Audubon Park Garden District wins 2016 Great American Main Street Award

Huge congratulations to the Audubon Park Garden District, which this week won the 2016 Great American Main Street Award. 

The National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, names just three districts winners each year out of a field of more than 2,000. APGD director Jennifer Marvel was on hand in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to accept the award Monday night. 

“The 2016 GAMSA winners have succeeded in making their towns an exciting place to live, work, play and visit through implementing our historic preservation-based methodology for downtown revitalization,” said Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center, in a statement.

“In each locality, the local Main Street organization has collaborated with residents, business owners and other local partners to revitalize their district by promoting the assets that makes that community special.”

As City of Orlando Main Street administrator Pauline Eaton points out, unlike many Main Street Districts, Audubon Park didn’t have a town square or city park to organize around: “This Main Street didn’t have anything like that. It had fast traffic, no streetscape, and I think that’s what made them really special is they’ve been able to be successful in spite of that.” 

The Audubon Park Garden District is home to many of Orlando’s longest-lived small businesses (Park Ave CDs, Stardust Video & Coffee, Dear Prudence and Big Daddy’s, to name just a few), as well as the Audubon Park Community Market and the East End Market food hub, and throws popular annual events including Zombietoberfest in October, Vintage Valentines in February and the Bastille Day Celebration in July.

See more in the video below, created by Notice Pictures for GAMSA.

This article appears in May 18-24, 2016.