Piñata PartyExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 295 / PIÑATA PARTY
This week brings a reopened public perch at City Hall, a new way to shop from a longtime favorite, and a piñata party. These three tips offer just a handful of ways to shift perspective as you explore and celebrate this place we all love to call home.
Piñata Party
1708 Gallery, a nonprofit contemporary art space downtown, is hosting a piñata party tied to its program ALL WEYS ARE CREATED EQUAL tonight from 7–10 p.m. The free, public event will feature music, snacks, and of course piñatas. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bags and their “best swinging arm” for collecting treats. The gathering also offers a chance to meet the current artists-in-residence, Bryan Ortiz and Luis Vasquez La Roche.
Vitals:
1708 Gallery / January 8, 7–10 p.m. / 319 W Broad St.
The People's House
Yesterday, Mayor Danny Avula announced that the City Hall Observation Deck has reopened to the general public. Located on the 18th floor, the overlook has been closed since 2020, when it shut down during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For decades, the City Hall Observation Deck has been one of Richmond’s gems,” says Mayor Avula. “It’s a place where you can step back, see our city from a new perspective, and appreciate how all our neighborhoods connect in ways that aren’t always visible from the ground.”
Reopening the Observation Deck has been a major goal during Mayor Avula’s first year in office. Updates to security measures, elevator logistics, and visitor flow made the reopening possible. Swing by, say hello at the new concierge on the first floor, take the dedicated elevator, and enjoy your city from a different perspective.
Vitals:
Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday / Visit City Hall / 900 E Broad St.
Mama J's Market
Mama J’s, a beloved Richmond restaurant in the heart of Jackson Ward, has opened the doors to Mama J’s Market. The new community-focused retail space features grab-and-go items from the restaurant’s kitchen, pantry staples, snacks, and a growing selection of prepared foods and grocery items.
Velma and Lester Johnson, the mother-son duo who own and operate Mama J’s, are currently welcoming Richmonders inside as part of a soft opening and inviting feedback as they dial in the space. Mama J’s is also sharing first-time visitor reactions on its Instagram page. The momentum is building toward a grand opening on February 1 — but why wait? Go now.
Vitals:
Mama J's / Soft opening phase, daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. / Grand Opening, 2 p.m. on February 1 / 101 E. Clay St.
Together at the Valentine.
As the Valentine team and the Richmond community continue to mourn the loss of Bill Martin, January will be a quieter month for public programming, with one important exception. The Life, Liberty & Happiness lecture will take place as planned on Religious Freedom Day, January 16, at the Library of Virginia. This lecture series was a particular favorite of Bill’s, and the Valentine hopes the community will join them in continuing that tradition. There will also be an open house at the Valentine in Bill’s honor on Saturday, February 7. The gathering is intended as an opportunity for the community to come together, share memories, and reflect on Bill’s life and work. For those wishing to honor Bill in another way, memorial gifts may be made to the Valentine in support of the redesign of the Valentine Garden, a project that deeply mattered to him.
A Good BeginningExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 294 / A GOOD BEGINNING
As we step into 2026, there is plenty of reason to feel hopeful about the year ahead. Not because everything feels easy or resolved, but because of the way people in this city continue to show up for one another. Across neighborhoods, sidewalks, kitchens, and creative spaces, Richmonders are quietly building connection where it is needed most. They invite others outside, share food, make room for art, and remind us that community is something we create together.
The three stories below offer just a small reflection of that larger spirit. As the new year begins, these are the kinds of actions that make us optimistic about what comes next, and why Richmond continues to be a place we love to call home.
Disco Bunny
Aaryanna Nijjar-Simmonds, better known as Disco Bunny, believes community can grow when we stop resisting what makes us different and start building with it. During a recent TEDxRVA talk, Disco Bunny posed a simple but radical question: What if, instead of fighting our weirdness, we collaborated with it? That curiosity sparked an idea that challenged how art is usually shared and who gets access to it.
Within months, that idea became the Art Vending Machine, Richmond’s first. The flagship machine began at SCRAP RVA and now a second machine also lives at Gold Lion Community Cafe, bringing accessible local art to multiple corners of the city. Together, the vending machines have featured more than 60 local artists, offering a low-barrier, accessible way for creatives to share their work.
Stocked with zines, prints, stickers, and handmade oddities, the Art Vending Machine uses a screened lottery system to keep participation fair and open. Look closely and you will notice house numbers, a doormat, and a light left on. This is not just a machine. It is a home for Richmond’s creative community.
Alex Na understands that sometimes the best way to create community is through food. New to Richmond in 2025, with a TikTok account, a tasty tiramisu recipe, and a genuine desire to give back, Alex casually offered leftover tiramisu from a birthday celebration last year. What began as a simple gesture quickly sparked something bigger, earning the affectionate nickname the Free Tiramisu Guy. That generosity has grown into a growing network of free tiramisu drops, community potlucks, and gatherings that bring people together while supporting local businesses and causes. Rallying around Alex, Richmond businesses have chipped in to help cover ingredient costs, and a meaningful partnership formed with RVA Community Fridges, with a portion of donations benefiting another local organization doing important work. Most recently, Alex joined forces with RVA Baddies Walk Club for a joyful RVA Baddie-Misu Day, proving once again that community can grow from something as simple as sharing dessert.
It all began with a call for community. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Richmond resident Molly Bish, like many of us, found it hard to reconnect, dust off social skills, and return to meaningful, in-person connection. So Molly did something simple and brave. A public call to action invited Richmond “baddies” to come together, get outside, and walk.
What started as a casual idea quickly grew into something much bigger. From that invitation emerged a steady series of organized walking meetups, now known as RVA Baddies Walk Club. Through these walks, Molly didn't just find community personally. Community was created for others, too.
In 2026, we hope you will step outside and give RVA Baddies Walk Club a try. It is a chance to get fresh air, meet new people, and connect with fellow baddies around Richmond. Whether you are a seasoned walker or simply showing up for the vibes, this is a place to laugh, chat, and belong. Expect an energetic walk, easy conversation, and plenty of moments to meet your future Richmond crew.
A group of Buddhist monks on a months-long Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C. is expected to pass through the Richmond area in the new year, with many reports suggesting an early February timeframe. Now more than two months into their journey, the monks describe the walk not as a protest, but as a shared practice. They walk to awaken peace within themselves first, allowing it to ripple outward to the families, communities, and people they meet along the way. Through cold weather and hundreds of miles, the monks have been welcomed with meals, quiet gestures, and moments of connection. Walking alongside them is Aloka, a rescue dog who once followed monks as a stray in India and went on to walk more than 100 days by their side. Today, he continues the journey across the U.S., recognized by the heart-shaped marking on his forehead. As the monks continue toward Washington, we will be watching and sharing updates as their journey moves through Virginia in 2026. May the year ahead be met with peace and awareness.
BefriendExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 293 / Befriend
Meet this week’s guest editor, Mollie Reinhart, who’s here to remind us to look for ways to connect with people whose lives may be different from our own. Mollie is the founder of Befriend, a Richmond-based nonprofit that works locally and around the world to foster friendships that empower people and communities to thrive. At the heart of her work is a belief in curiosity, connection, and compassion as a way of life.
Mollie received her Ed.M. from Harvard University in Human Development and Psychology and previously worked in hospice care for more than ten years in Charleston, South Carolina and Boston, Massachusetts. After moving to Richmond, she took time away from full-time work to raise her three children and became an active volunteer across the community, supporting organizations that help make this city the place we love to call home. As her children began entering college, Mollie found herself searching for what she calls her “what’s next,” guided by the thought, “I want to help my city, but I don’t know how.” As she pushed herself to explore her community more deeply and intentionally meet new people, Befriend emerged organically in December of 2017. As the movement grew, Mollie continued to expand her education and later received a certificate in Applied Compassion from Stanford University.
Today, Befriend creates opportunities for people to connect across difference through walk and talk gatherings, service projects, connection circles, and simple acts of compassion. Mollie believes that when we make space for relationships with others, especially those whose experiences differ from our own, we begin to see how much we actually share. From that common ground, friendships take root and compassion grows.
This week, she’s sharing her thoughts with Here Weekly readers on building connection, fostering understanding, and finding small but meaningful ways to bring us closer together in the year ahead.
Take it away, Mollie.
Jefferson Park
When I think about special places in Richmond, Jefferson Park immediately comes to mind. I lived in the city for over 20 years before discovering this magical spot in the Union Hill/Church Hill area. Once I did, it stayed with me. With its iconic overlook of Richmond, the park feels both expansive and intimate, a place where perspective widens and connection feels possible.
At the heart of Jefferson Park is a fountain honoring a longtime friend of the park, Alicia Rasin, known as the “Ambassador of Compassion.” Learning this, I thought, this feels like Befriend’s home. With tree-lined paths, playgrounds, and picnic spots, Jefferson Park naturally brings people together from all different backgrounds. Our Befriend gathers, walks, and clean-ups here turn simple moments into meaningful connection, reminding us that healing ourselves and our community begins when we show up with a curious mind and open heart.
The Richmond Clean City Commission (CCC) is City Council’s all-volunteer advisory group dedicated to creating a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Richmond. The Commission provides recommendations on policies and programs that reduce litter, encourage proper disposal and recycling, and improve the local environment. Working closely with the Department of Public Works, CCC supports recycling and disposal events, neighborhood cleanups, and community education initiatives, while also serving as Richmond’s affiliate of Keep Virginia Beautiful.
Equity is central to CCC’s mission, ensuring cleanup and prevention efforts support communities most impacted by litter and illegal dumping. A cleaner city builds pride, protects wildlife, and strengthens neighborhoods. This is compassion in action, making our city a better place for all.
Befriend has joined their Adopt-A-Spot program, where organizations that complete cleanups receive a custom sign installed at their site. Seeing Befriend’s name at Jefferson Park will truly make it feel like home. Join Befriend for our next Jefferson Park cleanup on Saturday, January 10, 2026. This will be number seven on the road to number ten.
Real Life was built on a simple but powerful belief: people change when they are met with dignity, consistency, and community. What began inside the Richmond City Justice Center has grown into a statewide movement walking alongside individuals returning from incarceration, navigating recovery, or living in communities most impacted by violence and instability. Through recovery housing, intensive life coaching, and neighborhood-based violence intervention, Real Life doesn’t just serve people, they walk with them toward a brighter future.
That spirit of walking together is why collaborations matter. Alongside partners like Befriend, Real Life shows up in small yet meaningful ways, by joining a Befriend Gather at the VMFA or a clean-up at Jefferson Park. When people from different backgrounds come together for a shared experience and hear each other’s stories, connections spark that empower people and communities to thrive.
"When people show up with a curious mind and open heart, magical connections happen and lasting change begins," says Mollie Reinhart, founder of Befriend. In 2026, Befriend plans to continue to inspire a lifestyle of curiosity, connection, and compassion for all. Here Weekly readers are invited to join experiences offered by Befriend that create opportunities to connect with others different from themselves, foster understanding, and build friendships that empower people and communities to thrive. Everyone belongs.
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