5️⃣ The Hanover 5: April 17 – 21

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I’m making a quick trip to South Carolina this weekend with Greg and Emerson. I wish it was on better terms, but we had a death in the family.

We lived in Irmo (a suburb of Columbia) when Emerson was a baby, and a lot of Greg’s mom’s side is still down there. We’ve been meaning to visit for a while, just kept putting it off like people do. This will be Emerson’s first time back since he was three months old.

I meant to finish this earlier in the week, but I needed more rest than I expected. Last week took more out of me than I realized. And just when you feel like you’ve got nothing left to give, life asks a little more.

So this issue is a mix. A bit of what’s been happening behind the scenes, and a full lineup of things worth showing up for this week.

Let’s get into it.

Thank you to the people helping keep this going:

Darlene · Brian · Holly · Andy · Kara · Justine

I just submitted my application for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator grant through the York County Cultural Alliance. I’m hopeful. We’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, Heart of Hanover runs on neighbor support. No big backing. No safety net. Just people who believe this town is worth showing up for.

If you’ve used this to plan your weekend, found a new spot, or felt a little more connected here, this is your moment.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS SPONSORED BY PROTON MAIL:

Handmade Market
📍 Rusty Naill Pallet & Co., 639 Frederick Street (building is in the rear)
📅 Friday, April 17 | ⌚ 10 AM – 4 PM & 6 PM – 8 PM
📅 Saturday, April 18 | ⌚ 10 AM – 3 PM

If you like wandering through a space and finding things you didn’t know you needed, this is your spot. Rusty Naill is hosting a full lineup of local makers, everything from home décor and candles to baked goods, jewelry, and small gifts you’ll probably convince yourself are “for someone else.”

Most of it is one-of-a-kind, which means if you hesitate, it’s gone. Bring a friend, take your time, and expect to leave with something you didn’t plan on buying.

Weekend Lover Oyster Festival
📍 Fat Bat Brewery, 10 N. Railroad Street
📅 Saturday, April 18 | ⌚ 12 PM – 6 PM

This one leans all the way into a theme. Oysters, sour beer, and Prince playing all day.

Fat Bat is bringing back their “Weekend Lover” raspberry lime sour, plus a full lineup of oyster-inspired drinks, oyster stout, and fresh oysters on-site from Jimmy’s Seafood. Expect a few playful extras too, themed shots, maybe a bartender in costume, maybe Prince himself if the vibes are right.

🍺 First 50 people get a free glass, which feels like enough reason to show up early.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS SPONSORED BY PIQUE LIFE:

Ghouls & Grinds
📍 800 Carlisle Street
⏰ Mon–Fri: 7 AM – 5 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM – 4 PM

According to their Facebook bio, Ghouls & Grinds is a Halloween-themed coffee shop serving handcrafted drinks and whimsical baked goods. The aesthetic is dialed all the way in.

I’m going to keep it real with you. The first time I went, I wasn’t impressed. So I stopped going.

But then I kept seeing photos from the new location. Drinks my friends were ordering. Drinks that looked…right. And I’ve been quietly looking for something to fill the Ikigai-shaped hole in this town ever since they closed (not really closed, just moved away, still hurts).

So I gave it another shot.

And yeah, something changed. I don’t know if it’s the recipes, the equipment, or the people, but you can taste the difference. This is a shop that cares about what they’re putting in your cup.

I’m not a big fan of sugary coffee drinks. Yes, I like them sweet. But I want to taste the espresso more than anything else. Ghouls & Grinds does just that.

What I ordered:

⭐⭐⭐ Emerson-Approved Greg-Approved

Emerson is not a coffee reviewer. Not because he wouldn’t be great at it, but because he’s ten and I’m not willing to gamble with his future height. I’m sure if there is any scientific data that says coffee stunts your growth, but it’s the excuse I give him.

Feed Our Neighbors – Community Meeting
📍 33 Frederick Street
📅 Tuesday, April 21 | ⌚ 7 PM

Hanover Against Hunger is bringing their mission home. After years of packing meals for communities around the world, they’re now focused on feeding people right here in Hanover.

This meeting is a preview of what’s coming next, including a large-scale meal packing event this November with a goal of 20,000 meals for local distribution.

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of something tangible, this is it. Show up, learn what they’re building, and decide where you fit in.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS SPONSORED BY ARAMORE SKINCARE:

Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day. You don’t need a big plan. Just do one thing a little better than usual.

Nothing here is groundbreaking. That’s kind of the point. Small, repeated actions are what make a place feel cared for.

This newsletter accidentally turned me into a marketing nerd.

I started taking classes, testing things, and building sales funnels just to understand how businesses actually get customers now. Not how we think they do. How they actually do.

And I kind of love it.

I built my first practice funnel for Rusty Naill Pallet & Co., and now I’m working on one for Debbie J’s Barbershop (thank you to both businesses for volunteering!!). Both completely different businesses, same underlying problem.

Relying on social media alone.

We’ve all been told that posting on Facebook and Instagram is “marketing.” It’s not. It’s visibility, sometimes. And even that’s getting worse.

Your posts aren’t being shown to most of your followers. And if someone does engage, there’s a good chance they’ll start seeing your competitors right after.

That’s the part no one tells you.

If you’re running ads, boosting posts isn’t it either. It feels like you’re doing something smart, but it’s basically throwing your content at whoever happens to be nearby instead of the people who actually want it.

What does work is building something you own.

A simple landing page. An email list. A way to reach people again after they’ve already shown interest.

Because if someone clicks “interested” on your event and doesn’t come, you’ve lost them.

If you had their email, you didn’t.

I know this can sound like a lot. I promise it’s simpler than it looks once you see it working.

If you’re a local business and you want a second set of eyes on what you’re doing, email me. I’ll tell you what I’d fix first.

🪻 Spring Market
📍 Britton Coffee Co., 2633 Baltimore Pike
📅 Saturday, April 25 & Sunday, April 26 | ⌚ 8 AM – 2 PM

Britton’s back with their Spring Market, and it’s bigger this year. Two days, 50+ vendors, and plenty to browse if you’re in the mood to wander with a coffee in hand.

Heads up, parking is offsite at the Pleasant Hill Social Hall (Carnival Grounds), with shuttles running all day. Rain dates are May 2–3 if needed.

🏄‍♀️ Sail On – Beach Boys Tribute
📍 Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, 195 Stock Street
📅 Saturday, April 25 | ⌚ 7 PM
🎟 $35 Orchestra/Balcony, $39 Preferred | 🔗 Buy tickets online

I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, thanks to my dad and his excellent taste in music. I even picked a Beach Boys song for my first dance, and I’ve seen them live a few times over the years.

A tribute band isn’t the exact same experience, but it’s close enough. Close enough to shift your mood, loosen your shoulders, and send you home a little lighter than you walked in.

Buy your tickets today before this one sells out!

🎨 “Bold” Art Exhibit
📍 Gallery at the Old Post Office, 141 Broadway
📅 Opening: Sunday, April 26 | ⌚ 1 – 2:30 PM
🖼 On view through June 4 (Mon–Thurs, 9 AM – 4:30 PM)

A new exhibit built around one idea, go bold or go home. Expect rich color, high contrast, and pieces that don’t sit quietly on the wall. If your eyes have been stuck in winter mode, this is your reset.

If you make it out to something, even just one thing, let it count. Stay a little longer. Talk to someone you didn’t plan on talking to. Buy the thing. Say yes when your first instinct is to go home.

I’ll be out of town this weekend, but I’ll be back next week with more reasons to show up.

XoXo,
Megan

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