Royston Main Street Program Receives National Accreditation

The City of Royston is another local municipality whose Main St. program has made the National Main St. Accreditation list for 2014.

Recently, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Office of Downtown Development awarded Royston for having the one of the greatest volunteer supports among Main Street programs across the state.

Royston Downtown Development Authority Director and Main St. Director Candy Rhoades said the Main Street Program in her town is all about community with lots of events planned throughout the year.

In the spring was the Easter Egg hunt and Spring Festival and car show.

“Our next project is August 7th, which is a midday concert featuring Ashley Strickland. That will be downtown and we’re looking forward to that.  This summer our Farmer’s Market is doing extremely well. We’ve had a lot of participation and a lot of people coming out to support the  market.”

Now in the planning stages, Rhoades said is the Royston Fall Festival on October 7.

And during the holidays, the town celebrates with its annual Christmas parade and down town decorating, part of which includes painting storefront windows.

“We promote that citywide and usually have a wonderful response,” Rhoades said. “We will begin promoting that in mid-November. We always have a lot of people coming downtown during the holidays to  look at our window paintings.”

Rhoades said the window paintings have become so popular at Christmas, some store owners now also have them painted at other times of the year.  Another project that is ongoing in downtown Royston is the storefront facade grant.

“We have offered as many as five grants in one year,” she said. “This year we’ve awarded one so far, with one application in that has not yet been decided.”

Rhoades said the goal is to constantly work with local businesses to encourage them and provide economic opportunities, such as the newly designated area in downtown Royston recently approved as a State and Federal Economic Opportunity Zone. Among other things, the designation gives local business owners tax incentives to encourage expansion.

“The Main Street program is not just about events, it’s about design and economic opportunities,” she said.

Also in the works Rhoades said is work to renovate the Royston Train Depot using grant funding.

That project is expected to begin later this year.