Fall is here — and so are the events making the most of the season. No, we’re not talking pumpkin patches and hay rides, but rather trails, ales, good causes, and some local art thrown in there too. Here’s your trail guide for finding events worth hiking for this weekend.
Hammers
and Ales
The Richmond Community ToolBank, a nonprofit tool lending program that provides fellow not-for-profit organizations with year-round access to an inventory of tools for use in volunteer projects, is hosting a bash this Saturday with live music, local beer, and an impressive list of regional chefs slinging their best small plates. Partygoers can expect the likes of Ned Curry from Perch (and the acclaimed Gold Cart popup), Travis Milton from Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, Brad Slemaker from River City Roll, and George Dolphin from Dank Eats. And there will be live music by The Green List and Väsen Brewing will be on tap. Best of all, this party gives you a chance to celebrate with—and thank—the many nonprofits around town doing good work.
We can't wait to hit the trails on Saturday for one of our favorite annual fundraisers to support the youth of Blue Sky Fund! Hike for Kids is a family-friendly event right in our own backyard that brings together over 400 hikers to enjoy the James River Park System while raising funds and awareness of outdoor education programs by the Blue Sky Fund. Hikers are invited to enjoy some of the best urban trails in the country with either a 3-, 8- or 14-mile loop - and then celebrate the journey at a post-hike party with food, beer, games and live music at the Virginia War Memorial.
The Current Art Fair flows again! Though it took a brief hiatus, Jennifer Glave and BJ Kocen, owners of Glave Kocen Gallery, are bringing back the big event as the new owners and operators of Current Art Fair. The only contemporary art fair of its kind in Virginia, Current will feature commercial galleries and internationally recognized artists alongside local nonprofits, 20+ exhibitors, and plenty of contemporary works by young, emerging and mid-career artists too. New to the fair this year, the VMFA Artmobile will make an appearance as well as S23 To-Go Print Truck, Art on Wheels, and Creation Stations designed for anyone to create artwork or watch a demo with Richmond artists. In addition, the Current Theatre will feature films curated by Enjoli Moon of Afrikana Independent Film Festival, a Matt Lively animation piece, a short documentary "The Builder" created by Shockoe Artspace, Noah Scalin and his "Creative Sprint," and a variety of panel discussions with your favorite artists. And don't miss the Sunday Morning Jazz Brunch!
Vitals:
Friday - Sunday / Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center / Current Art Fair
Bonus Tip:
MIGRATION FLOW, a 2-day celebration by Alfonso Prez Acosta, will take place this Saturday and Sunday marking the first public celebration of National Immigrants Day in Virginia. Alfonso, a Colombian visual artist and teacher, is the Art Program Director at Sacred Heart Center. He says the goal of the event is to provide an environment for participants to dwell in the unknown (of multicultural languages, dance, music, and food) and plunge into deeper connection with others from differing immigrant communities. On Saturday, audience members will have an opportunity to meet and connect with one another, create drawings as part of a live exhibition, and learn new and different dances through a workshop and a closing party. On Sunday, Alfonso and participating dancers will share their migration and dance stories in an intimate conversation with the audience. MIGRATION FLOW takes place at Canvas, 3108 Semmes Ave.
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.
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