Cove Garden Ruritan Club

10/13/2026

COMMUNITY TRASH PICKUP – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Saturday, October 31, 2026
8:00 AM – Approximately Noon
Meet at North Garden Fire House

The Cove Garden Ruritan Club is organizing a Community Trash Pickup along Plank Road, and we need your help! We're calling on all Ruritan Club members and inviting our friends, neighbors, and local community to join us in making our area a cleaner, more beautiful place to live.

Everything you need will be provided!
• Safety vests
• Trash bags
• Other cleanup supplies

Just bring a pair of work gloves and a willingness to lend a hand!

We'll meet at the North Garden Fire House at 8:00 AM and expect to finish by noon. Even if you can only spare a couple of hours, your help will be greatly appreciated!

To our Ruritan members: Please make every effort to participate and help spread the word. Invite a friend, family member, or neighbor to join us!

Community service is what Ruritan is all about, and this is a great opportunity to make a visible difference right here in our own backyard.

Let's work together to keep North Garden beautiful!

Cove Garden Ruritan Club

10/02/2026

A Great Evening with the Folks Behind Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie!

The Cove Garden Ruritan Club was pleased to welcome Michael and Nancy McCarthy, owners of Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie, as our guest speakers at last night’s meeting.

Michael and Nancy shared the story of Dr. Ho’s, which they have owned and operated since 2007, and talked about its history, growth, and some of the challenges—and rewards—of running a successful small business in a rural community.

One thing that certainly isn’t a secret around here is the popularity of their famous and delicious pizza! Dr. Ho’s enjoys tremendous support from local residents, but its reputation reaches well beyond our community. People regularly travel from near and far specifically to enjoy the pizza and the many other great items on their menu.

Their little rural restaurant has earned some pretty impressive recognition along the way. In 2014, Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie was featured in SAVEUR magazine’s “Best of the Blue Ridge,” helping introduce an even wider audience to this unique local favorite.

What really came through during Michael and Nancy’s presentation was the importance of community—the loyal customers, employees, neighbors, and friends who have helped Dr. Ho’s grow and succeed over the years.

We sincerely thank Michael and Nancy McCarthy for spending the evening with us and sharing their story. We’re fortunate to have businesses like Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie—and people like Michael and Nancy—right here in our community.

I’m including a link below to a great local PBS video about Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie. It’s about 12 minutes long and goes into much more depth about their story, their food, and the people behind this special local restaurant.

Thank you, Michael and Nancy, for a wonderful and very enjoyable program!

Cove Garden Ruritan Club

Check out our favorite recipes at a beloved restaurant just south of Charlottesville

09/29/2026

Don't miss out on this great event, Sat. Nov. 7th at Albemarle CiderWorks!

08/24/2026

08/22/2026

We had the pleasure of recognizing two very special members of our community at our last meeting!

Jimmy Powell was honored for 39 years of dedicated membership and service to the Cove Garden Ruritan Club. Throughout those years, he has served in many leadership roles, including President, Vice President, and on numerous committees. We sincerely appreciate his commitment and all he has contributed over nearly four decades!

We were also proud to recognize Maddie as one of our $1,000 scholarship recipients. Congratulations, Maddie, and best wishes as you continue your education!

07/21/2026

Mark your calendars for next Tuesday, July 28th at Dr. Ho's Humble Pie

07/03/2026

Last night, our Cove Garden Ruritan Club members and guests had the privilege of welcoming Steve Light, Vice President for Education and Guest Experience at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, for an outstanding presentation on Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence.

Steve took us on a fascinating journey through the events leading up to America's independence and provided an enlightening look at the writing, editing, debate, adoption, and signing of the Declaration of Independence. His knowledge, passion for history, and engaging presentation style brought one of our nation's most important documents to life and gave us a deeper appreciation for the vision and courage of our Founding Fathers.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, it was especially meaningful to learn more about the remarkable history behind the document that forever changed our nation and inspired democracies around the world.

Thank you, Steve, for sharing your time and expertise with us. It was an informative, thought-provoking, and memorable evening that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello for helping preserve and share this important chapter of our nation's history.

🇺🇸 Happy 250th Anniversary of American Independence!

06/26/2026

CGRC, please plan to join us at our next meeting, Thursday July 2nd, for an interesting presentation by Steve Light, Vice President for Education and Guest Experience, at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Steve Light has worked at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in multiple educational roles for over twelve years and currently serves as Vice President for Education and Guest Experience. In this role, he leads Monticello's education and interpretation initiatives, exhibition development, and guest-facing departments. During his time at Monticello, Light has helped shape Monticello's highly regarded training curriculum for frontline interpreters and many of the historic site's signature tour experiences. Before joining Monticello in 2013, he worked as Manager of Museum Programs at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. He earned a B.A. in history from Gettysburg College, with a minor in Civil War Era studies, and an M.A. in history museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. He is also a 2016 graduate of the History Leadership Institute, organized by the American Association for State and Local History.

You'll find more info on Mr. Light at

Vice President for Education and Guest Experience

06/19/2026

Please come out and join us!