Article by Stuart Rosenthal, Publisher, The Beacon Newspapers
(Posted 2020 October)
For the past 20 years, thousands of Northern Virginians have attended the Beacon 50+Expo, featuring speakers, exhibitors, flu shots, entertainment and more. Last year, the expo was held at the Springfield Town Center.
This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, things will change. To ensure everyone’s safety and maximize usefulness for all, the 50+Expo will be virtual.
How will they do that? A custom-designed website will offer immediate, free access to a huge variety of classes, speakers and entertainers.
The selection is based on reader-requested topics and content. Classes include yoga, tai chi and Zumba, as well as cooking and meditation programs.
As for speakers, subjects include health and wellness, active travel opportunities, legal matters and estate planning, money and investments, retirement housing options and more.
Entertainment suggestions from readers were stand-up comedy, Broadway show tunes, dance lessons, classical music and barbershop quartets.
The virtual 50+Expo will feature all of the above, thanks to pre-recorded expert speakers, engaging classes and fun entertainers, together with more than 100 informative exhibitors—including government agencies, nonprofits and area businesses offering products and services to older adults and their families.
Another benefit of having a virtual expo is that it isn’t limited to one day. The expo will be available online 24/7 for three full months—from Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 through Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021.
The event’s “keynote” will be a conversation between the publisher of the Beacon, Stuart Rosenthal, and Dr. Ken Dychtwald, a nationally renowned gerontologist and author of 17 books on aging. Dychtwald will discuss his most recent research on “What Retirees Want.”
The Beacon 50+Expo is presented free of charge each year as a public service by the Beacon Newspapers. Sponsors include Maplewood Park Place, AARP, Holy Cross Health and Fairfax County Services for Older Adults. Register to receive updates and reminders.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).