About

Our History

The Friends of Downtown is a member-based, non-profit organization that promotes the vitality of Downtown Lafayette through exciting events and community partnerships. Since 1974, the group has worked to continuously improve local economic growth through encouraging success for the area’s small businesses.

Ten years ago, Ken McCammon and Steve Bultnick knew downtown had the same potential as other popular downtown destinations like Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They reached out to the Friends of Downtown to help implement their vision. With some brainstorming, the event, ‘Mosey Down Main Street’ was born. After their first Mosey was a huge hit, Ken and Steve joined the Friends of Downtown as President and Treasurer respectively.

Today, Mosey has grown bigger than they imagined. From May through October, families gather on Main Street to enjoy live music and a variety of vendors while visiting the local restaurants and shops. Mosey provides downtown storefronts with foot traffic ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 patrons during the summer months. It has also become a hotspot for local and not-so-local bands to perform. Bands from across the Midwest have traveled to Lafayette for a chance to play for the Mosey crowds.

Mosey’s successes led to the group revamping other community events such as ‘Beers Across the Wabash’ – a fundraiser to decorate downtown Lafayette with holiday lighting and decorations, to the Christmas Day Dinner. Today, the Friends run more than ten community events with huge success. Additionally, each year they help plan fundraisers for members of the community. Through all of these efforts, whether they are beautifying the Main Street with floral planters or setting up networking events, the Friends of Downtown has stayed centered on making the Lafayette community a better place.