Hundreds Pack Growing Downtown Collinsville

There's a new tune stirring interest in a small town's main street.

Jazz is making its way to downtown Collinsville, which has really changed over the last few years.

The streets in Collinsville were filled with people Thursday evening - some from Collinsville and some from the surrounding areas - and that was the goal of the event, to get people to check out what Collinsville is doing with their downtown.

Families and music lovers experienced the sights, sounds and even the smells of downtown Collinsville on Thursday, but Main Street hasn't always been that way.

Collinsville resident, Heidi McGehee said, "There wasn't much. There were some antique shops, so that drew in your local antiquers, but that was pretty much it. I don't ever remember coming to downtown and walking the sidewalks or anything like that."

McGehee grew up in the small town and said that in the last few years things on Main Street have really taken a turn.

"It's just gotten more and more, we've gotten so many more events and so many cutesy businesses,” she said.

Collinsville City Manager, Pam Polk said, "Downtown is growing and bustling, and it's because of these types of events."

It was an event with at least 28 different vendors with tasty treats to try and six different local jazz bands to listen to. It brought in more than 100 people to a now bustling downtown.

"On Saturday mornings there's people pushing strollers up and down the street. It's so cutesy and picturesque. I just love it,” McGehee said.

According to Downtown Inc., Collinsville's Main Street is now at 96 percent.