WHRO Events

Join us for a WHRO+ Community Event and be among the first to explore our brand-new streaming app, WHRO+! This session is designed for both members and nonmembers who want a hands-on introduction to the app.

During this event, our team will:

• Walk you through the features of WHRO+ and show you how to make the most of it.
• Provide one-on-one help with downloading and logging in on your personal device.
• Answer your questions and share tips for enjoying WHRO+ at home.

This is a free event, and registration is encouraged so we can best prepare to assist everyone.

*NOTE: It is recommended that you bring your devices using WHRO+ if possible, and have your PBS Passport login information. If you do not know your passport information, call WHRO Member Assistance at 757-889-9499 in advance of the session.

Come learn how WHRO+ makes it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite PBS programming—plus exclusive local content, history, and storytelling from right here in our community. Make sure to bring your smartphone, ipad/tablet or computer so we can get you logged in and ready to stream!

Come out for a special edition of Another View on-site in Yorktown Thursday, March 19th at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown!

Join host Barbara Hamm Lee for a thoughtful conversation with historians Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander and Christy Coleman, exploring lesser-known perspectives on the role of Black Americans during the American Revolution. Together, they’ll discuss historical research, evolving interpretations of the past, and why these stories continue to matter today.

This event is free but registration is highly recommended! Click ticket link to reserve your spot.

Join us for a WHRO+ Community Event and be among the first to explore our brand-new streaming app, WHRO+! This session is designed for both members and nonmembers who want a hands-on introduction to the app.

During this event, our team will:

• Walk you through the features of WHRO+ and show you how to make the most of it.
• Provide one-on-one help with downloading and logging in on your personal device.
• Answer your questions and share tips for enjoying WHRO+ at home.

This is a free event, and registration is encouraged so we can best prepare to assist everyone.

*NOTE: It is recommended that you bring your devices using WHRO+ if possible, and have your PBS Passport login information. If you do not know your passport information, call WHRO Member Assistance at 757-889-9499 in advance of the session.

Come learn how WHRO+ makes it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite PBS programming—plus exclusive local content, history, and storytelling from right here in our community. Make sure to bring your smartphone, iPad/tablet or computer so we can get you logged in and ready to stream!

Join us for a WHRO+ Community Event and be among the first to explore our brand-new streaming app, WHRO+! This session is designed for both members and nonmembers who want a hands-on introduction to the app.

During this event, our team will:

• Walk you through the features of WHRO+ and show you how to make the most of it.
• Provide one-on-one help with downloading and logging in on your personal device.
• Answer your questions and share tips for enjoying WHRO+ at home.

This is a free event, and registration is encouraged so we can best prepare to assist everyone.

*NOTE: It is recommended that you bring your devices using WHRO+ if possible, and have your PBS Passport login information. If you do not know your passport information, call WHRO Member Assistance at 757-889-9499 in advance of the session.

Come learn how WHRO+ makes it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite PBS programming—plus exclusive local content, history, and storytelling from right here in our community. Make sure to bring your smartphone, iPad/tablet or computer so we can get you logged in and ready to stream!

WHRO brings The Story Exchange back for its second year, stopping in downtown Suffolk for an evening of meaningful, community-driven storytelling at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. This “Moth Hour”–style event invites participants to explore personal narratives that reflect the moments, relationships, and experiences that shape who we are.

Designed to foster connection and empathy, The Story Exchange blends powerful live storytelling with a shared sense of place. Audience members are just as much a part of the experience as the storytellers—listening, reflecting, and engaging with stories that resonate across generations and communities.

Missed last year’s stories? All 2025 Story Exchange events are available on the WHRO YouTube Channel and streaming on WHRO+.

THEME:
Prompt: Describe a moment when a family member surprised you with their love.
Description: Family love can arrive in gestures big or small — sometimes when we least expect it. Tell us about a time a family member’s care, sacrifice, or simple act of kindness revealed a deeper bond than you realized.

Interested in sharing a story?
Submit your story here: https://whro.submittable.com/submit/345965/the-story-exchange-april-30th-submissions

Tickets on sale Soon

For the first time, The Story Exchange heads to Virginia’s Eastern Shore—returning for its second year in partnership with the First Wednesday Open Mic at the iconic Great Machipongo Clam Shack. For more than two decades, this Open Mic Night has been a cornerstone of the Shore’s creative life, and the Clam Shack itself has become a beloved cultural hub for artists, musicians, and storytellers.

This free, in-person event will take place on the restaurant’s intimate stage and celebrate stories rooted in friendship, community, and platonic love. Hosted in collaboration with longtime Open Mic organizer and WHRO Community Advisory Board member Peg, the evening blends WHRO’s storytelling mission with a deeply local tradition.

If you missed the 2025 Story Exchange, past stories are available on the WHRO YouTube Channel and streaming on WHRO+.

Prompt: What’s the story of a friendship that shaped who you are today?
Description: Friendships can change the course of our lives — through laughter, loyalty, or lessons we never expected. Share a story about a friend who left an imprint on your identity, your choices, or the way you see the world.

Interested in sharing a story?
Submit your story here: https://whro.submittable.com/submit/345968/the-story-exchange-june-10th-submissions

This event is Free and open to the public.

'Stars Among Us' podcast offers an immersive and intimate journey into the lives of Holocaust survivors and liberators, blending powerful personal narratives with evocative sound design to illuminate untold tales of resilience and hope amid one of history's darkest chapters.

Produced by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

The old courthouse, located at 130 Main Street in Smithfield, Virginia, was built between 1750-1751. The construction of the courthouse was believed to be modeled after the Capitol Building in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was used as the main courthouse for Isle of Wight for about 50 years. Around 1800 the court system was moved to a more central location, Isle of Wight, Virginia, its present location. Today, the 1750 Isle of Wight County Courthouse has been beautifully restored and is available for free tours and as a rental space.

EVENTS:
Constitution Week : September 13th at noon
Join us on Saturday, September 13th at the Isle of Wight County Courthouse, starting at 12:00 noon, for a Constitution Week Proclamation Event. This event features the Proclamation and Preamble, Drum and Fife performance, Ringing of the Bell, and special appearances by James and Dolly Madison.
Step back in time and honor our nation's history—see you there!

Ghost Walk : October 17-18, 2025
ould you like to meet ghosts from Smithfield? Our Ghost Walk gives all attendees an opportunity to walk through the historic town of Smithfield and meet interesting citizens from Smithfield's past.

18th Century Trades Demonstration Day : October 25th 9am-4pm

Christmas in Smithfield : December 6-7, 2025
Headed into town for the holidays? Swing by and check out Christmas in Smithfield! The 1750 Courthouse and Windsor Castle Manor travel back in time to show you how Christmas was celebrated by our town's founders over 200 years ago.

Operations:
March - December
(Sunday - Thursday: 1-4pm)
(Friday 11am-4pm
(Sunday 10am-4pm)

https://1750courthouse.com/

There were over 5000 Rosenwald Schools in the United States and around 700 are still standing. Out of that 5000, only five have had any archaeology done as of 2022. The Woodville Rosenwald School has had the most extensive archaeological excavation of any Rosenwald School. The first Woodville School was a Black school that predated the Rosenwald project on the same site and many of the artifacts are from that earlier period. Bethel School, another Rosenwald School in Gloucester, is no longer standing but a smaller unit excavation study was done on that site as well.

In the summer of 2021, we had 80 volunteers come work at Woodville from all over the country to help complete excavations before the construction of Woodville’s parking lot. These were mostly professional archaeologists with some other volunteers from the Archeological Society of Virginia. We also had an open public dig in early 2020, and over 25 people showed up from all over the Hampton Roads area.

We found 47,920 artifacts on the site. Many of these artifacts are interesting things relating to daily life in the school like slate pencils and not just bricks and nails. These artifacts will be on display when the renovations of the school are completed, and the site is open to the public.