Vidalia Main Street
Shop Local. Eat Local. Spend Local.
Your community will thank you.
The DVA Enjoys a Great Start to 2019
by Tonya Green Parker, Executive Director
Our Downtown Vidalia Association
started off 2019 with exciting new events and
opportunities. We introduced a membership
brochure with 4 distinct levels of membership
and benefits. Design is an integral part of
the Main Street approach, and our Board of
Directors saw a need to offer more. As an
enhancement to our design benefit, general
members may apply for $500 grants (2
annually) and our Gold level members or higher
may apply for $1,000 façade grants (3 annually).
Our goal is to keep downtown, and beyond
looking fresh and inviting.
Coffee before Hours is a successful
networking event held the first Wednesday
of each month. For years, this has been
a great time for community members to
mingle. Thanks to the popularity and success
of this event, we added another networking
opportunity called “The 5:05 with DVA.” “The
5:05” takes place on the third Thursday of every
other month and is hosted by our higher-level
members. If you haven’t attended either of
these, we invite you to drop by and socialize
with the amazing people of our community.
Our Promotions Committee successfully
planned and implemented our first Downtown
Chocolate Walk. Tickets were sold, and 17
businesses participated in treating walkers as
they shopped the Saturday before Valentine’s
Day. Each ticket holder was given a map of the
participating businesses, a place to write down
reasons why they would return, or maybe just
a few of their favorite memories. Participating
businesses provided shoppers with chocolate
treats. This successful event provided patrons
another reason to shop local, as if people
need another reason to shop, right?!?! The
businesses gained new customers, and shoppers
said they visited stores they had never been.
Chocolate and shopping turned out to be a great
combination! Thanks to the event’s success, we
plan to make it an annual event.
In gearing up for the 42nd annual Vidalia
Onion Festival, our Promotions Committee
decided to corral community pride with the first
Sweeten Your Ride event. Committee members
and volunteers drew an onion on car windows
for a $5 donation. Not only were we able to
show community support, we also presented a
sizable check to East GA Fellowship of Christian
Athletes. We hope this will become an annual
event, and each year the DVA will donate to
a different local non-profit organization. Our
annual Onion Festival events were once again
a success because of our generous community.
The third annual Downtown Chalk Walk
displayed colorful works of art down our
downtown sidewalks. This year’s theme was
“Chalk about Farmin”. We had artists from
Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Toombs
County High School, Vidalia Heritage Academy,
and Vidalia High School. Friday and Saturday
of the Festival, we fried our delicious Vidalia
Sweet Onion rings. Thanks to the generous
donations from the community and volunteers,
it was a successful fundraiser which allows DVA
to continue promoting growth and bringing
prosperity to our community, and participating
members.
Don’t miss what’s happening downtown....
COFFEE BEFORE
HOURS AT RIALTO
1ST PLACE CHALK
ART AWARD
DVA 2019
FACADE GRANT
2019 Board of Directors
President
Kelly Wingate, Medixx Ambulance
Vice President
Heather Mead, Million Pines Community
Bank
Secretary
Rhonda Jones, Dermatology Associates
Treasurer
Bill Bedingfield, City of Vidalia
Sandy Dixon, Accordia Urgent Care
Charles Tapley, Lovins Realty
Greg Hudgins, GA Power
Tish Holland, Arlene’s Fine Jewelry
Valerie McLendon, Altamaha Bank & Trust
CHALK
COMPETITION
JUDGES
SWEETEN YOUR RIDE