Page 85 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2018

are the 300-year-old live oak trees that line the road, labeled benches and receptacles along the walkable downtown paths, and business neighbors that take time to get to know your name. These factors ultimately earned Ocean Springs the Great American Main Street Award, which put this little town on the map. The
town welcomes local and visitor traffic constantly with low vacancy rates and constant retail growth. Pockets of mixed use and growing upper floor housing have emerged and are becoming increasingly popular in this cottage style community.
With it’s Main Street focus downtown, uptown, all around town, Ocean Springs saw nearly 500,000 visitors in 2017. While people come for the festivals and events, they fall in love because of the place and its people.
#ILoveOS
Ocean Springs Chamber-Main Street-Tourism Bureau has a catchy campaign that celebrates the community
of Ocean Springs: I Love OS. As a product of the marketing surrounding the city’s Great American Main Street win in 2013, the Chamber-Main Street works hard to promote the cultural aspects of the community and express the city’s vibrant quality of life.
With its walkability, restaurants, galleries, locally owned shops and year-round festivals, the Chamber- Main Street encourages travelers to come shop, eat and stay in Ocean Springs. As part of this campaign, you’ll see numerous staple marketing pieces, websites, social media, marketing, advertising and other promotional pieces that express why people love Ocean Springs.
A GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET COMMUNITY. FACING PAGE: The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival. LEFT: The
Red, White
& Blueberry Festival. BELOW: Cruisin’ The Coast.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net August 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 85