative and developing a local commercial property into the Mimbres Marketplace. Revitalization Specialist Will Powell provided technical assistance for their harvest festival and façade improvements. Additionally, Mimbres received two Resilient Communities Fund grants from the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance (NM MainStreet’s funding partner) in 2025 and 2023 to support the development of the marketplace and make needed curb appeal enhancements.
Valerie McCaffrey, Mimbres Food & Agriculture Cooperative President, recently provided updates and photos about this impactful project:
- The community continues to heartily support the store with revenue and donations.
- Local and New Mexico-raised products are priority at the store.
- Future projects include adding shade structures and durable/long picnic tables for lunch visitors to sit and eat, as well as continue to develop their commercial kitchen.
View the “MainStreet Frames Preservation” photo exhibit at Cornerstones in Santa Fe
Cornerstones Community Partnerships is celebrating preservation projects from MainStreet districts with a new photo exhibit, “MainStreet Frames Preservation.” Visit their Santa Fe office to enjoy photos and stories from Alamogordo, Farmington, Grants, Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Mora, Ruidoso, San Pedro, Truth or Consequences and Tucumcari. The show will be on view through early October.
This exhibition is more than a collection of photographs – it’s a celebration of the people, partnerships and communities who are preserving the places that define New Mexico. Each image captures a local success story and collectively they tell a larger one: historic preservation strengthens downtowns, supports local economies, protects our shared heritage and inspires pride in place.
Cornerstones works with public and private partners, volunteers, community organizations, leaders and youth to preserve historic structures throughout New Mexico and the Greater Southwest. Their Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service will fund rehabilitation projects within Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe (outside city limits), Taos and Torrance counties.
View more photos on our Facebook page.
Los Alamos MainStreet and Creative District’s “Voltage Visions” youth mural project
Los Alamos MainStreet and Creative District debuted “Voltage Visions,” the first project in a series of placemaking initiatives this year. Funded by a grant from the Creative Industries Division of Economic Development New Mexico, this project transforms electrical transformer boxes into vibrant public art.
For this initial project, Los Alamos partnered with the Los Alamos Teen Center and hired local artist Margarita Ryan to guide area youth through the entire creative process. Under Ryan’s mentorship, the teens engaged with concept planning, collaborative brainstorming, sketch development, surface preparation and professional painting techniques. In June, the team painted the first transformer in the series, located near the Fuller Lodge Lawn and Wolf & Mermaid Enchanted Roasters. The overarching concept was generated entirely by the students through preliminary planning and sketching workshops.
Seeking to blend local heritage with contemporary youth perspectives, participants chose to inject humor and vivid color into the community while recognizing its unique historical context. As the project progresses, the youth plan to illustrate additional topics and accomplishments they wish to see celebrated. One student participant shared, “I would like the town to have something else to talk about and see more humor, color and art.”
NM MainStreet Institute in Gallup Place Makers: Build It. Activate It. Share It.
Registration is open for NM MainStreet’s Institute in Gallup from Sept. 23–25! This special event will bring together leaders, partners and revitalization professionals for three days of hands-on learning and collaboration focused on building, activating and sharing placemaking projects.
Thank you to Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District and the City of Gallup for welcoming our network of community economic developers this fall.
Keeping City Hall in the Loop: Strategic Government Communications for MainStreet Organizations
This summer, NM MainStreet’s Senior Organization & Capacity Building Revitalization Specialist Amy Barnhart and Project Coordinator Lucas Pedraza presented “Keeping City Hall in the Loop: Strategic Government Communications for MainStreet Organizations” to the network.
This presentation provided insight and inspiration on communication strategies and relationship building. Amy and Lucas also showcased best practices from T or C, San Pedro, Downtown ABQ and Carlsbad districts.
Read more on our website.
Discover historic buildings, galleries, murals and small businesses with Downtown ABQ MainStreet’s new tours and maps
Downtown ABQ MainStreet Arts & Cultural District launched a new series of walking tours designed to turn art exploration into foot traffic for local businesses. The program offers a digital self-guided tour, guided tours, and a set of collectible physical maps, illustrated by local artist Zak Rutledge, that chart a path through the district’s historic buildings, art galleries/museums and public murals.
The initiative was made possible by a grant from the New Mexico Creative Industries Division and builds on their ongoing work of leveraging arts and culture as an engine for economic vitality downtown.
Learn more and sign up for August tours on their website.
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