Main Street Alabama launches statewide Sweet Hometown Trail
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Special to the News
Main Street Alabama is thrilled to announce the launch of Sweet Hometown Tours: Alabama Main Street Trail, a statewide trail system showcasing the Main Street experience in the state’s designated communities.
From Ridge-and-Valley Appalachia to the glittering Gulf Coast, Sweet Hometown Tours pairs Alabama’s penchant for historic preservation with today’s love for elevated, authentic experiences in downtown districts throughout the state.
All 33 dynamic destinations will be linked throughout the state’s eleven regions, immersing travelers and residents on a Main Street adventure, many of which are geologically, culturally and historically unique to Alabama.
Considering 2025 will be the Alabama Tourism Department’s “The Year of Alabama Trails,” Main Street Alabama plans to collaborate in various ways with state tourism to promote the trail.
According to Mary Helmer Wirth, Main Street Alabama president and state coordinator, “Our Main
Streets tell us who we are, who we were and how the past has shaped us. Over the years we have seen
Alabama’s charming downtowns become a powerful network of connected communities, and we want to provide a delightful road map for everyone to enjoy the warmth and hospitality so readily found in these towns.”
After launching in 2013, the organization began employing its unique preservation-based economic
development program – helping to boost the Alabama economy along the way.
Whether it’s discovering the best eateries, enjoying art, shopping small, touring nature, or celebrating
history and culture, Sweet Hometown Tours invites everybody to explore Alabama’s vibrant, historic
spaces by highlighting and outlining the most quintessential experiences that put the “sweet” in Sweet
Home Alabama.
Alabama Man Street cities that are included in the Sweet Hometown Tours trail are Jasper, Montevallo, Demopolis, Wetumpka, Calera, Oxford, Gadsden, Heflin, Athens, Foley, Enterprise, Florence, Decatur, Centreville, South Huntsville, Fort Payne, Eufaula, Lafeyette, Monroeville, Alexander City, Scottsboro, Leeds, Elba, the Fourth Avenue District in Birmingham, Anniston, Atmore, Opelika, REV Birmingham Woodlawn, Talladega, Russellville, Marion, Columbiana, and Montgomery.
Visit sweethometowns.com to get the most complete look at the trail, as well as to stay up to date on
current offerings.
A nonprofit organization, Main Street Alabama stresses public-private partnerships, broad community
engagement and strategies that create jobs, spark new investment, attract visitors, and spur growth in
core commercial districts. Main Street builds on the authentic history, culture and attributes of specific
places to bring sustainable change.
