What a year! Thanks to the 52k people who joined us downtown for at least one of our 49 events in 2024. While celebrating with our community is always our favorite activity, this year also brought several major public art projects and Little Rock’s first comprehensive Downtown Master Plan. We also saw impact of the first full year of the ambassadors working to keep our streets clean and safe. We’re looking back and celebrating while getting ready for an even better 2025!

Downtown Master Plan Complete!

Downtown Little Rock finally has its first comprehensive Downtown Little Rock Master Plan, a visionary roadmap that promises to redefine the heart of our city. This plan is not just a document; it’s a step-by-step guide to a vibrant, prosperous, and connected future for downtown Little Rock. Imagine streets pulsing with life day and night, connected by trails and streetscapes designed to make people feel comfortable and safe. Picture a place where families, workers, and visitors come together to enjoy a tapestry of neighborhoods, each with its own unique charm and character. This is the downtown we can create together! Read the full plan at mp.downtownlr.com

Downtown Ambassadors

Our ambassador program just completed its first full year of keeping downtown Little Rock safe and clean! Thanks to an investment by City of Little Rock and the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, a Block by Block team is working 7 days a week to greet people, walk you to your car, pick up trash and more! Learn about the program and how you can request service: https://downtownlr.com/pages/about-us/ambassador-program/

Public Art

Public art transforms a place, and this year we took on a full-blown alley to create a public gallery featuring 8 large scale murals. Lisa Krannichfeld, Marianne Nolley, Jose Hernandez & Syd Carmichael, Layet Johnson & Mark Broadstone, Perrion Hurd, Art by Jessica Jones, Emily Moll Wood, and Robin Tucker each contributed to the works in the alley behind 1501 S. Main Street! We also partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative to install our first large scale ground mural, Kait Culbertson’s SoMa SuperBloom. Jason Jones created a series of educational murals at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Witt Stephen’s Nature Center, and Joel Boyd painted ‘Lady Justice’ at UA Bowen School of Law. The community also came together to refresh the rainbow in Baker’s Alley behind the Rep!

Events 

Our events bring people downtown to enjoy the heart of our city, and this year brought huge crowds to Capitol Avenue for the new location of the Downtown Food Truck Festival. Y’all came out to party at SoMardi Gras and 501Fest, and we went interstellar for the Bark Side of the Moon Barkus on Main parade during the 2024 Eclipse weekend. We also held a full season of Rooftop Cinema @ 6th & Scott, including a special Juneteenth screening of ‘Love Jones’ and JAWS on the water at Rock City Yacht Club! Our Dia de Muertos celebration with Central Arkansas Library System and Consulmex LittleRock, was bigger than ever this year, featuring a main stage and parade full of colorful floats and costumes. We wrapped up the year with cookies, cocoa, and our 32-foot Christmas tree at our Bright the Night event. Planning is already underway for next year’s events, let us know if you’d like to join an event committee to help us make 2025 the best year yet!