The Belen MainStreet Partnership has been awarded a $10,000 grant to promote tourism in Belen.

The New Mexico Tourism Department awarded the money to the MainStreet group after it submitted a proposal to promote tourism from Belen to Santa Fe using the New Mexico Rail Runner Express. The grant will involve cooperation between the various cities along the route.

The grant, part of the Cooperative Marketing Program, has a $10,000 match which has been fundraised from Belen and Santa Fe. Additional donations are expected.

The money will be used to set up tours, where vacationers from around the country will have the chance to see historic sites in Valencia County and eat at some of Belen’s best restaurants.