Author: Rosemary Shaw

Something new is taking root in downtown Colville, and if you have noticed fresh flowers popping up on a few corners around town, you are already seeing it in action.

This year, Colville Together is launching its new Adopt-a-Corner Program, a long-term effort focused on beautifying downtown one corner at a time. The vision is simple: create welcoming, vibrant spaces that help make downtown feel cared for and encourage pride in our community.

Like many good things, we are starting small. This first year serves as a pilot as we learn what works best and build a foundation for the future. While the long-term goal is to expand throughout the district, a handful of downtown businesses have stepped up early to help bring the vision to life.

Colville Together designs and installs the plantings, while participating businesses help care for the spaces through simple ongoing maintenance and watering. It is a small commitment with a big visual impact. We want to give a huge thank you to our first Adopt-a-Corner partners:

• Garringer Insurance
• Farmhouse Sweets
• Redbird Boutique
• Queen B’s Hair House
• Home Suite Home Furnishings

These businesses are helping keep their corners thriving by watering and caring for the new plantings, and their participation is helping us test and grow a program we hope becomes a lasting part of downtown Colville. Programs like this only happen because local businesses continue to invest in the community around them. Small acts of stewardship add up and help create the kind of downtown experience people remember. We are excited to watch these corners grow and to see how this idea blossoms in the years ahead.

Keep an eye out as you walk downtown this summer and thank these businesses for helping make Colville a little more welcoming, colorful, and vibrant.

Because sometimes the smallest spaces can make the biggest difference

Helping Downtown Businesses Through the Unexpected

Colville Together is excited to introduce a new resource for downtown businesses in 2026: the Downtown Business Emergency Fund.

This new program is designed to provide quick, short-term financial support to small businesses facing unexpected challenges, the kinds of moments that can put real strain on a business and the people behind it.

“We know that sometimes things just happen. A freezer goes down, a pipe bursts, or something out of your control forces you to close your doors for a bit,” said Colville Together. “This fund is here to help our downtown businesses get through those moments and keep moving forward.”

The Emergency Fund offers one-time grants ranging from $250 to $500, with a total program budget of $2,000. That means support for several local businesses when they need it most.

The fund is available to brick-and-mortar businesses located in downtown Colville that are currently open and operating. It’s specifically meant to help with unexpected emergencies, such as: Equipment failure critical to daily operations, Water, electrical, or heating issues, Break-ins or vandalism, Fire or smoke damage, Temporary closures due to infrastructure problems. Funds can be used for things like repairs, replacement equipment, emergency services, or short-term costs directly tied to the situation.

Applications are open year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis by the Colville Together Economic Vitality Committee. Businesses can expect a decision within 3-5 business days, helping ensure support arrives when it’s needed. This program is intentionally designed to be simple and responsive, focusing on urgency, impact, and keeping downtown businesses open and thriving. Businesses may receive one grant per calendar year, and recipients will be asked to provide a brief follow-up within 30 days.

Downtown businesses are a big part of what makes Colville feel like home.  They create jobs, offer gathering spaces, and build the sense of local pride we all share.

For more information or to apply for the Colville Together Emergency Fund, please contact Colville Together or visit https://colvilletogether.org/colville-together-emergency-fund/

Colville Together Emergency Fund

We’re excited to share that Colville Together is teaming up with FarmJam Music Festival for a fun community raffle — and it all kicks off at March 4th Friday @ Crossroads!

🎟 Here’s the deal:
We’re selling just 500 raffle tickets at $10 each for a chance to win your way to FarmJam this summer.

🎉 Prizes include:

• June Drawing: 4 General Admission passes
• July Drawing: 4 General Admission passes
• Grand Prize (July): 2 VIP + 4 General Admission passes

That’s a full FarmJam weekend for you and your crew!

🌟 Get your tickets first at 4th Friday @ Crossroads (March 27th)!
We’ll be there selling tickets, so grab yours early, once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Even better? Every ticket supports Colville Together and helps keep our downtown vibrant, fun, and full of life.

So come out to 4th Friday @ Crossroads, listen to some great free music, grab a delicious meal, join in on the family fun, and grab a ticket (or a few 😉).

🎶 See you there!

Colville Together is proud to share the 2026 recipients of our Façade & Building Improvement Grant Program.  These local businesses are rolling up their sleeves and investing right back into our downtown.

This is a reimbursable grant with a 20% match from the building owner, and many recipients are choosing to go well beyond that, putting even more into their spaces and into downtown Colville. These local building owners are taking on projects that will help keep their buildings strong, welcoming, and full of life:

• Main Street Floral – $3,000 for a new roof to help protect and preserve the building for years to come.
• Statesman Examiner – $4,000 for a new façade, giving this longtime downtown staple a fresh, updated look.
• The Dragon – $3,000 for HVAC upgrades and new paint to improve comfort inside and add a fresh feel outside.

In a small town like Colville, these kinds of improvements mean more than just fixing up a building, they are about community pride. When local businesses invest in their spaces, it shows care for the whole downtown and helps create a place we can all feel proud of, whether we’re grabbing coffee, shopping, or just passing through.

“We love seeing businesses take that next step to invest in themselves and in Colville,” said Rosemary Shaw, Executive Director. “It’s these little improvements that add up and make downtown feel inviting, cared for, and full of life.”

The Façade & Building Improvement Grant Program is one of the ways Colville Together supports a strong, vibrant downtown. These projects help maintain the character of our community while keeping things fresh and welcoming for locals and visitors alike.

Colville Together thanks this year’s recipients for their investment in our community and looks forward to seeing these projects come to life.

Colville Together has opened applications for its 2026 Facade & Building Improvement Grant, a program designed to support downtown building owners in improving, repairing, and preserving their properties.

The grant provides reimbursable awards grants for permanent building improvements within the Colville Together focus area, which includes 3rd Avenue to Birch Avenue and Wynne Street to Oak Street. Eligible projects include exterior enhancements, repairs, and other long-term improvements that contribute to the appearance and vitality of downtown Colville.

The program is administered by the Colville Together Design Committee and aims to make downtown revitalization affordable, creative, and community driven.

Funding for the grant is made possible through the Washington State Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program, which allows local businesses to support Colville Together while receiving a 75% credit on their B&O taxes the following year. Over the past four years, the program has helped twelve downtown building owners’ complete improvements, with $31,500 reinvested directly into Colville’s historic core.

Applications and program guidelines are available at http://www.colvilletogether.org.
The application deadline is February 27.

Colville Together is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening downtown Colville through economic development, preservation, and community pride.

For more information contact Rosemary Shaw at info@colvilletogether.org

Join us to clean up downtown Colville! 

Work with our partners NEWAR, Colville Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary, in cleaning up our community and showing our pride for downtown Colville for Fall Clean Up Day! Bring your gloves, a broom, and come ready to work! We will be weeding planting beds, putting away summer furnishings and other projects to clean up downtown.

For more information about the projects and programs above, check out these links:

Façade & Building Improvement Grant

Invest in Colville!

4th Friday

Make a Difference

June 2025 – Colville, WA — Colville Together is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $3,000 grant from Innovia Foundation to support a new youth-led mural project as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public spaces and foster community pride.

This funding, awarded through Innovia’s 2025 Community Grant Program, aligns with this year’s funding theme of Youth Engagement—aimed at creating more opportunities for young people to connect, contribute, and reduce social isolation. With support from Innovia, Colville Together will partner with Colville Junior High School to involve student artists in the design and creation of a public mural in downtown Colville.

The mural, set to be installed in Heritage Court, will continue Colville Together’s mission to revitalize and activate public spaces. The project will be led by the Colville Junior High art teacher and will include student workshops, design showcases, and public painting days to bring the community together.

This initiative builds on the success of a recent mural created by Colville Junior High students in the fall of 2024. Inspired by a national kindness campaign launched by CBS News and Character Counts!, art teacher Amy Anderson led her students in designing and painting a mural with a powerful message of compassion and empathy. The mural, located on the back side of the school facing the football field, was a true labor of love, with students working during class and after school. Through their artwork and teamwork, students explored themes of character and connection—bringing the message “kindness matters” to life in bold color and creative expression. The experience left a lasting impact on the students, reinforcing how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.

“We are excited to give young people a visible and lasting role in shaping the look and feel of downtown,” said Rosemary Shaw, Executive Director of Colville Together. “Thanks to Innovia Foundation, we can continue our mural program with a strong focus on youth voices, creativity, and community connection.”

Over the past two years, Colville Together has completed four community murals and looks forward to adding more student-led artwork that celebrates local identity and encourages shared pride in public spaces.

To learn more about Colville Together’s mural program and how you can get involved, visit colvilletogether.org.

Colville, WA – Get ready for a summer of fun, music, art, and community spirit as Colville Together brings back 4th Fridays—a celebration of everything local in the heart of downtown Colville! Join us on the fourth Fridays of June, July, and September for an evening filled with family-friendly activities, live entertainment, and specials from our incredible downtown retailers and restaurants. (Note: There will be no 4th Friday event in August due to the Northeast Washington Fair.)

Each 4th Friday kicks off with kids’ crafts and face painting hosted by Stevens County Libraries from 3:30 to 5:00 PM at the Colville Library. Near Dungeon Games, children can bounce, play yard games, and enjoy an afternoon of excitement.

Don’t miss the ArtWalk from 3:00 to 5:30 PM, featuring local artists and their work displayed at various businesses throughout downtown. Stop by the Colville Together booth in Heritage Court for a map of artist locations.

From 4:00 to 8:00 PM, Main and Astor streets come alive with local vendors offering delicious food, sweet treats, handmade goods, and more. Downtown shops and eateries will also be participating with specials throughout the evening, so plan to shop, sip, and dine while enjoying the event.

As the sun starts to set, the music turns up with free live performances in Heritage Court from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. This year’s concert lineup includes:

• June: Midnight Run
• July: Hannah Jackson and Chipped & Broken
• August: Murphy’s Legacy

This year’s 4th Fridays are made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, STCU and the Vinson Fund, who are helping bring a full evening of music, art, activities, and community connection to life for everyone to enjoy.

“4th Fridays are a chance to celebrate all the things that make our community great,” said Rosemary Shaw, Executive Director of Colville Together. “We’re deeply thankful to STCU and the Vinson Fund for making these free events possible for our entire community.”

So grab your friends, bring the whole family, and come experience 4th Fridays in downtown Colville—where community comes to life! For more details, visit colvilletogether.org or follow us on social media. Let’s make this summer unforgettable!