This session presents how a university grant was used to design the San Antonio Festival, a collaborative community event aimed at revitalizing a neglected downtown corridor through civic engagement. By bringing together San José State University students, local organizations, small businesses, and the City, the Festival created a participatory platform for cultural exchange, belonging, and economic activation. Using photovoice, interviews, and content analysis, researchers evaluated the event's social and economic impact, generating a preliminary model of success for community-based urban revitalization. Participants will learn how limited resources can spark collective action, how evaluation methods capture community voices, and how universities can lead civic engagement by embedding students and local partners in transformative place-making initiatives.