‘We are in a new direction’: Plans to re-engage with Innsbrook community

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - If you need some Thanksgiving recipes, the Innsbrook Owners Association is hoping to help you out as they work to re-engage the community.

Earlier this week, the group digitally launched its Taste of Innsbrook Cookbook. This comes after the association’s Innsbrook Foundation dissolved last week after more than 30 years.

Despite the foundation closing down, the President of the Innsbrook Owners Association, Jane Dufrane, said there’s still plenty of life and fun to come to the area in 2022.

“The Innsbrook Foundation, we appreciated what they did for Innsbrook, and we are in a new direction,” Dufrane said.

Partnering with Bellrae Marketing LLC, the association is renewing its focus on connecting with the men and women who work in the office park.

“Recently, there has been an uptick in people returning to work,” Dufrane said. “We have over 500 companies in Innsbrook.”

However, there is also a focus on the families who live area, including the Bellrae Marketing founder, Carly Bell.

“So, this is something that’s really important to us to see this area continue to grow and just bring new energy into Innsbrook,” Bell said.

“We want to embrace that live, work and wellness concept with our lakes and trails and connection to nature,” Dufrane added. “I think Innsbrook is well poised to come out of COVID successfully.”

2020 left the group shifting events to a virtual platform. However, many across the metro area often associated Innsbrook with the After Hours concert series put on by Event Makers.

Dufrane said they parted ways with the group in 2019 after hearing concerns from area businesses.

“So we decided to reinvent ourselves and go back to our roots,” she added. “This past summer, in 2021, we partnered with The Broadberry, and we brought a concert series of regional acts to the park. We plan to do something like that in 2022.”

The association is currently looking to have a new venue for that type of concert series.

Meanwhile, the group continues to look for more philanthropic ventures to help the community.

“We plan to partner again with Sports Backers for our corporate run,” Dufrane said. “We also will have the junior triathlon in May, which will happen again. We’ll have other events that we’re in planning and talks about doing.”

“Just finding new and creative ways to engage our local community here because after the last two years with COVID and everything, I think people are really excited to get back to something that’s bigger than themselves,” Bell said.

The association also hopes to revive the Pumpkin Palooza next year so that way kids are still able to take part in that family-friendly event.

For the latest events in Innsbrook, click here.

Copyright 2021 WWBT. All rights reserved.

Send it to 12 here.

Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.