Our Vision
The Main Street Program’s vision of downtown Tilton is of an economically thriving town center, made up of a creative, exciting, and appropriate mix of retail, services, restaurants, offices, recreational opportunities, and public facilities.  It is the program’s hope that this mix of businesses, combined with an attractive downtown that celebrates the history of Tilton, will draw a diverse crowd to our community center.  All of the programs efforts support this vision, and we are always looking for like-minded individuals to help with our events.

Our Events
We organize a variety of events each year, all designed to support the merchants on Main Street by drawing in the community at large, and reminding folks of the downtown business center, and the importance of supporting the local economy.

Flower Barrel Program
Supported by in-kind donations from Lowe’s Home Improvement and the invaluable assistance of volunteers, whisky barrels are planted with sunny perennial flowers and placed along the sidewalks downtown to add a splash of color to the town center. Depending on the weather, these barrels are usually planted and set out downtown in early June and removed in late fall, before the first snow flies. 

Tilton Farmer’s Market
From June to September, the Tilton Farmer’s Market can be found in the municipal parking lot on Prospect Street every Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm.  With an investment in advertising and signage, this year’s market has seen significant growth in foot traffic. At the market’s height this season, vendors saw 80 to 90 customers pass through. The Tilton Main Street Program is grateful to two very dedicated volunteers, Rob and Tim Lang, who manage the market.

Summer Fair
Each year, on the second Saturday in August, the downtown is closed to traffic from Park Street to School Street and vendors from near and far come to set up their wares. The merchants downtown have sidewalk sales, and restaurants even set up sidewalk cafes. A stage offers live musical entertainment of all varieties, and children’s rides round out the activities. Download this year's registration form and reserve your space early.

Turtle Trek
A major fundraising effort for the program, raffle tickets are sold for individually numbered turtles in the weeks leading up to Summer Fair. At Summer Fair, all of the turtles sold are dumped into the Winnipesauke River, along with the ducks of the Franklin Rotary, and the race is on! The first turtle and duck to cross the finish line at the Riverfront Park are announced the winners. 

Halloween Festivities
The merchants and the Main Street Program hold an annual trick or treat on or around Halloween to provide a safe, daylight trick or treat for the children of the surrounding communities.

Holiday Traditions
The first Saturday in December each year brings the annual Holiday Traditions program to downtown. Dovetailing on events at the downtown houses of worship, we have built a day of activities that are offered free of charge to the community. Horse drawn sleigh rides, children’s Christmas crafts, caroling, and an ice sculpture contest fill the day.  As night falls, the lights of a holiday parade make Main Street sparkle. Santa stops by Riverfront Park, where the day’s celebration wraps up with a fabulous display of fireworks over the Winnipesauke River.

Ornament Sales
Over the years, TMSP has collaborated with Hampshire Pewter of Wolfeboro to produce some wonderful holiday ornaments featuring local landmarks and figures. These are available year round, and all profits from these sales fund the efforts of the Main Street Program. To see what ornaments we currently have in stock, click here.