CAN Initiatives

CAN has a long history of working to promote arts and culture and supporting tourism and economic development. We were the first organization dedicated to arts and culture in the city of Fall River, and tourism has always been a central part of our mission. Our areas of focus include:

Beautifying downtown Fall River and the Fall River waterfront.
Managing Fall River Waterfront Cultural District.
Promoting Fall River and its tourism attractions.
Educating city residents and visitors about Fall River's history.
Preserving and protecting historically significant buildings.

Take a look at some of our current and recent initiatives.

City Beautification Program: The Hydrangea Project
CAN developed the Hortensia on-going city beautification program in 2018 as part of our tourism plan. Its impact: hundreds of hydrangeas planted downtown and on the waterfront, enhancing the city's visual appeal immeasurably. The program honors Fall River’s deep cultural ties to Portugal, where hydrangeas abound, and resulted in a city proclamation declaring June 25 as Hydrangea Day.

Tourism Conferences
In 2012, CAN organized and hosted a conference, Renewing Our Commitment to Tourism, the first conference of its type focused on increasing tourism in Fall River. In 2023, we organized and hosted a cultural tourism conference about tourism best practices and marketing strategies, with speakers from Mass Office of Travel and Tourism, Mass Cultural Council, and state cultural districts.

Fall River Waterfront Cultural District

CAN led the five-year effort that resulted in Fall River securing a cultural district designation from Mass Cultural Council in 2020. In our role as the district managers, we have implemented a wide range of marketing, tourism, business development, and tourism initiatives, including developing a colorful and distinctive logo to create a sense of place and attract tourists.

Cultural Tourism Map Front Numbered_edit

Cultural District Tourism Map

Fall River Waterfront Cultural District offers numerous opportunities to stimulate tourism. In support of that goal, Creative Arts Network commissioned an artist to create a colorful painting of the district and used it as the basis to produce a map the district's attractions.

Cultural District Brochure

Creative Arts Network produced a brochure about Fall River Waterfront Cultural District to promote its attractions and businesses in support of tourism and economic development.

Historical Interpretive Boards

We are currently creating a series of engaging and educational signs to tell visitors and residents the story of Fall River, its distinctive attractions, and significant aspects of the city's history. The boards will include text, images, and videos, as well as tactile features for the visually impaired. This signage will be installed along Fall River's waterfront.

Promoting Fall River on Tourism and Travel Websites

We recently researched opportunities to promote Fall River and its attractions and businesses on four major travel and tourism websites -- regional, state, and national. We identified numerous opportunities to increase or improve the city's presence on the

sites and distributed a report with our findings, site guidelines, and site contact information to city nonprofits.

Harvard Magazine Feature

We coordinated the development of a recent feature article about Fall River, Fall River: Phoenix Rising?, that was published in Harvard magazine.

https://www.Harvard magazine.com/2023/04/h2-fall-river-massachusetts