Farmers Market Feature: & J Second Chance Small Holdings

J & J Second Chance Small Holdings is a Wyoming non-profit goat sanctuary run by Army veteran Jennifer and her daughter Janna.  Together they rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome goats and other animals.   

Have you visited their booth at the Farmers Market?  If not, be sure to stop by soon; the Laramie market runs through September 29th.   Don’t hesitate to step into the enclosed area where Second Chance’s specially trained goats welcome young and old alike.  You will see goats dressed in fairy wings and some without.  And don’t be dismayed if you see them display their habit of plopping on the ground…don’t worry they are just fine.  They get right back up! Some of Second Chance’s goats are the famous fainting goats.

The goats are so tame and well trained. They will sit in your lap and are very gentle. Within just a few minutes you will be amazed at how relaxed you can feel just hanging out with them; it’s like free therapy.

In fact Second Chance does provide goat therapy in group sessions and one-on-one too.  They travel throughout Wyoming for events, community services, and advocacy/education.  Check out their website  www.jjsecondchancesmallholdings.com where you can learn about all they do in our community, see their events calendar, sign up to volunteer and more. 

Today’s vendor highlight is brought to you by your award winning Main Street. 

Farmers Market Feature: Gem City Nights

It's last call for Gem City Nights! Don't miss out...Friday, September 1, 2023. 

Tonight's performance features De Grigons Y Gremmies and Banshee Tree from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - at the North side of Depot Park.

This FREE concert is presented by the Laramie Plains Civic Center's Gryphon Theatre!

Stop by the drop-in art workshop too at the Laramie Plains Civic Center tent from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. 

This week's vendor highlight is brought to you by your award winning Main Street.

Parking lot Name Winners

Public parking lots and on street parking spaces are precious commodities in bustling commercial districts. In August, Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) asked for your help to rename the 5 FREE ALL-DAY parking lots downtown in order to highlight the availability of public parking in the district. LMSA had an overwhelmingly positive response to the survey with 242 community members responding.

The winning parking lot names are as follows:

Parking lot #1, at Garfield and 1st: TROUT, with 42% of the vote. 

Parking lot #2 between Custer and Garfield on 1st, JACKALOPE, with 72% of the vote. 

Parking lot #3 at Custer and 2nd, SAGE-GROUSE, with 72% of the vote.

Parking lot #4 at University and 1st, BISON, with 57% of the vote.

Parking lot #5 at University and 4th, MOOSE, with 65% of the vote. 

Located throughout  the district, the all day parking lots are perfect for downtown employees, visitors who are participating in community events, and people who want to spend more than 2 hours downtown.

Congratulations to Linda Valenti who won the drawing for a $25 downtown gift certificate for completing the survey. Linda is excited to use the lots when she comes down to shop local!

LMSA is planning further enhancements to the parking lots. With the help of the  Laramie Public Art Coalition, LMSA will put out a call for artists to design new parking lot signage and beautify the lots. In addition, LMSA’s Parking Committee is developing incentives for downtown employees who utilize the lots during their shifts. If you are interested in volunteering for this initiative, contact Kim Jessen, LMSA Volunteer Coordinator at kim@laramiemainstreet.org or visit www.laramiemainstreet.org/volunteer to fill out a volunteer application.

Farmers Market Feature: ACRES Student Farm

This week’s vendor highlight recognizing ACRES Student Farm is brought to you by our award winning Main Street.

This Friday, August 25th be sure to stop by the ACRES Student Farm booth on the corner of Harney and 30th Street.  Grab a free canvas tote bag  with your $10 purchase too!

School has started back up…this Friday is the last day ACRES is scheduled to be at the Laramie Farmers Market for the time being.  Be sure to follow their socials https://linktr.ee/ACRESstudentfarm for the most up to date information about any possible additional market days this Fall.

We want to give a loud shout out of thanks to the students who run our local Laramie ACRES Student Farm, to all the volunteers who help out, and the faculty advisors at the University of Wyoming who support and guide this treasured local initiative!

Farmers Market Feature: Twigs & Aloe

Twigs & Aloe is a local Wyoming business that specializes in hand-crafted candles, apparel, accessories, some skin care items, and more.  You won’t find a long list of ingredients on their products; owner Tayla Davis makes each all-natural, small batch by hand.  Designs for their apparel and accessories line are all original.  

Stop by the Twigs & Aloe table at this Friday’s Farmers Market or visit www.twigsandaloe.com to buy online.  This Friday the 16th you can also pre-order their Fall 2023 featured Pumpkin Patch candle or Spooky SZN sweatshirt.  Small batch items do sell out at times so pre-ordering is a great idea!

This week’s Vendor Highlight recognizing Twigs & Aloe is brought to you by your award-winning Main Street! 

Name That Lot!

Downtown parking lots and on street parking are precious commodities in small towns that rely on locally owned businesses as economy engines. In order to increase awareness of where the free, all day public parking lots are located downtown, Laramie Main Street Laramie is launching a Wyoming wildlife themed, “Name That Lot” campaign. 

Located centrally, and on both the north and south ends of the district, all day lots are perfect for downtown employees, visitors coming for events, and people who want to spend more than 2 hours shopping or dining. 

Public parking lots are conveniently located at First and University Avenue, Fourth and University Avenue, First and Garfield, Second and Custer, Fifth and Grand (City Hall) and north of the historic train depot (where the Farmers Market is hosted). Together, these lots provide 284 parking spots.

With this in mind, help us “Name That Lot” to increase awareness of the locations and availability of parking downtown. 

The survey opens August 4 and closes at midnight on August 18. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/namethelots

As a thank you, participants will be entered into a drawing for a $25 downtown gift certificate. 

Winning names will be posted on signage at each lot. 

Learn more at: https://laramiemainstreet.org/parking

Welcome to the Team Ana Castro

Ana Castro is a dynamic and community-driven professional who recently assumed the role of Program Coordinator for Laramie Main Street. With a passion for revitalizing community spaces and fostering local economic growth, Ana brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her new position.

Ana's journey began in Mexico City, where she was born. However, at a young age, her family moved to Jackson, Wyoming, and this picturesque town became the backdrop for her formative years. Over the course of 24 years, Ana has called Wyoming her home, and her love for the state and its community runs deep.

Known for her excellent communication skills and ability to bring people together, Ana will undoubtedly play a key role in driving Laramie Main Street's mission forward. Her vision for the program involves a strong focus on community engagement, event planning, and implementing creative strategies to attract visitors and promote local entrepreneurship.

As the new Program Coordinator, Ana's goal is to make Laramie's downtown area a vibrant and thriving hub for residents and visitors alike. By fostering a sense of pride in the community and leveraging her expertise in community organizing, she aims to create an even more welcoming and dynamic downtown space that continues to evolve and flourish.

Summer Flowers Arrive Downtown

A series of colorful summer flower pots have made their way to downtown Laramie again with the support of Laramie Main Street, the Laramie Garden Club and downtown businesses.  Flowers of many varieties brighten up the storefronts of businesses downtown thanks to the Adopt-a-Pot program. 

The Adopt-a-Pot program has been a long running favorite for downtown businesses and their patrons. It is a collaborative effort to keep downtown inviting, friendly and beautiful for residents and summer visitors. Laramie Main Street’s Design Team volunteers coordinate the ordering and payments for the flower pots, Windmill Hill Greenhouse plants and delivers them, and the Laramie Garden Club provided a 50% cost share with businesses who wanted to participate. 

In addition to the cost share contribution,The Laramie Garden Club also planted three of the large permanent planters located downtown with the local businesses nearby watering them for the summer. 

As you visit the historic district this summer, be sure to stop and smell the new and colorful flowers dotting the streets. 

For more information about Laramie Main Street, and volunteering with our Design Team, visit: https://laramiemainstreet.org/volunteer 

Hide and Seek on 3rd Street!

As the City of Laramie continues a multi-phase water system rehabilitation project along the Third Street corridor, Laramie Main Street is launching a campaign to drive foot traffic to the impacted businesses. 

As an incentive for customers to shop local during construction, Main Street is providing impacted businesses each with a $10 downtown gift certificate to hide in their store this week, starting Wednesday, June 21. 

Shoppers are encouraged to visit the following businesses and look for the certificates, that can be used like a check anywhere downtown.

• Daylight Donuts

• Hometown Garage

• Subway

• Grounds Internet and Coffee Lounge

• Bagelmakers

• Qdoba

• Travel Inn

• Link Cycling

• Laramie Respiratory

• Laramie Property Management Group & Laramie Auto Glass

• Hot Power Yoga

• ReVive - IV Vitamin Bar

• St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

• Laramie Soup Kitchen & Clothing Cottage

We'll be posting photos of the lucky winners and gathering customer testimonials to enhance the campaign. 

Main Street has also developed marketing materials for the impacted businesses, including poster and social media templates and a business handbook. These can be downloaded at:  https://laramiemainstreet.org/thirdstreet 

This second phase of construction began in April and is estimated to be complete by October 2023. The project involves abandoning the old water main and installing a new one along the western side of the street. The project will include the replacement of the water main within Third Street between Lewis Street to Sheridan Street moving from north to south. Additionally, water main repairs will be made in the Third Street and Fetterman Street intersection. The City states, "there will be an unavoidable temporary inconvenience to area businesses and the public".

For project updates and a map of the impacted area, visit: https://laramiemainstreet.org/thirdstreet 

For more information, reach out to Jennifer Power, Laramie Main Street Communication Coordinator at marketing@laramiemainstreet.org 

*Applications Closed* Full Time Program Coordinator

POSITION OVERVIEW: Laramie Main Street’s Program Coordinator is a champion for downtown! They inspire and lead people through collaborative work with a variety of individuals and organizations while building consensus among diverse stakeholders. They coordinate redevelopment projects utilizing Laramie’s Downtown Development Plan and National Main Street’s Four-Point Approach for downtown revitalization: Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Development. The Program Coordinator will learn, practice and promote downtown revitalization best practices using local, regional and national resources to support Laramie Main Street’s mission and transformation strategy.

This position will assist the Executive Director with the administration of the program. Based on the individuals skill set and interest, the final job description could include a focus on:

• Event planning and coordination

• Community and volunteer engagement

• Fundraising, grant writing and budget monitoring

• Outreach to and support for businesses and property owners

• Administrative support for board members and committee chairs

• Developing and monitoring work plans and revitalization strategies

• Facilitation of physical improvement projects including infill, renovations, preservation and streetscape amenities

The final job description will be tailored to the candidate who is the best fit for the organization.

MISSION: Laramie Main Street strives to preserve historic Downtown Laramie while enhancing its economic and social vitality.

TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY: Develop Downtown as a home for entrepreneurs with a focus on authentic consumer experiences and creative Third Spaces.

REPORTING TO: The Program Coordinator will work collaboratively with the Executive Director (ED), and in the ED’s absence, report to the Chair of the Board.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience working for a non profit 

• Excellent oral and written communication

• Ability to lead and inspire

• Dynamic self-starter with exceptional organizational skills

• Experience with project coordination

• Appreciation for downtown Laramie and local businesses

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with a Main Street program, Downtown Development Authority, chamber, tourism board or economic development organization

• Professional fundraising or grant writing experience

• A history of developing and executing short and long-term strategic plans

• Ability to organize a diverse variety of stakeholders around a shared vision

• Basic understanding of or appreciation for historic preservation

• Small business management with the ability to evaluate performance and provide technical assistance to spur growth 

• An entrepreneurial spirit and/or passion for volunteerism

• Experience in facilitating community engagement and utilizing public input in strategic initiatives 

• Coordination of small scale infill and redevelopment projects 

COMPENSATION: Hiring range is $32,000 to $38,000 based on experience. Benefits include flex time, options for remote work, paid professional development, two weeks of vacation the first year (time increases with years of service), 14 paid holidays, a phone stipend, and a simple IRA retirement contribution.   

TO APPLY: Email your resume and cover letter highlighting your qualifications and which aspects of the job best fit your skill sets to Trey Sherwood at downtownlaramie@gmail.com before June 26. Applications will be reviewed as received. The final job description will be tailored to the candidate who is the best fit for the organization.