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ARTIST FINISHES FIRST IN SERIES OF CIVIL WAR COMMEMORATIVE WORKS Artist Leslie Macon holds her recently completed painting, "Dispatch from General Lee - Headquarters Hastings House March 1865," produced for the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation as part of a series comemorating local events associated with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. With her are Smithfield's John Booker, Commander of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans Camp 1466, and Chris Johnson, DSDC executive director. To learn more about this project, click here.

a Hometown Heritage site updated 2/1/12

VENDORS INVITED TO 2012 HAM & YAM FESTIVAL;
BOOTH SPACES AVAILABLE ON SATURDAY, MAY 5

The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation has begun to accept applications for the 28th annual Ham & Yam Festival May 4-5.

"Each year, the event grows and changes," states Chris Johnson, DSDC Executive Director. "The Festival Committee has elected to drop the Sunday afternoon portion of the festival in favor of a free Friday night concert featuring legendary Southern Rock band Molly Hatchet (click here for more details). The festival will continue with the Saturday night concert featuring a national Country artist who has yet to be announced. As always, we are looking for quality vendors to participate in the festival."

The space allotted for craft vending is already filling fast, Johnson notes. With most vendors returning to this popular event, available openings for craft, art, and agricultural products are now being offered. The festival, held in historic Downtown Smithfield, draws approximately 30,000 attendees.

Streetside vending spaces are 10' x 12' and cost $110 for Saturday. The “early bird” cut off for registration will be Friday, March 30, although vendors are encouraged to submit their applications sooner, as the number of booths will be limited to 125.

Applications are available for download from the Ham & Yam website www.hamandyam.com and at the office of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, which may be reached by calling 919-934-0887.


DOWNTOWN SMITHFIELD CORP. EXPANDS
INCENTIVES FOR NEW BUSINESSES, EVENTS

The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation (DSDC) announces the creation of additional incentives to attract businesses and to encourage non-profits to hold events Downtown.
 
Two new incentives are the Downtown Smithfield Retail and Restaurant Rental/Upfit Subsidy Help program – R2 RUSH – and the Downtown Residential Incentive Fund – DRIF.
 
The goal of R2 RUSH is to attract new retail and restaurant businesses through incentives to help with up-fit or occupancy costs.
 
The purpose of DRIF is to boost residential development through a loan guarantee that would become a grant if used to cover the construction interest for new dwelling units Downtown.

Those incentives and others are covered in a new DSDC publication: “Getting Started – putting the pieces of the puzzle together to open your new business in Downtown Smithfield” (click here to download PDF version). It provides entrepreneurs a checklist for opening a business in Smithfield, including the permitting process as well as various grants, incentives, and funds that are available to investors looking to open or relocate businesses to Downtown Smithfield. 
 
Besides R2 RUSH and DRIP, another business incentive covered in the publication is DSDC's SHARP grants program for rehabilitation of older buildings and promoting infill growth.

DSDC is also offering Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grants for non-profit organizations or other collaboratives to use Downtown Smithfield as a venue for events and activities specifically targeted to attract visitors from geographical areas or demographic audiences new to Smithfield. DSDC will offer a matching grant up to 25% of the cost of approved advertising and marketing projects – up to $500 but no less than $50.

Click here for details about the various incentive programs offered by the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation.

To learn more about Downtown Smithfield, e-mail DSDC Director Chris Johnson, or call him at (919) 934-0887.

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