History of Beloit WI & Downtown Beloit Association
Photo by Mark Preuschl
Downtown Beloit has the neighborhood feel in the urban downtown where customers are friends and culture and art are accessible to all.
The Downtown Beloit Association was formed in 1987 and is a collaboration of property owners, business owners, and community volunteers who have jointly committed to the mission of revitalizing and managing Beloit’s Central Business District, utilizing the Main Street Four-Point approach as established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Beloit is one of the first Wisconsin Main Streets designated in 1987 and has experienced a true renaissance in the past 20 years. As a small town with an urban flair, Beloit celebrates the arts in all forms and gives a warm not to an industrial past. Hugging the banks of the Rock River just north of the Illinois border, the district boasts curb appeal and beautification with hanging flower baskets and tree-lined streets and bike paths and a public canoe/kayak launch to encourage all forms of transportation to the downtown. Home to the Beloit College, the spirit of progressive learning and culture is evident throughout the district.
Downtown Beloit hosts more than 50 days of events per year, from a summer lunchtime concert series to a Holidazzle featuring more than 50 artists. The Saturday morning Farmer’s Market draws more than 90 vendors, May through October and in 2008 was named the best event in in Wisconsin Main Street history and in 2020 an indoor market was added and is held November through April. Beloit’s commitment to local food is evident with the Bushel & Peck’s Local Market being the anchor to a downtown which is filled with a dozen home-grown restaurants and cafes, boutiques and bookstores, live theater, museums, and art galleries, as well as riverfront sculpture and murals.
A catalyst of economic growth, Downtown Beloit is home to the international headquarters for Regal Rexnord, as well as over 180 small to mid-size to large business entrepreneurs. Loft apartments and luxury condos offer a unique quality of life for residents and creates niche opportunities for new businesses.