Main Street programs across the state were celebrated recently during the 32nd Annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet, held September 20 in Oklahoma City at the Embassy Suites Downtown Medical Center Hotel. Sponsors for this year’s event included The Cherokee Nation, The Chickasaw Nation and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

To determine the Main Street Program of the Year, the Oklahoma Main Street Center measures various quality ratings for each local Main Street program. These include meeting the 10 Standards of National Accreditation and other activities such as attending the annual awards banquet and additional trainings, timely submission of Main Street Award nominations and reinvestment reports, etc. This award is a mark of program excellence, and measured involvement within the program.

The 2021 Main Street Program of the Year: Main Street Enid, Inc.

In the world of Main Street, people tend to lose their last names once becoming a Main Street Director. This was certainly true of “Watonga Bob.” Always an informal guy on a first-name-basis-as-soon-as-he-met-you, Bob Shoemaker took on the program director position later in life after a successful business career. He passed away suddenly in 2010 but not before leaving an indelible mark in the Oklahoma Main Street world.

A common refrain heard about Bob was “when all others said it couldn’t be done, he went to work and got it done.” In 2011, the Program Director of the Year award was renamed in honor of “Watonga Bob” Shoemaker because of his work ethic, service to his community and promotion of the Main Street Program.

The 2021 Watonga Bob Shoemaker Award Recipient: Melyn Johnson, Main Street Guymon, Inc.

The Four-Point award winners for 2021 are:

ORGANIZATION:

Premier Partner

Kendall Whittier – George Kaiser Family Foundation

Best Community Education/Public Awareness

Guymon – Virtual Fiesta

Best Volunteer Development Program

Newkirk – Paint Main

Main Street Hero

Newkirk – Hannah Cross Best Creative Fundraising Effort

Kendall Whittier – Kendall Whittier Rent Relief Program

PROMOTION:

Premier Special Event Under 1,000 Attendees

Hobart – Hometown Harvest Day

Premier Special Event Over 1,000 Attendees

Enid – Holidays on Ice

Best Retail Event

Enid – Comic Con Crazy Days

Outstanding Image Promotion

Kendall Whittier – visit-KendallWhittier.com

Creative New Event

Tahlequah – Veteran Banner Program

DESIGN:

Best Placemaking Project

Enid – Under Her Wings was the Universe

Best Interior Design Project

Kendall Whittier – American Solera

Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000

El Reno – El Reno Main Street Façade

Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000

Okmulgee – Ford Lofts

Best Visual Merchandising

Collinsville – Farm Hippie Farmers Market

Best Building/Business Branding

Enid – Settlers Brewing Co.

ECONOMIC VITALITY:

Best Adaptive Reuse Project

Kendall Whittier – Four. Seven. Three.

Best Business Practices Altus – Gunkel Law Group

Ponca City – Ponca City Development Authority

Best New Business

Enid – Enid Brewing Co.

Businesses of the Year

Durant – Roma Italian Restaurant

Tulsa Route 66 – Red Fork Distillery