Who We Are

Baker City Downtown is a local, nonprofit organization that strives to preserve and enhance the vitality and character of our community through the beautification, promotion, and development of downtown Baker City.

Our organization is recognized at the Affiliated level of the Oregon Main Street program which utilizes the 4-Point Main Street Approach. Through partnerships, engagement with the community, and three dedicated committees, we bring goals to life that follow this approach and support the economic future of our city and county.

    1. unWINEd - Every other month, we sip, stroll, shop, and support our downtown businesses and local charities with a refillable wine glass and map in our hands! Up to half the proceeds go toward supporting community organizations. Learn more here.

    2. Taste of Baker - The first Saturday of October, we gather on downtown streets to try sample-sized food and drinks from local county-wide vendors. Join us.

    3. Festival of Trees - BCD formally took stewardship of the event with the blessing of the Saint Alphonsus Foundation (the former event host) in 2023. We reimagined and restored the event back to its multi-day structure. The proceeds now support BCD’s Community Grant fund, which benefitted 14 different local projects and organizations throughout Baker County. Through the generous support of our community, BCD raised over $40,000 for the Community Grant in 2023. Learn more here.

    4. Cookie Crawl - The first Saturday of December, we fill our boxes with cookies from downtown businesses and afterward, enjoy the annual Twilight Parade and Tree Lighting organized by the Baker County Chamber of Commerce. See more.

    5. The window displays for 1A basketball tournaments, the East vs. West Shrine-Bowl player window displays, and Baker Bulldog Graduate Windows.

    6. Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant (OMSRG), Diamonds in the Rough facade grant, and Preserving Oregon awards. Learn more here.

  • We have secured nearly three quarters of a million dollars in grant funding for historic preservation and building façade restoration. Examples of some projects include:

    • Rebuilding the collapsed Crabill Building at 1916 Main St.

    • Repairing the failed structural supports and second story skylights in the Haskell Building (1908 Main St.)

    • Revitalizing the Orpheum Theater project (1821 Main St.) through structural improvements.

    • Restoring the original windows and doors on the Mason’s Building (2193 Main St.)

    • Renovating the final space in the Pythian Castle (2001 Washington Ave) and adding an ADA lift to provide access to the ballroom on the second floor.

    • Reimagining Central Park to include a Splash Pad water feature in partnership with the Baker City Lions Club.

    • An annual “Spring Fling Clean-Up”

    • Main Street flower Baskets

    • Fall corn stalks and scarecrows

    • Downtown murals

    • Refreshed and maintained banners

    • Court Street Plaza development

Baker City Downtown believes Downtowns are for everyone. At the core of our approach to revitalization is a commitment to creating places of shared prosperity, equal access to opportunity, and inclusive engagement. Following the example of Main Street America, Baker City Downtown is continually striving to exemplify and champion this vision through our actions and programs.