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!

Supporting Railroad Park

Tom Wulf, founder of WulfTeam Productions and long-time supporter of Downtown Ashland Association, is helping to enhance and promote the town with the advent of a walking museum.

Tom Wulf on location with WulfTeam Productions

Wulf served as a board member, president, and executive director of Downtown Ashland Association in the past. He now leads the volunteer committee working to establish a Railroad Park.

The project plan is to create new exhibits for train and history fans, while highlighting important structures and locations within Downtown Ashland.  Ashland Train Station, the steam train mural, Ashland Museum, and the Red Caboose are among planned attractions in the Park.

“There are so many different train and railroad exhibits here, yet no one has ever thought to group them together,” Wulf explained. “This is our opportunity to expand upon what we already have and make it greater.” Wulf states that Railroad Park would contribute significantly towards the Downtown Ashland economy, and make the town a more popular tourist site.

Video explanation of the project, produced by Tom Wulf

The Railroad Park project will take several phases to complete, so Wulf’s current priority is raising funding. He notes that Mary Morton Parsons Foundation granted $50,000 towards the project, so long as Downtown Ashland Association can raise matching donations by November 30, 2020. This funding will help buy displays and signage for the exhibits of Railroad Park. Wulf further notes that Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has approved Railroad Park for signage on interstate 95, which would be put in place after the project is fully constructed.

“We have secured over $40,000 needed to match the grant,” says Wulf. “The positive impact Railroad Park will have on Downtown Ashland is both economic and personal. These rails have been the roots of Ashland since its founding. It’s time we further embrace that.”

If you wish to donate or learn more about Railroad Park, please visit ashlandvirginia.com/railroad.

Photos by Tom Wulf

Black Studies at R-MC

As Randolph-Macon College begins its Fall Semester this week, students have the option of a new major in Black Studies. The college has for many years offered a Black Studies minor; its popularity inspired the creation of the new major. Randolph-Macon College is the first among Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges to offer this major.

Downtown Ashland Association recently discussed the program’s significance with Dr. Alphine Jefferson, director of the Black Studies Department. Read his insights below.

How does a Black Studies Major from R-MC help to prepare a student for the modern workforce? 

Classroom in the R-MC Old Chapel
Photo courtesy of Randolph-Macon College

“The major in Black Studies prepares students to participate fully in the modern workforce because they are taught a set of essential aptitudes and proficiencies. Black Studies is the ideal major to prepare students to be both leaders and participants in a global economy which requires cultural sensitivity to issues of equity, diversity and inclusion.”

In addition to the primary goals of teaching students effective oral communication and writing, Black Studies also emphasizes geographic and multicultural literacy, as well as critical reading and thinking. Consequently, the acquisition of these skills provides students with the social capital and essential dynamic tools to be active, informed, and responsible citizens at local, state, and national levels. Moreover, a degree in Black Studies is an excellent credential for students interested in community organizing, non-profit work, political activism, and careers in social service.”

How do Black Studies students at R-MC interact with the local Ashland community?

R-MC video of Dr. Alphine Jefferson recognizing Juneteenth 2020

“Faculty and students in the Black Studies Program at Randolph-Macon College have interacted with the local Ashland community in a variety of ways. We have co-sponsored an annual Juneteenth Program in conjunction with the Hanover County Black Heritage Society and worked with Ashland Theatre to show and discuss several important films, including ‘Selma’, ‘In the Heat of the Night’, and most recently ‘Harriet’ and ‘The Hate You Give’."

In addition, the RMC Black Studies Program has promoted community attendance and participation at its cultural events. Members of the Ashland community have been attendees at lectures, performers in plays, and singers in concerts. In addition, Black Studies faculty and students worked to get The Janie Porter Barrett Center on the National Historic Register and place an Hanover County Historic Marker for The Reverend John Preston Clarke at Abner Baptist Church, as well as create exhibitions and sponsor talks at the Pamunkey Library System.”

Why is creation of the Black Studies Major significant for the College and its history?

Boydton Institute and Bible College students
Photo courtesy of Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail

“Randolph-Macon College has an interesting, if little known, connection to an elite Black private school. After RMC moved to Ashland in 1868, its original campus was used to create the Boydton Institute and Bible College. From 1878 until 1933, this school provided multiple levels of education to several generations of Blacks. The school was known for its rigorous academic programs and its skill at training students who became leaders in the civil rights movement.”

Randolph-Macon College Black Studies students
Photo courtesy of Randolph-Macon College

In addition, the RMC major in Black Studies offers an alternative perspective on ‘the received cultural heritage’ of America as well as an Afrocentric critique of the Eurocentric principles which guided the nation’s creation.”

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.

Update: Ashland 2021

We're Open for Business! But please use the back entrance for businesses on N. Railroad Avenue--including Ashland Family Dentistry, The Henry Clay Inn, Homemades by Suzanne, and Center of the Yarniverse. See our handy parking map below.

Traffic is currently blocked on N. Railroad to make way for Amtrak’s construction of new platforms at Ashland Train Station. When finished, the project will include fully accessible train platforms for passengers of all abilities, lighted signage for info on the next train, and covered seating on both sides of the tracks for those waiting on a train.

Learn more about this project and all the changes coming to Downtown Ashland at ashlandvirginia.com/2021.