Celebrate Ashland Train Day on April 30, 2022

ASHLAND, VIRGINIA – The perennial favorite street festival Ashland Train Day returns on April 30, 2022 from 10 am to 4 pm. This family-friendly event hosted by Downtown Ashland Association invites you to enjoy freight and passenger trains, touch-a-truck, model trains, railroad history, live music, kiddie rides, festival food, dance music, gift shopping, and more!

“We are thrilled to host Ashland Train Day on April 30, after postponing two years due to the pandemic!” said Maggie Longest, executive director of Downtown Ashland Association. “It’s a joy to showcase our town’s railroad attractions and local businesses with this family-friendly event.”

More than 12 fully-loaded CSX freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains will pass through the center of the event. The Kid Zone offers a world of fun with a bouncy house, obstacle course, and games. The Touch-a-Truck area will thrill gear heads of all ages with a display of heavy equipment, a fire truck and an ambulance, dump trucks and tractors. Two kiddie train rides invite families to tour the festivities. All aboard!

Model trains of every size and scale will be on display, including lego and racing trains. Plus, vintage railroad equipment and a red caboose. The event brings Virginia’s railroad history to life with two museums, three storytellers, and a 10-stop scavenger hunt. Railfans of all ages will enjoy Ashland Train Day!

“Ashland is proud to host Train Day and welcome visitors from across our region and around the world to celebrate with us,” said Ashland Mayor Steve Trivett. “Come see why we consider Ashland the Center of the Universe!”

Mark your calendar and gather your friends for Ashland Train Day on April 30, 2022! In the meantime, visit ashlandtrainday.com for event info.

To have your business featured with our 10,000 expected participants, join online. Retail and food vendors are welcome at the event, apply here. To join the fun as a volunteer, sign-up online.

Community Spotlight: Berkleytown Heritage Park

By Michael McIntosh and Maggie Longest

The Town of Ashland recently announced plans to develop a heritage park in the Berkleytown neighborhood, an area of Ashland that is home to many generations of African American families. The park will provide a public and easily accessible green space for residents and visitors, while also celebrating the neighborhood’s history as an important and influential center of the Black community in Ashland.

“We are so grateful to the Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity for their generous donation of the property to the Town for use as a public park, and to the Hanover County Black Heritage Society for suggesting the idea,” explained Martha J. Miller, Community Engagement Manager for the Town of Ashland. “As a next step, the Town will hold a series of public input meetings in February and March with neighborhood residents and community stakeholders to inform and guide our decision-making around the park’s design.”

During segregation, Berkleytown became one of few areas in Hanover County where African American residents could own property and build a community. Lifelong Berkleytown resident NaChay Grimes sees the advent of the Heritage Park as a positive opportunity for the community. “I want the park to emphasize the impact Berkleytown had on the Black community of Ashland. And I think it will be good for more people to be aware of Berkleytown and our community’s history.”

This sentiment is echoed by Carolyn Hemphill of the Hanover County Black Heritage Society. “We are also working to have Berkleytown approved as a Historic District on the Virginia Landmarks Register. So, there are many opportunities to use this Heritage Park to educate the broader Ashland community.” While the neighborhood is diversifying in modern times, Hemphill believes that a heritage park will allow the Black heritage of Berkleytown to live on.

To learn more about the Berkleytown Heritage Park development process or to share your comments, attend the upcoming Public Input Meeting on February 28th from 6-7pm at the Pride of Hanover Lodge (311 Berkley St); a virtual participation option will also be made available via ashlandva.gov.

Business Spotlight: Eagle Construction

Eagle Construction aims to supply quality housing to the residents of Virginia. The company builds approximately 300 homes each year, the majority in the Richmond area. Eagle also builds in Smithfield, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Each of Eagle’s homes provides new housing opportunity for our communities and quality living for its residents.

Recently, Downtown Ashland Association met with Kellye Ruckman, Marketing Manager for Eagle Construction, to learn more about the company’s work in Ashland. Eagle currently has two communities under development in Ashland: Lauradell and Lankford's Crossing.

In the Lauradell neighborhood, off Thompson Street near the western edge of town, Eagle offers 140 new homes with smaller home sites for single-family households. Offering many layouts including, first or second-floor primary bedrooms and rear garages in an open landscape with a “gathering barn” for community functions.

Lankford’s Crossing is a spacious neighborhood off Ashcake Road with greenway paths that connect residents to Downtown Ashland. Eagle provides residents an opportunity to personalize a new home while embracing a community mindset.

The company notes its pride to have Downtown Ashland as a landmark for its residents. “Along with quality housing, residents are able to enjoy the Town of Ashland and fully experience all that downtown offers. From the local shops to the events, residents are able to immerse themselves in the culture of Ashland,” explained Ruckman.

Eagle offers residents multiple options for their new homes. The “Quick Move-in” option to the people relocating to the Ashland area, where they are able to speed up the move-in process and get settled quicker. Eagle also offers customers a more “Hands-on” homebuilding process, giving customers an opportunity to come to the design center and personalize the design of their new home. This not only allows customers to build a connection with their new home but also brings a form of creative excitement to the process. 

Eagle Construction supports Downtown Ashland Association’s work to build community and support local business as a Gold Sponsor. We appreciate their commitment to our local efforts, and look forward to meeting our new neighbors in Lankford’s Crossing and Lauradell.

To learn more, see eagleofva.com or visit the Richmond Design Center at 10618 Patterson Ave. Henrico, VA 23238; open daily 11am - 6pm.

7 Tips for Railfans

Railfans of all ages flock to Downtown Ashland to watch the passage of nearly 50 freight and passenger trains each day. The quaint setting of Ashland’s historic district with the East Coast freight line running through the center is a unique attraction.

Photo captured during Ashland Train Day 2018.

Downtown Ashland Association offers railfans near and far these tips to get the most out of your visit:

1.      VISIT THE STATION

Ashland-Hanover Visitor Center is located inside the historic Ashland Train Station. The friendly staff are available 9am-5pm daily.

2.       LISTEN TO ENGINEERS

CSX live radio stream is available to the public anytime of the day or night. You can hear the drivers riding the rails as they radio between Richmond and Fredericksburg. Click here listen live on your web-enabled device.

3.      ASK THE EXPERTS

Tiny Tim’s Trains & Toys at 104 S. Railroad Avenue is staffed by railfans extraordinaire! Ask Suzanne, Russell, or Sonja about the passing trains and get a full explanation, plus see the model trains on display in all shapes and gauges!

4.       CHECK THE MAP

Amtrak tracks its trains nationwide in real-time on this map. Check when the next train is coming to Ashland Train Station and wave hello to the conductors!

5. SEE THE MURAL

Downtown Ashland hosts the longest railroad mural in the country! See local artist Ed Trask’s masterpiece at 108 S. Railroad Avenue.

6.       WATCH ONLINE

Three Virtual Railfan cameras in Downtown Ashland broadcast live on YouTube. The town’s railfan following extends all around the globe. See for yourself at youtu.be/VIwzSSGbxZw.

7. BOARD THE CABOOSE

Ashland Museum offers free tours of a fully restored 1926 C&O Caboose each weekend at 105 Hanover Avenue.

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.