Ongoing Initiatives
Dog Waste Stations
Free pickup bags at dog waste stations across downtown Rochester NH keep the sidewalks and Riverwalk clean and dog-friendly.
Rochester Main Street maintains dog waste stations downtown, stocked with free pickup bags so pet owners are never caught unprepared. Dogs are part of downtown life here: they ride along on the Riverwalk, wait outside the shops, and show up at half our events. The stations are how we make that welcome official.
Why the stations matter
It’s a small thing that makes a big difference: cleaner sidewalks, more pleasant walks, and a downtown that welcomes four-legged visitors too. A dog friendly downtown is also a longer-staying downtown, because people walk the whole loop when the path is clean, and that loop passes a lot of storefronts.
The stations sit alongside our other streetscape work, like the Riverwalk planting beds and downtown seating. Keeping all of it clean is the unglamorous half of beautification, and it runs through the Design Committee’s workplan every single year.
Help keep them stocked
Volunteers check and restock the stations on a rotating basis, and our litter sweeps and cleanup days hit every one on their routes. If you walk a regular route downtown, adopting a station is an easy two-minute habit that keeps the whole district nicer.
Spotted an empty station or one that needs repair? Send us a note and we’ll take care of it.
Dog Waste Stations: your questions answered
Where are the dog waste stations in downtown Rochester?
They are placed along the downtown sidewalks and the Cocheco Riverwalk, where dogs and their people walk the most. If you think a corner needs one, tell us through the contact page and the Design Committee will take a look.
Are the pickup bags really free?
Yes. Every station is stocked with free bags so pet owners are never caught unprepared. Donations and sponsors cover the cost, a small but constant line in our beautification budget.
A station is empty or needs service. Who do I tell?
Send us a note through the contact page and a volunteer will restock it. Our litter sweeps and cleanup days also check every station on their routes, so empty bags never last long.
More ongoing initiatives
Santa Series
Rochester NH's holiday lineup: Shop Small Saturday with Santa, the cookie raffle, and Elf Off The Shelf, late November through December.
Clean-ups
Rochester Cares each spring plus year-round litter sweeps, Riverwalk weeding, and graffiti cleanup keep downtown Rochester NH welcoming.
Halloween Decorations
Scarecrows on the lamp posts and seasonal decor turn downtown Rochester NH into a Halloween destination all October long.
