With all the new developments in downtown Claremore in the last few years, it’s no wonder downtown Claremore businesses and events are receiving statewide recognition.

Claremore has the chance to bring home state awards in four categories after being announced as a Top 3 finalist by the Oklahoma Main Street Center last month.

Food Truck Thursday is a finalist in Premier Special Event Under 1,000 Attendees, while Barron Law Firm is in the Top 3 for Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000. Main Street Tavern is up for two awards – Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000 and Best Adaptive Reuse Project.

The winners will be announced at the 28th annual Main Street Awards Banquet on May 9 in Oklahoma City. Sixteen representatives from Claremore will attend the banquet.

Hundreds of nominations are submitted in all the categories across the state each year, and 19 communities are represented with a Top 3 project.

At the banquet, Claremore Main Street will also be recognized for its Crowning Achievement: Being named to the National Register of Historic Places. Further, Ray Brown will be honored at Claremore Main Street’s Board Member of the Year.

“We are honored to be recognized for some of the recent rehabilitation projects and for downtown’s newest event series. We have four good chances to bring home a first-place prize,” said Jessica Jackson, Claremore Main Street Director. “I love to see private reinvestment and countless volunteer hours rewarded with these honors.”

In 2016, Food Truck Thursday entered its second season in downtown Claremore. The seasonal, monthly event features live music, late shopping, food trucks, a kids zone and a special theme in the evening of the final Thursday of the month from May to October.

The series really came into its own in the second season and saw a significant increase in attendance, averaging about 800 guests per month.

The event continues to grow this year. It will kick off with Boots on the Boulevard at 6 p.m. May 25. It is cohosted by the Downtown Merchants Association and Claremore Main Street.

Brother and sister duo Robert Melton and Amy Gordon won Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000 in 2016 for North Block Common at 115 N. Missouri Ave. Right next door, they are up for the same award this year for Barron Law Firm at 117 N. Missouri Ave.

The work included striping the gray paint over the bricks, replacing window on the front and installing a new door. The building was enhanced to become more inviting and showcase the historic features of the building.

The façade upgrade helps extend the historic look and feel of downtown Claremore on block north of the traditional main street of Will Rogers Boulevard.

Also earning recognition for visual impact is Main Street Tavern, just across the street at 116 N. Missouri Ave., as its up for Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000 and Best Adaptive Reuse Project.

Previously serving as the Senior Citizens Center, MST Claremore owner Jason Scarpa and business partner Mike Kennedy transformed the outdated city building into a beautiful restaurant that fills a much-needed void in downtown Claremore. Chris White served as the architectural designer.

Nearly a half million dollars went into the façade and exterior updates — including a new roof, brick covering removal, new windows and doors and a patio – while significantly more was spent on the entire rehabilitation project to gut the building and create an elegant kitchen, bar and dining space.

Since opening in September, MST Claremore has become one of the hot spots in town as a fine dining eatery and bar. Downtown now has a place to gather and watch sports or enjoy dinner on a patio, something lacking prior to the Tavern’s opening.

Claremore’s favorite foodie event – Sip, Savor & Shop: Taste of Claremore – returns downtown on April 29 for a night full of tasting, shopping and strolling.

The three-hour, self-guided food experience begins at 6 p.m. and spans the three blocks of downtown along Will Rogers Boulevard.

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on the day-of while children five years and younger who are eating off an adult’s plate are free. Tickets will go on sale in the participating downtown stores in early April.

In addition to the food and shopping, the evening will feature a variety of sidewalk entertainment by talented local musicians.

New this year, the event will also include a silent auction – offering attendees another opportunity to go home with goodies. The auction will be held in the Main Street/Chamber office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd.
“We’re excited to add the silent auction to our already great event,” said Dell Davis, Claremore Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “It’s just a little touch that makes Taste of Claremore even more special without taking away from the point of the event – tasting and shopping!”

In 2016, more than 20 local restaurants and wineries set up inside various downtown stores and businesses, showcasing samples to the hundreds of people sipping, savoring and shopping.

“We have great support from local restaurants around the community as well as from our downtown businesses that host,” said Jessica Jackson, Main Street director. “It’s one of our favorite events each year.”

Additionally, guests will get to vote on their favorite flag featuring train safety created by fourth-graders in Claremore. The flag art is made possible by Union Pacific Railroad.

“The flag art gives local elementary school students an opportunity to learn about Claremore history and train safety,” Davis said.

Sip, Savor & Shop: Taste of Claremore is hosted by Claremore Main Street and the Claremore Area Chamber of Commerce, both of which are non-profit organizations in town. Proceeds of the event go to support the organization’s individual missions.

For more information, including a list of restaurants, musicians and participating stores as the event draws closer, tap here or call Claremore Main Street at 918-341-5881.

As Irish and American flags line the streets of downtown Claremore, many are gearing up for some special events this Saint Patrick’s Day.

Now in its ninth year, the Bangers and Mash Lunch is a great place to dine on March 17 every year. For $6, guests can enjoy a traditional Irish meal of bangers and mash, plus a cookie and a drink. Live music from Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer and Travis Peck will delight from the Eason Collision Stage.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Claremore Daily Progress parking lot, 315 W. Will Rogers Blvd., and ends with an Irish stroll along the sidewalks.

That night, Claremore Main Street and Main Street Tavern partner for the St. Paddy’s Day Party from 6-10 p.m. in the Tavern parking lot, 116 N. Missouri Ave.

Dinner and adult beverages will be available for purchase while Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer will make an encore performance. Also performing on the Eason Collision Stage will be Frank Smreker and the Goode Academy of Irish Dancing.

Guests can choose between corned beef and cabbage or bangers and mash for dinner and can order Miller Light, Guinness, red or white wine and Jameson outside at the party. Water and soda will also be on sale.

Specialty color-changing cups will be available for purchase for $5. The cup is good for a dollar off each beer outside on the night.

At both events, volunteers will be selling T-shirts – two of which have downtown shopping dollars inside – for $15, Irish trinkets and raffle tickets. The raffle includes hundreds of dollars’ worth of goodies in three baskets – Painters Pot-O-Gold, Irish Survival Kit and a MST Claremore Vendor Basket. Tickets are $1 each.

​Cups and raffle tickets may be purchased in advance at Claremore Main Street’s office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday or during either event on Friday.

The party is not limited to adults 21 and older, but IDs will be checked for those wishing to drink or purchase raffle tickets.

Finally, anyone can enter to win up $450 in Green Bucks – shopping dollars that can be spent like cash at 18 participating stores in downtown Claremore.

The Pot-O-Gold Giveaway is easy to enter. Visit any of the participating stores through noon March 16 and fill out a drawing ticket. No purchase necessary. Some stores offer additional tickets with purchased items, however.

At the Bangers and Mash Lunch, one ticket will be drawn for the $450 grand prize. The winner need not be present. Two smaller $50 giveaways will also be done during the lunch, but guests will need to be present to win one of those.

The participating stores are: Belvidere Gift Shop, Bike About Bicycles, Boarding House Books, Boomerang Diner, Centsible Spending, Cozy Cottage, Cranberry Merchant, District on Main, Grapevine, Haberdashery, LoliPop: A Sweet Boutique, Mad Dog’s Emporium, Outwest Home Décor, Rhapsody Boutique & Spa, Sailor Antiques, Thrift Harbor, Vintique Charm & Boutique and Willow Tree Mall.

Claremore Main Street is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy, advocating for revitalization and historic preservation and hosting quality of life activities. Proceeds from the events benefit the organizations efforts.

The Presenting Sponsor for the Bangers & Mash Lunch and St. Paddy’s Day Party is Pixley Lumber. The Party is cohosted by Main Street Tavern.

Tap here for a full list of sponsors and additional information about the events.

Downtown Claremore’s favorite shopping event – the bimonthly Cash Mob – struck again in February as shoppers spent nearly $1,000 at a new downtown business.

The group mobbed The Haberdashery, 407 W. Will Rogers Blvd., an upscale men’s clothing and accessories store. The mob was sponsored by the City of Claremore.

“I’m so glad that there are groups like Cash Mob that are here to support local small businesses,” said Audrey Buck, who owns the Haberdashery with her husband, Justin Michael.

For Cash Mob, local supporters gather and then, as a group, “mob” a downtown store chosen at random, spending $20 or more into the local economy and heading home with a bagful of merchandise.

To do even more for the community, 10 percent of the proceeds of the night go to a local nonprofit or cause, voted on by the mobbers themselves. February’s mobbers selected the Rogers County Free Medical Clinic.

​“We’re thrilled to death that you all thought of us for this event. It’s a great cause,” said Ed Crum, the clinic’s founding president and one of the current board members.

The medical clinic provides medical services to Rogers County residents, particularly those uninsured or low income individuals. It is located at 2664 N. Hwy 88 on Thursday night’s from 6-9 p.m.

Participants in the Cash Mob agree to attend every other month and spend at minimum $20 at the store chosen at random the night of the event. The goal is to encourage shopping local and the downtown businesses’ success and to support local nonprofits.

Before the mob began, attendees came to a VIP gathering at the historic Will Rogers Hotel.

Cash Mob is every other month on the first Tuesday of the month. Pre-registration is necessary because the starting location changes each month. Register online here, and we will email the location out a week prior.

The next Cash Mob is scheduled for April. 4. The selected store will be drawn at 5:30 p.m., but the VIP gathering will begin at 4:30 p.m.

TEDx speaker Daniel Hintz will present his talk, the DNA of Place, at Thursday’s Claremore Collective ThinkTank as part of the Collective’s Downtown Development initiative.

The ThinkTank is free and open to the public, but attendees should register by Tuesday afternoon. It starts at noon March 2 at North Block Common, and lunch is provided. [RSVP here]

Hintz guides communities through an intentional journey of discovering their unique DNA of Place. He focuses on attracting people, retaining talent, revenue streams and celebrating the human spirit.

“We look forward to hosting former TEDx speaker Daniel Hintz, from the Velocity Group, to assist in our Downtown Development Initiative process,” said Meggie Froman-Knight, Claremore Collective Executive Director. “He is a high-caliber, dynamic and established professional in helping develop a sense of place.”

Claremore Collective, through a Make Your Mark Campaign last May, established three initiatives to focus on moving forward: Downtown Development, Claremore Lake Trails and West Bend District Master Plan.

“Downtown revitalization is as exciting as it is inevitable,” said Zach Oliver, the chairman of the Downtown Development initiative. “I jumped onto a moving ship whose pace and destination was set by the existing organizations in the district who have sacrificed so much over the years to build our district to what it is and will become.”

“I’m just honored and humbled that I get to be a small part in bolstering their efforts, and I’m extremely excited to show off this district to Daniel Hintz this week,” he added.

The Downtown Development initiative is kicking off Phase II, which focuses on developing a shared vision and objectives for downtown, with Thursday’s ThinkTank. The ThinkTank is sponsored by RCB Bank.

Hintz will stick around for meetings with city leadership and key players in the Collective’s initiative on Thursday and will host three focus groups on Friday.

Watch Hintz’ TEDx Fayetteville talk:

Claremore is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with festivities all day long on March 17 with two events and a shopping dollars giveaway, all located in the historic downtown Claremore.

First, citizens can come out for the ninth annual Bangers and Mash Lunch, complete with live entertainment, giveaways and an Irish stroll along the sidewalks, at the Claremore Daily Progress parking lot, 315 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Lunch is $6 and includes the Irish staple “Bangers and Mash” (sausage and mashed potatoes), a drink and dessert. The lunch is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

At the Eason Collision Stage, two acts will entertain crowds as they eat their lunch or enjoy the afternoon run. Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer and Travis Peck will perform.

Tap “Read More” for info on two more events!
After a nap or finishing up another week at work, guests are invited back to downtown Claremore for the St. Paddy’s Day Party at the Main Street Tavern parking lot.

The party will provide another opportunity to eat bangers and mash or sample some corned beef and cabbage, partake of adult beverage options and see to more live entertainment – including an encore performance from the always popular Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer. Also performing on the Eason Collision Stage will be Frank Smreker and the Goode Academy of Irish Dancing.

Guests can order Miller Light, Guinness, red or white wine and Jameson outside at the party. A full bar and food menu will be available inside.

Claremore Main Street will be selling T-shirts and specialty St. Patrick’s Day cups with the new St. Paddy’s Day Party logo that change from white to green with cold drinks. Cups are $5 and are good for a dollar off each beer outside that night. T-shirts are $15.

The party is not limited to adults 21 and older, but IDs will be checked for those wishing to drink.

Finally, anyone can enter to win up $450 in Green Bucks – shopping dollars that can be spent like cash at 18 participating stores in downtown Claremore.

The Pot-O-Gold Giveaway is easy to enter. Visit any of the participating stores between March 1 and 16 and fill out a drawing ticket. No purchase necessary. Some stores offer additional tickets with purchased items, however.

At the Bangers and Mash Lunch, one ticket will be drawn for the $450 grand prize. The winner need not be present. Two smaller $50 giveaways will also be done during the lunch, but guests will need to be present to win one of those.

The participating stores are: Belvidere Gift Shop, Bike About Bicycles, Boarding House Books, Boomerang Diner, Centsible Spending, Cozy Cottage, Cranberry Merchant, District on Main, Grapevine, Haberdashery, LoliPop: A Sweet Boutique, Mad Dog’s Emporium, Outwest Home Décor, Rhapsody Boutique & Spa, Sailor Antiques, Thrift Harbor, Vintique Charm & Boutique and Willow Tree Mall.

Claremore Main Street is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy, advocating for revitalization and historic preservation and hosting quality of life activities. Proceeds from the events benefit the organizations efforts.

The Presenting Sponsor for the Bangers & Mash Lunch and St. Paddy’s Day Party is Pixley Lumber. The Party is cohosted by Main Street Tavern.

Tap here for a full list of sponsors and additional information about the events.

While parking can become strained in certain areas of downtown at certain times, ample parking is available for those willing to walk a block, according to a recent Parking Supply and Demand Analysis of downtown Claremore.

The study, which was conducted on three days on the first week of October, concluded that there were times when public parking approached capacity in certain areas, yet additional parking was available within one or two blocks.

In fact, during the study, the average utilization of the public parking was 52 percent over the three-day span.

Claremore Main Street Executive Director Jessica Jackson and Parking Study Organizer Dr. Ray Brown presented the findings to the City Council during its regular Feb. 20 meeting.

Volunteers reviewed 253 public and 313 private parking spaces at five separate times during each day of the study, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and then again every two hours ending at 5:30 p.m. The study included two weekdays – a Tuesday and a Thursday – and a Saturday.

“To understand the parking situation downtown, you must look not only at the overall utilization rate but the utilization rates on specific streets during the most popular times on a weekday,” Brown said.

The highest utilization was observed on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. when the overall downtown occupancy approached 80 percent. During that time, parking along Muskogee Avenue and Missouri Street exceeded 90 percent capacity but Will Rogers Boulevard still had some parking available and Cherokee Avenue had nearly 30 percent of its spots available.

Additionally, data showed that about 15 percent of the vehicles parked downtown did so for six or more hours, likely representing downtown employees and residents.

Utilization of the private parking spaces was considerably lower with an average of 33.6 percent. While a few lots were heavily utilized, most were observed as underutilized throughout the study.

The analysis serves as a baseline of how much parking is available in the historic downtown district and how it is used. The data will be vital as parking needs increase through area growth.

“We felt like the parking analysis was important to accurately assess where the pinches are so we have a starting point to establish our future plans for the entire downtown that reflect actual needs,” Jackson said. “Finishing the analysis is just step one.”

In the short term, Claremore Main Street volunteers and partner organizations will look to examine streets to ensure all public parking is clearly striped and will encourage partnerships with private lots to increase public parking availability.

The organization is also looking at ways to enhance streetscapes and promote walkability of the district.

“For the future economic development of downtown, two things need to happen,” Brown said. “First, walking should be encouraged by developing a more attractive streetscape. Second, additional parking spaces must be made available to the public.”

“Ultimately the economic success of downtown will depend on the construction of a parking facility which will likely require a private/public partnership,” he added.

The parking study was conducted by Main Street’s Economic Vitality committee. The City of Claremore and the Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority were partners in the project.

Claremore Main Street is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy, advocating for revitalization and historic preservation and hosting quality of life activities.

Download the full parking study here.

Claremore Main Street will host a free workshop focusing on historic tax credits for downtown rehabilitation in Claremore on Jan. 19 in conjunction with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

The workshop brings the important information from the State Office to Claremore as a service to current building and business owners as well as future developers — saving a trip to Oklahoma City.

The seminar begins at 9 a.m. on Jan. 19 at Northeast Technology Center, 1901 State Highway 88. While it is geared toward current building owners in the historic district, it is free and open to the public. Guests should RSVP by registering online here or calling Main Street at 918-341-5881.

“We hope people really make use of this workshop. The information the State Historic Preservation Office has to present helps make sense of a complicated and often misunderstood process,” said Jessica Jackson, Claremore Main Street Executive Director.
In the fall, the National Parks Service listed downtown Claremore on the National Register of Historic Places because of its historic significance in our state, county and city. [Get more details here.]

As a historic district, downtown Claremore can expect increased traffic and tourism and raised property values. Additionally, some building owners may qualify for 40 percent tax credits for rehabilitation and restoration.

SHPO’s Jennifer Bailey, the tax program coordinator, will discuss those historic tax credits, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation to qualify for the tax credits and the application process involved at the Claremore workshop.

“Jennifer does a great job of breaking down the process in an easy-to-understand way,” Jackson said. “This is the perfect opportunity to learn more for anyone interested in current or future investment into downtown Claremore.”

The historic district includes the area along Will Rogers Boulevard from Lynn Riggs Boulevard to Muskogee Avenue, and from the alley between Will Rogers and Patti Page boulevards to 4th Street. The period of significance is from 1890 to 1955.

Get warm this winter with downtown’s inaugural Souper Saturday, a soup tasting and shopping event in the heart of Claremore.

Hosted on the first Saturday of the year, 14 downtown Claremore stores and businesses are cooking up 15 unique soups or chili for attendees, who pay a small fee of $7 for their tasting kit and the ability to feast.

“The merchants are excited to start a new tradition downtown for the people of Claremore,” said Jeannie Smith, owner of The Grapevine, 404 W. Will Rogers Blvd. “We hope everyone has a chance to join us and help make this first year’s event a success.”

Souper Saturday will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 7. Tasting kits are limited and include a specialty Souper Saturday mug, a menu and ballot to navigate the event and vote for your favorites and a wrist band.

The mug and wrist band give attendees the option to sample the more than 15 soups from the stores and businesses in downtown Claremore.
Additionally, guests are encouraged to vote for their favorite soups. The business with the most votes will earn bragging rights on the street and a roving trophy to keep until next year.

“I really want to encourage tasters to stop by my store, so I can show them where I’m planning to put my trophy,” Smith said with a laugh.

Participating businesses are The Cozy Cottage (Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup), The Cranberry Merchant (Spicy White Chili), Crystal Pistols Boutique/Mom & Pops Ceramic Shoppe (Creamy Tortellini Soup), Dorothy’s Flowers (Taco Soup), The Grapevine (Chicken Noodle Soup), The Haberdashery (Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chili), Homeward Bound (Mom’s 7 Can Soup), Hudson-Metcalf Antique Mall (White Bean Soup), LoliPop: A Sweet Boutique (Potato Soup), moreClaremore.com (Pumpkin Chili), Rejoice! (Tamale Soup), Rhapsody Boutique & Spa (Enchilada Soup, Corn Chowder), Vintique Charm & Boutique (Zuppa Toscana Soup) and Willow Tree Mall (Potato Soup, Chili).

“The variety we have offers something for every soup lover out there,” said Sheila Giannelli, owner of Vintique Charm & Boutique, 512 W. Will Rogers Blvd. “Our soup is my husband’s family’s recipe, coming to Claremore straight from Italy.”

Tasting kits are available for advance purchase on Jan. 6 at the Claremore Main Street office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kits are also available on the day of the event starting at 10 a.m. at The Cozy Cottage, 514 W. Will Rogers Blvd., and Rhapsody Boutique & Spa, 318 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Souper Saturday is a new event by the Downtown Claremore Merchants Group. It is being held in conjunction with 1st Saturday Downtown, a monthly downtown-wide sale.

For more information, call Claremore Main Street at 918-341-5881 or email .

Join the Facebook event!

Jason Scarpa went from waiting tables to owning his own restaurant to becoming an area restaurant mogul after opening his fifth restaurant – Main Street Tavern of Claremore.

Jason began his journey as a restaurant owner when he opened Main Street Tavern in Broken Arrow’s Rose District in 2011.

“When I moved to Oklahoma, I was deciding on what business I wanted to start,” he said. “I saw a void for a place like Main Street Tavern (in Broken Arrow) … fortunately, people like it.”

He went on to open the Main Street Loft, a private event space, and The Rooftop both in the same district. Last year, he took over In the Raw in the Rose District, and opened the Claremore’s Main Street Tavern (MST Claremore), 116 N. Missouri Ave., this fall.

“I’m always looking around for the next idea, trying to figure out the right concept for the right place,” he said. “It seemed like Main Street Tavern would be a good fit here … Hopefully, the people of Claremore will continue supporting us.”
​City of Claremore officials were looking for the right fit for the old Senior Citizen Center and went out searching. Jason’s project was chosen and construction commenced.

“Before you know it, over a year has gone by,” Jason said. “It was quite an extensive project.”

After gutting the building, remodeling, furnishing and finishing and hiring and training staff, Claremore was ready for the Tavern.

MST Claremore is the largest of the Scarpa Restaurant Concepts establishments. With 260 seats and roughly 7,000 square feet, it’s twice the size of the original Main Street Tavern in Broken Arrow.

The full-service bar offers 28 rotating beers on tap and 32 bottled options.

“So we always have new things for beer lovers to try,” Jason said.

The restaurant boasts 11 television sets, including three on the patio. Along with the complete NFL package, guests can find college sports, Thunder basketball and even CNBC for business lunches.

There’s an additional private event space that accommodates 60 people and can be opened to the patio, which has heaters for the winter and misting fans for the summer.

“The big payoff for me is when I see people enjoying it with their family and friends,” Jason said. “That’s really what we’re in it for. I love this idea of creating something, putting it out there, and then seeing people enjoy it.”

The MST Claremore opens at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, serving a limited brunch menu between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the weekends. The Tavern is open every day until at least midnight, but stays open until 2 a.m. for crowds.

The Main Street Tavern in Claremore can be reached at 918-283-4464 or by visiting their website. Like MST Claremore on Facebook!