Rochester Cares
4/17/21

Spring is here! Rochester Cares is an annual event that encourages community volunteerism. Bring your gloves, rakes, and shovels, and let's get some work done! Rochester DPW will be dropping mulch to spread. We'll also be cleaning up and removing trash and other debris. We need YOU to help us get downtown ready for the summer season! Bring a friend, bring the kids! Let's get this done, together!

Cookout & Meetup
6/21/21 4-6pm

Rochester Main Street and Rochester's Economic Development Department is hosting an informal BBQ at City Hall to show appreciation for our downtown Business Owners and Managers. It's a great chance to meet your neighbors, eat, and enjoy time outside!

Night Before the 4th
7/3/21 7:30pm

Join us in celebrating our independence on July 3rd, at the Rochester Community Center. We're planning a spectacular fireworks show at approximately 9:30pm! Bring your own chair or blanket. There is free parking at the Community Center, Spaulding High School, and along Wakefield Street. The fireworks will start at approximately 9:30pm.

Summer Music Series

We are partnering with the Rochester Recreation Department for the ultimate Summer Music Series! Join us on Tuesdays (Central Square) and Thursdays (Rochester Common) from 6:30-8pm for FREE outdoor concerts! Bring a chair or blanket, invite your friends and family, and support local musicians!
Rochester Common:
  • Knock on Wood 7/8
  • Bryan Conway, One Man Band 7/15
  • Truffle 7/22
  • North River Music 7/29
  • TBA 8/5
  • Kid Pinky Steve Prisby 8/12​
Parson Main / Central Square:
  • Devin Berry 7/6
  • Cameron Drive Acoustic Trio 7/13
  • Chris Bonoli and the Blues Monsters 7/20
  • Quint-Essential Winds​ 7/27
  • Patti and the Pop Tarts 8/3
  • Mistaken For Strangers 8/10

Free Comic Book Day
8/14/21

Jetpack Comics presents Free Comic Book Day! Jetpack is giving away TONS of free comic books at a variety of participating downtown businesses. Plan to spend the day downtown collecting comics, visiting businesses, and making new friends along the way. Costumes are encouraged! Some business will be carrying exclusive comics for you to enjoy! Free comics, a great walk around downtown, exciting people to talk to... How can you go wrong?

Rochester Pride Rally
​8/28/21 1-4pm

Rochester Main Street invites the LGBTQ+ community to Central Square, in downtown Rochester, for a free public Pride Rally on Saturday, August 28th, 2021 from 1-4pm. Our mission is to promote unity, visibility, inclusivity, equality, and a positive image of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) community. Participating downtown businesses will be open for business and flying pride flags.

PorchFest
9/26/21

Rochester Performance & Arts Center presents PorchFest, a FREE outdoor music festival featuring more than 30 bands of all genres! Bands are placed on outdoor stages throughout downtown and attendees can walk around and hear a little of everything. Donations and proceeds from the event support music education. You don't want to miss this incredible live music event... There's something for everyone at Rochester PorchFest!

Moonlight Madness

This is the only night when it's socially acceptable to go into public in your pajamas... In fact, it's encouraged! Moonlight Madness is a night full of specials, discounts, and late-night shopping! Participating businesses will be open late in order to serve you! Just look for the "moon" flags. Start working on your shopping list, get into something comfortable, and support your downtown economy!

Mario Kart Tournament

Get your red shells ready for Main Street's annual Mario Kart Tournament! We're taking over the movie screen at the Rochester Opera House to find the best Mario Kart driver in town! The competition is open to drivers of all ages. It's only $25 to enter the contest. First come, first serve. The public is encouraged to attend and cheer on the drivers. Tickets are only $10 each. The winner will receive half the ticket sales from the event. The other half of the proceeds will support Main Street's mission to revitalize downtown Rochester. Whether you're a competitor or spectator, this event is fun for people of all ages!

Downtown Trick-or-treat
10/29/21

Attention families! It's time to get spooky! Get into your most creative costumes and get to downtown for all kinds of scary tricks and tricks. Participating downtown businesses will be handing out candy and encouraging you to check out their establishments. Just look for the pumpkin flags! Kids of all ages are welcome!

Zombie Walk
10/29/21

The Rochester Zombie Walk features participants from Studio 109, Corinne's School of Dance, and Dance N Motion 2. Enjoy their choreographed performance as they tread from the Union Street parking lot to Rochester Common. Teens and adults are welcome to participate in the parade by dressing in zombie costumes and following the dancers. Participants are asked to gather in Union Street parking lot by 6:45pm for a 7:00pm police-escorted walk down South Main Street.

Shop Small Saturday
11/27/21

Shop Small Saturday was started by American Express several years ago to encourage shoppers to make purchases at locally-owned businesses during the start of the holiday shopping season. Rochester Main Street participates as a Neighborhood Champion to help support our local businesses and encourage them to take advantage of this national movement. On Shop Small Saturday, it is expected that nearly $5 billion in purchases will be made at locally owned businesses.

Festival of Trees

The annual Festival of Trees is held at Studley's Flower Garden's greenhouse at 82 Wakefield Street. Enjoy caroling, refreshments, and a visit from Santa while strolling through dozens of wonderfully decorated trees, generously donated by area businesses and organizations. Enter to win the  Holiday Trees, Holiday Wreaths, and Premium Trees (with values over $500)!  They are fully decorated and are often stuffed with gift certificates and other fun prizes! Admission is just $5 and includes 5 raffle tickets! Children enter free.

Elf off the Shelf

There are 12 elves hiding around downtown... Look high and low to find them all! Each elf will give you a ticket and a treat. Once you receive all your tickets, visit Collec-tiques on North Main Street to enter them into the raffle. The more tickets you have, the better your chances become to win the Grand Prize!

Coffee with a Cop

Coffee with a Cop is an event where community residents can sit down with officers and ask questions or share what’s on their mind.​ The mission of Coffee with a Cop is to break down the barriers between police officers and the citizens they serve. 

Downtown Cash Mob

You’ve seen “flash mobs” where performers turn up on a city street from seemingly nowhere to do a dance or concert piece for a surprised public... Now imagine a mob suddenly showing up and racing into one store or restaurant, cash in their pockets, to make purchases. It's simple, Go into any downtown business, spend $25+, send us a copy of the receipt, and get entered to win a variety of prizes and gift cards. Support your local economy and get a chance to win prizes! It's a win-win!