There’s always something a little bittersweet about this time of year. Kids are heading back to school, summer schedules are winding down, and suddenly those long June evenings don’t seem quite so long anymore.
Before we turn our attention to fall, we wanted to take a moment to look back — because it has been one busy, fun and memorable summer in downtown Sterling!
It seems fitting that we kicked things off back in June with a little nostalgia and a pretty BIG visitor. Big Boy’s stop in Sterling brought plenty of smiles, photos and memories to downtown and was a fun way to get the summer started.
From there, the calendar stayed full.
The inaugural Sterling Street Fest brought our community together in the heart of downtown, and Hot Dog Day filled the sidewalks with hundreds of people (and thousands of hot dogs!) for one of our favorite Sterling traditions.
Down at the Sterling Marketplace, our Rally on the Rock nights gave us great excuses to spend a Friday evening together with classic cars, live music, food and friends. Mother Nature may have had a few opinions along the way, but our community kept showing up!
Wednesday evenings brought their own kind of summer fun. We loved seeing people stop by the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza for our special events and pop-ups before making their way to the Sterling Municipal Band’s Music Under the Stars concerts. It’s hard to beat a summer evening spent wandering downtown and enjoying live music in the park.
And Saturday mornings? The Twin City Farmers Market has been packed all summer long! We love seeing the Market buzzing with shoppers supporting local growers, bakers, makers and small businesses week after week. The good news is that farmers market season is far from over — the outdoor market continues through the end of October, so there are still plenty of Saturday mornings ahead to shop local and enjoy the season.
A Downtown in Bloom
We also have to give a little love to something that has quietly made downtown shine all season long: the flowers.
The hanging baskets and planters throughout downtown Sterling have been absolutely beautiful this summer. Those colorful touches may seem small, but they make a big difference in creating a downtown that feels welcoming, cared for and worth spending time in.
And that really gets to the heart of what Sterling Main Street does.
The events are certainly the most visible part of our work, but behind the scenes, Sterling Main Street is working throughout the year on downtown beautification, small business support, community events, projects like the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza, the Twin City Farmers Market and other efforts to keep our downtown moving forward.
As a nonprofit organization, we rely on sponsors, donors, volunteers and community support to make that work possible. If you’ve enjoyed a Main Street event, admired the flowers, spent a Saturday at the Market or simply believe in having a strong and vibrant downtown, we hope you’ll consider supporting our work with a donation.
Every contribution — big or small — helps us continue investing in downtown Sterling and creating the events, spaces and experiences our community enjoys.
Summer Isn’t Quite Over Yet!
Back-to-school season may be here, but we still have a little summer fun left.
There’s one more Rally on the Rock night on the calendar, and then we’ll roll right into fall with Hops on the Rock and everything that comes with a new season downtown.
And after that? Well… we know better than to say the holidays are right around the corner just yet. But let’s just say we’re already looking forward to twinkle lights, holiday traditions and another special season in downtown Sterling.
For now, though, we’re sharing a few of our favorite photos and saying a very big thank you.
To our sponsors, volunteers, businesses, community partners, vendors and everyone who attended an event, shopped local, brought the family downtown or told a friend what was happening — thank you for spending your summer with us.
You’re what makes downtown Sterling a pretty great place to be.
Here’s to a wonderful summer — and plenty more to come this fall!
