For Immediate Release: April 26, 2021
Media Contact:
Evelyn Darling, Executive Director
Worcester, Massachusetts – On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts and the City of Worcester, was awarded a tourism recovery grant totaling $75,674 through the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT). The Marketing Travel & Tourism Recovery Grants will support 59 business organizations, tourism organizations, and municipalities statewide as part of the “My Local MA” campaign to enhance resident tourism.
Funds will support the “Experience Downtown Worcester Like Never Before” marketing campaign to reintroduce Downtown Worcester’s local businesses and public spaces to visitors from across the region. The experiences will complement the outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar taking place on the Worcester Common throughout the month of August. Performances will be free and open to the public. Local businesses will offer deals and curated experiences for anyone seeking a unique night Downtown.
“We are thankful to have MOTT embrace our exciting recovery plans for Downtown Worcester. The grant will allow us to produce a much higher quality marketing campaign and greatly expand our reach beyond Worcester,” said Evelyn Darling, Executive Director of the Downtown Worcester BID. “This funding will provide much needed visibility and help draw more people from outside our area to experience the unique local businesses and restaurants that surround the Worcester Common.”
“We’re thrilled to have the immersive, energetic staging of Caesar unfold on the Worcester Common. Audience members will be encouraged to wear togas, and to boo and cheer alongside the action,” said Troy Siebels, President of The Hanover Theatre.
“The Hanover Theatre's Shakespeare production will be the first public event to safely welcome people Downtown to enjoy dinner and a show outside,” said City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. “Arts and entertainment really are the secret sauce to the Worcester renaissance, and this event is a great way to put that on display.”
This campaign strives to attract theater-lovers, foodies, and families from across the Southern New England region. Visitors will be able to enjoy a number of weekly outdoor performances accompanied by nightly sweepstakes drawings, takeout boxes or in-dining deals from local restaurants, as well as promotional codes for overnight stays at hotels Downtown.
Information about the event will be updated on the BID’s homepage. Details specific to the Shakespeare performances are on The Hanover Theatre’s website.
All COVID-19 safety guidelines will be enforced. Staging the production on the Worcester Common allows for social distancing so audiences can safely enjoy live theatre outdoors.
Come one, come all! Experience Downtown Worcester like never before!
Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District is a nonprofit organization established in 2018 to sustain momentum in the heart of Downtown Worcester. The result of a comprehensive community-based effort, the organization represents the owners of 140 properties and seeks to create a unique sense of place through enhanced investment and development, establishing and sustaining a vibrant, welcoming, and economically viable district for all.
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