vol. 100 / The MayorMayor Levar Stoney provides his tips on how to enjoy this place we love to call home.
VOL. 100 / THE MAYOR
Here. Weekly was launched because we believe Richmond is a gem, an adventure, a diverse community for all to celebrate. Over the 100 issues since we started, we’ve spotlighted not only the places to eat, drink, and play in Richmond—but the people behind it all. With that in mind, we asked Mayor Levar Stoney to serve as the guest editor for our 100th issue and to provide three quick tips for exploring this place we love to call home. Take it away, Levar….
Morning
Run
I recommend starting any day in Richmond with a morning run over T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge. Perfect for runners, walkers, and cyclers alike—the T. Pott provides panoramic views of the downtown skyline and connects Brown’s Island to Manchester. On the south side of the river, continue your journey along the Floodwall where you’ll find spectacular views of the city and the James River. While visually stunning, the Floodwall also serves as one of the largest flood-protection systems across the country and it opens miles of the James River to public access.
After exploring the riverfront, head to any one of the many restaurant options in Shockoe Bottom to refuel. One of my favorites is brunch at LuLu’s next to the recently renovated 17th Street Market. LuLu’s dishes up brunch every single day (they serve dinner too, on Wednesday to Saturday evenings). One bite, and you’ll see why LuLu’s is regularly voted one of the best brunch spots around. When you’re finished, make sure to spend time checking out the pedestrian plaza at the 17th Street Market, which is one of the oldest public markets in America, and pop into the nearby local businesses to show your support.
To round out your day, hop on the GRTC Pulse up to the Maggie Walker Statue at Broad and Adams streets! The 10-foot bronze statue of Maggie Walker serves as a tribute to her enduring legacy and sits at the gateway to Jackson Ward. Spend time exploring this historic neighborhood and consider stopping in at one of the many local restaurants. A personal favorite is Saison for a happy hour Old Fashioned!
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.
If cocktail glasses aren't your thing, Grid Supply Co. carries other locally made gifts and handmade items by some Richmond's favorite makers and artisans.
vol. 99 / happy folkAn insider's tips on how to enjoy the best festival of the year!
VOL. 99 / HAPPY FOLK
There’s no happier time of year than when the Richmond Folk Festival is in full swing. In preparation for this weekend’s three-day festival we went straight to Lisa Sims, chief executive officer for Venture Richmond, to get an insider’s perspective on how to enjoy one of the largest and most celebrated events in all of Virginia.
In her leadership role at Venture Richmond, a non-profit organization that works to enhance the vitality of the Richmond community, Lisa is known for her tireless efforts to promote the downtown area through economic development, advocacy, and events like Friday Cheers, Second Street Festival, Dominion Energy Riverrock with partners Sportsbackers, and of course—Richmond Folk Festival! Read on for her tips on the many ways to take in this year's celebration of all things music, dance, crafts, and food!
Workshops
& Talks
One of my favorite parts of the Richmond Folk Festival is actually an area that receives very little attention in the media—and that's the workshops and “talks” that are carefully curated throughout the weekend to link artists we might not normally think of as similar. While all the performances are not to be missed, it’s these smaller, more intimate gatherings of artists from different bands, and opposite ends of the country or world, that give us so much insight into each artist while showcasing the power of music to cross boundaries of all kinds. Some of the ones I anticipate the most this year include, “Iconoclasts & Innovators” featuring Bombino (Tuareg guitar), Dale Watson (honky-tonk and country), Michael and David Doucet and Mitch Reed (Cajun), James “Plunky” Branch (Afro-funk and go-go orchestra), and Super Chikan (Delta Blues). I think it’s safe to say you won’t find this configuration of guitarists on any stage anywhere else! And this is just one of the seven workshops we’ll feature this weekend.
This year is our 15th anniversary so we asked one of our performing artists, Super Chikan, if he’d donate a one-of-a-kind, handmade guitar for us to auction as a fundraiser for the Richmond Folk Festival. Super Chikan, who is an amazing Delta blues artist, is also known for the guitars he makes by hand that are often referred to as “chiktars.” The version he made just for us was created from pretreated oak, painted, then layered with glass coating to protect the design. It took several weeks for him to make this special creation and we couldn't be more thrilled to have it as part of this year's festival. The online auction will continue through Oct. 15!
Something else we love, but so few people ever hear about are the 15 or so school shows that our Folk Festival artists perform in Richmond Public Schools. Every year we work with specific artists to come in a day early and make visits to schools. We know that not everyone can get to the festival, but it would pain us to have so many traditional artists in town and have them only perform at the festival. To make these special appearances happen throughout Richmond, we work closely with the school system and JAMinc, a non-profit that’s dedicated to bringing music from all corners of the world to local schools in an effort to expose K-12 students to traditional music from a variety of cultures. While we’re putting the final touches on the festival just before it begins, volunteers from JAMinc will spend all day on Friday taking artists from school to school so that students can have a chance to spend quality time with the artists. It certainly makes us proud, and we’re incredibly grateful to JAMinc. for helping make it happen!
We've all seen the energetic Bucket Brigade teams calling for festival goers to put a "drop in the bucket" to keep the Richmond Folk Festival free. But these days, many of us just don't have cash on hand. That's why this year you can Text to Donate to the Richmond Folk Festival. That's right, fans can easily put a digital drop in the bucket by simply texting the word FOLK to 24365. A text will immediately be sent to your mobile device that will allow you to donate to the Richmond Folk Festival through PayPal, Venmo, debit or credit card.
vol. 98 / funnel cake 🎡Read on for some tasty ideas and fun Richmond perks along the way.
VOL. 98 / FUNNEL CAKE
It’s that time of year again in Richmond, when the air is crisp with just a hint of the Autumn days ahead. And with it brings the return of your favorite festivals in the River City, the sights and sounds of the State Fair, fall bonfires, and the child-like feeling of being able to soon jump in a pile of leaves. Oh, and funnel cake, is there any better time for it? With so much to during the first week of October, we’ve boiled it down to three recommendations to get you started.
See you out there!
State Fair
of Virginia
When it comes to over-the-top and iconic State Fair foods, we don’t mess around. Seriously, who doesn’t covet a good deep-fried Twinkie, giant turkey leg, classic corndog, or something completely hedonistic on a stick. It’s like a taste of Americana in its most portable, edible, and wackiest state. Whatever gets you there, make sure to go because the State Fair of Virginia is only around until this Sunday, October 6. There’s still time to cheer on your favorite oinker at the crowd-pleasing pig races, watch the Human Cannonball in awe at the Ultimate Stunt Circus, and perhaps sip some local beer at the Blue Ribbon Craft Beer Fest with unlimited tastings from over 20 Virginia breweries. Whatever your thing is, State Fair of Virginia has it.
Perk: Head over to our Instagram page to post your favorite fair food. We'll select one Here member for two free tickets to the State Fair of Virginia.
The 2nd Street Festival returns to Richmond on Saturday and Sunday, October 5-6, in celebration of the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. This free event, produced by Venture Richmond Events, takes place the first full weekend in October every year and attracts 30,000 participants to historic Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of Richmond’s African American community. This year’s celebration will feature four stages of live music, local food vendors, a marketplace, a Kidz Zone programmed by the Children’s Museum of Richmond, balloon twisting by Balloons By Extreme, and an Artists Row featuring Sone-Seeré Burrell, David Marion, Liberated Flow, Kelvin Henderson, Fruit of the Spirit, Abdul Badi, The Art of Badi, and Resheda Pullen Jireh. During the event, Venture Richmond will provide free guided walking tours led by Gary Flowers who has a four-generation family connection to Historic Jackson Ward. Check out Richmond Grid's rundown of the festival and schedule of events here.
The wait is over, folks. Tomorrow, Topgolf Richmond opens its doors to its new, three-level, 55,000-square-foot venue on Westwood Avenue near Scott's Addition. For golfers and non-golfers alike, the entertainment venue boasts 72 climate-controlled hitting bays, three patios, a tasty menu, craft cocktails, over 200 TVs, and a Topgolf Swing Suite with a massive screen in a comfortable lounge setting with a selection of virtual games (including famous golf courses, baseball, hockey, and our favorite—zombie dodgeball). You can even enjoy point-scoring games using microchipped balls that instantly show your performance, including accuracy and distance, on a TV screen in each bay. And this winter, Topgolf will open a 14-hole mini-golf course on the property. On Friday, Topgolf kicks things off with a ribbon cutting ceremony and then opens its doors at 9 am. We’re told to look out for celebrity sightings, such as Rashad Jennings, former running back for the New York Giants and winner of Dancing with the Stars, who will be signing his latest book at the venue during the opening day.
Our talented photog Kate Magee's images are a love letter to our city - and now you can bring them home. Shop our prints and other Here. collaborations online!
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