MainStreet Minute – November 5, 2026
Now that the election is over, it feels like we can all exhale a little and get back to the work of supporting locally-owned businesses and building the kind of Downtown we want for the future.
There is plenty happening at MainStreet as we head into November, and so much of it highlights the different ways we work to support a strong Downtown. Some of that work is highly visible. Some of it happens behind the scenes. All of it matters.
One of the things I am most excited about right now is the conclusion of the inaugural cohort of our Downtown Business Academy, created in partnership with Volusia County Economic Development’s Launchpad program. The intensive Academy gave seven Downtown business owners access to practical education, resources, and conversations designed to help them strengthen their businesses and plan for long term success.
This is an important part of what MainStreet does.
It is easy to think about downtown revitalization in terms of events, beautification, promotions, and foot traffic. Those things matter, and they are part of the work. But a healthy Downtown ultimately depends on healthy local businesses … entrepreneurs who are able to adapt, grow, solve problems, build strong teams, understand their finances, and make good decisions for the future.
That means supporting Downtown businesses has to go beyond simply telling people to shop local. We also have to help create the conditions that allow local businesses to succeed.
The Downtown Business Academy is one way we’re doing that. For MainStreet, that kind of capacity building is part of investing in Downtown’s future.
November also brings one of Downtown DeLand’s most meaningful community traditions, the Volusia County Veterans Day Parade, and this year we are expanding the celebration with the Red, White & Blue Bash.
Both will take place on November 14 as part of our broader America 250 celebration.
The parade remains the heart of the day. Thousands of people line Woodland Boulevard each year to honor the men and women who have served our country, and this year we are going even bigger. Duke Energy will help us create a dramatic patriotic flag display along Indiana Avenue, and we are building the day around the kind of visual, community-wide celebration that reflects the significance of America’s 250th anniversary.
The Red, White & Blue Bash will extend the experience beyond the parade itself.
Veterans’ organizations from across the county have been invited to participate with complimentary booths, giving attendees the opportunity to connect directly with the people and organizations serving our veteran community. The goal is to create a space where veterans, families, civic groups, and neighbors can stay Downtown, spend time together, and continue the celebration after the parade.
We want November 14 to feel BIG. We want veterans to feel honored. We want families to feel connected to the meaning behind the day. And we want Downtown DeLand to be the place where our community comes together to celebrate all of it.
AND… you could also win a car!
Thanks to RC Hill Mitsubishi, every chance purchased helps support MainStreet’s work in Historic Downtown DeLand. There are only 2,000 chances available, which means somebody is going to have a very exciting holiday season.
The fundraiser is fun, but the purpose behind it matters too. The money raised helps support the work that keeps MainStreet moving forward. That includes the programs and partnerships that support our businesses, the community traditions that bring people Downtown, and the long term planning that helps us think beyond the next event or the next season.
That is really what all three of these things have in common.
The Downtown Business Academy is about investing in the people who own and operate our local businesses.
The Veterans Day Parade is about honoring people who have invested deeply in our country and bringing our community together around a shared tradition.
And the Car Giveaway is one way our community can invest directly in the work that helps Downtown DeLand continue to grow while protecting the character that makes it special.
Business development. Community traditions. Investing in what comes next.
They may look like very different pieces of our work, but they are all connected by the same idea.
A strong Downtown does not happen by accident.
It happens when people choose to participate. It happens when business owners take a risk and open their doors. It happens when volunteers give their time, when organizations work together, when residents show up, when visitors choose local, and when a community decides that its Downtown is worth investing in.
That is the work.
And that is how we keep the heartbeat of Downtown DeLand strong.
I’ll see you Downtown.
Stephanie Garcia Mullins
Executive Director
MainStreet DeLand Association
