Board gets update on area tourism

The Board of Supervisors got an update on area tourism from Jack Berry and his staff at Richmond Region Tourism yesterday. COVID-19 interrupted what had been terrific upward trends in tourism through mid-March, when things mostly shut down. Things such as hotel occupancy rates are edging back up in Hanover and the Richmond area since the summer, and Berry said all hotels are open and accepting reservations, and most Hanover attractions are open (Kings Dominion will remain closed in 2020). The Richmond area is faring better than some other areas in the state because its tourists come for a diversity of reasons, Berry said. Hanover, observing its 300^th birthday, was on the cover of the organization’s Official 2020 Visitors Guide this year. Sports tourism is growing and Berry suggested this was an area of great promise for Hanover in 2021. Click here to view the presentation.

Martha Ann Fields Building dedicated

The Board of Supervisors cut the ribbon on the Martha Ann Fields Building at Hanover Courthouse last evening and were joined by descendants of Mrs. Fields. Martha Ann Fields was an enslaved laborer on the Nutshell property, which encompassed the land the county government complex now occupies. She escaped with her 11 children following a Union Army raid during the Civil War. Canova Peterson, Mechanicsville District’s representative on the Board, praised Mrs. Field for her impact on Hanover County and her bravery. Ajena Rogers, a descendant, was the guest speaker at the ceremony, concluding, “six and seven generations from now, they’ll remember this day and they’ll remember us and they’ll remember those we may thought were the least among us embody an indomitable spirit.” The building was formerly the Hanover General District Court and has been renovated to become the future home of the Assessor’s Office and the departments of Human Services, General Services and Parks & Recreation, with some additional staff from the Building Assessor’s Office and Public Works. Many Fields family descendants attended the ceremony.

Virtual Visitors Center developed by Economic Development

Hanover County Economic Development has developed a Here in Hanover, VA App which provides a listing of venues to enjoy. The app includes all destinations in Hanover with pictures, descriptions, website and/or Facebook links and other mapping and contact information. Users can search the list of venues using keywords or view the listings by category. It is important to check with each venue to ensure hours of operations, temporary closures, modifications and requirements for visiting. Most of these venues address their response to the ongoing pandemic on their websites and social media channels. Read here for more information.

Parks and Recreation “Historic Hanover Challenge” begins Saturday

Get ready, the Historic Hanover Challenge is coming! Find out how well you know Hanover County through questions, GPS check-ins, and photos using the free mobile app (Scavify). Starting October 17, you will have one week to complete the game to be entered into a prize drawing. The player that completes the challenge in the fastest time will also win a prize. Free to play, but pre-registration is required. To pre-register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/HanoverChallenge. Should you have additional questions, please contact Hanover County Parks and Recreation, (804) 365-7150 or email [email protected]