WILMINGTON — There’s a new face in town looking to turn Wilmington into the place to be on the weekends.

Bekah Muchmore is the new executive director of Main Street Wilmington, and she’s ready to create more events for the community.

Muchmore plans on hosting an event for the community once a month, and she wants to host them all over town, she said.

“One thing I really want to do is get the courthouse to be part of our events,” Muchmore said.

In addition to having events every month, Angela Mitchell, Main Street Wilmington’s board president, said she wants to bring the Art Festival back to Wilmington and help turn the town into a destination hotspot where people can shop and eat and spend the day in town.

“All of what we do, even the events and the community development, is really centered on promoting small downtown businesses and bringing people into the businesses” and to grow the local economy, Mitchell said.

“We have a vision for moving sort of into phase two with Main Street and economic development and filling the empty spaces,” Mitchell said.

Mayor Randy Riley, who is the adviser for Main Street Wilmington, said Muchmore is the perfect person for the job and he is excited to work with her.

“My goal is to make this the place people come to have fun,” he said. “She’s wanting to make it a party place.”

Riley, like Mitchell, is excited to get more businesses into the downtown area “one way or another,” he said.

“We want them to be very, very successful (and) to be there for a good, long time to come,” Riley said.

Main Street Wilmington recently moved into the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce building at 100 W. Main St. Muchmore and Mitchell both said they are excited to share space with the chamber.

“We have the same goals,” Mitchell said. “It’s been really helpful to be in closer connection with the chamber.”

Main Street Wilmington will host an open house Sept. 18, Muchmore said, so people can come see the new office and then go out and celebrate.

Riley said Main Street Wilmington has talked about what they want Wilmington to be, and one thing is certain: the board does not want the town to be an antique mall.

“We have artists and we have people who are extremely talented in this area, so why not have a downtown that people come to, to have fun?” Riley said.

Riley said Main Street Wilmington is looking for support and help from everyone in community to make downtown Wilmington a better, more fun place to be.

“We’re all ambassadors for the city and the community,” he said.