News

The Town of Halifax and Halifax County Improvement Council will hold the 3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 21st at the Halifax Marketplace, 209 South Main Street.  Vendors with the Halifax Farmers Market will be set up from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

The celebration activities will kick off at 11:00 a.m. with free entertainment, informational displays and working demonstrations open to the public continuing until 4:00 p.m., rain or shine.  This year participants include the Halifax County Improvement Council, Southside Master Gardeners, Halifax County Beekeepers Association, and several others which have showcased previously at Earth Day.  Businesses, organizations, school groups, farmers and artists will be set up inside and outside of the Halifax Marketplace building offering a wealth of earth-friendly information, hands on activities and fun for everyone.  If you work up an appetite, there will be pizza for sale to benefit the Halifax Village Business Association with the Halifax County Crime Line grilling up bratwurst this year and Maria's Concessions returning to sell their cooked to order favorites.

The Halifax Earth Day Celebration continues to grow support within the Halifax County community.  This event is being made possible in large part by Halifax Regional Health System, Staunton River State Park, and other corporate sponsors, regional and local businesses which recognize a healthy environment and healthy economy go hand-in-hand.  Corporate sponsors and businesses wishing to support this year's celebration should contact Susi Robbins (susi.robbins@gmail.com; 434-222-5167) no later than Tuesday, April 17th for maximum advertising opportunities-that's right Earth Day is right around the corner!  Generous support through monetary donations may be received anytime.

Earth Day was set aside over 40 years ago to focus on the troubles found within our environment, both near and far.  Just one day is not enough.  Responsible living and balanced consumption should be an everyday practice for all of us, and we want to work together to help educate the public in fun and exciting ways to provide a healthy place to live for generations to come.  Graced with an abundance of natural resources and tranquil beauty found throughout Halifax County and Southern Virginia, the historic Town of Halifax is a "natural" fit to host a celebration of our shared yet diverse rural heritage built over centuries in concert with this wonderful land which surrounds us and sustains us.

***The Town of Halifax is currently seeking arts and crafts vendors, organizations, local farmers and enthusiastic volunteers to complete the atmosphere.  For more information and registration, please contact Susi Robbins, Events Coordinator at 434-222-5167 or email at susi.robbins@gmail.com.***

     According to Dominion VA Power's contractor, Trafford Corp., the underground utility work on Edmunds Boulevard across Mountain Road to the Maple Avenue parking lot along with the milling, repaving and striping of the road surface has been completed.  During this time, Dominion's aerial contractor, C.W. Wright has been setting new poles on Edmunds Blvd., Mountain Road, Blue Ridge Lane and South Main Street to remove their facilities off Main Street between Houston Street and Cemetery Street and then reroute the aerial lines.  On Wednesday, May 2, 2012 for safety reasons, Cemetery Street will be reduced to one lane of traffic from the corner of South Main Street to the corner of Houston Street while heavy construction vehicles are on site rerouting the aerial lines.  This section of aeriqal work is expected to be completed in one day, weather permitting.  Construction workers will be directing traffic allowing businesses and agencies to gain access for their employees and clients.  Business owners, customers and pedestrians using this section of Cemetery Street should exercise caution when heavy machinery is in operation.  Business owners, customers and delivery vehicles will be able to access Houston Street from the northern intersection with North Main Street next to Patient Transport at all times when heavy machinery is in operation.

     The new overhead lines are being constructed first and will be connected to the new underground lines.  Once all new facilities are energized, the Dominion lines on Main Street between Houston Street and Cemetery Street will be removed.  The Dominion overheaqd work should be completed in approximately one month.  Comcast Cable will then relocate their lines from all the joint use facilities.  Once Comcast has completed their relocation, all the overhead wire and poles on Main Street between Cemetery Street and Houston Street will be removed followed by the repair of sidewalks and street resurfacing where needed.  Construction should be complete by August 25, 2012.

For further information please contact the following Project Management Team representative:

Carl Espy, Halifax Town Manager - 434-476-2343 or

Robbie Love, County Planning Administrator - 434-476-3300 ext. 234

***Revitalization Project Goal*** - "To create Economic Opportunity and renew Quality of Life"

The Town and County of Halifax seek the shared community vision to promote the economic vitality of the Town of Halifax downtown commercial area, its approach corridors and gateways in an effort to provide new employment opportunities, capital investments and civic activities which improve the integrity of the historic county seat.

2nd Saturdays with the Southside Master Gardeners at the Halifax Farmers Market

This year the Halifax Farmers Market will host 2nd Saturdays with the Southside Master Gardeners from 8am to 11am.  Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your vegetable and landscape gardening questions.  The following is a list of dates and topics:

May 12th - Bring your kids to the Halifax Farmers Market today and the Master Gardeners will help them pot up a free plant to give to mother for Mother's Day. 

June 9th - Rainbarrels are one part of waterwise gardening.  Visit the Master Gardener display on ways that you can reduce water usage in your garden.  Get an upfront look at how a rain barrel is made and sign up for a class to make your own barrel.  There will also be sign ups on this date for the hypertufa class taking place in July. 

July 14th - Hypertufa is a blend of Portland cement, peat moss and perlite to make containers.  The term came from Tufa, Alpine troughs made from volcanic rock.  These were heavy and expensive.  The Hypertufa process mimics the look without the cost and the containers are much lighter.  For $5 per container, Master Gardener Agnes Gregory will lead you through making a container to take home.

August 11th - Composting is a process of using kitchen and garden waste to make a rich humusy mixture that contains nutrients that your plants need.  The Master Gardener display will demonstrate several ways that you can make compost.  Vermiculture is a method of composting using red wiggler worms.  Master Gardener Pat Coughlin will demonstrate at 9:30am how and why the process works and one lucky onlooker will take home a vermiculture system.

September 8th - Tools are the gardener's best friends and it is important to keep them clean and sharp.  Bring your small gardening tools to the Halifax Farmers Market and the Master Gardeners will show you how to correctly sharpen and maintain your tools for free.

The Town of Halifax along with Halifax County Ag Development and Virginia Cooperative Extension will host a Farmer's Market Training Symposium on February 23 at the Mary Bethune office complex beginning at 9:30 a.m.

According to Halifax County Agriculture Development Director Leah Brown, the program will begin with a presentation on dairy safe handling and cheeses followed by a meat and poultry safe handling and regulation presentation.

The program will then move into a basic summit on food safety, low acid foods, weights and measures, signage, display and presentation of product.

Speakers will include individuals from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech.

If You Go:

-Registration cost will be $10 per person and includes breakfast, snacks, and a boxed lunch.

-Pre-registration is required by contacting Denise Barksdale with Town of Halifax by phone at (434) 476-2343 or by email at townoffice@townofhalifax.com

-Participants are asked to arrive by 9:15 a.m. for sign-in and welcoming.