By RENATA ROBINSON
Manchester Main Street Executive Director

Manchester Main Street is thankful for the tremendous support of local businesses and residents in helping “Light Up The Town” this holiday season.

The Main Street business corridor is dazzling with festive white lights outlining the merchants’ windows. You may also notice that the Discover North Manchester posters have been replaced by new holiday artwork in the downtown storefronts? MMS’ Historic Preservation & Design and Promotion & Art committees have collaborated with Manchester Community Schoolsfor this annual installation.

Each year MCS elementary, intermediate and junior high students create colorful banner designs for the Honeywell Center’s Winter Banner Contest. Wabash and Miami county districts are invited to participate, and 10 banners from each school are submitted and displayed at the Clark Gallery. This year 36 winners were honored and will be reproduced as full-sized street pole banners. MCS’ 2014 selections will be installed on the historic light posts in downtown North Manchester by early December.

MMS coordinated with MCS art teachers and downtown building owners to fill the windows of eight storefronts with the student banner artwork. We invite you to take a stroll downtown. The 134 creative holiday scenes complement the decorative lighting on Main Street. And, while taking in the sights, be sure to stop by North Manchester’s many unique retailers and specialty stores for all your holiday shopping needs.

Select notecards featuring images from MMS’ Discover North Manchester exhibit are available at One World Handcrafts, KenapocoMocha Coffee Shop and MMS’ office, 109 N. Market St., in North Manchester, and at Visit Wabash County, 221 S. Miami St., in Wabash.

To purchase additional merchandise – notecards, prints, posters, etc. – visit www.manchestermainstreet.org/discover-north-manchester. For more information, contact Renata Robinson, MMS Executive Director, at (260) 901-6045 or [email protected].