Oklahoma Main Street Center Announces Award Finalists

The Oklahoma Main Street Center, a division within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, announced today the finalists for the program’s annual statewide awards competition. All finalists will be recognized, and the winners announced, during the 34^th annual Main Street Awards Banquet on Tuesday, September 24 in Oklahoma City.

Programs across the state competed in 24 competitive award categories representing the “four points” of the Main Street Approach of Organization, Promotion, Economic Vitality and Design. Panels of outside judges for each point reviewed nearly 170 total entries and determined the winners.

Outstanding board members, the Watonga Bob Shoemaker Award (local program director of the year) and the Local Program of the Year will also be recognized and announced the night of the banquet.

“These award categories celebrate the diverse activities, businesses, volunteers, and Main Street programs across Oklahoma,” said Buffy Skee, director of the Oklahoma Main Street Center. “Each submission, provided by local Main Street programs, demonstrates the creativity and engagement aimed at boosting revenue and fostering job creation in their historic commercial districts. Congratulations to all our finalists who have risen above strong competition.”

The award finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

ORGANIZATION:

Premier Partner
Altus – NBC Bank
Perry – Ditch Witch
Ponca City – City of Ponca City
Pryor – Pryor Economic Development Trust Authority

Best Main Street Community Education Campaign
Enid – Main Street Enid Rebrand
Yukon – Yukon E.D.G.E: Tools for Your Business Workshop

Outstanding Community Engagement Effort
Enid – Parade of Lights
Ponca City – Unity Mural Project
Sapulpa – Route 66 Christmas Chute

Main Street Hero
Perry – Phil and Gayla Salvati
Ponca City – Lori Henderson
Tahlequah – Brad Hale

Best Creative Fundraising Effort
Altus – Altus Shirts
Ardmore – Car Raffle
Woodward – Food Truck Throw Down

Outstanding Public Official
Altus – Freddy Perez
Ardmore – Captain Paul White
Ponca City – Rhonda Skrapke

PROMOTION:

Premier Special Event Under 1,000 Attendees
Ponca City – Dar Williams Project/Main Street Mixer
Ponca City – Kids Skate Free Day at Ice on the Plaza
Tahlequah – OksWagen Festival

Premier Special Event Over 1,000 Attendees
Enid – 30^th Annual Enid Lights Up the Plains
Ponca City – Goblins on Grand
Tahlequah – Red Fern Festival

Best Main Street Retail Event
Altus – Barbie Crawl
Enid – Fashion First Friday
Enid – Sip, Snack & Shop/Holiday Late Night Shopping

Outstanding Image Promotion
Altus – Altus Merchandise Line
Enid – Main Street Enid Branding
Ponca City – Unity Mural Project

Creative New Event
Altus – 12 Days of Christmas
Enid – Bikes & Barks
Enid – McVay Movie Night on Ice

DESIGN:

Best Placemaking Project
Enid – Permanent Building Lighting
Ponca City – Ice on the Plaza
Tahlequah – The Cultural Pathway Project

Best Interior Design Project Under $25,000
Durant – Old Ice House
Enid – Café Volare
Ponca City – The Harvest Hall

Best Interior Design Project Over $25,000
Altus – Hudson Hall
Sapulpa – Crossroads Cookery
Sapulpa – Gasoline Alley Classics

Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $25,000
Altus – First Baptist Church
Perry – Dreamer Properties/Maroon Nutrition

Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $25,000
Altus – Hudson Hall
Perry – Iron Horse Motel
Sapulpa – Gasoline Alley Classics

Best Visual Merchandising
Enid – The Turquoise Boutique
Sapulpa – Crossroads Cookery Coffee Lab
Tahlequah – I’m a Junie Girl

Best Building/Business Branding
Altus – The Enchanted Door
Cherokee – Placing a Flamingo in the Pasture
Ponca City – Aesthetic State of Mind

ECONOMIC VITALITY:

Best Adaptive Reuse Project Under $25,000
Duncan – Jeanne Kay Designs
Ponca City – The Harvest Hall

Best Adaptive Reuse Project Over $25,000
Altus – Hudson Hall
Enid – The Turpin at Gaslight
Sapulpa – Sugar Llamas/Bowden Building

Outstanding Entrepreneurial Endeavor
Perry – Willow Lane
Ponca City – Merrick’s Custom Leather Handbags and Boutique
Sapulpa – Gasoline Alley Classics

Outstanding Business Expansion
Ponca City – My Media Matters
Sapulpa – Hotshots Healthcare
Stockyards City – Boxcar Woody Furniture Co.

Best New Business
Altus – Shape Up
Ponca City – Merrick’s Custom Leather Handbags and Boutique
Sapulpa – Reed Architecture & Interiors

Business of the Year
Altus – The Booterie
Ardmore – Casa Roma
Ponca City – Aesthetic State of Mind
Tahlequah – Kroner & Baer

The dinner and program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the banquet will go on sale August 1. For more information about the banquet or to purchase tickets please visit www.okmsf.org/awards-banquet.html#/.