Claremore Main Street announced this month a new beautification grant designed to help business and property owners in downtown Claremore make small improvements to their buildings.

The Beautification and Improvement Grant is a $75 matching micro-grant created for all those finishing touches that complete the look of downtown storefronts.

“These micro-grants are designed to offer an incentive for the little projects that shop owners are looking to do directly outside their business – a new flower pot, updated signage or even additional lighting,” said Jessica Jackson, executive director of Claremore Main Street.

Eligible improvements include planters and landscaping, signage, holiday lighting and decorations, some exterior painting, exterior lighting, window displays, public art and exterior cleaning.

“Our goal is to make downtown a destination to shop, dine and unwind,” Jackson said of Claremore Main Street, a nonprofit organization. “Being able to offer these grants to help small businesses improve their exterior will only encourage more people to spend time downtown.”

Applications are due monthly on the last day of the month by 5 p.m. to the Claremore Main Street office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd., or by midnight CST by email at .

Notification will be made within one month of the application deadline, and projects must be completed with receipts submitted for reimbursement within 45 days of the award notification. Applications must be completed and grants awarded before work begins.

Businesses and properties can receive the grant no more frequently than once a quarter and only on different projects. Preferences are given to new award applicants and projects that prove high visual impact, lasting improvement and active streetfront. The grant is exclusively for downtown partners.

“The last few years, we’ve had a successful partnership drive. In turn, we were able to get this grant up and running earlier than originally planned,” Jackson said. “We wanted this to be a perk for partners because they are the ones who helped us raise enough to offer it in the first place.”

Claremore Main Street also offers a $1,000 matching Façade Grant to anyone within the Main Street Boundaries, and the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association offers $250 Giving Back Grants to businesses within downtown’s National Historic District.

The Façade Grant has quarterly deadlines with the next one coming up on March 31. The application is available for download here.

The Giving Back Grant is open until the grants are awarded. Applications are available at the Willow Tree Mall, 409 W. Will Rogers Blvd., or by contacting the DCMA.

Claremore Main Street is dedicated to the ongoing revitalization of historic downtown Claremore. With a focus on economic vitality, historic preservation and placemaking, the organization strives to secure downtown as the social and economic core of the community.

For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email her at . Applications and a map of the boundaries can be downloaded here.

More information about the Facade Grant Program here and the Giving Back Grant here.

Claremore Main Street offers an opportunity to support the community in a tangible way while also reaping the benefits of tax deductible donations.

Music on Main is an initiative is designed as a crowdfunding project to raise funds to install 12 speaker sets on current light poles in downtown Claremore. Now one month in, the project has raised $5,000 of the $25,000 goal.

“We know that music is a powerful psychological mood enhancer, and we’d like to see that joy brought to our downtown,” said Jessica Jackson, Main Street Executive Director. “Right now at the end of the year is the perfect time to give for two reasons.”

Given that the donation is going to a 501c3 nonprofit organization – Claremore Main Street – 100 percent of the donation is tax deductible.

“This request comes just in time for folks to give and claim it on the 2017 taxes for the biggest benefit,” Jackson said. “Secondly, every dollar donated is doubled through a National Main Street Center grant right now. The more we raise now, the more contributed on the national level.”

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Once the project is completed and paid for, today’s popular music or a holiday hit will play during regular business hours for those sitting on a bench or wandering through the downtown.

During downtown events like Dickens on the Boulevard or Food Truck Thursday, music, bands and announcements from the stage will play throughout the three blocks.

Corporate sponsors – who’s donations will be used later in the drive as an individual match – include the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association, Claremore Museum of History, District on Main, RCB Bank and Grand River Dam Authority.

Claremore Main Street is dedicated to its mission to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy and advocating for revitalization and historic preservation. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 2002.

For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email .

More information about Music on Main.

As the weather begins to turn colder, taste buds start craving warm soups and stews. Enter: Souper Saturday.

Back for the second year, Souper Saturday is a soup tasting and shopping event in the heart of Claremore.

A total of 15 participating stores will be cooking up their favorite soup or stew recipes and serving them to event attendees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 6.

“Souper Saturday is back by popular demand,” said Sheila Giannelli, president of the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association. “Last year we had a lot of traffic and a lot of great soups.”

Tasting kits are required. They are limited and on sale now for $8 or two for $15. An early bird special of $7 a kit runs from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22.

The kits include a specialty mug, a bottle of water, a spoon, a menu, a tasting wrist band and an opportunity to taste 15 delicious soups and stews.

Tasting kits are available at The Cozy Cottage, 514 W. Will Rogers Blvd., The Grapevine, 404 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Rhapsody Boutique & Spa, 318 W. Will Rogers Blvd., or online here.

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.

Last year, The Haberdashery won with their broccoli cheese soup. Runners up were Cozy Cottage’s broccoli cheese soup and MoreClaremore’s pumpkin chili.

“We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and trying this year’s entries,” Giannelli said.

Participating businesses are The Burlap Closet (Taco Soup), Centsible Spending (Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Bisque), The Cozy Cottage (Potato Soup), The Cranberry Merchant, Crystal Pistol Boutique (Beef Stew), Dorothy’s Flowers (Cowboy Stew), The Farmhaus (Chicken Noodle), Frosted Cake Studio (Potato Soup), The Grapevine (Tortilla Soup), The Haberdashery, LoliPop: A Sweet Boutique (Japanese Noodle Soup), MoreClaremore (Full Moon Café Tortilla Soup), Rhapsody Boutique & Spa (Corn Chowder), Sailor Antiques and Collectibles (Cheeseburger Soup) and Willow Tree Mall (Cabin Fever).

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

For more information, email the DCMA at .

Join the Facebook event!

Cash Mob shoppers finished their Christmas shopping early after a small but mighty group took over Outwets Home Décor for the December Cash Mob.

Shoppers flocked from the Claremore Main Street office across the street to Outwest Home Décor, 418 W. Will Rogers Blvd., spending nearly $1,000 grabbing gifts for loved ones to put under the tree or decorations to make their homes more festive.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in Cash Mob this month,” said Jenny Meeks, owner of Outwest. “It’s really a boost when you need it the most. It’s hectic, but mostly it’s fun!”

Cash Mob is bimonthly shopping ‘mob’ where participants gather and then, as a group, “mob” a downtown store chosen at random, spending $20 in that store. Hundreds of dollars are pumped into the local economy in 45 minutes.

The mob also benefits a local nonprofit or cause voted on by the attendees. In December, there was a tie between Toys for Tots and Claremore Main Street’s Music on Main initiative, which is a crowdfunding project to get speakers in downtown to play ambient music throughout the shopping hours.

With the unprecedented tie, Meeks was able to make the tie-breaking decision. She voted for Music on Main.

“The project is going to enhance our downtown. Music on the streets helps everyone. People always comment about how much they love mine,” said Meeks, who has music both right outside her store and inside.

To support the cause, donate online here. Right now, 100 percent of individual donations are doubled through a National Main Street Center grant.

The Cash Mob was sponsored by Kevin Fortna, CPA. Claremore Main Street has hosted Cash Mob for years as a way to promote shopping local, small business success and a pay-it-forward attitude.

Claremore residents and others who love the community can purchase their own limited edition, specialty ornament featuring downtown Claremore now through the end of the year.

They feature downtown staples like the Will Rogers Hotel, Will Rogers statue, railroad tracks and Route 66. The ornament says “Downtown Claremore” and “Season’s Greetings 2017.”

At just $10 each, the ornaments are also perfect stocking stuffers. Only 200 were produced, so interested parties are encouraged to get theirs while supplies last.

The ornaments are a fundraiser for Claremore Main Street and go to the support the ongoing revitalization of downtown Claremore.

Ornaments are on sale now at the Main Street office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd., and in four downtown stores – The Cozy Cottage, The Grapevine, The Haberdashery and The Willow Tree Mall.

Ornaments will also be on sale Dec. 15 at West Bend Winterland from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Claremore Main Street seeks applications for two remaining $1,000 matching grants for façade improvements within the organization’s downtown district.

The Façade Grant Program already has proved to be successful as the organization has awarded two grants for $1,000 each since it was announced in April.

The program has quarterly deadlines for building owners to apply when it is most convenient for them. The next deadline is Dec. 31.

“We have received strong applicants to date and are proud to have been able to award two recipients – seeing one project through to finish and another in the works,” said Jessica Jackson, director of Claremore Main Street. “These grants are designed to give property owners even more incentive to complete the projects they’re already working on.”

The grant, which matches the investment made on the exterior of downtown properties dollar-for-dollar, consists of $1,000 matching grants. Two are remaining for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2018.

The inaugural recipient was Carol Thibodeau, owner of Rhapsody Boutique & Spa, 318 W. Will Rogers Blvd., for a new awning on the building’s storefront. The awning was installed last month.

“I am thankful for the Main Street Façade Grant, which enabled me to fulfill my dream of having a black-and-white striped awning on my storefront,” Thibodeau said. “The awning perfects the look I was hoping to achieve.”

In October, Claremore Main Street awarded a grant to the Rogers County Historical Society for help paying for the repairing, caulking, re-glazing and painting windows and trim at the Belvidere Mansion, 121 N. Chickasaw Ave.

Applications must be completed in full, including a detailed description of the project, bids or quotes and photos, and be turned in by the deadline. Applications will be reviewed and applicants will be notified by mid-Jannuary.

“We are thrilled with the movement we’ve seen downtown already, so the Economic Vitality committee created this grant to help be a part of that,” Jackson said. “The goal is to enhance the visual appeal of the building while increasing property value and preserving the building’s historic character.”

Eligible improvements include masonry work, window and door repair or replacement, some exterior painting and repair of some awnings, exterior lighting and signage and removal of non-historic materials.

Applications will be given priority if they prove high visual impact, historic or architectural integrity, lasting improvements and are on an active street front.

Projects must be completed within six months of the award notification. Applicants must be in the current Claremore Main Street boundaries.

Applications should be turned into Claremore Main Street’s office, 419 W. Will Rogers Blvd., or emailed to on or before Dec. 31. The Claremore Main Street office will close at 3 p.m. Dec. 29 and will not reopen until Jan. 2. Emails can be submitted until midnight central standard time on Dec. 31.

Claremore Main Street is dedicated to its mission to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy and advocating for revitalization and historic preservation. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 2002.

For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email . Applications and a map of the boundaries can be downloaded online at here.

There’s another downtown grant, too! Get information about the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association Giving Back Grant.

The Downtown Claremore Merchant Association recently announced the Giving Back Grant, which helps downtown merchants improve their buildings and stores.

The Giving Back Grant includes two $250 and one $500 grant to be used for interior or exterior fixtures, exterior painting, signage or to use toward the Claremore Main Street Façade Grant Program.

Giving Back Grants do not require a grantee funding match to qualify, but projects do need to be completed with reimbursement receipts submitted within six months of the award notification.

The deadline for the grants is Dec. 31. They should be submitted via email to or in person at Willow Tree Mall, 409 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Boundaries for the grant are within the Downtown Claremore National Historic District, which includes all three blocks of W. Will Rogers Blvd. from Lynn Riggs to Muskogee and from 4^th Street to the alley between Patti Page and Will Rogers.

The DCMA was started by downtown merchants to bring awareness to downtown shopping, dining and businesses through organized events.

Throughout the year, the DCMA has hosted fundraisers — including photos with Santa Claus, Easter Bunny photos and a Souper Saturday event — to build up a financial base to give back with grants and other contributions.

The DCMA also started Food Truck Thursday and currently partners with Claremore Main Street to host the event series seasonally during the summer months.

Thanks to the fundraising efforts, the DCMA is a corporate sponsor for Claremore Main Street’s Music on Main project, designed to raise money through crowdfunding efforts to purchase speakers to play music downtown. The sponsorship will provide matching funds to individual donors later this month.

For more information about the Giving Back Grant or for a copy of the application, email .

Music is coming to downtown Claremore.

But it will only arrive through generous donations by hundreds of Claremore residents, friends and business owners.

Claremore Main Street’s Music on Main initiative is designed as a crowdfunding project to raise funds to install 12 speaker sets on current light poles in downtown Claremore. The project went public on Nov. 28, Giving Tuesday.

The project, which has been in the planning phase by the nonprofit organization for the last few months, is looking to raise $25,000.

“Psychological studies have shown that music plays to people’s emotions and social instincts. It enhances customer moods and visual pleasure, directly leading them to be happier,” said Debbie Butler, Claremore Main Street Board President. “Music is powerful. We know this, and we feel it missing from our downtown.”

The concept is simple. During business hours, the speakers will play music – whether it’s today’s popular music or a holiday hit – for those sitting on a bench or wandering through the downtown.

During downtown events like Dickens on the Boulevard or Food Truck Thursday, music, bands and announcements from the stage will play throughout the three blocks.

“As folks stroll through the streets of downtown Claremore, we want to see their heads bopping to the latest hits or classic favorites. During the holiday season, we want to fill the streets with Christmas cheer through music,” said Jessica Jackson, executive director of Main Street. “In short, we want to surround Claremore’s historic core with joy and harmony.”

The project was born out of several committee members experiencing music in downtown’s throughout the state and country including Okmulgee, Broken Arrow and Collinsville.

“I’ve experienced music downtown in several other communities and thought to myself, ‘Claremore needs this,’” Jackson said. “We hope to see the system fully in place in the middle of the summer of 2018.”

The organization already has seen an outpour of support from local businesses and partners who have agreed to match certain funds raised by community individuals.

“We are thankful to have local businesses support us through matching donations,” Butler said. “Because of their support, your individual contribution will be doubled, matched dollar-for-dollar, so you can make a bigger impact on this project.”

Donations on Giving Tuesday were matched through a grant from the National Main Street Center. Other matching donations will be from the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association, the Claremore Museum of History, The District on Main and RCB Bank.

The Music on Main committee is comprised of representatives from downtown businesses, City of Claremore, Claremore Collective, Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority, Rogers County Industrial Development Authority, Rogers County, RCB Bank, Claremore Main Street Board members and volunteers within the community.

Claremore Main Street officials hope to raise the full $25,000 by mid-March, but the support of individuals in the community is paramount.

“This project is for the community and in turn will be funded by the community,” Jackson said. “Main Street is contributing finances as well as time and talent, but we want the community involved. When this project is all complete, and the speakers are up and music is playing, we want you to be able to say, ‘I helped make this happen.’”

Claremore Main Street is dedicated to its mission to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy and advocating for revitalization and historic preservation. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 2002.

For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email .

He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice. Santa Claus is coming to (down)town.

Good old Saint Nick will be available for photos in downtown Claremore for 1st Saturday Downtown on Dec. 2. He will be in the window of the Cranberry Merchant, 417 W. Will Rogers Blvd., from noon to 3 p.m.

Photos are $5 and will include a print to take home that afternoon. The pictures are hosted by and a fundraiser for the Downtown Claremore Merchant Association.

“We’re excited to have Santa come to Claremore all the way from the North Pole for the second year in a row,” said Sheila Giannelli, president of the DCMA. “This is one of the fundraisers we do that helps us give back to the community and our downtown.”

In the last year, the DCMA has hosted several events that raised money as well as provided a service for the community – including Santa photos last year, Souper Saturday and Easter Bunny photos as well as Food Truck Thursday in conjunction with Claremore Main Street.

The organization also has given back to the community through a canned food drive and a school supply drive.

With the money raised, the DCMA has donated $2,500 to Claremore Main Street’s Music on Main initiative and has established a grant fund of $1,000 to help property and business owners make improvements downtown.

The Santa photos are part of 1st Saturday Downtown, a monthly event on the first Saturday of each month in downtown Claremore that features activities and/or special sales and discounts.

The weekend after Thanksgiving is one of the most shopped of the year as it’s home to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

This year, Claremore Main Street has teamed up with American Express to host Small Business Saturday events and shopping deals in downtown Claremore.

Small Business Saturday – Nov. 25 – is the chance for holiday shoppers to make a big impact by shopping at small, locally-owned stores.

“We just want to see folks come out and enjoy the day with us in downtown Claremore, finding one-of-a-kind items for their loved ones,” said Jessica Jackson, Main Street Director. “It’s a good time to remember that when you shop local, you’re helping your neighbor right here in Rogers County — not some corporate CEO on the coast.”

The day will kick off with the free Shopper Breakfast at She Brews Coffee House’s downtown location, 414 W. Will Rogers Blvd., from 8:30-9:30 a.m. The first 200 guests will receive a free canvas bag full of shopping deals.

She Brews will be serving coffee and breakfast burritos for free to shoppers, and many stores are opening the doors early.

More than 20 downtown stores and businesses are offering specials and discounts for Small Business Saturday shoppers.

“Shopping local is especially important in Oklahoma, where cities rely solely on sales tax as a lone funding source,” Jackson said. “I challenge everyone to do the majority of their Christmas shopping right here in Claremore to make the biggest impact.”

While out and about, shoppers are encouraged to use the hashtags #SmallBizSat and #ShopSmall to join the nationwide conversation.

Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010. It was created to be a day between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to promote small, locally-owned businesses.

Claremore Main Street is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to its mission to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy and advocating for revitalization and historic preservation.

For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email or follow the Small Business Saturday event page on Facebook.