Today we’ll be introducing you to a new Parks, Recreation & Tourism employee, and talking about all of the fun holiday offerings that are just around the corner in Gloucester County. To say that these Parks and Rec folks have been busy is an understatement. Here are some of the holiday events you might want to participate in:

The Festival of Trees: Friday, Dec. 6 from 5-8 p.m.
Christmas Parade: Saturday, Dec. 7 from 3-5 p.m.
Courthouse Circle Tree Lighting: Saturday, Dec. 7 (immediately following parade)
Waiting for Washington: Sunday, Dec. 8 from 2-5 p.m.
Pictures in the Park: Saturday, Dec. 14
Holiday Glo-Up lights contest: Enter by Monday, Dec. 16

The Beehive is a quarterly community newsletter, free to all county residents, containing information about county news and resources, volunteer information, community events, and classes and activities for youth and adults.

Recently, Gloucester County's hard work in revamping this publication into a full-color magazine (while lowering the cost to taxpayers) earned a highly competitive Virginia Association of Counties Achievement Award.

The magazine is primarily put together by our Community Engagement & Public Information Department. In this episode, Director Quinton Sheppard sat down with Media Specialist Savannah Haugdahl for a deep dive into the publication's purpose, history, and recent transformation.

This month, our Chief Animal Control Officer, Steve Baranek, talks to us about the services Gloucester Animal Control offers. He also offers some tips on keeping your pets safe as cold weather season approaches.

Finally, he shares details on the upcoming Rabies Clinic for cats and dogs that is scheduled for Oct. 12 from 1-3 p.m. in the Gloucester High School parking area.

For more information, visit https://gloucesterva.gov/animal-control.

To view available animals for adoption from the County's shelter, visit: https://www.petfinder.com/search/dogs-for-adoption/?shelter_id%5B0%5D=VA28&sort%5B0%5D=recently_added