SILOAM SPRINGS (KFSM) -- Downtown Siloam Springs is booming with several new businesses opening since the beginning of the year.
Mary Kim opened her store Captured by Mary Creative just three weeks ago. She sells artisanal wood working items that are handmade locally. She also does photography and has a collaborative work space.
“We`re kind of creating this new entrepreneurial culture and also this environment of like come and stay. We really want it to be inviting,” she said.
Kim said it's really nice to see how all the businesses have come together to make Siloam Springs a destination.
“Siloam kind of fell off the map I feel like in the big behemoth of Northwest Arkansas, but I think people are starting to realize how cute and quaint our town is and I think another thing is that there is a lot more pride in our town,” she said.
Pure Joy Ice Cream will be the ninth business to open in downtown since the beginning of the year. It's still under construction but the owner said he couldn't think of a better place for his store then right here.
“We looked at the bigger markets, Bentonville, Fayetteville and we decided in the end that we really loved this town and wanted to stay here and work here,” he said.
Matt Feyerabend said Siloam Springs is a very supportive community.
“It's a very encouraging community, it's fun to be part of that when you realize that nearly everybody downtown is rooting for you,” he said.
Several of those nine new downtown Siloam Springs businesses were existing, but decided to relocate to the downtown area. Pure Joy Ice Cream plans on opening mid-June.