{"id":369154,"date":"2026-06-21T14:06:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T14:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/369154\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T14:06:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T14:06:19","slug":"downtowns-across-oakland-county-honored-with-main-street-awards-clawson-takes-top-honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/369154\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtowns Across Oakland County Honored with Main Street Awards, Clawson Takes Top Honor"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Downtowns Across Oakland County Honored with Main Street Awards, Clawson Takes Top Honor<\/p>\n

(MSOC, June 21, 2026)<\/p>\n

Oakland County, MI \u2013\u00a0Downtown Clawson received the prestigious Spirit of Main Street Award during Main Street Oakland County\u2019s (MSOC\u2019s) recent annual Main Event awards celebration held at The Roxy Rochester theater in downtown Rochester, while Ortonville and Highland shone by winning in multiple categories.<\/p>\n

The Spirit of Main Street Award \u2014 the evening\u2019s highest honor \u2014 recognizes exceptional achievement in downtown revitalization and community engagement. Downtown Clawson earned the award and a $2,000 cash prize sponsored by Genisys Credit Union for its innovative video, \u201cLevels Up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video transforms downtown Clawson into a video game-inspired world where local business owners, volunteers, board members and visitors become characters who level up through everyday experiences that showcase the district\u2019s welcoming atmosphere and vibrant community spirit.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDowntowns are the heart of our communities, and the creativity and collaboration demonstrated by this year\u2019s award winners are helping Oakland County remain one of the best places to live and visit,\u201d said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. \u201cCongratulations to all of this year\u2019s winners for their dedication to strengthening our downtowns.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Main Event recognized outstanding achievements across MSOC\u2019s network of downtowns and commercial corridors. Forty-two nominations were submitted from 16 of the program\u2019s 29 participating communities.<\/p>\n

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Other award recipients included:<\/p>\n

Achievement in Community Character or Historic Preservation: Ortonville DDA for Ortonville Historical Audio Walking Tour \u2014 Preserving the Past Through Storytelling and Innovation
\nBusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Ortonville DDA for Mistletoe Marketplace \u2014 A Community-Driven Retail Innovation Fueling Downtown Ortonville\u2019s Economic Vitality
\nCommunity Event of the Year: Ortonville DDA for Vegucation Station Adventurers\u2019 Club
\nDistrict Placemaking: Farmington DDA for Make-a-Wave Community Mural
\nSmall Business Retention and Attraction: Highland DDA for Commercial Property Open House
\nVolunteer of the Year: The Illuminators \u2014 A Lake Orion Volunteer Corps for Lake Orion DDA
\nMain Street Resilience: Highland DDA for Earth-\u2018n\u2019-Soul
\nOutstanding Partnership: Highland DDA for Highland Station Boardwalk
\nMain Street Leader: Deya Marchand, Main Street Pontiac<\/p>\n

The event also featured two proclamations from the county executive. One recognized downtown Farmington as a 2026 Great American Main Street Award winner, joining downtown Ferndale (2010) and downtown Rochester (2013) as Oakland County communities to earn the national distinction. He also welcomed Keego Harbor as the 30th community to join the MSOC coordinating program.<\/p>\n

In addition, 21 MSOC communities received Main Street America 2026 national recognition certificates. Eleven communities achieved Accredited status: Berkley, Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford, Rochester and Royal Oak. Affiliate status was awarded to Auburn Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Hazel Park, Lathrup Village, Lyon Township, Oak Park, Southfield, South Lyon and Wixom.<\/p>\n

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Attendees also learned about the new Main Street Momentum Grant, funded through a partnership between MSOC and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The one-time grant program will provide up to $20,000 to eligible rural downtown communities to support revitalization efforts.<\/p>\n

More than 200 community leaders, volunteers, downtown stakeholders and business partners attended the celebration.<\/p>\n

The Main Event was sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, Oakland County Business Finance Corporation, Rochester DDA, Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, Giffels Webster, Michigan Municipal League Foundation, Michigan Downtown Association and DTE Energy.<\/p>\n

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About Main Street Oakland County<\/p>\n

Established in 2000, Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) is the first and only countywide Main Street Coordinating Program in the United States. Oakland County is one of only two officially designated Main Street Coordinating Programs in Michigan. Through the Main Street Four-Point Approach, communities strengthen downtowns and commercial corridors through historic preservation, economic development and community engagement. Since its inception, MSOC communities have attracted nearly $1.2 billion in public and private investment, created more than 8,800 net new full-time jobs and opened approximately 1,700 net new businesses. For more information, visit MainStreetOaklandCounty.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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