NC Main Street Program

Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership, Inc. is a non-profit Main Street America community and organization dedicated to promoting the historic preservation, protection, culture, and use of North Wilkesboro's traditional downtown district. It receives funds through grants and donations, and fund raising projects like our annual Light Up holiday event and the Independence Day Marketplace Meltdown. 

It employs a part-time director and is governed by a board of volunteers. Some of these board members are not residents of North Wilkesboro, but are county residents that understand the importance of an attractive and thriving downtown area to the overall economic health of the county. They know that such a downtown aids in the recruitment of businesses and industries, vacationers, retirees, and others seeking to relocate.

Since our becoming a N.C. Main Street Community in 2000, our primary goal has been to revitalize the downtown area of North Wilkesboro. We will accomplish this by making Downtown North Wilkesboro a vibrant and attractive center of activity for the citizens of Wilkes County, as well as helping the area to become a tool for economic development to attract tourism to the downtown area.

As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, the Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ Accredited programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.

We follow the four points of the Main Street approach, that used together, build a sustainable and complete community revitalization effort.

ECONOMIC VITALITY focuses on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.

DESIGN supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.

PROMOTION positions the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.

ORGANIZATION involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement, and resources for the district.