Main Street MD Conference Ends with Keynote Panel

(EASTON, Md) – Representatives from all across Maryland packed the Avalon Theater in Easton to close out the second annual Main Street Maryland Conference. With the keynote delivered by Maryland Housing and Community Development Secretary, Jake Day.

Day tells us, “a phrase that we use is ‘great places win’. And so when we invest in those places and their vision, we produce great economic results. But what’s really key is bringing them together and learning from each other. And that’s what this is all about.”

For those like Reverend Charles Cephas, the Mayor of Hurlock, it’s the chance to start a Main Street program of their own.

“The Town of Hurlock needs a Main Street. For 20 years I’ve been trying to get it. I think this is an opportunity to get Main Street and all the dividends that will come with it,” says Mayor Cephas.

Others are looking forward to simply expand their programs and share common experiences.

Carol D’agostino, the Main Street Manager in Centerville tells us, “We have a lot of the same types of issues and challenges in our communities. So the conference allows us to take a look at what we’re doing, what other communities are doing. So that we can learn from them.”

Bouncing ideas off of each other is one thing, but being heard on a statewide level is another. Organizers are saying it elevates everyone.

“When we know those best practices, when we see what’s working across the landscape of Maryland, we have an opportunity to raise the tide and lift all the boats for all the cities and towns across this great state,” says Day.

The 2026 Main Street Maryland Conference will be held in Hagerstown.