Hillsboro Downtown Partnership to Present at the Oregon Main Street Conference

This October, Hillsboro Downtown Partnership (HDP) will be represented at the Oregon Main Street Conference in Albany, where Executive Director Harrison Butler has been invited to speak on the panel “Experience is the New Downtown Anchor.”

The annual Oregon Main Street Conference brings together community leaders, Main Street organizations, and economic development professionals from across the state to share strategies, challenges, and success stories. This year’s theme — Experience is the New Downtown Anchor — highlights a shift that many communities are embracing: people are seeking fewer “things” and more experiences that connect them with culture, creativity, and one another.

Hillsboro’s Contribution: The Cultural Arts District
Harrison will highlight Hillsboro’s unique path in creating and expanding its Cultural Arts District. This designation, adopted by the City of Hillsboro in 2019, has become more than a symbolic label. It has opened doors for new funding streams, strengthened partnerships with arts nonprofits, and given businesses and residents alike a clear identity for where cultural and creative life thrives downtown. For Hillsboro, the Cultural Arts District builds on earlier work preserving our historic downtown core. With that foundation in place, the new designation added an additional layer of support — one that connects arts, culture, and economic growth in ways that benefit the entire community.

More Than Preservation: A Thriving Economy
The Cultural Arts District helps funnel resources to arts organizations like HART Theatre and Bag&Baggage Productions, while also amplifying the economic impact of downtown events such as the Farmers’ Market, Tuesday Night Market, Holly Days Celebration, and the La Strada dei Pastelli Chalk Festival. Equally important, the designation helps attract small businesses that want to locate in an area known for its vibrancy and creativity. When local restaurants, breweries, shops, and experiential businesses align with the Cultural Arts District identity, they thrive alongside the arts.

Inclusive by Design

One of the strengths of Hillsboro’s Cultural Arts District is its inclusivity. From the outset, HDP worked to ensure that the district reflects all of Hillsboro’s cultures. That’s why Calle Diez, our Latino business corridor, and M&M Marketplace were deliberately included in the district boundaries.
Through outreach, cleanup projects, the beloved Costume Closet (providing free Halloween costumes for families), and micro-business engagement at Paisanos Plaza and M&M Marketplace, HDP has created pathways for immigrant-owned businesses to benefit from the district and contribute to its identity.

Looking Ahead

As Harrison shares in the panel, the work is ongoing. HDP is currently leading a Downtown branding phase, a collaborative effort that includes community members, business owners, City staff, and board members. This process is about more than a logo — it’s about creating a shared identity that guides events, placemaking projects, and recruitment strategies for years to come.

Hillsboro on the Statewide Stage 

By presenting at the Oregon Main Street Conference, Hillsboro joins communities across the state in exchanging ideas and strategies. Sharing how the Cultural Arts District connects arts, culture, inclusivity, and economic growth demonstrates how a downtown can be both a cultural hub and a thriving economy.

We’re proud to bring Hillsboro’s story to the statewide stage and look forward to learning from our peers as well.