Surry County’s LOVE sign has been designed and was unveiled outside the county government center at 45 School St. on April 22.

The LOVEworks program is a statewide branding initiative intended to promote travel in Virginia and strengthen awareness of the state’s “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan — by placing giant LOVE letters in cities, counties and towns.

Surry’s sign is one of more than 380 such signs across the state, which serve as backdrops for visitor photos, engagement announcements and more.

Each LOVE sign is intended to reflect the community in which it stands.

“This installation is unique as each letter will be covered by a vinyl wrap photo montage that uses a library of full-color images of people, places, and experiences within Surry County. Attention is given to agricultural and agritourism businesses, historical sites, exquisite rural scenery, and local personalities,” said Surry Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Elliott.

Surry County has developed a trail app that visitors can use to visit all the LOVEworks pieces throughout the county. According to David Harrison, Deputy County Administrator, this is part of the Agritourism farm experiences that continue to grow and develop in the county.

The LOVE artwork was a collaborative effort with Surry County. It was designed by Greg Schaale Design of Surry and applied by Major Signs of Suffolk. Custom Metal Fabricators ofRichmond provided steel letters for the project.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded Surry County a $5,000 grant for the creation of a LOVEworks installation on county property within the town of Surry in 2022. Chippokes Plantation State Park and Bacon’s Castle, a 17th century brick house and museum owned by Preservation Virginia, were listed as partners in the grant.

“‘Virginia is for Lovers’ is about doing the things you love to do on vacation with the people you love most,” said Virginia Tourism Corporation President and CEO Rita McClenny. “The new LOVEwork in Surry captures that idea perfectly and gives you an authentic sense of place as it showcases the people, places, and tourism attractions in Surry County. We are excited that Surry will help us share the LOVE with travelers, helping them discover why Surry County is something special.”

Visitors to the Surry County LOVE sign are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtags #LOVEVA, #visitsurryva, and #surrycounty-feelthelove.

A complete list and map of statewide LOVEworks can be found at Virginia.org/LOVE.

More information about Surry County’s tourism programs, initiatives, and promotions is available at www.surrycountytourism.com/.