Hanover Living: Community Happenings
Hanover County is located approximately 12 miles north of Richmond, Virginia and is part of the greater Richmond metropolitan area. The town of Ashland is the only incorporated town in the County.
Hanover, with is population of approximately 86,000, combines rural and suburban living. The town of Ashland is an authentic railroad town, where trains still roll through the center of town, past lovely Victorian homes, numerous quaint shops and Randolph-Macon College, the oldest Methodist College in the United States.
Also offering a taste of rural America (it is the home of the internationally renowned Hanover tomato), Hanover County known for its fine horses and boasts some of the loveliest livestock farms in central Virginia. One of the fastest growing counties in the state, Hanover is a culturally rich community where history is preserved for future generations.
Cultural Events
From studio art, to music, to ballet, to theatre, Hanover and Richmond’s cultural scene offers a diverse selection of museums, musical venues and theaters where you can enjoy local, regional and national artists.
- Barksdale Theatre
- Hanover Tavern
- Richmond Ballet
- Richmond Philharmonic
- Richmond Symphony
- Theatre IV
- Virginia Opera
Sports & Recreation
Hanover and the greater Richmond area offer many recreational opportunities. The area includes 22 public golf courses and more than a dozen private courses. Hanover County is home to the popular Kings Dominion Amusement Park, seven county parks, four parks in the town of Ashland, and four public boat ramps. Areas to Explore:
- Ashland
- Canal Walk
- Carytown
- Hanover Courthouse
- Hollywood Cemetery
- Maymont Park
- Monument Avenue
- Shockoe Bottom
- Shockoe Slip
Greater Richmond Area Events
- January: Art After Hours
- February: Maymont Flower & Garden Show
- March: Church Hill Irish Festival
- April: Historic Garden Week Virginia; Strawberry Hill Races, Colonial Downs
- May: Arts in the Park; Henrico Open; Hanover Heritage Days
- June: Ashland Strawberry Faire
- July: Hanover Tomato Festival
- August: Carytown Watermelon Festival
- September: State Fair of Virginia
- October: Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival
- November: Richmond Marathon; Garden Fest of Lights, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
- December: Grand Illumination at the James Center
Museums
- Agecroft Hall
- Children’s Museum of Richmond
- Edgar Allan Poe Museum
- John Marshall House
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
- Richmond National Battlefield Park
- Science Museum of Richmond
- The Black History Museum & Cultural Center
- The Library of Virginia
- Virginia Historical Society
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Sports Events
- Colonial Downs (Horse Racing): Located in New Kent, Virginia, this track offers live horse racing Labor Day through Columbus Day, generally racing Friday through Tuesday with daily post times at 3:00PM.
- Richmond Braves: (AAA baseball) The farm team for the Atlanta Braves, plays in the City of Richmond’s Diamond Ballpark.
- Richmond Riverdogs (Ice Hockey): A professional minor league ice hockey team that play at the Richmond Coliseum.
- Richmond International Raceway: A 3/4 mile, D shaped, asphalt track located in Richmond. Hosts the NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch, Craftsman Trucks & the Featherlight Modified series
Recreation
- Crossings Golf Club
- Dominion Golf Club
- Hanover Parks & Recreation
- Poor Farm Park
- Rafting & Canoeing – Richmond Raft Company
- Richmond Department of Parks & Recreation
- Bush Gardens Williamsburg
- Paramount Kings Dominion
- Water Country USA
Education
Richmond, Virginia is home to numerous colleges and universities that offer a plethora of classes, seminars and lectures. If you are interested in learning another language, exploring your artistic side or you simply want to learn more about Virginia history it is all at your finger tips. The following list is just the beginning:
- ECPI Technical College
- J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
- Randolph-Macon College
- The Richmond Forum
- The Sheppard’s Center
- University of Richmond
- VCU Medical Center
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Union University



