Woodland Park's Main Street program rolled out a new consumer incentive this fall aimed at drawing more foot traffic and spending to the city's downtown corridor.

For consumers who spend $15 in the downtown area, the program offers 20% back, up to $100. To redeem the benefit, shoppers who go out to lunch or dinner, or buy something in a retail establishment, text a picture of their receipt to (719) 821-1450 and receive a gift card. After submitting at least five receipts from within the Main Street boundaries, the consumer chooses where to spend the gift card.

The Shop & Dine Passport runs from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. City officials described the program as a direct investment back into the local economy. "It's a great way to promote our Main Street, our retail and dining," said Anita Riggle, the city's economic director and budget analyst. "It's a great way to promote our Main Street and encourages people to purchase local and put money back into the community," Riggle said.

Riggle and assistant city manager Kimberly Burleson represented Main Street at a convention in the spring in Tulsa, Okla., where they heard about a similar promotion — an idea they wanted to bring back to Woodland Park.

Alongside the cashback promotion, Main Street is also running a seasonal storefront competition. To jazz up downtown for the fall, Main Street sponsors the Fall Window Decorating contest, in which businesses are invited to decorate their storefront windows. The entry deadline is Sept. 9, followed by a public voting period from Sept. 10 to Oct. 9, with winners announced Oct. 10. Businesses interested in participating can email [email protected].

How well the Shop & Dine Passport drives measurable increases in downtown sales volume over the two-month window remains to be seen, and no participation or redemption targets have been publicly announced.