We were proud to see our events like Porchfest and Winterfest become staples of the community and to reach milestones like hitting 10k followers on Instagram.
January 17, 2024
Virginia Highland District Year End Review – 2023
Happy New Year!
This year Virginia Highland District Association (VHDA) is excited to enter its fourth year of existence! During 2023, we were proud to see our stellar events like Porchfest and Winterfest become staples of the community and to reach milestones like hitting 10k followers on Instagram. To say we learned a lot would be an understatement and as we continue to grow, we truly appreciate your support!
Take a look back on our year with us 💫
January
New business: Switchyards opens its first VaHi neighborhood work club
March
First Community Clean-up of the year
VaHi Farmers Market launches year three at Farm Burger parking lot
Owner Happy Hour with topics including local events, VaHi’s 311 Task Force, and a visit from Invest Atlanta
April
Spring Planting brings summer perennials to the district
Kinship’s Sunday Smokin’ Sundries series raises money for the Georgia Organic Farmer Fund
May
Third Annual VaHi Porchfest & Rock n Run
New: Vendors on Adair Ave and We The Party Band Finale Show
June
VHDA hires an event coordinator!
Food Truck Friday series begins on the third Friday through September, hosted at Neighbor’s Pub
First Make Music Day Atlanta – full day of live music in collaboration with Atlanta Main Street cohort
July
Community Clean-up has a great summer turnout
August
VHDA’s first Annual Meeting open to the public, hosted at YWCA
New business: Yakitori Kona opens at the corner of Virginia Ave and North Highland Ave
Farm Burger Dine-Out in support of the VaHi Farmers Market raises almost $500
VHDA launches its inaugural 2022 archival book, Alive in VaHi
Owner Happy Hour with topics including “Homelessness in the Highlands” with PAD, small business social media strategy, and team-building with Splatter Studio
October
Launched our monthly roundup series showcasing the happenings of VaHi business members throughout our communication channels
The Dirty Tea opens in the Atkins Park node
Barre in the Park with Pink Barre Owner, Kamila, at John Howell Park
Last quarterly Community Clean-up of the year
Resident Sponsor Fall Drive raises almost $5000
VaHi’s favorite, Candy Crawl hits record turnout
VHDA merch becomes available at Virginia Highland Books, including hat, archival book, postcards, and stickers
November
Fall Planting volunteers pack district planters with winter perennials
Launched inaugural Taste of VaHi Restaurant Week
VaHi Farmers Market season comes to a close
Wreath-raiser launched with Trees for Tuition raises $300
New business: Ash Coffee, opens on Virginia Ave
December
Third Annual VaHi Winterfest – Gift Market, Jingle Jog, Holiday Parade, and Kids Corner
New this year: Tour of Lights rebrands to a Block Party
Season’s Greeting backdrop hand-painted by local artist Brittany Hester
The Localist App launches
Christmas at Dad’s – festive holiday bar series
VHD receives “Main Street of the Month” honor from the Georgia Main Street program
Other Fun Projects
Donated two blue ping pong tables to North Highland Park
Worked with City Planning to install a designated food truck parking spot in Atkins Park node
Donated over $1000 to Midtown High School Marketing Department for our T-shirt Design competitions
Redesigned website for clarity, optimization, and updating brand assets
VHDA onboard new staff to support marketing needs of the district and small businesses
Consulted with other neighborhood associations in Atlanta through the Atlanta Main Street Program
Thank you to our 2023 Community Partners
VaHi Church – Druid Hills Presbyterian Church – Grace Lutheran – YWCA – SPARK – VHE – Midtown High School – Rough Draft Atlanta – Virginia-Highland Civic Association – VaHi Security Patrol – Atlanta Beltline INC – Atlanta Dept of Planning – Georgia Main Street
2023 Communications
We take pride in and spend considerable effort on all outgoing communications. Whether on our website, newsletter, printed marketing, or social media, the goal is to attract visitors near and far to the Virginia Highland experience, to support our local economy and culture, and to keep residents informed about the neighborhood.
Instagram
12,144 followers, up 47% from 2022
53,935 Instagram profile visits, up 48% from 2022
Newsletter
2,490 subscribers, up 19% from 2022
26 campaigns sent with 76% open rate and 8% click rate
Did you know VHD is a 501c3 tax-deductible nonprofit organization? If you’d like to be more involved, please join the over 80 residents who have become VHD Resident Sponsors. Help us focus our initiatives and receive awesome perks!
