Old Friends, New Faces, Big Ideas at the 2026 Main Street Together Conference
What a day! On Saturday October 17, our second Main Street Together Conference brought community leaders to downtown Warren from 14 of Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities, with plenty of new faces joining our growing network. Sarah O’Brien’s keynote set an inspiring tone, the sessions sparked great questions and conversations, and we celebrated the graduation of our Main Street Learning Cohort. Thank you to everyone who came, shared ideas, and made new connections. Your Main Streets are on a path of getting stronger because thanks to your participation. Here’s to building our Main Streets Together!
Congratulations to our Learning Cohort Graduates!
A big congratulations to our Main Street Learning Cohort graduates, whose hard work and dedication to their communities carried them through our inaugural program. We were thrilled that Lt. Governor Sabina Matos joined us in honoring our graduates as they received their certificates at the Main Street Together Conference. We can’t wait to see what you do next!
INTRODUCING THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR MAIN STREET MOVEMENT: MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES:
Interested in joining our movement to strengthen your local main street? Applications are now open! Deadline: December 1
In 2026, we launched our inaugural Learning Cohort with 11 teams from districts across the state. Now, in the second year of our state funding, we’re expanding our programming with advanced opportunities for teams to put the Main Street Approach into practice in their own districts. We will also continue to offer our introductory courses on the Four Points (organization, design, promotion, and economic vitality). Sessions will alternate monthly between 101 and 102, starting in January and ending in October.