Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) is celebrating its 18th anniversary as an accredited Main Street program. Since 2005, LMSA has fostered significant revitalization in Laramie’s downtown, creating partnerships and offering popular events, including Brewfest, the Farmers Market, Small Business Saturday, the Holiday Parade, along with many new events like the Pop Up Art Walk, Train Lighting and the International Flavor Festival.

“Over the past 18 years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of people opening and growing businesses downtown as well as community members getting involved as consumers and volunteers,” said Trey Sherwood, LMSA Director. “Main Street works hard to support locally owned businesses by collaborating with the City of Laramie, Visit Laramie and University of Wyoming to cross promote, invest in physical improvements, and host special events that keep downtown Laramie vibrant.”

LMSA offers programming and service for businesses, focusing on bringing the community together, supporting entrepreneurs, and working collaboratively to make downtown a better place for all. These services are free to any business or property owner downtown. LMSA also offers various grants that provide funds for businesses for Signage Grants, Maintenance Grants, and Renovation/Preservation Grants. Since 2005, 430 private building rehabilitation projects have been logged, including several second-story residential projects and many small-scale efforts to retain historic features.

$18 for 18

To kick off the 18th Anniversary celebration, LMSA is launching a campaign to increase sustaining donors from the community.

“A monthly gift to LMSA makes BIG a difference for us,” said Sherwood, “We are kicking off our 18th anniversary by asking the community to join us as monthly donors. Just a $1 for every year we’ve been working for Laramie -- $18 for 18 years—as a monthly gift, would keep our organization strong and moving Downtown Laramie forward.”

Through grant funding and community support, LMSA has grown over the past 18 years from an all volunteer organization to a staff of four, with a team of student interns and an army of volunteers. LMSA has helped 165 new businesses open downtown, witnessed the creation of 720 net new jobs, documented 430 renovation projects, utilized over 62,000 volunteer hours, and conducted 54 public improvement projects for a total of more than $27.6 million invested downtown between 2005 - 2022.

“We are excited about upcoming projects that will create an even better downtown for the next 18 years,” said Sherwood. “LMSA continues its rich tradition of collaboration with the 2025 overhaul of Third Street, the state highway that runs through downtown. After a decade of working alongside the City and the Department of Transportation on a community-driven collaborative planning process, Third Street will be safe and walkable.”

“We’re grateful for the community's ongoing support of Main Street,” Sherwood continued “So many people have made downtown what it is today. We hope our work inspires the Laramigos to join in the fun of revitalizing a vibrant downtown. Donate at: http://bit.ly/lmsa18