Are Hanover’s Golden Days Gone?

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Quick question for you:
When people say Hanover’s “golden days” are gone, what do you think they actually miss?

I was curious if they were nostalgic for simpler times, swept up in old feelings… or are there concrete things and experiences that downtown Hanover lost as it grew too big for its britches? The answer is both (it’s always both!).

When I get curious about something, I go all in. So I have been studying Hanover’s history, analyzing trends in retail, shopping, technology, and society at large. I love to nerd out on things like this anyway, but this process led me to an epiphany that has shifted the focus of my business for 2026.

But first, a big thank-you to this week’s sponsors, The Feed and Google AdSense. Clicking their links directly supports this newsletter and helps keep local stories alive.

Okay friend, let’s get to the good part!

Let’s thank the people that keep this thing afloat:

Darlene · Brian · Holly · Andy

Founding Supporters don’t just fund a newsletter. They help prove that local connection, kindness, and showing up still matter here.

If this newsletter has helped you feel more plugged in, more curious, or more likely to leave the house, you can help sustain it.

After Wednesday’s NYE newsletter, longtime subscriber and Founding Supporter Andy Smith emailed me a delightful truth bomb.

Hanover did drop a quirky object on New Year’s Eve at least once (maybe more than once!).

Drum roll, please… it was a black rose!

The moment I read that, my brain went, “Yes. Obviously. Of course we did.”

And then immediately followed up with, “Wait… did we?”

I have no clear memory of this event. I can’t tell if I read about it, heard it from my mom, or invented the memory because Hanover and black roses are basically inseparable. Possibly all three.

So I did my due diligence tonight. I searched old news articles. I scrolled through dusty corners of Facebook. And while I found plenty of people talking about the black rose drop happening “back in the day” but zero concrete details.

No start date.
No end date.
No organizer.
No proof.

I’m heading to the library. But I’m also asking you.

If you remember this. If you were there. If someone in your family has a photo buried in an album.

Please reply.

Bonus memory unlocked while researching: the Pac-Man drop at Timeline Arcade. I went once years ago, back when I still had the stamina to be out past 9 PM. I think it still happens, but I couldn’t confirm it this year.

Hanover may not drop a crystal ball, but if our NYE history includes black roses and Pac-Man, I think we’re doing fine.

Hit reply. Let’s crowdsource some local lore. 🖤🥀

Recently, I’ve noticed an uptick in people claiming Hanover’s golden days are long gone.

When I first heard this, my reaction was immediate and stubborn. I disagreed. Hard.

But the more I sat with it, the more I realized something uncomfortable. My rebuttal was biased. Before I could honestly argue back, I needed to understand what people actually meant when they said that.

So I dug in.

What I realized feels obvious now, but it took time to connect the dots. The difference between Hanover then and Hanover now isn’t about attitude or effort. It’s about structure.

The good news is, I still don’t believe Hanover is past its prime. Maybe I’m a little less rigid about it than before, but I’m firmly in disagreement.

If anything, Hanover hit a sophomore slump in the 60s and 70s. That doesn’t mean we missed our chance. We can still make a comeback… of the year.
(🎤🎵 Fallout Boy fans? It was right there. I couldn’t not.)

I don’t think this problem is unique to Hanover. It’s something a lot of small towns are wrestling with.

People say they want more community.
More connection.
A stronger downtown.

They’re nostalgic for how things used to be.

Downtown used to be vibrant.
It used to be lively.
It used to be where people naturally congregated.

And they’re not wrong.

But the community didn’t disappear because people stopped caring.
It disappeared because the reasons to gather changed.

Hanover’s “golden days” weren’t golden because people were kinder, friendlier, or more intentional about connection. It can feel that way in hindsight, but the reality is less romantic.

There was a stronger sense of community.
But it wasn’t deliberate.

It was structural.

Downtown was where you went if you needed something.
Clothes. Tools. Dinner. Toys. Groceries.

Everything lived in one centralized place.

You didn’t go downtown to socialize.
You went because you needed something.
And so did everyone else.

Connection happened by accident.

As suburbs expanded, people moved farther out and businesses followed.
As technology advanced and online shopping grew, those centralized needs disappeared.

Convenience followed us home instead of anchoring us downtown.

The same thing happened socially.
Digital connection slowly replaced the need to gather in person.

We didn’t lose community because we stopped trying.
We lost it because life was optimized for ease and efficiency.

Downtown stopped being a needs-based hub.
It became a destination.
And destinations don’t survive on good intentions alone.

For residents, the disconnect feels real.

People care about Hanover. Deeply.
But they no longer have a practical reason pulling them into shared spaces.

Supporting local shifted from something that fit naturally into daily life to something you’re supposed to do.

For local businesses, the tension shows up differently.

There’s still an assumption that if you exist downtown, foot traffic will follow.

That assumption made sense once. But not anymore.

People decide where they’re going before they leave the house, if they leave at all.

Foot traffic isn’t a default anymore.
It’s an outcome.

Downtown shifted from a needs-based hub to a choice-based destination.
And choices require motivation.

Once I understood this, I knew my approach to this newsletter needed to evolve.

My goal hasn’t changed. I still care deeply about rebuilding connection in Hanover.
What changed is my understanding of how connection is rebuilt.

This newsletter was never meant to guilt anyone into caring more or “supporting local” out of obligation. But at times, that’s how it may have landed.

I didn’t fully understand why before.
Now I do.

“Should” doesn’t change behavior.

People rebuild habits when something feels worth their time, energy, and effort. When showing up fits into how life actually works now.

So this newsletter is about creating reasons to show up.
Reasons to plan an outing downtown.
Reasons to choose downtown again, even when it’s easier not to.

Last year, I spent a lot of time explaining why people should care, attend, or support. Those reasons still matter.
But they aren’t enough on their own.

In 2026, my focus is on uncovering what actually motivates people to show up.

That looks different for different people.
There won’t be one universal answer.
That’s where you come in.

I’ll be listening more closely.
What pulls you out of the house.
What makes something feel worth it.
What turns an open evening into a plan.

For businesses, this shift means visibility before someone ever leaves their house. Being part of the decision-making moment, not just waiting behind an open door.

Community doesn’t come back through obligation.
It comes back through momentum.

This year, this newsletter is about building that momentum together.

Aldus Brewing | First Friday: Jilian Christine| 5 PM – 7 PM
Bair’s Den | First Friday Happy Hour: Rhyne& Tabyn McCormick | 6 PM – 8 PM
The Avalon Ale House | Big Dogz Karaoke | 8 PM – 11 PM
Divino Pizzeria | Karaoke Night | 8 PM – 12 AM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Comedy Showcase | 8 PM – 9:30 PM

Fat Bat Brewing | Post Holiday Bluesfest | 12 PM – 10 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Skyla Burrell Band | 6 PM – 9 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Post Holiday Bluesfest | 6 PM – 10 PM
Dolphin & Anchor | Hidden Roots Debut | 7 PM – 10 PM
Altand House | Paul Minnich | 7 PM – 10 PM
Sign of the Horse Brewery | Marshall Stone | 7 PM – 10 PM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Comedy Showcase | 8 PM – 9:30 PM
Bourbon Mill | Screamin Daisys | 8 PM – 11 PM

The Circle | Sunday Brunch | 11 AM
Bourbon Mill | Tate Lehman & The Blue Chilis | 1 PM – 4 PM
Bourbon Mill | Karaoke | 6 PM – 8:30 PM

Sign of the Horse Brewery | Euchre League | 6 PM – 9 PM
Church of Satire Comedy Club | Open Mic Night | 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Avalon Ale House | AYCE Wings & Fries | 4 PM – 10 PM
Avalon Ale House | Dual FX Trivia | 6 PM – 9 PM
Fat Bat Brewing | Trivia Night | 7 PM – 9 PM

Bair’s Den | Music Bingo | 6 PM – 9 PM
Divino Pizzeria | Trivia Night | 6 PM – 9 PM
The Bourbon Mill | Beginner Line Dancing | 7 PM – 10:30 PM
The Circle | Open Mic & Jam with the Walnut Street Band | 8 PM – 11 PM

Dolphin & Anchor Brew Pub | Music Trivia | 7 PM – 9 PM

Here are this week’s featured events in and around town. If you’d like your event spotlighted, email [email protected].

🎨 First Friday Art Walk
🕔 5 PM – 8 PM | 📍 Downtown Hanover
💵 Free

Downtown becomes an open-air gallery built for wandering and people-watching.

You’ll probably run into someone you haven’t seen since high school and pretend you didn’t rehearse that interaction. You did. It’s fine. They’re just happy to see you.

Stops along the route:

Come as you are.
Swing by on your way home from work.
Pop in for 20 minutes before family dinner.
Or make a whole night of it and wander downtown until your feet hurt.

No pressure. No perfect plan. Just show up.

🎶 Post-Holiday Bluesfest
🕛 12 PM – 10 PM | 📍 Fat Bat Brewing, 10 N Railroad St
💵 Free

Post-holiday malaise? Lean into it.

Fat Bat hosts an all-day Bluesfest with blues-inspired drinks, local vendors, and the return of Bat Blues blueberry lager.

Live music hits later with the Skyla Burrell Band from 6 PM – 9 PM.

HIDEaWAY stays open to all until 5 PM, then flips into speakeasy mode from 6 PM – 10 PM.

No fixing January energy here. Just good music and better beer.

✨ Aura Photography Sessions with Soulshine Aura Photography
🕚 11 AM – 3 PM | 📍 The Serpent’s Key Shoppe and Sanctuary, 28 Carlisle St
💵 Paid sessions | 🎫 Book Your Session

You sit. You get photographed. You leave with proof that your energy has a color palette.

Each session includes one Polaroid aura photo, an aura color guide, keepsake sleeve, and a brief interpretation. Shot on Fuji Instax Wide film using the Aura Camera 6000.

Want to come with someone? Upgrade to a Yours Mine & Ours duo session for two people and three photos when booking.

🍞 Neighbors in Knead – Community Baking Night
🕕 6 PM – 8 PM | 📍 Emmanuel United Church of Christ, 124 Broadway
💵 Free | 🎫 Registration required

You show up. You bake bread. You help feed neighbors who need it.

Neighbors in Knead is a monthly, donation-based outreach created by Emmanuel UCC in partnership with the spiritual community of The Serpent’s Key Shoppe & Sanctuary. Volunteers gather on the first Monday of each month to bake loaves and prep for bagged lunches distributed the following day.

You can help by baking, donating supplies, or prepping lunches.

Extra ways to help:

Donation items needed:

Bottled water, snack packs, granola bars, fruit cups, pudding cups, individually wrapped snacks, peanut butter, jelly, drink mix packets, napkins, plastic cutlery, and brown paper lunch bags.

Donations can be dropped off at The Serpent’s Key Tuesday–Saturday, 10 AM–6 PM and Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM.

🥫 Hanover Against Hunger: Looking Ahead
🕖 7 PM – 8 PM | 📍 Hanover Borough Community Room, 33 Frederick St
💵 Free | 🎫 Register online

You show up. You listen. You help shape what hunger relief looks like next in Hanover.

This in-person community meeting with Hanover Against Hunger focuses on what’s working, what’s needed, and where the organization is headed.

Topics include upcoming meal-packing events, board and committee structure, collaboration with local food relief partners, and an open discussion on better ways to address hunger locally.

If you care about food access, volunteerism, or making systems work better, this is a good room to be in.

🥖 Fundraiser Dinner @ Panera Bread For Heavenly Paws
🕓 4 PM – 8 PM | 📍 Panera Bread, 75 Eisenhower Dr
💵 Eat out, give back | 🎫 Show the flyer or use code FUND4U

Dinner you already need, plus a built-in good deed.

Stop by Panera in Hanover and 25 percent of proceeds support Heavenly Paws Animal Shelter. Dine in, take out, or order online through the Panera website, app, or in-cafe kiosk.

Ordering online? Use code FUND4U between 4 PM and 8 PM to make it count.

Feed yourself. Help the cats. 🐾

🧶 Stitching and Witching Fiber Arts Circle
🕕 6 PM – 7 PM | 📍 The Serpent’s Key Shoppe and Sanctuary, 28 Carlisle St
💵 Free

Bring your current project and unwind with people who get it. Knit. Crochet. Chat. Re-ravel as needed.

New to fiber arts? You’ll be taught. All skill levels and ages welcome. If kids come along, plan to stay with them in the shop.

Low pressure. Good company. One solid hour to make something with your hands.

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