Great Falls made it through the first round of voting in the 2018 America’s Main Streets contest and is now a quarterfinalist.

The contest is organized by Independent We Stand and sponsored by STIHL.

The grand prize for the winning Main Street is $25,000.

Great Falls is running for $25,000 prize in Main Street contest

The nomination reads: “Downtown Great Falls, like any downtown, is the heart of our city. What sets us apart is that any venture to Great Falls provides a true, authentic Montana experience. We proudly serve as the Western Art capital of the world for one week every year in March! We offer arts, culture, and history in a vibrant, modern community surrounded by expansive, unspoiled, and diverse landscapes. Just as the Great Falls area was the basecamp for the Lewis & Clark expedition over 200 years ago, we serve as the basecamp today for a wide range of outdoor adventures. We are the third largest city in Montana, named after one of the five waterfalls on the Missouri River that runs right through our beautiful city. We are also a Certified Montana Main Street Community, one of only three in the state. Just like the Mighty Mo, Downtown Great Falls truly provides the continuous flow of the lifeblood in our community.”

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Joan Redeen, community director for the Great Falls Business Improvement District, said “I am thrilled to nominate Downtown Great Falls for this national recognition. We continue to work on our downtown beautification efforts and Downtown Great Falls is very deserving of bringing this national recognition home.”

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More than 117,000 total votes were cast for 303 entrants during the nominations phase.

“We are in our third year of the contest and are so happy to see the passion and pride these nominees have for their Main Streets and the local businesses that keep them alive. Now it’s time for consumers to show their support and vote again to move their favorites into the semifinals,” Independent We Stand co-founder Bill Brunelle said in a release. “Our theme this year is ‘Local Memories. Lasting Impact,’ and this group is a terrific example of the unique experiences and economic benefits shopping local can have on a community.”

The 2018 quarterfinalists in alphabetical order are:

• Belleville Main Street, Belleville, Ill.
• Benicia Main Street, Benicia, Calif.
• Bridge Street Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Ohio
• Cedar Lee, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
• Clarence Main Street, Clarence, Iowa
• Collierville, TN, Collierville, Tenn.
• Congress Street, York, S.C.
• Downtown Great Falls, Great Falls, Mont.
• Downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Ill.
• Downtown Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville, Ind.
• Downtown Rochester, Rochester, Mich.
• Downtown Smithfield, Smithfield, N.C.
• Downtown Statesville, Statesville, N.C.
• Downtown Tupelo Main Street, Tupelo, Miss.
• East Troy, WI, East Troy, Wis.
• Edenton, North Carolina, Edenton, N.C.
• Fulton Street, Fresno, Calif.
• Hillsboro Main Street, Hillsboro, Texas
• Logansport, Indiana, Logansport, Ind.
• Lost Nation Main Street, Lost Nation, Iowa
• Main Street Covington, Covington, Ga.
• Main Street Hayward, Hayward, Wis.
• Main Street Texarkana, Texarkana, Texas
• Market Street Mt. Carmel, Mount Carmel, Ill.
• New London, New London, Minn.

Semifinalist voting begins 10 a.m. EST April 30 at MainStreetContest.com and runs through May 27.

The top 10 semifinalists will be announced May 28. The winner of the 2018 “America’s Main Streets” contest will be announced June 4 followed by a “Main Streets Make Us Better” celebration on the Fourth of July, when the winner will announce how the prize money will be utilized.

Contest prizes include:

• $25,000 grand prize
• STIHL Equipment Certificate for $1,000 worth of STIHL equipment good at any STIHL dealer in the U.S.
• Do it Best Corp. $500 shopping spree
• PPG Paints $500 shopping spree
• Public relations and social media recognition
• Special plaque for winner to proudly display

For more information on Downtown Great Falls, visit: www.exploredowntowngf.com or contact Joan Redeen at the Business Improvement District at 406.727.5430 or info@greatfallsbid.com.