Ted Elmore leads a community effort to build a park that spans a river. A bridge that connects us all. As the president of nonprofit Richmond BridgePark Foundation, Ted has a big vision for a system of interconnected parks and public spaces that links the riverfront experience to the City of Richmond. The team's proposed linear public park spanning the James River aims to transform 9th Street into a world-class destination for biking, walking, art, education, events, and community engagement. Ted is also an avid arts lover and patron and ardent Richmond advocate. This week, Ted joins us as our guest editor as we explore this place we call home. Take it away, Ted...
There’s no better time to celebrate our public gathering spaces, integrate art into learning, and to seek out new ways to experience our City, and each other. Here are my three tips for the weekend ahead.
See you in the city!
Park(ing)
Day
This Friday, over 20 Richmond design, architecture, creative firms and artists are celebrating Park(ing) Day, an annual event that takes place across the globe as parking spots are turned into temporary public parks, art installations and other creative uses for the community to enjoy. Here locally, Venture Richmond is coordinating this year’s Park(ing) Day event, which will include a design/build competition that will be judged by a panel of Richmonders. The person or organization with the winning pop-up park for Park(ing) Day will have the opportunity to take their urban park to the next level by partnering with Venture Richmond and the City of Richmond on the creation of a more permanent parklet installation in the downtown area for people to use every day of the year. Here readers can visit the 20+ pop-up parks from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm this Friday.
We’re currently smack dab in the middle of Modern Richmond Week, which means there’s no better time to celebrate modernism throughout the region. While most events are sold out for Modern Richmond Week, there’s still a chance to drop in on the Modern Market, the 3rd annual showcase of 1000+ Mid-Century artifacts. This year’s event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Mobelux and will feature 12 dealers specializing in all styles of Mid-Century furniture, home decor, lighting, textiles, art, ceramics, art glass, sculpture, vintage clothing, and luxury goods. During the event, ART180 will debut its Pop Up Mod Shop with furniture and art produced by the ART180 program participants. While you’re there, try out glass blowing with artist Michael Martin at his mobile studio and snag the new Modern Richmond book! And on Sunday head over to Aloi for a free Modern Richmond Wrap Up Party open to the public!
For ten years, Studio Two Three, a local nonprofit, has given Richmonders the space, tools, and education to find that thing they love and make it. As Central Virginia’s only arts incubator, Studio Two Three provides 24/7 access to printing presses, darkroom, digital lab, communal workspace and individual studios to support art making and elevate voices in our community. Stop by The Studio Two Three shop, located inside of Studio Two Three, this weekend for Richmond swag, local art, and unique gifts from a rotating cast of local artists. After you get a sense of what Studio Two Three is all about, come back and throw down on September 28 for their annual auction (hot tip: it's the party of the year) on Saturday, September 28, called The Silver Factory! This event sells out every year.
And, of course, get to the River!! Beautiful weekend ahead!
Represent Richmond well in our comfy cotton t-shirt emblazoned with a hand-drawn design. Yes, that's Richmond's airport code. We consider this tee perfect attire for exploring our parks, traveling the world, or enjoying a lazy day in the River City.
It’s that time again, that sweet spot at the tail end of summer when things are still slow and hot, but fall is a brilliant prospect ahead. Take this long weekend to savor the moment. We’ve rounded up three suggestions in hopes of encouraging you to play, sing, laugh, and enjoy a good ol’ fashioned ball game with your pooch.
Labor Day plans and more coming your way...read on!
Crossroads Breakfast
Cabaret
Start your Labor Day celebration early on Friday by making a special trip to Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream for the Breakfast Cabaret, a longstanding tradition by the Professor and the Dancing Madwoman with deep neighborhood roots. A true community space with a funky bohemian vibe, Crossroads is the perfect spot to kick off your holiday weekend with strangers who will quickly become friends. Expect a lively musical performance, jokes, and a wild sing-along led by musicians Barry Bless and Twila Sikorski. Complete with a top hat and waxed mustache, Barry serves as the ringleader with his accordion in hand and surprises up his sleeve. And if you’re up for more zany action at Crossroads this holiday, consider heading back on Saturday for a Variety Show with DJs, bands, live readings, and local vendors.
Perk: After you’ve fueled up on songs, coffee, and one of their famous breakfast sandwiches, walk across the street to explore Forest Hill Park, a historic 105-acre urban park. Make sure to stop at the “Stone House” where we’ve left the first three Here readers a few surprise RIC t-shirts hidden by the door!
What’s a holiday weekend without plenty of good belly laughs. Laughter Yoga, yes—it’s really a thing, is said to boost your immune system, improve sleep, lower stress, and reduce pain. Some even claim that a minute of laughter is equal to 10 minutes on the ol’ rowing machine! This irresistibly weird and wonderful thing even has a club, called RVA Laugh Club of course, that meets on a regular basis at Integral Yoga Center of Richmond. We have Richmonder Slash Coleman (writer, producer, storyteller) to thank for the range of physiological and psychological benefits laughter yoga is bringing to RVA. Slash, who is a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, will guide you through a sixty-minute class with prolonged voluntary laughter (1-10 minutes at a time) using Yogic Breathing Laughter Exercises, eye contact, and a host of childlike playfulness. The next Laughter Yoga session takes place this Friday at 6 pm!
Perk: If you want to get paid to laugh and further connect with your community, consider Laughter Yoga Leader Training with Slash to become a Certified Laughter Leader and authorized to start your own Laughter Yoga Club. Because we want to see more laughs in RVA, we’ll cover half of the cost for the three-day intensive training for the first Here reader to email us to let us know they’re ready to bring more chuckles to the neighborhood.
The Richmond Flying Squirrels return home for the final games of the 2019 season this Labor Day weekend, with four games at The Diamond from Friday through Monday to close out the franchise's 10th season celebration. The fun begins on Friday night with happy hour specials, mini wrestling, and a chance for kids (14 and younger) to run the bases after the game. On Saturday night, the game will be followed by an In-Your-Face Fireworks show up close and inside the fences. Come Sunday you can find a Dueling Fireworks show, one of the largest of the season, following the game. Things wrap up on Labor Day afternoon with Fan Appreciation Day & Labor Day Celebration. Gates open at noon on Labor Day and you can even bring your pooch (dogs are admitted free, just make sure to request a dog-friendly seating section).
Perk: Calling all students and teachers. Present your teacher or student ID at the ticket booth for a sweet Back-to-School Deal—$6 general admission tickets for all remaining games!
Sit back and relax Here readers, Ashley Williams is our guest editor this week and she knows a thing or two about appreciating and showing gratitude for this place we call home. Ashley is the founder of BareSOUL Yoga & Wellness. She is a certified yoga therapist and advocate for self-care, social justice and community building. Take it away, Ashley...
Offering yoga and mindfulness practices in community spaces such as schools, health systems, juvenile detention and correctional centers, government agencies, I am given the opportunity to engage and to truly get to know others in Richmond. Yoga is a practice that begins by going within, and can be practiced on the mat through movement, yet it’s essence is taking the practices learned off of the mat and into the world. Here are my three tips for appreciating and loving our home.
Front Porch
Cafe
Front Porch Cafe is a Church HIll neighborhood gem and community hub that is a great place to meet new people or invite people for meetings, food or events. They are owned and operated by Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT), a nonprofit whose mission is to serve the youth of Richmond’s East End with the heart, head, and hands to make transformative life decisions and offer workforce development for students to become staff. The culture of community is present in their comfortable interior layout with photos of community members mounted on the walls and menu items named after Church Hill staples. Most importantly, there is so much space and opportunity to build relationships with their staff and through events that they host on a monthly basis. Not to mention, they are attached to the Bon Secours Sarah Garland Jones Center, which is available for community use and is host to weekly BareSOUL Yoga classes, health-related small groups, and skills trainings.
I am absolutely thrilled that Richmond Night Market is happening on the 2nd Saturday of each month right in the center of the city in Shockoe Bottom. Created by Adrienne Cole Johnson and Melody Short, the Richmond Night Market is enhancing the vibrancy and sense of community to the 17th Street Market by bringing together local business owners, independent artists, musicians and DJs, and more. They've created a maker space and venue for both youth and adults to enjoy! Each month serves as an opportunity to see the diverse culture of Richmond from a creative lens. Don't miss the next Richmond Night Market this Saturday to learn about new artists, businesses, and community programs.
Sure, Richmond Black Restaurant Experience already hosted its week-long celebration of black-owned restaurants earlier this year—but that doesn't mean we can't keep supporting the region's growing culinary tourism scene. Richmond Black Restaurant Experience was created to celebrate and support black-owned restaurants, food truck vendors, caterers and local chefs during a special week each spring. But their mission is something we can all get behind every day of the year! Get out there this weekend and plan a visit to one of our city's black-owned restaurants for a meal! Check out this passport filled with restaurant names to help you experience the diverse food scene in our area and support black businesses.
Bonus Tip: Once you've finished tasting some of the best food in all the land, come visit me for CommUNITY Yoga at the 17th Street Market to experience the true essence of our city-community. This is a pay what you can class hosted by BareSOUL Yoga and One Drop Yoga every Wednesday at 6:00 pm through the end of September. Richmond neighbors of all backgrounds and ages are invited to practice individual awareness and build community through breath, movement, and meditation. All proceeds support building sustainable yoga and mindfulness school and community programs in our city.
Made Here.
Check out these Old Fashioned glasses that are anything but old fashioned! And there are two varieties by Richmond artists! For the first glass, Richmond Grid magazine and artist Emily Herr teamed up to create cocktail glasses that celebrate Emily's Girls! Girls! Girls! portrait series. And the second glass, features Hamilton Glass and his famous #Whosham RVA logo. Both glasses are laser-etched by Richmond based Big Secret.
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