On September 2nd, during Harriman’s 36th annual Hooray for Harriman street festival, a celebration of labor and community spirit unfurled itself like a multicolored banner across the streets, this year with a special nod to two local brothers, Blake and Travis Kirkland. These siblings were awarded keys to the city, honoring their significant role in reviving Harriman’s downtown economy. “We had two brothers that stepped up and bought buildings downtown and said, ‘We want to change what’s going on in Harriman, we want to change the culture of who we are,’” Harriman Mayor Wayne Best was quoted in a report from WATE.
Travis and Blake Kirkland, long-time residents of the city, began buying and renovating buildings in 2016, infusing the hollowed spaces with new life as businesses such as The Sweet Spot candy shop and Downtown Pizza emerged. “It was a booming town. We had all the mills — the hosiery mill, paper mill, steel mill," Travis told WVIR, recalling the city's past vibrancy and the subsequent decline that the brothers' efforts have now helped to reverse and now there is hardly an empty building left, according to Travis Kirkland in his statement.
Scott Mason, the Harriman City Manager, celebrated this resurgence, “All these buildings that used to be empty are now full. Harriman is growing by leaps and bounds.” More than 130 vendors, family-friendly attractions, and festive activities underscored the street festival's role as a nexus of Harriman pride and communal achievement. The festival's turnout, highlighted by its abundant attractions and community engagement, was reported by WATE to be the largest to date.
Travis Kirkland captured the essence of their investment in the community, “We were just small little poor kids that would come to town with a vision, you know, at some point we would love to have owned a business,” he stated in an interview, reflecting the arc of their journey from humble beginnings to now owning multiple buildings which house thriving enterprises. Their story serves as a testament to the shared dreams and dedicated labor that have fueled Harriman’s renaissance, embodying Mayor Best’s philosophy of "one team" working together for the love of their city.
