The Annual Downtown Brownwood, Inc. Banquet, rescheduled from Jan. 27 due to winter weather, took place inside the Brownwood Event Center for the first time Thursday night, where the evening’s festivities concluded with the presentation of the Legacy Award.
With roots back to 1951, the Legacy Award was presented to the Glamour Shop, which is starting its 75th year in business.
DBI Board Member Jodie Armstrong said during the presentation of the award, “Tonight we celebrate something that cannot be built overnight, and cannot be bought, it is earned over time. The Downtown Legacy Award honors businesses and organizations that have become woven into the very fabric of our downtown district. Through changing seasons, shifting economies, and the many dynamics of a small business ownership, this business has not only endured, they have thrived. Their commitment, resilience and steady presence has helped shaped the character, the strength, and the story of our community.”
City Manager Marshal McIntosh and Deputy City Manager Ray Tipton were the guest speakers at the event, and provided those in an attendance with the following highlights from the past year, and a look at what’s ahead for the downtown area:
- The Brownwood Event Center hosted 68 events in 2025 and 48 have already been scheduled for or taken place in 2026.
- The Feels Like Home Festival in 2025 was a sell out in its current configuration, and the 2026 Feels Like Home Festival will take place Oct. 3.
- The NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship is set for March 11-14
- The Wheels That Move the World event will take place March 14
- The Art Stomp is scheduled for March 28
- The Chris Tomlin concert, hosted by Howard Payne University at the Brownwood Event Center, is slated for Wednesday, April 15
- Coming to downtown in the future are the Dippel Wildlife Museum and Venue (100 North Center Avenue), the Amethyst on Fisk (307 Fisk), and the Fairway Club (305 Center Avenue) and the future of the renovation project at 201 Center Avenue is still undetermined.
- Downtown Master Plan Phase I Project construction begins in January 2027, consisting of Founders Crossing (formerly titled the Art Park, framed by Fisk, Anderson, Chandler and Hawkins), the Silo Promenade and Courtyard, Fisk Streetscaping and Baker Streetscaping.
Additional information on the Downtown Master Plan can be found here.