Sixth Annual Miracle on Main Streets Kicks Off

 Program Encourages Citywide and Neighborhood Shopping

 This Holiday Season

Baltimore, MD (November 29, 2010) - Miracle on Main Streets, a citywide holiday event, kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, November 30^th, with a press conference and concert at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Church Hall in the Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street district (1546 N. Fremont Avenue) from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young, Councilman William Cole and Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) President M.J. “Jay” Brodie will be on hand to speak and support local business.

Miracle on Main Streets encourages people in and around Baltimore to explore the city’s historic neighborhoods while supporting local businesses. Why not “do it all without the mall?” Stroll city streets, enjoy free holiday festivities, free parking and find the perfect gift at a unique shop in one of the Baltimore Main Streets neighborhoods -- Belair-Edison, Brooklyn, East Monument Street, Federal Hill, Fell’s Point, Hamilton-Lauraville, Highlandtown, Pennsylvania Avenue, Pigtown and Waverly. 

Special events and promotions take place throughout the month in each neighborhood.  Over 50 free activities and events in the 10 neighborhoods including tree lightings, concerts, parades, Santa visits and more!  And….Free Parking!  Due to a partnership with BDC and Baltimore’s Parking Authority and the Department of Transportation, street meters will be bagged for free parking on all 10 Main Streets – every weekend through Christmas.

“Baltimore’s Main Street districts offer more than just an opportunity to cross-off items from your shopping list--they offer you a shopping experience that you cannot get anywhere else,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.  “Where else but Baltimore could you roller skate with Santa—or see Santa arrive by tugboat?”  For a complete schedule of events and information, go to www.MiracleOnMainStreets.com.

Baltimore Main Streets, managed by the BDC, provides customized support and assistance to 10 designated Main Street neighborhoods to revitalize their historic commercial districts. (www.BaltimoreMainStreets.com).  According to M.J. Brodie, BDC President, “Small business is the backbone of the city’s economic base and we all need to support them with our patronage—especially during this important holiday shopping season.”

Baltimore Main Streetsuses a model developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Center that has been implemented in over 1,800 communities.

Baltimore Main Streets -- Everything you need - just a hop, skip & corner away

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