Main Event affair planned for April 6

The fundraiser will be held in the recently renovated brick ballroom.

Main Street Siloam Springs annual fundraiser, the Main Event, will feature a new larger venue and a theme of “Starry Night.”

Tickets for the event, planned for 6 to 10 p.m. April 6, are now on sale and can be purchased on Eventbrite by following links on Main Street Siloam Springs’ social media sites, or the organization’s website, www.mainstreetsiloam.org.

Just as it’s name implies, the Main Event is the main fundraiser for Main Street Siloam Springs, according to Kelsey Howard, director of the organization.

“This event is something that sets us up for our work downtown for the whole community all year long,” she said.

This year’s Main Event will have the theme of “Starry Night” and will be held at a new venue — the recently renovated Brick Ballroom, located at 119 S. Broadway St. The fundraiser will include dinner catered by 28 Springs, dancing and a live and silent auction.

“I am excited with this new event space,” Howard said. “We’re going to get to showcase everything Heather and her team have done to renovate the space.”

There are many people who are curious about the Brick Ballroom and eager to check the space out, she said.

“Any time that a historic building downtown gets rehabilitated for a new purpose that involves so many people it’s highly anticipated,” Howard said.

The new larger venue will allow Main Street to host about 40 additional people.

“We are looking forward to

the opportunity to include more people because it has been a sellout,” Howard said.

Main Street has been working with 28 Springs to design some custom cocktails for the event with names inspired by the “Starry Night” theme. Tyler Carroll will serve as emcee and Cole Everett will serve as auctioneer during the evening, she said.

Main Street Siloam Springs is essential not only for preservation but also the progress of downtown Siloam Springs, Howard said.

The nonprofit, founded in 1985, works closely with businesses, stakeholders, the Chamber of Commerce and the city to preserve and revitalize the historic district. The organization supports businesses by connecting them to resources that help them thrive. It also helps maintain and restore historic buildings, Howard said.

“We grow the community through special events and by promoting all that downtown has to offer Siloam Springs and Northwest Arkansas at large,” she said.

Although Main Street Siloam Springs focuses on downtown Siloam Springs, the organization works to improve the quality of life in the entire region, Howard said.

“I don’t think people realize the things we do impact the quality of life of the entire town because we are helping to preserve the history of our town,” she said. “We are taking care of a district that has the most concentrated number of historic buildings in a unique natural setting with the creek and all the parks, green spaces and trees that people think of when they think of Siloam Springs.”

In addition to its historic atmosphere, downtown Siloam Springs also has a concentration of small businesses.

“There is no other space like downtown that has such a concentration of small businesses and a unique natural setting that is worth keeping with diligence and responsibility,” she said.