Main Street’s mission is to strengthen walhalla

Written By Main Street Walhalla Director .

What is Main Street America?

Main Street America leads a national movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

What is Main Street Walhalla?

Main Street Walhalla is a 501(c)(3) non-profit affiliated with both the national Main Street America program and Main Street SC. By being a part of the national and state Main Street programs, we are provided with tools and resources that help strengthen our community through preservation-based economic development.

What are some of Main Street Walhalla’s Goals for 2024?

  • Main Street Walhalla will be focusing on securing funding for upgraded amenities in Kauffman Gardens (more commonly known as the Depot Park) and at the Walhalla Food Truck Lot.

  • Partnering with the Oconee History Museum to create a plan for a Historic Walking Tour/Path on Main Street Walhalla.

  • Incorporating more of Walhalla’s Historic Heritage into City and Main Street Walhalla events.

What are some of the roles of the Director of the Main Street Walhalla program?

  • Collect Reinvestment Statistics for the Downtown District of Walhalla

  • Submit Annual Report to Main Street SC

  • Establishing Strategic Communications with Key Stakeholders and the Small Businesses Downtown

  • Partnering and Collaborating with the City of Walhalla, Small Businesses, and Other Local Non-Profits

  • Promotional Projects

  • Economic Vitality Projects

  • Downtown Design Projects

  • Expanding Communication and Transparency

  • Assisting New and Existing Businesses with Access to Tools and Resources

  • Small Business Guides

  • Educational Opportunities

  • Available Grants

  • Focused Discussions (Merchants Meetings)

  • City Liaison

  • Promotional Project Management

  • Event Coordinator

  • Large and Small Festivals

  • Shop, Eat, Play, Stay Local Campaigns

  • Historic Heritage

  • Local Outdoor Recreation

  • Volunteer Organization

  • Placemaker

  • Grant Writer

  • Continuing Education

  • Attending National and State Main Street Conferences

  • Leadership Training

What are some of the ways Main Street Walhalla supports its small businesses?

At the request of the businesses in the downtown district, Main Street Walhalla began hosting Merchant Meetings in November 2023. These meetings provide opportunities for business owners to meet each other, have guest speakers, share promotional events, be given small business materials, and discuss operational and customer experiences.

As a small business advocate, Main Street Walhalla attends all new business walk-throughs and assists with grand openings in the downtown district.

After partnering with a local marketing management company, Main Street Walhalla launched a new video promotional project in October 2023. Open to all small businesses in the downtown district, these promotional videos take the viewer inside the individual businesses. Business owners provide a brief introduction and describe the customer experience. This is an excellent ice breaker and establishes a connection between the viewer and the business.

Meet Catie Fisher, Director, Main Street Walhalla

Main Street Walhalla is my home and my community. I grew up on Main Street in two historical homes that were built by my ancestors in the 1850s. My family has always been involved in and supported the Walhalla community. From a young age, I watched my mother and my great aunt help restore what is now the Walhalla Performing Arts Center (WPAC). A few years later, they both bought the old school building next to WPAC, soon to be Hotel Alum, restored it, and turned it into a Conservatory for the Arts. These are just two of the many community projects my family has been a part of and what has fueled my passion for community placemaking.

I started my professional career as a classically trained singer at 13 years old. For my last two years in high school, I attended and graduated from the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. I then received a nearly full scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's in Music with a focus in opera. I married a local from New Orleans, and we had our daughter in 2016. After working for the New Orleans Opera Company for eight years, we moved back to Walhalla and had our son in 2021. Our children are the 7th generation to live in my ancestral homes and on Main Street Walhalla.

Main Street Walhalla Director .
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