2024 Year in Review

2024 has been a big year Downtown! You can see what’s been happening in the Mid-Year Report, issued in Jaunary 2025, which is halfway though the Downtown Bangor Partnership fiscal year.

Bangor’s Downtown Expanded in 2024

We saw the district expand its boundaries to include more of the city, including InTown Plaza on Harlow Street, more of Park Street, and Main Street all the way to the highway! We recognized this change in the 2024 holiday ornament, which featured Paul Bunyan preparing to leave his customary spot to pull a huge tree into West Market Square.

Volunteers Worked Tirelessly

This year’s local volunteer crew spent hundreds of hours to enrich our Downtown experiences. Community volunteers dug and planted. They raked and bagged leaves. They filled planter boxes with greenery. And they put up lights to cheer us all in the winter dark. We are so appreciative of those who give us their valuable time so we can have a beautiful and vibrant Downtown to enjoy.

• The Adopt-A-Garden program planted over 100 garden plots
• Held Spring Cleanup to prepare for Memorial Day visitors
• Planted 56 bridge flower boxes, and 45 large planters
• Provided the Fall Cleanup of Norumbega Park
• Holiday tree upgrades and additional decoration downtown

We had a lot of events!

• Summer Sidewalk Art Festival which raised $10,000, hosted over 100 vendors and welcomed thousands of guests to Downtown Bangor.
• Fall Sidewalk Art Festival which raised $3,500, hosted over 60 vendors and welcomed hundreds of guests to downtown despite inclement weather.
• Partnered with Wabanaki Public Health and wellness to bolster our Native American Heritage Month celebrations which included a ceremonial welcoming and walk, and a Wabanaki Art Market with 20 vendors.
• A refreshed Downtown Countdown ball drop in Pickering Square and robust promotion of stakeholder events.

We also held smaller events such as the Solstice Garden Party, Downtown Margarita Contest, Downtown Trick or Treat, and partnered to promote the activities held Downtown, like the First Fridays Art Walks. In addition, we hosted events related to public projects like the Umbrella Sky installation, and the big sea-run brook trout that we all enjoyed on the lawn of the library this fall, and provided additional sparkle to the holiday season with a music and light show that debuted on Plaid Friday.

Marketed Downtown to Visitors and Locals

• Updated and distributed 10,000 brochures since May along with 8,000 updated “Visit Downtown” guide books in rest areas, through Maine Highlands direct mailings, and along the Interstate 95 travel corridor. Maine Tourism Association rest areas and Bangor International Airport confirm they are the number one regional guide taken.
• Ran local, OTT, social and digital campaigns in our target markets inviting people to Shop, Dine, Play, and Stay in Downtown Bangor.
• Our social media content received 1.2 million views, and had a reach of 853,000 on Facebook
• Website visitation of 184,748 with top page visitation for the community events calendar, Sidewalk Art Festival, business directory and shopping, dining, and interactive map with the top three cities of visitation in order Bangor, Boston, and New York cities.

You can read more in our 2024 Digital Marketing Report.

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Bangor’s Ambassadors Hit the Streets

Our Bangor Safety and Hospitality Ambassador program launched this year on September 5 with a partial crew, and we’ve had excellent feedback from visitors, residents, employees, and property owners. You may have seen them in their bright orange shirts, but they are also constantly moving through the district so give them a friendly wave when you meet one of them! The Ambassadors provide information to all kinds of folk downtown, from directions to information about resources available in the area. The team provides wellness checks, property checks, and business check-ins. They also pick up refuse and litter when they see it, and dispose of materials that present a community hazard, like discarded needles. They have also put up posters, walked people to their cars, and helped beautify our Downtown. You can get the details here in the Year to Date Street Report.

Sponsors Brought Vibrancy

Our business sponsors allow us to promote Downtown, hold events and activities that bring people together, raise awareness of our Downtown community, and improve the quality of life for businesses, property owners, residents, and visitors alike.