Farmington Downtown Development Authority's Rhythmz in Riley Park concert series and Wish List Window holiday promotion took home honors from the Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) awards celebration, held March 8 at the Royal Oak Music Theater.

The summer concerts, which draw hundreds of people to the Walter E. Sundquist Farmington Pavilion and Riley Park in downtown Farmington on Friday nights from June through August, won the MSOC Outstanding Event Series award. The 2013 series launches June 7, with returning favorite Paisley Fogg. 

MSOC gave its Outstanding Retail Event award to the Wish List Window promotion, through which 11 downtown Farmington shoppers this year won more than $6,000 worth of merchandise from local businesses.

A MSOC press release noted that more than 200 people attended the awards celebration. County Executive L. Brooks Patterson calls the county's program "a model for other Main Street programs across the country."

“Main Street is an economic development program that works and it continues to grow as we added Birmingham to the family this year,” Patterson said. “This is a vital tool that improves our downtowns and our county.”

MSOC, which created the awards program in 2008, recognizes excellence in downtown revitalization in five categories: Special, Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring.

Ferndale and Pontiac took 16 of the 30 awards given. 

For more information, go to MainStreetOaklandCounty.com.