Main Street Fort Smith, formerly known as 64.6 Downtown, invites the community to a celebratory ribbon cutting hosted by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 10 a.m., at the Main Street office, 411 Garrison Ave., Suite 109, Fort Smith, AR 72901.

This milestone marks a decade of dedicated service to downtown Fort Smith, fostering economic growth, historic preservation, vibrant arts and culture, and community engagement. Founded in 2015 as "64.6 Downtown," named for the 64.6 square miles of the city's boundaries, the nonprofit was initially established to ignite downtown revitalization through public art, community programming, master planning, and economic development.

Over the past ten years, the organization's notable accomplishments include:

• The Unexpected urban art festival (2015–present), introducing internationally acclaimed murals and public art, positioning downtown as a renowned cultural destination.

• Levitt AMP Fort Smith Music Series, an ongoing free concert series attracting diverse artists and audiences, enhancing community spirit and boosting local commerce.

• Development of Garrison Commons and Gateway Park, transforming underutilized areas into active community gathering spaces.

• Invest Fort Smith, an annual economic summit that unites business leaders, city officials, and regional experts to strategize and promote economic development initiatives for Fort Smith.

• Creation and adoption of the city's "Propelling Downtown Forward" masterplan in 2017, enhancing downtown's mobility, placemaking, and riverfront development.

• Achieving Main Street Arkansas accreditation in 2020, significantly enhancing access to preservation-based economic development resources and support.

In summer 2024, the organization officially rebranded from 64.6 Downtown to Main Street Fort Smith, aligning with Main Street Arkansas and Main Street America’s nationally recognized community revitalization approach. This shift has strengthened promotional efforts and expanded opportunities for grants and technical assistance.

“Over the last decade, we’ve brought together the arts, recreation, entertainment, and commerce to reimagine downtown,” says Amanda Hager, Executive Director. “Our mission is to create vibrant, walkable, and economically thriving spaces — and this ribbon cutting celebrates ten years of progress, plus a new chapter as Main Street Fort Smith.”

Event Details:

Local leaders, city officials, downtown business owners, and community members are warmly invited to attend and celebrate downtown Fort Smith’s remarkable journey and bright future.

About Main Street Fort Smith
Main Street Fort Smith is a nonprofit organization committed to revitalizing downtown Fort Smith through business development, historic preservation, arts and culture, and vibrant special events. Established as 64.6 Downtown in 2015, the organization became accredited with Main Street Arkansas in 2020 and rebranded to Main Street Fort Smith in 2024 to better represent its mission and partnerships.

About Main Street America
Main Street America is a national network dedicated to community revitalization, combining historic preservation and economic vitality strategies to build stronger communities. Main Street Fort Smith embraces Main Street America’s four-point approach—organization, design, promotion, and economic vitality—to support downtown Fort Smith’s ongoing revitalization.