THE WOMAN BEHIND PASSPORT TO THE GROVE

LOCUST GROVE — Two months into her new job, Michele Holmes has already become one of downtown's biggest champions.

As Locust Grove's new Main Street manager, Holmes isn't just planning events. She's trying to reconnect people with the small businesses that give the historic downtown its personality and charm.

"I want people to discover new businesses, meet new faces, and support the locally owned shops that make downtown special," Holmes says. "When you support local businesses, the whole community becomes stronger."

Holmes arrived in May after spending nine years with the City of Fayetteville, including five years as its Main Street manager. She brought with her a simple belief that Main Street is about much more than festivals.

"People think Main Street is only about events," she says. "Our priority is supporting our downtown businesses and making sure they're noticed."

That philosophy inspired Passport to the Grove: Red, White & Local, a month-long community challenge that encourages residents to visit 23 downtown businesses, collect stars in a passport, and earn entries into a prize drawing.

For Holmes, the passport isn't really about winning a gift basket. It's about giving people a reason to walk through the front door of a business they've never visited before.

She says one of the most rewarding moments came when even a skeptical business owner who was hesitant about the program became one of its supporters after hearing her vision for downtown. Moments like that remind her why relationship building matters.

The response has been encouraging. Merchants have donated gift cards and merchandise, residents are picking up passports, and social media engagement continues to grow. Holmes hopes the program becomes a tradition that brings new energy to downtown every year.

She also isn't slowing down. In less than eight weeks, Holmes organized the city's July 3 celebration, booked the entire Fridays on the Lawn concert series, and is already thinking about restaurant weeks, seasonal crawls, and other ways to keep people coming back.

"I think people were starving for something," she says. "Especially downtown."

If Holmes has her way, Passport to the Grove won't just introduce visitors to local businesses. It will remind them that the heart of a small town has always been the people behind its front doors.