Fayetteville Main Street reports 1.3 million visits in 2025; downtown projects progressing

Amy Bird, director of Fayetteville Main Street, presented the organization’s 2025 recap to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 20.

Bird said Downtown Fayetteville recorded roughly 1,300,000 visits in 2025, a 7.1% increase from 2024, and that 158,000 visitors were from outside the district. She said the downtown’s digital reach also increased substantially in 2025, citing totals across social platforms and the performance of business-spotlight posts.

Bird told commissioners that 10 of the 12 projects awarded under the downtown improvement grant have been completed, with two grants still active and a small number potentially needing deadline extensions. She said the downtown parklet design is underway and the greenway lighting project that will connect Stonebridge Park to downtown remains pending engineering work.

Bird also promoted upcoming events including a chocolate walk fundraiser (ticketed at $20) and the Slawburger Festival. She framed the programming as economic development that drives foot traffic and private investment downtown.

Commissioners asked no formal questions that changed the presentation’s substance; Bird closed by inviting the commission to attend upcoming events.