This Week in Hanover: Real Reasons to Show Up

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You don’t need more content.
You need reasons to leave the house.

And honestly, I’ve been pretty worn down by the constant arguing in local Facebook groups. So this newsletter is going to focus on ways to get you connected to your community again.

Because we’re not as powerless as we feel. If we look at it on the macro scale, yes… our actions have limited impact. But if you look at it on the micro scale, our actions have HUGE impact.

Focus your energy and attention where you have the most impact.

Start local.
Befriend your neighbors.
Be a good neighbor.
Find community.
Pursue your hobbies.

Don’t let the state of the world wear you down into thinking everything is hopeless.

And if you’re feeling that heaviness everywhere, even in places that are supposed to be fun, here’s a small but telling sign of where culture is actually headed. This year’s Super Bowl music lineup spans genres, identities, and voices that have consistently stood for inclusion, dignity, and pushing back against hate. Even the most mainstream stage in America can’t ignore that people want something better.

If that resonates with you, know this: Heart of Hanover is a place where you’re welcome.

This week is stacked with art, laughter, movement, history, and real conversation. Pick one thing. Bring a friend. That’s how community rebuilds itself.

A big thank-you to this week’s sponsors, led by Acadia Learning. Your support keeps this newsletter free for everyone.

This newsletter doesn’t exist because of algorithms or ad budgets.
It exists because a few neighbors decided this town is worth paying attention to.

A sincere thank-you to the people helping keep Heart of Hanover alive and independent:

Darlene · Brian · Holly · Andy

Your support makes it possible to highlight local artists, small businesses, community events, and the quiet good happening around town, even when negativity is louder online.

If this newsletter has helped you leave the house, feel less alone, or remember that Hanover is more than Facebook comment sections, consider supporting the work behind it.

These are the ones worth planning around. Full details below, listed in order so your brain doesn’t short-circuit.

🧡 First Friday Art Walk
💛 Ladies Night Comedy
💚 Self-Care Is Community Care Workshop
💙 Love Your Neighbor Community Meet & Greet
🖤 Remembering Greenwood: Tulsa Race Massacre Workshop
💜 Arts & Crafts Club
❤️ Bends & Brews

📍 Downtown Hanover
📅 Friday, February 6 | 5 PM – 8 PM
💵 Free

Downtown turns into an open gallery once a month, and this one is especially packed. You can wander, pop in and out, and talk to actual humans who made the art you’re looking at.

Along the route:

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to support local art, this is it.

📍 Church of Satire Comedy Club, 106 Broadway
📅 Friday, February 6 | 8 PM – 9:30 PM
💵 $20 | 🔗 Buy tickets online

This one’s for anyone who’s been carrying a little too much lately.

A lineup of hilarious women comics bringing sharp observations, honest stories, and the kind of laughter that loosens your shoulders and reminds you how to breathe again. You don’t need to be “on,” make small talk, or explain yourself. You can just sit, listen, and let the stress shake loose for an hour or two.

Come with friends or come solo. Either way, you’ll leave lighter. And yes, women have a lot of stories to tell.

📍 The Serpent’s Key Shoppe, 28 Carlisle Street
📅 Sunday, February 8 | 2 PM – 3 PM
💵 Free

Self-care gets all the airtime. And yes, it is important — but what happens when the self overshadows the collective? This workshop asks what happens when community care is missing.

Hosted by Tiffany Lundin, this discussion explores why humans need community, what happens when people either take on too much or quietly disengage, and how to show up in ways that are sustainable. You’ll dig into the tension between responsibility and burnout, obligation and choice, and how to find balance without disappearing or overextending.

Expect an honest, grounded conversation with room to talk, laugh, reflect, and be real together.

📍 Hanover Square
📅 Sunday, February 8 | 3 PM – 5 PM
💵 Free

Hosted by Hanover for Progress, this gathering is part meet & greet, part donation drive, and part rally for neighbors who believe showing up still matters.

Come connect with others, engage in civic participation, and support local shelters through a winter donation drive. Hats, gloves, and socks are especially needed. A voter registration table will also be available.

Several local candidates will be on hand to meet community members and talk one-on-one:

One or two additional candidates may also attend.

This isn’t about speeches or pressure. It’s about neighbors showing up for neighbors and doing something tangible together.

Can’t make it Sunday but still want to help? Donations can be dropped off ahead of time at Cultivated Essentials, 28 Frederick Street.

If you’ve been craving connection without commitment, this is a solid place to start.

📍 YWCA Hanover, 23 W Chestnut Street (Community Room)
📅 Tuesday, February 11 | 7 PM
💵 Free | 🔗 Register online

In honor of Black History Month, the YWCA of Hanover is hosting an educational workshop on Greenwood, once known as Black Wall Street.

In 1921, Greenwood was one of the most prosperous Black communities in the country. Over two days, it was destroyed in one of the worst acts of racial violence in U.S. history. For decades, this story was omitted from textbooks and public memory.

This program explores the people who built Greenwood, what was lost, and why remembering this history still matters today.

The discussion is led by Myneca Ojo, a Tulsa native, civic leader, and former Mayor of Hanover. She brings both lived connection and decades of experience guiding thoughtful, grounded conversations.

This is a chance to learn, reflect, and sit with history in a space designed for respect and honesty.

📍 Little Fox Coffee & Books, 125 Broadway
📅 Wednesday, February 11 | 6 PM – 8 PM
💵 Free

Bring whatever you’re working on. Painting, knitting, crochet, coloring, half-finished chaos.

This weekly arts and crafts night is a low-pressure way to spend time with your hobbies in a safe, welcoming space while connecting with other creatives.

No skill level required. No pressure to socialize, but plenty of room for connection when it feels right.

📍 Fat Bat Brewing, 10 N Railroad Street
📅 Wednesday, February 11 | 7 PM – 8 PM
💵 $20 | 🔗 Buy tickets online

This one’s for people who like to move their bodies and enjoy a good beer, and for those who want a little motivation to do the first part. It’s also for anyone craving a moment of calm, with a cold drink waiting on the other side.

Jenn leads an all-levels vinyasa flow that’s beginner-friendly, welcoming, and refreshingly low-pressure. Stretch a little, breathe a lot, wobble if needed, then stick around for a beer and some easy post-yoga decompression with good humans.

No judgment. Just movement, calm, and a well-earned drink.

I hope this newsletter gave you a few reminders that good things are still happening right here. Not online. Not hypothetically. In real places, with real people.

You don’t need to attend everything.
You just need to attend something.

Community doesn’t rebuild itself in comment sections. It rebuilds when you show up for each other in real life, even when it’s easier not to.

A final thank-you to this week’s sponsors, Acadia Learning, CBDistillery, and The Code, for supporting local storytelling and helping keep Heart of Hanover free, independent, and rooted in community.

I hope to see you around this week!

XoXo,
Megan

🧡 If you enjoyed this, tell a friend. Word of mouth keeps this little newsletter growing.

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