In 2023, Downtown Wayland established a Junior DDA, consisting of local high school students with the aim of developing community involvement. The program focuses on encouraging students to engage in community projects within downtown Wayland, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their city. 

This program has been successfully funded over the past two years by the Allegan County Community Foundation TAG grant. In the previous year, the students’ project was to revitalize an underused park in downtown Wayland, transforming it into a desirable location for families and youth by adding fire pits, chairs, hammock poles, and accent lighting to the trees. 

This year, the Junior DDA took inspiration from their summer travels and created an Art Alley. The alley behind the Wayland Hotel will feature permanent outdoor art cases showcasing art by students from the school or youth artists looking to exhibit their work. 

The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for December 2nd at 6pm, featuring local artists of all ages from the Wayland School district. 

For more information contact, Holli McPherson, Executive Director, at 269-525-2323 or director@downtownwayland.com.