05 Nov 2024 Downtown Morrilton shines because of Main Street board

Posted at 6:21 PMh in Business, Features by

By Mary Eggart

Many Arkansans are proud of their hometowns and take great lengths to ensure that those communities are nurtured and thriving, and the citizens of Morrilton are no exception. In 1997, a group of local volunteers began what is currently known as Main Street Morrilton with the goal “to promote downtown Morrilton as the hub of community life.”

Main Street Morrilton Board Members are committed to promoting downtown as the hub of community life. Members include Dani Krutz (from left), Dustin Taylor, Secretary Carl Doze, Courtney Martin, Treasurer Kimberly Berkemeyer and President Morgan Zimmerman. Not pictured: VP Maddie Maus, Stephanie Lipsmeyer, Johnathan Howard, Regina Long, Ashley Lienhart, Debbie Flowers and Shannon Autry. Photo by Kimberly Jean Photography.

As a Main Street America affiliate, Main Street Morrilton is part of a national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Morgan Zimmerman is the president of Main Street Morrilton, and 13 volunteer board members bring their talents and strengths to the table in order to efficiently collaborate and promote downtown businesses, public spaces and historic attractions. Zimmerman’s passion for serving her community is infectious.

“I love our downtown people. When they have success, it’s a win for everyone!” she said. She also believes that successful businesses result in happy citizens who keep those businesses thriving, which often leads to more commerce and an increase in other businesses. Zimmerman believes that for those living and working in a smaller town, community should be at “the heart of everything,” whether as a public art space or a local coffee shop. Citizens should always be able to interact with their neighbors and have access to an outdoor space where they can visit and enjoy warm conversation at the end of a long day.

“I have always joked to people that I just want to be able to have a mimosa on a patio in my hometown,” she said. “Downtown is the hub of the community. I have always loved that vibe.” She enjoys an atmosphere where friends and neighbors are sauntering around and going in and out of local businesses while having great conversations with each other. Zimmerman wants her children to also experience that same sense of community in Morrilton. “I want for it to be a town where they want to stay and raise their families.”

The Main Street Morrilton volunteers have popular projects and activities in place with exciting plans on the horizon. Some current projects are Monsters on Main Street, which was one of the group’s first events for the community at Halloween, and the local Downtown Farmers Market, which is held on the third Thursday from May until October.

They are excited about a community improvement project that is being done in partnership with the Morrilton Chamber of Commerce and the Conway County Economic Development Corporation. It is called Holyfield Place and is located at 120 N. Moose St., which is also the location for the Downtown Farmers Market. Holyfield Place was designed to enhance the overall downtown experience by providing the community with a gathering place to hold events that include musical performances, art shows and other family-friendly experiences. 

Main Street Morrilton offers community supporters the opportunity to purchase brick pavers in honor or memory of loved ones. On Oct. 21, John Robert Irwin, a local lawyer and active member of the community, was memorialized on Moose Street. In attendance were attorney Scott Kadien, Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer, Joshua Irwin, Jan Irwin, and Main Street Morrilton Board Members Stephanie Lipsmeyer and Debbie Flowers.

It will eventually be a public park that will be managed by the Morrilton Parks and Recreation Department.

The board president spoke enthusiastically about current and future Main Street Morrilton events and projects with the intention of building community through creating gathering places and reasons for gathering. She believes downtown is the perfect area for those spaces because of the local history and the amazing businesses that provide a wide variety of goods and services to the Morrilton community. “We have to give our citizens these engaging spaces and events for gathering, or they will likely go find it somewhere else,” she remarked.

Organizing, publicizing, implementing and maintaining these events and spaces take a tremendous amount of time and elbow grease. Zimmerman said that none of it would happen without the diligence and determination of her 13 board members. As all of them, including Zimmerman, are volunteers, progress can sometimes be a challenge, having to work around everyone’s work and family schedules. Additionally, Zimmerman said that the board is action-oriented, and all members have a passion for their community as they work together to make changes and/or improvements throughout the downtown area.

Because of volunteers like Zimmerman and the other board members, another Arkansas community gets an opportunity to outshine its former self. Arkansans are passionate stewards of their hometowns, and groups like Main Street Morrilton exist so they can ensure their community’s longevity.

You can find out more about Main Street Morrilton through their social media profiles and at mainstreetmorrilton.org.