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2023 NC Main Street Champion
Sly Best has owned Midtown Barber in downtown Elkin since March of 2012. Sly’s chairs are filled daily with people of all ages, from toddlers to great, great grandparents, and from all walks of life. A day at Sly’s barbershop is never boring and members of the community love to hear his views…which some call, SLYOLOGY.
But Sly is more than an excellent barber and conversationalist. He is a father, father figure, brother, mentor, coach, and unifier. Over the past three years, Sly has organized a Juneteenth Festival in downtown Elkin thru his nonprofit Bridge of Unity. This event includes a whole hog cookoff contest for the tastiest BBQ, vendors, and live music throughout the day. For fourteen years, he has organized a community book bag drive through his nonprofit I Support my Community. It focuses on children’s education and includes an annual Christmas toy drive called Fill the Bus. I Support my Community and Explore Elkin partner annually to sponsor a free movie night locally for children. Sly also holds a mentoring program for youth entitled Boys to Men at his barbershop. In his spare time, he coaches local Kindergarten through eighth grade football leagues and oversees Elkin’s Chatham Park ballfield plans to expand sports for local youth.
For his efforts in being a positive voice downtown, Elkin is proud to recognize Sly Best as its 2023 North Carolina Main Street Champion.