Light Up the Tracks

Starting this Saturday, Downtown Ashland transforms into a vintage Christmas village with Light Up the Tracks, presented by Dominion Energy — a light display and special events welcome visitors for a unique small town holiday experience.

“Light Up the Tracks invites visitors to enjoy the quaint setting of our historic downtown,” said Maggie Longest, Executive Director of Downtown Ashland Association. “Customers will find excellent shopping, dining, and entertainment with friendly, small town charm.”

Downtown buildings are outlined in twinkling white lights, along with historic homes and Randolph-Macon College. The whole of Ashland’s Center Street is illuminated, giving visitors a chance to step into a real-life holiday postcard. Plus, local merchants and community groups offer special events all season long.

“We are proud to be a part of this one-of-a-kind celebration,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. “It’s a great opportunity to support community spirit and spread holiday cheer in Ashland.”

Visit Downtown Ashland throughout November and December for holiday events and specials. The calendar of events includes…

• Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, November 6 at 6pm

• Ashland Christmas Market on Saturday, December 4 from 12-4pm

• Jolly Jaunt Bar Crawl on Saturday, December 11 from 6-8pm

• Light the Way to 2022 on Friday, December 31 at 6pm

You are invited to stroll Ashland’s main street and enjoy an old fashioned holiday. Find handmade gifts and decor at local shops, and warm up with a glass of wine or hot chocolate at Downtown Ashland’s many restaurants.

“Whether it’s family fun or a grown-up getaway, Light Up the Tracks brings all things merry and bright to your holiday season,” Longest said.

Ashland Halloween 2021

A weekend of special events and spooky fun for all ages!

Ashland, VA (October 18, 2021) – Building on the success of a festive and safe event in 2020, Downtown Ashland Association is excited to host Ashland Halloween again this year with an entire weekend of festivities organized by local businesses, community organizations, and residents.

“From October 29th to 31st, we invite you to join us as the mysteries of Ashland's historic district come alive,” said Maggie Longest, Executive Director of Downtown Ashland Association. “It is sure to be a spooktastic Halloween weekend in the Center of the Universe!”

There are bewitching events for children and adults alike, including:

•  Kids trick-or-treat in all Ashland neighborhoods with the candy stop map. Families pack the streets to take in elaborate decorations such as flaming pumpkin torches, candy catapults, and skateboarding vampires.

• Adults celebrate with a Trick-or-Treat Bar Crawl. Origin Beer Lab and surrounding businesses host this scavenger hunt. Each establishment along the route features ghostly food and drink specials for participants’ enjoyment.

• Lantern-Lit Haunted Walking Tours hosted nightly by professional storytellers. Let the ghost stories of our historic town’s most mysterious events, buildings, and personalities entertain you!

• Ashland Theatre hosts classic spooky movies all weekend. Plus, signature cocktails, popcorn, and snacks.

Visit AshlandHalloween.com for more information and a full calendar of events.

$50,000 Grant to the MidAtlantic Railroad Park

Doswell Limited Partnership, an LS Power affiliate, awards $50,000 Grant to the MidAtlantic Railroad Park

Artist rendering of a planned MidAtlantic Railroad Park exhibit at Ashland Town Center on England Street in Ashland, Virginia.

ASHLAND, VA – Downtown Ashland Association is proud to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the Doswell Limited Partnership (DLP) to help fund the development of Ashland’s MidAtlantic Railroad Park.  The grant makes DLP the Park’s largest sponsor to date.

The proposed walking-tour park will feature numerous exhibits that highlight Ashland’s rich railroad history.  Exhibits will include kiosk signage for existing assets like the train station, the train mural, and the Red Caboose, as well as new exhibits featuring railroad innovations like the Janney coupler.  The park is a placemaking initiative to drive tourism and economic activity in downtown Ashland.

“This grant brings our organization significantly closer to reaching our goal of raising $180,000 for the park,” said Executive Director Maggie Longest.  “We very much appreciate the generosity of Doswell Limited Partnership for investing in the economic potential the Park can bring to Ashland and Hanover County.” 

“DLP Grant funding is awarded to non-profit organizations for projects that benefit the greater Hanover community” said Noreen Hill, DLP Business Manager.  “With the installation of the VDOT-approved brown signs at Exit 92, we expect the park to draw many visitors off the interstate and have a positive economic impact on the entire region.”

The MidAtlantic Railroad Park is a joint project of Downtown Ashland Association, Ashland Museum, Hanover County Black Heritage Society, and the Town of Ashland.  A Railroad Park Community Committee has been established to oversee development of the park. The committee includes members of all the supporting organizations as well as interested stakeholders.  

To date, more than one hundred individuals and businesses have donated $60,000 for the Park. The DLP grant, along with a similar-sized grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, brings the total amount raised to $160,000.

“We’ve had extraordinary public support for this project,” remarked Tom Wulf, who heads up the Community Committee.  “We’ve had a significant number of park development ideas submitted through public input sessions and online surveys.  The concept of the railroad park originated with local artist Dan Bartges, and it is being strengthened by the public input process.”

Exhibit site selection and kiosk design have been approved by the Community Committee and the Town of Ashland.  Kiosk construction and site preparation is due to begin within the next few months.

For more information about the MidAtlantic Railroad Park, visit AshlandVirginia.com/railroad.

BACKGROUND

Doswell Limited Partnership is an affiliate of LS Power and owns the Doswell natural gas power generation facility located in Ashland, Virginia. Built in 1992 and expanded in 2018 to 1,292 MW by LS Power, the Doswell plant employs 29 individuals and is capable of providing energy to meet the needs of more than 1.2 million area homes in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

 Downtown Ashland Association is a community non-profit organization that works toward a strong and vibrant future for Ashland, Virginia.  Through marketing initiatives, special events, business engagement, historic preservation and more, the Association contributes to Ashland’s vitality by deploying our time, funding, and voice on behalf of the community. For more information, visit ashlandvirginia.com.

We are hiring!

Downtown Ashland Association seeks a part-time Project Manager to assist the Executive Director with administration, fundraising, and event planning.

The position requires approximately 10 hours per week. Project Manager will be engaged as an independent contractor for four months with $4,000 compensation total, and a possible discretionary bonus upon completion of a successful community event.

We are looking for a friendly, organized, community-oriented individual to help us promote and enhance Downtown Ashland. Are you up for the challenge?

Welcome Back for Our Comeback!

Downtown Ashland Association and the Town of Ashland are proud to announce a marketing campaign to encourage customers to revisit Ashland: “Welcome Back for Our Comeback!” Your favorite businesses have innovative new offerings and some exciting newcomers have joined the mix. Ashland offers visitors authentic small town charm with quirky twists on traditional favorites.

It was not long ago that our downtown was shuttered due to the global pandemic. Today, we are rebuilding the local community and economy, with help from the town government. With grant funding from federal and state sources, the Town of Ashland is able to offer $1,500,000 in assistance to local businesses. These funds help business owners meet safety needs, pivot business models, increase online sales, and make rent payments.

Downtown Ashland Association supports effort with technical assistance for small business owners. We hosted the virtual Business Recovery Workshop Series and hired business experts to meet one-on-one with business owners planning for recovery. The workshops remain available free of charge for any business owner seeking further insight during these troubled times.

Looking ahead, Ashland’s future is bright. We are proud to invite customers back downtown with events and promotions. Downtown Ashland Association hosts Ashland Fourth Fridays events to celebrate arts and culture monthly and the Saturday Sound Tracks concert series every summer weekend! These events make it easy for customers to rediscover downtown Ashland and its unique local businesses.

The “Welcome Back for Our Comeback!” marketing campaign makes that story personal by introducing the creative and resilient business owners in Ashland. Their behind-the-scenes stories shape the town you know and love. Join us over the next several months as we introduce diverse, hardworking, local entrepreneurs pursuing their passions in the risky world of small business. You will be impressed by the depth of commitment these leaders have for our town.

Ashland is a special place. It’s a feeling you immediately understand when you visit, and a value that residents cherish. Our local community is rallying to recover from a global pandemic. You can be part of our comeback story. Join us for a day, a week, or a lifetime in Downtown Ashland!