Anita Perry

Members of the community are making preparations for a visit from Anita Perry on Thursday, as the state’s first lady helps the Denton Main Street Association celebrate 20 years in the state and national program.

She typically visits new cities accepted into the Texas Main Street Program; however, this year Perry will visit Denton and Corsicana, two cities celebrating anniversary milestones in the program.

This is the first year that the Texas Main Street program has celebrated the 20th anniversary of a city’s main street association, said Julie Glover, Denton’s economic development program administrator.

“They don’t choose everyone; it’s a very selective process,” Glover said.

The Texas Main Street Program is a revitalization program for historic downtown and neighborhood commercial districts, with 86 official programs like the Denton Main Street Association in the state.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

The Denton Main Street Association will celebrate 20 years as a Texas Main Street city on Thursday. As part of the celebration, Texas first lady Anita Perry will speak at 11 a.m. at the Campus Theatre, 214 W. Hickory St.

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Since the inception of Denton’s program in 1990, $38 million has been reinvested in the area, Glover said.

The program had been reserved for small rural towns, but opened up to larger cities with Denton, likely because of its small-town charm, she said.

“It’s an honor to be an official Main Street Association city,” Glover said. “There were a number of people that applied, and prior to 1990, there were no urban cities in the program. But merchants here had the same issues of other small towns.”

It’s difficult to beat the atmosphere of the Square area, said John Ryan, a co-owner of Vigne Wine Shop & Delicatessen, which recently opened in downtown.

The shop’s customers are able to walk the Square and get a feel for Denton’s camaraderie, Ryan said.

“We like the atmosphere and the ability for people to walk around … and downtown is a wine destination,” Ryan said.

With the help of the state’s Main Street Program affiliation, Denton’s downtown district has fared better than other cities in the area, said Mike Barrow, managing director of the Denton Community Theatre and the Campus Theatre.

Perry is scheduled to speak at the Campus Theatre at 11 a.m. Thursday, following a community program that starts at 10:30 a.m.

The program will feature the Sam Houston Singers Choir, nine harp players and remarks from the Texas Historical Commission.

The Denton Main Street Association helps enrich downtown life, with not only shopping and dining for residents, but also entertainment, festivals, concerts and other community programs, said city spokesman John Cabrales.

“A lot of people support downtown,” Cabrales said. “People don’t come to downtown just to shop; there are also a lot of planned activities.”

While Denton’s historic downtown area is thriving, other cities have abandoned history for newly developed town centers that have a faux downtown feel, he said.

“A lot of people take downtown Denton for granted. It takes a lot to make an active downtown,” Cabrales said. “This is the real deal.”

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com .

• What: Denton Main Street Program’s 20th anniversary celebration.

• When: 10:30 a.m. Thursday

• Details: Anita Perry will speak at 11 a.m. at the Campus Theatre, 214 W. Hickory St. A reception will follow at Vigne Wine Shop & Delicatessen, 222 W. Hickory St.