Fayetteville Main Street Celebrates 35 Years of Preserving and Promoting Downtown

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Fayetteville Main Street is celebrating 35 years as a designated Main Street program, marking more than three decades of preservation, promotion, and support for the businesses and historic character of downtown Fayetteville.

Founded in 1990, Fayetteville Main Street began under its first director, Mrs. Sarah Phillips, and has since been guided by a series of dedicated executive directors, board members, and volunteers who share a common goal: to keep downtown vibrant, welcoming, and economically strong.

Current Executive Director Aimee Byrd joined the Fayetteville Main Street board in 2020 and transitioned into the director role in April 2022. When she first became involved, the organization had no active members and very limited funding. Today, membership has been rebuilt to more than 100 business members, along with family and individual supporters.

“We’ve been able to fundraise, rebuild our membership, and completely transform our square,” said Byrd. “I don’t have to drive through downtown to get home, but I always do. It brings me so much joy to see the parking spaces full and people walking around. We have an incredible square, and I don’t think people appreciate it enough.”

Under Byrd’s leadership, Fayetteville Main Street has secured significant grant funding, including a Downtown Improvement Grant that has helped building owners restore and refresh their facades. Additional funding is supporting new lighting along the Greenway to better connect Don Davidson Park to downtown, improving both safety and accessibility.

“We don’t bring ideas lightly,” Byrd added. “There’s a lot of research and data behind everything we propose. Not everything that works in other communities will work here, so we ask, ‘How do we make this explicitly Fayetteville?’ It’s not just a Main Street effort, and it’s certainly not just an Aimee Byrd effort—it takes our board, our members, our merchants, and our whole community.”

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A Legacy of Leadership

Former Main Street directors say the program has always been about people, relationships, and pride in downtown.

Allison Heffington, who served as program director from 1994–1998, stepped into the role during a challenging period and focused on rebuilding membership and trust.

“When I came in, Main Street was in a sore spot,” Heffington recalled. “But with a strong board and support from the community, we were able to grow and stabilize the program. For me, the relationships were the most fun part of the job. If you’re building relationships, you’re furthering the mission.”

During her tenure, membership grew to 85 active members. Heffington and her board launched new events and fundraisers, such as a spring festival built around a beloved local recipe, and popular items like custom ornaments, pewter pieces, and a Fayetteville-opoly game. She also helped champion the long-term effort to allow residential units upstairs in downtown buildings—an important step toward a more active, lived-in downtown.

Charla Scivally, who served around 2010–2011, was drawn to the position because of her deep family roots on the square. Her grandfather, James Moore, owned Moore Food Store downtown for 50 years.

“I just had such an affinity for the downtown stores,” Scivally said. “I grew up around those businesses and their history. I wanted to help keep that history alive while improving it.”

Scivally enjoyed working directly with business owners and leading youth involvement through what is now the Youth Leaders Council. Her group of students produced a commercial that highlighted downtown landmarks and long-standing businesses, helping a new generation connect with Fayetteville’s historic core. She also worked on practical improvements—from addressing unsightly trash receptacles to early conversations about downtown lighting.

Rhonda Diest, who followed Heffington and served from 1998–2001, remembers how the job pushed her personally and professionally.

“When I took over, we were down to 11 members,” said Diest. “I hit the square in heels and skirts and walked the streets with my hand out, introducing myself. It forced me out of my shell and taught me how to meet new people and advocate for small business owners.”

For Diest, Host of Christmas Past was the signature project. Her team worked on the beloved holiday event year-round, continuing the tradition of drawing large crowds downtown to shop, dine, and experience Fayetteville at its most festive.

Most recently, Lauren Honea served from 2019–2020, focusing on establishing First Fridays as a consistent, monthly event to bring foot traffic downtown.

“I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to fall in love with Fayetteville and experience it the way I did,” Honea said. First Fridays helped introduce new visitors to the square while giving locals a reason to come downtown more often.

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A Downtown That Keeps Evolving

From early festivals and decorative improvements to today’s data-driven strategies and grant-funded projects, Fayetteville Main Street has continually adapted while keeping preservation at its core.

Today, the organization operates from a co-working space in the historic KP Building on the square, a project made possible through grant funding and community partnerships. The space houses multiple small businesses and serves as home base for Main Street operations—another example of how downtown continues to evolve as a place to work, gather, and grow.

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Calling All Former Directors, Board Members, and Volunteers

As part of the 35th anniversary, Fayetteville Main Street is working to compile a complete timeline of the program’s history, including all former directors, board members, and major milestones. While many former directors have been interviewed, the organization has not been able to reach everyone.

“If you’ve ever served as a director, board member, or long-time volunteer—or if you have old photos, documents, or stories—we would love to hear from you,” said Byrd. “Our goal is to document how Main Street has evolved over the years so that future generations will understand what it took to keep downtown thriving.”

Anyone interested in sharing memories or materials is encouraged to contact Fayetteville Main Street at [phone/email] or stop by the Main Street office in the KP Building on the square.

“Downtown is more than a set of buildings,” Byrd said. “It’s a living story written by the people who care about this place. We’re honored to celebrate 35 years of that story—and we’re excited about all the chapters still to come.”

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About Fayetteville Main Street
Fayetteville Main Street is a Tennessee Main Street community dedicated to preserving, promoting, and revitalizing downtown Fayetteville. Through events, design improvements, business support, and community partnerships, the organization works to create a vibrant, economically strong, and welcoming downtown for residents and visitors alike.

Originally posted by Fayetteville Main Street via Locable