River District News
Welcome to the River District!
Cotton at Riverside Mill welcomes new General Manager Frankie Cox

Mucho Taqueria welcomes new General Manager Emily Dahm

Welcome to Sharif Radney, new owner of Cottontail Weddings and Events!

Welcome to the River District, Funky's Bar and Arcade!
Remembering Meredith Gravely
Meredith Gravely, the founder of the Meredith Gravely School of Dance, leaves a lasting legacy in the River District.

The dance school, currently run by Anne Gravely Moore, is located at 415 Main Street and has been an integral part of the River District since 2011. The school offers a variety of classes including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and hip-hop.

Read more about Meredith Gravely in this article in the Chatham Star Tribune.
Photo Credit: Gravely Family/Chatham Star Tribune
Delegation from Danville visits Chicago to learn about innovative ideas to further Danville's revitalization
Left to Right: Dionne Baux (Vice-president of Urban Development, Urban Main), Will Mackaman (Programs and Services Manager, RDA), Vincent Sutton (Opportunity Neighborhoods), Karice Luck-Brimmer (Program Associate, Virginia Humanities), Crystal Cobbs (President, Black BRAND), Dani Zuchovicki (The Hatchery), Diana Schwartz (Executive Director, RDA), Stephanie Lovely (Danville Parks and Recreation) Doug Plachinski (Planning Division Coordinator, City of Danville), Kelvin Perry (Project Manager, City of Danville Office of Economic Development)
Read more about their trip on the Urban Main Blog.
Congratulations to GET Boosted Grant Recipients!
Click on the links to read more about each business.

Angela’s Creative Catering located at 401 Wilson Street, used GET Boosted funds to purchase a efficient, fast, and sanitizing dishwasher.  


The Brick Running and Tri Store is located at 410 Main Street and used GET Boosted funds to expand the store's products and services offerings to bikes, bike accessories, clothing, helmets and repair and tune-ups.  


Impotters Clayworx is located at 406 Lynn Street and used GET Boosted grant funds to purchase a second kiln for the pottery studio. 
Stay tuned for more GET Boosted stories...
February Community Events
Black History Month in the River District
Danville Black Heritage Trolley Tour
Join us for a trolley tour celebrating the amazing stories of Danville's Civil Rights leaders, Black business owners, entrepreneurs, and citizens.
Tours will be led by Karice Luck-Brimmer, owner of Our History Matters, and local historian and geneaologist. She will bring this history to life; the triumphs, the hard truth and the challenges.

Tours are free but registration is required.
Celebrate the history of Black entrepreneurship, past and present, in the River District
Follow the RDA Facebook Page for posts throughout the month celebrating Black businesses past and present.

Historical information provided by Karice Luck-Brimmer of Our History Matters, and Laura Ashworth at the City of Danville Office of Economic Development.
Support Black Businesses in the Dan River Region
If you are interested in supporting black owned businesses, check out the "Support Black Owned Businesses- Danville" group on Facebook.

This is a place for black owned businesses to network and support each other, and for consumers to find ways to support black owned businesses.
Can't make the trolley tour? Download the Distrx app and take the self guided walking tour that focuses on the N. Union business district, and Civil Rights history.

Tour created by Karice Luck-Brimmer of Our History Matters.
In honor of Black History Month, the Danville Science Center is celebrating the contributions of African American scientists, engineers and innovators!

Every Saturday at 2 p.m. during the month of February, we’ll be offering a special activity in the J.T. - Minnie Maude Charitable Trust Creativity Lab to highlight the significant contributions made by different individuals and how they have enriched the lives of others through STEM.

For more information on the weekly activities offered throughout the month, check out the Science Center's Facebook page.  
Join a free Racial Equity Institute Groundwater Training
February 15th, 2022 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Cabin Fever Music Series
Matt Boswell
February 26th, 7 pm - 11 pm
Danville Community Market
Admission is $10 at the door
Limited 6 person tables available: call (434)799-5200 to reserve one.
Danville's Winter Farmers Market is open!

Saturdays
Jan. 8 - Mar. 26
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
DSF is a family-oriented event that acts as an “artistic social bridge” – bringing communities together and celebrating how we are all connected using the rich tradition of storytelling, performances, and activism. This year we’re going virtual and celebrating all month long! The festival is a free event that is open to the public.

  • Register by Tuesday, February 1st to participate in the Opening Celebration on Saturday, February 5th.

  • All events hosted in English will offer Spanish and ASL interpretation

River District Announcements and Promotions
Ma's Cakes is opening soon!
320 Main Street
Mark your calendars for a ribbon cutting on Saturday, February 26th at 10 a.m.

Keep your eyes open for more information!
Valentine's Pop-up Ballad Brewing
600 Craghead Street
Sunday, February 13th, 1-3pm

Stop in to get a bouquet

More info at the Facebook event page.
Golden Leaf Bistro Galentine's Brunch
February 13th, 10 a.m
215 Cragehead Street
See the brunch menu HERE.
Mucho Taqueria Galentine's Brunch
February 13th, 11 am
530 Craghead Street, suite 100
Join us for a morning of raffle prizes, foodie fun, and drinks with the girls!

Starting Monday, January 31st, Mucho will be open 7 days a week!
Jewelry sale through the end of February: ALL RED, PINK AND PURPLE STONE JEWELRY 20% OFF. Excludes consignment items.
411 Main Street

Patchwork Pillow Beginners Sewing Class
The class will be offered on February 19th, will include all supplies and instruction and costs $35 per person. Please call 434-228-4125 to register. 
Stop by during our hours on February 10, 11, and 12, 2022 we'll treat you to our Valentine cocktail...2 for $7.00 before or after your supper in the River District!

There are also a few Christmas gift baskets left over that are discounted 25%. A beautiful basket, bottles of premium whiskey and plenty of extras from glassware, cheese, candies, etc can be a great gift for your Valentine. Price ranges from $26 to $75.
Collidescope Valentine's Drag Show
February 18th, 7:30 pm

600 Craghead Street
Love Potions and Paint - Cottontail Weddings and Events
600 Craghead Street
February 12th, 7PM - 10PM
Couples and singles are invited to come enjoy a night out that includes painting, food, drinks and great music.
The event is FREE but spaces are limited. 

Tickets are available on Eventbrite: 
GALentine Bash - Main Street Art Collective
February 13th, at 2 pm
A fun time for girlfriends to celebrate Valentine’s Day. There will be snacks, games, door prizes & fun fellowship. Tell a friend to register with you or come alone & ready to make new friends.
Main Street Art Collective is pre-selling Valentine Combos for $75. The combo includes: Vase of Mixed flowers, a large box of chocolates and choice of card.

Deadline to order is Feb 7th.
The Brick Running Groups
410 Main Street
Want to get active or work on that summer body?
 
Group Runs Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6:15pm
Group Walks Wednesdays at 5:30pm
 
Come join us!
Danville Fire Department now carries Narcan on all front line fire apparatus.
Over 70% of the nearly 71,000 drug overdose deaths in 2019 involved an opioid. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. In order to combat this nationwide epidemic; Naloxone (Narcan) has been developed and put on the market for first responders to use to reverse the effects of these powerful drugs. Narcan is used in opioid overdoses to counteract the life-threatening depression of the central nervous and respiratory systems allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally. As of January 1st, 2022 the Danville Fire Department began carrying Narcan on all front line fire apparatus. The Danville Fire Department strives to provide the best pre-hospital emergency medical services possible; carrying this life-saving equipment on our apparatus is just one more way we can help protect the public we serve. 

If anyone would like to speak more specifically on this topic please contact the Danville Fire Department headquarters station at 434-799-5226.
Mornings on Main
In 2022 Mornings on Main will be moved to the 4th Monday of each month, at 10 am.

Up next...

February 28th, 2022

Guest Speakers:

  • Barbara Fiedor (Assistant Director of Economic Development and Tourism)
  • Lisa Meriwether (Tourism Director)
Mark your Calendars

Please note: We will be deciding on a month by month basis whether to have in person or virtual meetings.

March 28th, 2022
Guest Speaker: Amanda Paez (Chief Equity Officer, City of Danville)

April 25th, 2022
May 23rd, 2022
June 27th, 2022
Missed the January meeting? Watch it here:
River District Event Calendar
Visit the River District Event Calendar to keep up with everything happening in the River District.

Visit the calendar to find community events, art classes, live music shows, and more...

Know of something not listed? Feel free to submit it to kirsten@riverdistrictassocation.com

(RDA may still make decisions about which events can be included in the calendar - thank you for understanding!)
Download the River District App: Distrx
The River District App: Distrx is a great way to find dining, retails, and services in the River District.
Also, take a walking tour, participate in upcoming "apptivities" or check out the River District event calendar to see what's happening.

Thank you for enjoying the River District!
What is the River District Association?
Do you want to be a part of a thriving River District? RDA takes Board of Directors applications all year long. Fill out an interest form to be considered for the next board opening!
River District Association | www.riverdistrictassociation.com