The City of Minden’s Main Street District program held its inaugural After Hours Event on February 19 at the Dorcheat Museum, inviting business owners and employees from across the district to gather and connect.
The event was designed to give downtown business owners an opportunity to get to know one another outside of regular business hours. Organizers plan to host the networking event quarterly at different establishments throughout the district.
Each meeting will spotlight three businesses — one restaurant, one service, and one retail — to help participants learn more about their fellow merchants. The featured businesses at the February event were Roma Italian Bistro, Edward Jones, Momma’s Little Corner.
Sarah Overall, director of Economic Development and Minden Main Street, thanked board members and business owners for their continued involvement in the district.
“All of our board members are volunteers. They all lead busy, active lives. The fact that they show up at monthly meetings and help plan all of the events within the district is a very big commitment so we are very appreciative that they are willing to do so,” Overall said.
Overall said the district saw significant growth over the past year.
“2025 was a really great year for our Main Street District … our downtown is thriving and very successful,” she said.
Overall said six businesses opened in the district last year. She paraphrased what the state director of the Main Street program said when he heard this, saying, “Wow, to hear a town of our size has had six businesses open in one year is really great.”
“And we’ve already had a few open this year,” she continued.
Overall said that more than $1 million in combined private and public dollars was invested in the district last year. Some of the improvements included rehabilitating buildings, launching new businesses, resurfacing the downtown parking lot and adding hanging baskets.
“We’ve got great momentum in the downtown district, and I want you to lean on that. The success of one business is a success for everybody in the district,” Overall said. “You are the heart of downtown, so thank you.”
The Minden Main Street program began in 1987 with a mission to preserve history by promoting economic revitalization and rehabilitation of historic buildings. Minden Main Street is recognized as a Louisiana Main Street Community, a Louisiana Cultural Products District and a site on the National Register of Historic Places.
