Glow Big or Glow Home: Ashland’s Grand Illumination Costume Contest Lights Up the Night

The Grand Illumination returns to the Center of the Universe on Saturday, November 22, and it’s guaranteed to shine brighter than ever! While 10,000 twinkling lights will outline two miles of Downtown Ashland, it’s the community sparkle that truly brings the magic to life.

This year, the Downtown Ashland Association is inviting everyone to deck themselves out in light-up and sparkling attire for a chance to win glowing prizes from cherished local vendors. Starting at 3:00 PM, DAA volunteers will roam the downtown festivities, keeping an eye out for guests dressed to dazzle. Anyone spotted in glowing garb will receive a raffle ticket and be entered to win.

Contestants are encouraged to stay for the full evening of festivities, with the Ashland Town Tree lighting at 5:00 PM marking the grand finale. Until then, there’s no shortage of merriment to enjoy!

The holiday market will stretch from the Dominion Energy Innovation Center, across Ashland Town Hall, and wrap around 110 Thompson Street, featuring an array of local artisans, makers, and food vendors. Favorites include On the Fly Events with their lit mobile arcade and Minuteman Press of Ashland, printing cozy Light Up the Tracks apparel on-site.

Center Street Sound Co. will fill the air with festive, family-friendly tunes while Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and Clarice greet guests on the Ashland Town Hall Pavilion stage. With a donation of your choosing to the Downtown Ashland Association, you can have your photo taken with Santa—on your own phone or by the Snow Queen herself with a professional camera.

The fun continues at 4:30 PM with a performance by MKH Dabke Entertainment, offering a dazzling cultural dance experience rooted in Middle Eastern tradition, athleticism, and joy. The Ashland Dance Academy will take the stage next, lighting up the night with their glowing costumes and choreography before the Randolph-Macon College Choir leads a community sing-along of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”

Then, at 5:00 PM, our sponsor Dominion Energy will flip the switch on the Ashland Town Tree, illuminating the heart of our winter wonderland. Immediately after, four glowing winners will be drawn from the costume contest raffle for their choice of local prizes:

Or a sweet treat from Funcakes—your choice of Santa’s Delight (funnel cake), Elf’s Magic (deep fried Pop-Tarts), or Reindeer Bites (deep fried Oreos)

It’s the delight of these talented local vendors to share their art and gifts with the community, according to vendors like Eva Boggs of EccaEva. “I just love getting to take part in these events!”

All contestants have to do is show up and glow for their chance to light up the night and win. Guests are encouraged to take Amtrak Virginia, which stops right in historic downtown—offering the perfect postcard view of Ashland’s winter wonderland from your spacious train seat.

For all the details, six weeks of holiday events, raffles, and more, visit LightUptheTracks.com.

Manning Memorial Services Honors Veterans with Free Flags and Free Services This Veterans Day

This Veterans Day, Manning Memorial Services invites the community to honor America’s heroes in a simple but meaningful way—by visiting their new location at 134 Thompson Street in historic downtown Ashland and taking home a free American flag.

The local memorial service provider, founded by Daniel Manning Jr. and Mary Renee, is welcoming visitors throughout Veterans Day to learn more about the no-cost services they offer to veterans and their families. Manning Memorial Services provides free restoration and preservation of fallen veterans’ graves, including headstone cleaning, alignment, installation, and assistance in completing VA paperwork.

“We want to make sure every veteran’s final resting place is honored with dignity,” said Daniel Manning Jr., co-owner of Manning Memorial Services. “It’s not just about the stone—it’s about the story. Every veteran deserves to be remembered.”

Manning Memorial’s new location at 134 Thompson Street in historic downtown Ashland

Manning and Renee will be outside their new downtown Ashland location on Veterans Day, greeting guests and helping them complete a brief form to record information about local veterans and their burial sites. Their goal is to create a registry of veteran graves in the Town of Ashland, ensuring they receive regular care for generations to come. "We follow up, find their final resting places, and preserve them. It takes a community to make sure that veteran graves are taken care of," says Manning.

For Daniel Manning Jr., this work is more than a profession—it’s a personal mission shaped by his years of military service and his time at Arlington National Cemetery. After working at the Pentagon during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Manning was transferred to Arlington, where he helped assign and maintain the graves of fallen service members.

“I uncovered graves from every era of American history—including the Civil War,” he recalls. “I took every cracked, leaning, crumbling stone and saw they were cleaned and stood erect. That became my purpose.”

His dedication inspired the founding of Manning Memorial Services, where that same care is extended to veterans across local cemeteries and churchyards. “Not every hero rests in a national cemetery,” Manning says. “Some are here, right in our own backyards—and we will find them, preserve them, and honor them.”

Co-owner Mary Renee, a veteran herself, shares that commitment. “All of my grandparents were in the military,” she says. “I joined the Army because I wanted to continue that legacy of service. This work allows us to give back to others who’ve served.”

Together, Manning and Renee are building a community of remembrance—one that ensures every name is known, every headstone stands tall, and every sacrifice is honored.

Manning Memorial Services’ new office in downtown Ashland reflects that vision: a place where stories of service, love, and legacy continue to live on.

This Veterans Day, stop by 134 Thompson Street to pick up a free flag and learn how Manning Memorial Services is helping preserve the memory of America’s heroes—because no veteran should ever be forgotten.

Ashland Stars Shine Bright at Grand Illumination

Ashland Dance Academy performing at the Grand Illumination in historic downtown Ashland, Virginia.

Downtown Ashland stars are shining brighter than ever this holiday season! On Saturday, November 22, the Downtown Ashland Association (DAA) will launch their annual Grand Illumination, lighting up two miles of historic downtown with over 10,000 sparkling lights and a massive tree on the Ashland Town Hall lawn—all while celebrating the incredible talent and creativity that thrive along the tracks.

Visitors can take Amtrak Virginia directly to the heart of downtown, where festivities begin at 3 PM with a vendor market featuring local food, art, crafts, and businesses. The outdoor market, stretching from the Dominion Energy Innovation Center across Ashland Town Hall to 110 Thompson Street, is a winter wonderland perfect for finding unique gifts for everyone on your list. Every purchase supports local artisans and small businesses, ensuring you’re definitely on Santa’s “nice” list.

Santa and Mrs. Claus outside Tiny Tim’s Trains and Toys in historic downtown Ashland, Virginia

Speaking of Santa, he’ll be joined by Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and Clarice on the Ashland Town Hall Pavilion stage. Guests can make a donation of their choice to the DAA and have their photos taken by the Snow Queen—either on your phone, with her professional camera, or both.

MKH Dabke & Middle Eastern Dance Entertainment

Center Street Sound Co. will keep holiday spirits high with classic seasonal tunes until 4:30 PM, when cultural dance company MKH Dabke & Middle Eastern Dance Entertainment takes the stage. Founded in 2016 by Lebanese-American dancer Michael “Misho” Kahwajy-Hyland, MKH Dabke celebrates culture, connects communities, and empowers audiences through Middle Eastern dance, music, and storytelling. “Dabke is a dance from the Cradle of Civilization that's full of empowerment and meaning. It comes from, and therefore represents, the strength of community everywhere it happens,” Kahwajy-Hyland says. "In today's world, it's a powerful dance because it's a statement of identity, welcomes anyone in the room, and creates a shared energy that can't be found anywhere else... all without a single word.” It is this power that has inspired the Richmond-based company to perform nationwide over the last decade and spread the beautiful message & culture behind this dance in interactive workshops and educational residencies - leaving audiences in the Center of the Universe and beyond energized, empowered, and inspired.

Following MKH’s performance, the Ashland Dance Academy will dazzle with illuminated choreography, and the Randolph-Macon College Choir will lead the crowd in a sing-along of Walking in a Winter Wonderland.

At 5 PM, join Dominion Energy, the Town of Ashland, and DAA for the official countdown as the Ashland Town Tree and 10,000 lights illuminate the night, transforming the downtown into a holiday postcard come to life.

Tierrapy Soaps vending in historic downtown Ashland, Virginia

The festivities continue on Sunday, November 23, with vendors returning at 11 AM outside the Dominion Energy Innovation Center and 110 Thompson Street, ahead of the Kiwanis Club’s Olde Time Holiday Parade, marching through downtown at 2 PM. Visitors can end the day with a cozy railside farm-to-fork meal, then head home with sugarplums dancing in their heads.

For more information on the Grand Illumination and all of Downtown Ashland’s holiday events, visit LightUptheTracks.com.

Free Entrepreneurial Boot Camps

In celebration of National Entrepreneurship Month, Downtown Ashland Association (DAA) and Pamunkey Regional Library’s Ashland Branch Library are teaming up to launch Entrepreneurial Boot Camps—a new, free monthly series designed to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs connect, learn, and grow.

Starting Wednesday, November 5, Entrepreneurial Bootcamps will take place from 6:00 to 7:30 PM on the first Wednesday of every month through September 2, 2026, in the Ashland Branch Library’s conference room. Each session will offer opportunities to collaborate, network, and discover resources to help local businesses thrive.

“Downtown Ashland is one of the top main streets in America because of the dreamers and innovators who set up shop on our historic streets,” said Antonio “Coach” Miller, Executive Director of Downtown Ashland Association. “It’s not only part of our mission to give these entrepreneurs the resources they deserve to thrive, but to pull everyone into our orbit, share what we know, and grow together.”

The view of historic downtown Ashland, Virginia, from the Ashland Branch Library.

Downtown Ashland’s business district is a true showcase of small-town entrepreneurship—made up almost entirely of local owners, makers, and risk-takers whose creativity and commitment keep the Center of the Universe vibrant. Entrepreneurial Bootcamps are an extension of DAA’s ongoing mission to strengthen this ecosystem through education, connection, and collaboration—while inviting entrepreneurs from across the region to join in.

And getting here couldn’t be easier. Participants can hop on Amtrak Virginia and arrive just steps from the Ashland Branch Library, making a quick and convenient trip for business owners and innovators from Richmond, Fredericksburg, and beyond. After the workshop, guests are encouraged to enjoy dinner at one of Downtown Ashland’s farm-to-fork restaurants located right along the tracks—an experience that pairs perfectly with the town’s entrepreneurial spirit and small-town charm.

Pamunkey Regional Library continues to be a trusted community partner, offering an array of free tools and resources for local businesses. With a Pamunkey library card, entrepreneurs can access business databases, market research, and professional development materials across all library branches.

For more information about these monthly events, visitAshlandVirginia.com/bootcamp.
If you have special physical or communication needs, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary.org or call the Ashland Branch Library at (804) 798-4072.

Virginia Influencer Rallies Support for Hometown Devastated by Hurricane Melissa

Shanisse models ILoveAshlandVA.com apparel as an avid volunteer for Downtown Ashland Association

Shanisse Palmer, a beloved Virginia-based family lifestyle and getaway influencer with 58.4K followers on Instagram, is turning her platform into a lifeline for her hometown in Jamaica. Lethe, a small and often overlooked village, was left in ruins after Hurricane Melissa swept through, destroying homes, washing away roads, and displacing families.

Originally from Lethe, Shanisse now uses her voice and influence to shine a light on the urgent needs of the community she loves. Through her Instagram account, @mommiesjade, she shares real footage of the destruction, showing the world the human impact of the disaster.

Lethe residents walk the devastated road

“My hometown, Lethe, Jamaica, was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa. Families have lost their homes, their roads, and everything they’ve worked for,” Shanisse said. “It’s a small village which means it will be one of the last places the government reaches. But we can reach them first. If you’re reading this, I’m asking from the bottom of my heart: please help however you can. Even $1 can feed a child, repair a roof, or bring light back to a family’s life.”

Shanisse on @MommiesJade

Despite being hundreds of miles away, Shanisse’s Virginia neighbors and followers are rallying around her to support this urgent cause. To date, $800 has been pledged toward the $50,000 goal—a sum that will fund critical rebuilding efforts for families in Lethe.

The Hurricane Melissa Rebuild Fund aims to provide direct relief in three urgent areas:

  • Home repairs: roofing materials, lumber, and supplies to rebuild damaged houses.

  • Road restoration: repairing the main road that connects families to food, water, and work.

  • Food and essentials: groceries, clean water, diapers, and baby formula for households in need.

All donations go directly to trusted community leaders and church members in Lethe who are distributing supplies on the ground.

Shanisse continues to inspire hope with every post and plea: “Even if you can’t donate, please share, like, or repost. Every act of kindness makes a difference. Let’s show Jamaica that love travels farther than any storm.”

Support the Hurricane Melissa Rebuild Fund for Lethe, Jamaica: https://givebutter.com/9Wt5nH