Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District

Big news from Downtown Worcester! Please join us in congratulating our very own Miguel Fernandez Nazario, Operations Manager for the Downtown Worcester Ambassador Team, on being named to Worcester Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under Forty list! Miguel is truly the heart and soul of our Ambassador Team, leading with integrity, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to making Downtown Worcester clean, safe, and welcoming every day. From supporting local businesses to lending a hand at community events, Miguel shows up with equal parts hustle and care in everything he does. We’re so proud to see his dedication, leadership, and community spirit recognized in this way. Well deserved, Miguel, and congratulations to all of this year’s winners! We cannot wait to celebrate with you all Downtown at Mechanics Hall on September 17. You can read more about Miguel from WBJ now at the link in the comments. 🔗 📸: Erika Sidor for WBJ cc: Streetplus Company LLC #WBJ40Under40 #DowntownWorcester #Worcester

This summer, Out to Lunch reminded us what makes Downtown Worcester so special.
 Every Wednesday, a simple lunch hour grew into something bigger with world-class music on stage, a growing farmers’ market, local groups bringing unexpected fun, and people ready to turn their lunch break into a dance party. The Common came alive with artists, alpacas, and Aunt Dot’s oatmeal cookies; jollof, pupusas, and gourmet grilled cheese; lattes, lemonade, and kombucha. Plus, there were smiley face popsicles on an ice trike (and a few pickle freeze pops for good measure), a microgreens eating contest (the bunny got robbed), a dancing wizard 🪄, and so much more. Together, we celebrated Disability Pride Month and the 35th anniversary of the ADA, marked National Farmers’ Market Week with state and local leaders, and expanded access to fresh food through a bigger-than-ever farmers’ market and a SNAP Match program. We hope your lunchtime with us was more than just a quick bite, and that we gave you a great excuse to stretch your lunch break just a liiiittle longer over the past 10 weeks. We’re deeply grateful to the City of Worcester for trusting us with this legacy event, to our all-star vendors who fed us, incredible farmers who nourished us, performers who entertained, intermission acts who delighted, media partners and MCs who kept the energy high, and generous sponsors who made it all possible. Most of all, thank you to all our friends and neighbors who showed up, rain or shine, to dance with us Downtown every Wednesday afternoon. It’s not about us, but we’ll admit: it’s hard to imagine *anyone* had a better summer than the Downtown Worcester BID team. (And yes, every time we spot someone carrying an Out to Lunch grocery tote around town, our BID group chat lights up! 👀📱) Out to Lunch may be wrapped for the season, but don’t worry — we’ve still got some tricks (and maybe just a few more popsicles) up our sleeves. Stay tuned. Here’s to the moments that make our city feel magical at lunchtime. 📸: Michael Hendrickson #OutToLunch #DowntownWorcester #WorcesterEvents #FarmersMarket #Community

For over 15 years, Out to Lunch has been a beloved legacy event of the City of Worcester. Now, the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) is proud to serve as the City’s lead partner for planning, production, marketing, and on-the-ground execution. We’ve stayed true to the spirit of the original festival while adding some Downtown Worcester BID twists — creating a vibrant, inclusive experience that’s drawing thousands to the Worcester Common this summer. (We’re proud to say that attendance at our first six dates is up 67% over last year!) 🎥 Watch: The City of Worcester’s Tom Matthews catches up with Downtown Worcester BID Executive Director Katelyn O'Brien, MPA, MS to talk about what’s new this year, including our SNAP Match program (sponsored by Mass General Brigham Health Plan) and how we’re celebrating National Farmers’ Market Week on the Common. Only three dates left this summer! Join us Wednesday, August 6, for fresh local food, handmade goods, live music, and more. 📅 Wednesdays through August 20 🕚 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 📍 Worcester Common Oval With lunch, live music, and local flavor at its heart, Out to Lunch is the perfect excuse to step out of the office, break up your work week, and — as the name suggests — go out to lunch. Bring your team and come be part of what’s happening Downtown! #OutToLunchWorcester #DowntownWorcester #FarmersMarketWeek #WorcesterEvents #CommunityFirst #LunchBreakGoals

Say hello to our new Data Analyst Intern, Ryan Hovey. 👋 Ryan recently earned his bachelor’s degree from Clark University, graduating with High Honors in Geography and a minor in Sociology. He’s now continuing his academic journey at Clark through the M.S. program in Geographical Information Science, where he’s excited to deepen his skills in data analysis and apply them to real-world issues. His academic interests include urban planning, urban resilience, environmental justice, and the impacts of gentrification. He’s passionate about turning complex data into insights that support thoughtful planning and community engagement. At the Downtown Worcester BID, Ryan is using tools like Placer.ai to help the team better understand Downtown visitation patterns, demographic trends, event performance, and the evolving dynamics of the neighborhood.

Catch the the Downtown Worcester BID’s own Alex Monaco on WICN Public Radio with Joe Cicero this morning at 10:15 am! They’ll be talking all things Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market, including: 〰️Some of the electric performances we have coming up (this week: Balkan Paradise Orchestra!) 〰️Our bigger-than-ever weekly farmers’ market Downtown 〰️Our SNAP match program at the farmers’ market 〰️And, why public radio matters to our community Tune in! 📷 Michael Hendrickson

Like most things in life, Downtown is even better with ice cream. We were glad to celebrate the grand reopening of Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream at 44 Front Street earlier this week. Small businesses like this one play a key role in making Downtown a more vibrant, welcoming place, and we’re always proud to cheer them on. Plus, Sub Zero is now open daily until 10 pm. These extended hours are essential as we keep working together to make our city center an 18-hour destination district. If you haven’t been yet, stop by today, support this local business, and experience ice cream made fresh before your eyes! (Our Program Coordinator and resident ice cream aficionado, Alex Monaco, recommends the pistachio.) #DowntownWorcester #SupportLocal #WorcesterMA #SmallBusiness

Our last Downtown Worcester Community Meeting of the season is coming up on Friday, June 13, from 9-10 am! Meet us then at City Square Park, near the corner of Front and Mercantile Streets. 🌱 There will also be complimentary coffee and refreshments from Fuel America. ☕️ If you work in, live in, or appreciate Downtown, this is for you. 🧡 We’d love to see you there. Register now at the link in the comments. 🔗 (Remember: After this, we take a brief summer hiatus and will be back in September for the first Community Meeting of our next 2025-26 season.) _________ This Community Meeting is meeting is presented by the Downtown Worcester BID, The Shiely Group at Merrill Lynch and Adi Tibrewal at Merrill Lynch.

Say hello to our new summer Marketing Intern, Ross Ricker! 👋 Ross is wrapping up his studies at Fitchburg State University, where he's earning a degree in Communications with a focus on Public Relations, Advertising, and a minor in Business. He’s especially interested in digital marketing, brand strategy, and consumer behavior. In fact, he’s already put those interests to work, helping build marketing plans and social media strategies for small businesses and student-led campaigns. As our summer intern, Ross will help us take a closer look at how we promote Downtown Worcester, especially the ways we market summer events like Movies on the Common and Out to Lunch, and other BID programs across the district. Ross is from Leominster, where he enjoys spending time with family and friends. Outside of school, Ross can be found hiking, exploring new cities, or watching films. He also loves connecting with new people and getting to meet new faces. Where should we send him first in the neighborhood?! Please drop your Downtown Worcester recs for Ross in the comments. 👀

We were proud to stand with our friends from the Worcester Public Library tonight to celebrate Linnea Sheldon, WPL’s Community Relations and Communications Manager, as one of this year’s Thomas S. Green Public Service Award winners. Presented annually by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Inc., these awards honor outstanding municipal employees… and Linnea is truly one of the best. She’s a connector, a cheerleader, and a creative force behind so much of what makes the library (and Worcester) shine. We were especially lucky to work with her on the “You Belong Here” public art and lighting project, a major Downtown initiative made better by Linnea’s thoughtfulness, creativity, and care. At the Downtown Worcester BID, we’re fortunate to collaborate with many smart, dedicated, compassionate, hardworking City of Worcester staff members. Tonight’s awards ceremony at Mechanics Hall was a beautiful reminder of just how much these “unsung heroes” do for our community. Congratulations Linnea, and all this year’s Thomas S. Green Award winners on this well-deserved recognition!

Big things are happening on Main Street! 414 Main is back. This historic Downtown property, once home to The Owl Shop, has now been beautifully restored with sleek new offices and luxury short-term rentals, thanks to the vision of Markopoulos Development and Luxo Executive Rentals - Worcester, MA. It’s exciting to see local partners bringing meaningful investment, fresh energy, and reimagined spaces that make us proud to call Downtown Worcester home. Congrats to Luxo Executive Rentals and Markopolous Development for bringing something special to Main Street, and on a beautiful ribbon cutting celebration today. #DowntownWorcester #414MainStreet #WorcesterMA #MainStreetMomentum #ThisIsDowntownWorcester #CommunityPride #InvestInWorcester