Going to downtown DeKalb is like taking a time machine into the past.

Main Street/DeKalb is trying to keep it that way.

The not-for-profit organization intends to re-establish downtown DeKalb as the center of the community by educating citizens about the importance of maintaining, improving and promoting the area, said program manager Heather Fosburgh.

“We work on historical preservation,” Fosburgh said.

The organization primarily works along Lincoln Highway between Oak and Franklin Streets to the north and south and First and Seventh Streets to the east and west.

“The buildings in that area have great significance,” Fosburgh said. “The area needs to look nice and be functional.”

Main Street also sponsors events to bring attention to the downtown area.

One of the most popular areas is the DeKalb Farmer’s Market. The market is open from 1 to 6 p.m. every Thursday during the summer in Palmer Court, between Second and Third Streets north of Lincoln Highway. The market opens for the summer in June.

We have farmers and vendors who come out and sell their fresh produce, Fosburgh said.

During the holidays, the group’s Christmas program brings in people from all over the county. The Christmas program includes a Santa’s Workshop, carriage rides and various sales promotions from downtown business.

“There are all kinds of restaurants and shopping places for clothes and jewelry,” Forburgh said.

Main Street/DeKalb president Carol Zar said people who shop downtown often are able to find items they may have difficulty locating in retail or chain stores.

“They offer something different,” Zar said. “There is a lot of variety and the prices are decent.”

All of the businesses downtown are locally owned, which should be considered a benefit, Zar said.

“You find things that you’re not going to find in malls,” Zar said. “That is what downtowns are all about.”

Main Street works on the preservation of all these buildings by using a four-point approach, which includes design, economic restructuring, organization and promotion.

The design committee focuses on buildings, storefronts, public improvements and landscaping.

“It is respect through preservation,” Fosburgh said. “We want to keep it the way it was built.”

The restructuring committee works on strengthening and expanding downtown business.

“The funds and the projects are driven by volunteers,” Fosburgh said.

Main Street/DeKalb is affiliated with the National Trust for Historical Preservation, an organization that focuses on historical preservation and economic development. The group began with a little community interest, but eventually became its own organization in 1999.

The organization always is looking for volunteers to help them with events and other projects. For more information, call 748-7788.