Oak Harbor Main Street Association

About

Oak Harbor Main Street

Mission: Oak Harbor Main Street Association actively promotes a vibrant, historic waterfront community.

Downtown Oak Harbor is naturally blessed with beautiful panoramic views of the Puget Sound, the Olympic & Cascade Mountains, and our namesake Garry Oak tree grove. 

​In 2015, Oak Harbor Main Street Association (OHMSA) was created and later, officially designated as a Washington State Main Street. Our team, consisting mostly of volunteers, is proud of the progress downtown that has happened over just a few short years. OHMSA uses the Main Street Approach to guide our work. District boundaries follow City code designations running up City Beach Road to Barrington, across Barrington down on Ireland St, through the middle of the block to Midway Ave, and down to the waterfront.

Oak Harbor Main Street Association (OHMSA) was formed when a small group of like-minded individuals came together with the vision to make our historic downtown a place where the community and tourists alike want to come and explore, shop, and dine. The WA Main Street Program was designed to help revitalize historic downtown districts and we are happy to be one of 36 WA Main Street Communities.

OHMSA, founded in 2016, is working on projects that beautify the downtown. We have developed events to draw visitors downtown.

Since our historic downtown is not visible from the highway that passes through town. One of the goals and problems is to figure out a way to get people to turn off the highway and discover what our historic downtown has to offer.

Since OHMSA was established, we have higher occupancy rate and more unique shops. We are developing a marketing plan to help advertise businesses in the district and therefore help increase the bottom line for our small mom and pop businesses.

Click to read about our Accomplishments!

Our Team

Margaret Livermore

Executive Director

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    I moved to Oak Harbor with my husband in 1982. We raised our three sons here and enjoy living in such a beautiful place. My college degree is in Medical Technology and art is my passion.

    I am one of the founding directors of the Pacific Northwest Art School, a founding member of Penn Cove Gallery, a founding member of Garry Oak Gallery, a founding Board Member of the Oak Harbor Music Festival, and served as the Art Gallery Chairman for the Coupeville Festival for many years, and am one of the founding Director of Oak Harbor Main Street Association.

    I truly enjoy giving my time and talent to the community to help in any way I can.

    Teresa Besaw

    Marketing Coordinator

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      Oak Harbor Main Street Marketing Coordinator, Teresa Besaw, is a true Whidbey Island native. A Navy Brat, born on the Seaplane base and raised in Oak Harbor. Being a native of Whidbey, Teresa really enjoys promoting the beauty of the island and all the fun events taking place here year-round. Teresa brings 34 years of graphic design, marketing, and event planning to the Oak Harbor Main Street organization.

      Teresa believes Main Street is important because we are trying to preserve downtown and remind people what is great about downtown Oak Harbor.  We want to keep the history while improving downtown so that it will last forever.

      Teresa is married to Navy Veteran Jim Besaw and the proud mother of 3 children, 4 stepchildren, and a grandmother of 9.