Ashland Fourth Fridays 2021

Friday, April 23 from 5-7pm Ashland Fourth Fridays will launch its 2021 Season celebrating arts and culture in Downtown Ashland. Stroll the streets for sidewalk sales, art exhibits, live music, and outdoor dining!

Now in its second year, this event is an opportunity for local artisans to showcase their work. Downtown Ashland enjoys a vibrant community of jewelers, painters, designers, entertainers, chefs, farmers, and musicians—just to name a few!

“Our goal is to support local creatives, while bringing attention to what Downtown Ashland already has to offer. We hope to provide a place for artists to regularly share their work and reach new supporters,” says Kitty Barnes the event organizer and co-owner of RED VEIN Escape.

Stay updated on the latest plans for each month’s event by following Ashland Fourth Fridays at the links below:

Untold Stories: A Retrospective

“Untold Stories: Growing up in Ashland/Hanover — Black & White Experiences” is a powerful annual event hosted by Downtown Ashland Association and our non-profit partners. Local residents share personal memories of life in our segregated southern community during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The stories are often powerful, emotional and inspiring.

While we couldn't hold our Untold Stories forum this year in-person, we are proudly sharing the video retrospective of our past seven programs. We are deeply grateful to the volunteer storytellers and organizers for sharing these stories with our community.

Light the Way to 2021

Welcome the New Year with a lighted walk in Downtown Ashland!

Ashland neighbors and visitors will walk South Center Street at 6pm on New Year’s Eve with lights of all shapes and sizes. Join the celebration! Bring a light—such as a candle or flashlight—and your favorite people. We will shine our lights and stroll the town in celebration of the new year.

Meanwhile, Light Up the Tracks is in full swing in Downtown Ashland, thanks to presenting sponsor Dominion Energy. White lights outline each building along the railroad tracks. Participants will at once enjoy and add to the spectacle!

This event is proposed by Hanover Arts & Activities Center as a creative option to build community in Ashland despite the global pandemic. Join us to bid adieu to 2020 and celebrate our town’s bright future in 2021!

To maintain everyone’s safety from COVID-19, please utilize face masks and social distancing during this event. If you are sick or exposed to someone who is sick, please stay at home. Walk on sidewalks and cross the tracks at designated crossings, as railroad and vehicle traffic remain open during this event. Battery-operated lights are highly encouraged and open flames are not permitted on public property. Maintaining these precautions can help our community to celebrate together safely.

See you on South Center Street at 6pm on Thursday!

Guide for Trick-or-Treating in Ashland

Like so many things this year, trick-or-treating in Ashland will be different in 2020 due to COVID-19. But with preparation and a little extra patience, we can still celebrate the spookiest and most sweets-filled night of the year!

Ashland Halloween will take place Saturday, October 31, 2020 from 5-7pm. Visit AshlandHalloween.com for more information and a map of Halloween Hosts. (The map will be available by October 30.)

Here are Downtown Ashland Association’s tips to help all the aliens, vampires, witches, and superheroes plan a safe Halloween 2020.

1. Keep it Local

To keep everyone safe, Halloween must be a lowkey affair in 2020. Local kids will walk Ashland streets to residents’ homes. And we hope neighbors in other areas will make the same efforts for their local children.

2. Spread Out

In recent years, Center Street has become Ashland’s Halloween headquarters, but this year crowding is discouraged in popular locations to ensure everyone’s safety. Trick-or-treaters are invited to visit the many residential neighborhoods around town.

3. Pack a Mask

Trick-or-Treaters will be decked out in their Halloween masks, and we encourage adults accompanying children and Halloween Hosts to wear masks too. Wearing a mask improves safety in those moments when social distancing may be difficult.

4. Respect Distance

Some members of our community may not feel comfortable welcoming trick-or-treaters this year. Please only approach homes that are listed as Halloween Hosts and displaying Ashland Halloween yard signs. Do not ring doorbells or knock on doors.

5. Wait Your Turn

We know it’s hard to wait when it comes to chocolate! But for your safety and that of others, please use patience. If another trickster is collecting their treat, please wait your turn and give everyone six feet of space.

Downtown Ashland Association is looking forward to another spook-tastic (though slightly different) Halloween in the Center of the Universe. Thank you in advance for supporting the community by following our safety guidelines to make Halloween fun for everyone!

Tunes on the Tracks

Downtown Ashland will host an outdoor concert series beginning Saturday, August 29th!

Tunes on the Tracks is a family-friendly event held on the front lawn of Hanover Arts and Activities Center along the railroad tracks. Each concert will feature the area’s finest local bands, playing music across multiple genres including rock, soul, country, folk, and bluegrass.

Each ticket provides admittance for up to five people who will be seated in a dedicated 10’x10’ viewing area. Concessions will be available, including snacks, soft drinks, and adult (alcoholic) beverages. Each concert will last 90 minutes to two hours.

Safety is a priority. Patrons are expected to stay within their designated viewing area, except when visiting the restroom or the concession area. Plan to bring the whole family! All ages are welcome, although valid photo IDs will be required to purchase or consume alcohol.

This exciting concert series is a collaboration of local non-profit organizations Ashland Theatre and Hanover Arts & Activities Center. Both have faced challenges during the pandemic. The groups joined forces to offer customers a safety-conscious outdoor gathering. Combining the contacts and experience of both non-profits made the concert series possible.

Information and tickets for Tunes on the Tracks are available at ashlandtheatre.org.