Downtown Ashland Association salutes Lorie Foley for volunteering two years as the organization’s president. She has gone above and beyond to support our community!
We offer this video as a small token of our gratitude, and look forward to celebrating Lorie’s volunteerism all together someday in the future.
Celebrate the art, music and culture that flourishes in Downtown Ashland!
Each month, on the fourth Friday, you'll find Downtown Ashland alive with sidewalk sales, music, exhibits, outdoor dining, and more. Our next event is July 24 from 5-7pm.
Local artist Terry L. Chancelor paints the Railroad Avenue street scene during Ashland Fourth Fridays, June 26, 2020.
Ashland Fourth Fridays organizer Kitty Barnes of RED VEIN Escape explains, “Our goal is to support Ashland creatives while bringing attention to what Downtown Ashland already has to offer. As Ashland Fourth Fridays grows, we hope to provide a place for artists to regularly share their work and reach new supporters.”
Safety is our priority. Stroll the streets of Downtown Ashland while keeping your social distance. All exhibits are adequately spaced and sanitation measures are followed. You can confidently shop with local businesses and artisans safely during Ashland Fourth Fridays.
“There are incredible artisans in Downtown Ashland—jewelers, painters, musicians, bakers, chefs, and farmers. We have so much to celebrate!” said Maggie Longest, executive director of Downtown Ashland Association.
Checkout these highlights from Ashland Fourth Fridays on June 26, 2020:
RED VEIN Escape welcomed artist Terry L. Chancellor, who painted a Railroad Avenue street scene live, during the event!
GHT Insurance welcomed junior artist Cassidy Schloss, whose paintings are being donated to local nursing homes bringing cheer to vulnerable residents.
Bell, Book & Candle, Gotta Have it Gifts, Origin Beer Lab, and Tiny Tim’s Trains & Toys offered special sale promotions during the event.
Behind the Curtain Studio showcased its Ashland Peace Project and encouraged participation.
Ashland Theatre offered free popcorn and info about After Dark drive-in movies.
Join the block party to celebrate the arts. Mark your calendar for the fourth Friday of each month to join us in Downtown Ashland!
Get the latest plans for each month’s event by following Ashland Fourth Fridays on Facebook and Instagram.
Downtown Ashland Association sadly reports that Ashland Train Day 2020 is cancelled. This was a difficult decision for the Board of Directors, but one we feel is a necessary precaution in the face of COVID-19.
We look forward to hosting a stellar Ashland Train Day event on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Mark your calendar!
Meanwhile, we will be publishing virtual highlights from Downtown Ashland for railfans of all ages. Please stay tuned to our website, ashlandvirginia.com, and social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) for updates.
Thank you to our Ashland community for making the past 17 years of Ashland Train Day so much fun. We look forward to our eighteenth event in 2021!
Downtown Ashland Association and our partners in the Main Street America network stand resolutely for peace, justice, accountability, and fair treatment of all people.
We are committed to taking action against systemic racism and discrimination in all its forms. All lives cannot matter unless Black lives matter. The humanity and dignity of every person must be honored and respected in our public spaces.
This organization's mission is to enhance and promote Downtown Ashland as the center of our community. That stewardship role requires us to engage with all our neighbors to create a downtown that serves everyone.
We believe in the partnerships and programs we host to encourage diversity and inclusion. But there is much more we must learn and much more we must do.
We are a volunteer organization, and we invite all our neighbors to help make Ashland's events, programs, and promotions fully inclusive.
You can learn more about our projects and programs on the About Us pages. Choose a project you’d like to help with and email me to get started. We look forward to working with you!
Maggie Beal Longest
Executive Director, Downtown Ashland Association
This morning, Downtown Ashland Association hosted a virtual workshop for small business owners, with special guest Natalie McNamara, founder and chief strategist of CreativeMktGroup. The workshop focused on online marketing strategy and using the web to attract new customers.
Click the image below to watch the video. Notes of the presentation are available here, including resource links to get more in-depth info on each topic.
Today’s webinar was the second in the Coalition Series of webinars for local businesses hosted jointly by Hanover Chamber, Hanover County Economic Development Office, Town of Ashland, Dominion Energy Innovation Center, and Downtown Ashland Association. The next session will focus on “Pivoting from Crisis to Opportunity”. Register here.
