Two for one! Meet this week's guest editors, Alex and Lauren Glaser, the husband-and-wife duo behind award-winning real estate firm The Glaser Group. The team has been named among the top three ‘Best Real Estate Agent(s)’ by Style Weekly for seven consecutive years – and they make it their business to know the City of Richmond inside and out! If you’ve ever checked out their Instagram @whyrichmondisawesome, then you know how much Alex and Lauren love RVA (and their Richmond Animal League pups!). They created the Why Richmond is Awesome community to showcase what makes it one of the best cities to live, work, and play. Get inspired by some of their top picks for things to do around Richmond as we head into the holidays.
Virtual Thursday
Night Trivia
When the pandemic hit, we searched for ways to stay connected to our community and support local businesses, restaurants, and breweries. Enter: virtual trivia. Were we qualified as realtors to host trivia? No. Did we do it anyway and fall in love? Yes. Every week we host free, virtual, live trivia, and the prizes are purchased from local spots to give them recognition and help support them financially. As we enter the colder season and our ability to socially distance outdoors dwindles, we invite you to cozy up in front of your device and join us for some good fun and prizes. Each week we purchase and give away gift cards to local spots for first and second place, but we also give out participation prizes each game and $20 for best team name, so even if you’re not awesome at trivia you still have an opportunity to win. This week's featured businesses are Can Can Brasserie (check out their fall special, Maple Crème Brûlée, pictured here) and Sneed's Nursery! Become a trivia club member (free!) and get two answers each week, plus hints and early access during special trivia events.
Participate in Better Housing Coalition’s fourth annual Gingerbread House Challenge! Round up your household, friends, family, "quaranteam," or simply register solo to show off your creative spirit by building a gingerbread house based around the ‘Hometown Holidays’ theme. The deadline to register is November 27 and virtual judging takes place December 3. The Gingerbread House Challenge is a (virtual) fundraiser supporting BHC’s mission of changing lives and transforming communities through high-quality affordable housing. Raise money for a chance to win the People’s Choice Award, which includes an awesome prize pack from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and also compete for the juried grand prize of $1,000. We can’t think of a better way to safely get into the holiday spirit while giving back to a great cause!
Vitals:
The deadline to register is November 27 / Virtual judging is December 3
Artisan Market
Main Line Brewing
On select Sundays now through December, Main Line Brewing is hosting a local artisan market so you can shop small this holiday season! We’ve found so many incredible makers at various Richmond-area pop-up markets and it’s such a great way to source local treasures and gifts for friends and loved ones. Browse more than 20 vendors selling home-made items such as jewelry, soaps, candles, and more. Once you’ve done some shopping, relax and sip on a craft beer or gluten-free hard seltzer. Cirrus Vodka is next door if you’d prefer a spirit. But our favorite part? Main Line Brewery welcomes dogs on its patio and inside its taproom ... Cheers!
HEARD, premiering Thursday at 9:00 pm on VPMChannel 23, captures the inspiring stories of five people who grew up in public housing, surviving and thriving in spite of, and often because of, the challenges they've had to overcome. Now they’re giving back to their home communities, trying to make a better life for those who come behind.
Meet Bill Street, our guest editor for a special early edition of Here Weekly! Bill is the executive director of James River Association and today he kicks off "Riding the Currents of 2020," a virtual event featuring the exceptional efforts in our river community, giveaways, and inspiring updates across the watershed. As a child, Bill remembers following his father as he waded in lush underwater grass beds dipping for soft shell crabs. But by the time Bill came of age to dip for crabs himself, those vital grass beds were gone because pollution wiped them out. Now with two sons of his own, Bill's personal mission is to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy healthy Virginia waters. Take it away, Bill ...
Every time I see a sturgeon breach, an eagle soar or see people swimming in the river right downtown, it fuels my fire to keep the James River comeback coming. Here are three tips to get outside this fall to explore our river and the Richmond community at large. See you on the water!
Pipeline
Trail
A wonderful getaway to escape right in the heart of Richmond City, the James River Pipeline Trail offers captivating scenery and an up-close-and-personal view of the Pipeline rapids. Located at the end of S. 12th St. downtown, this unique trail has a metal ladder you can climb down to walk the pipeline, boasting even greater opportunities to observe the natural resources of Virginia’s largest river and take in Fall’s foliage. You may even spot a Great Blue Heron among other wildlife tucked away in the banks of the James. Make sure to bring a blanket as there are several small, sandy beaches nestled throughout the trail which act as the perfect backdrop for an afternoon picnic or sit down by the water.
The Robins Nature Center at Maymont, a 29,000 sq. ft. attraction and the largest facility of its kind in Central Virginia, holds close to 30,000 gallons of aquaria showcasing animals of the James River and Chesapeake Bay. As part of the Center’s $2.3 million renovation project, Maymont is showcasing a special exhibit themed, “Run of the River,” which highlights the natural history of the area and accentuates the remarkable ecology of the James River located on Maymont’s southern border in Richmond. The Center presents a new way to experience the river with features like “River Reach,” a 34 ft tall sculpture that inspires active play and learning within a series of netted rising platforms that depict microscopic river microorganisms. You can catch me there among the approximately 45,000 guests that have already visited the exhibit for a fun and interactive day exploring all of the many exciting hands-on activities.
After exploring Maymont and the James River Pipeline Trail, I recommend you enjoy a delicious beer at one of my favorite spots - Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. You won't want to miss the upcoming release of their Gingerbread Porter and Bourbon GBS on Saturday, November 14 from 12pm-9pm at both their Richmond Brew House & Taproom location and the West Creek Brewery location. Sip on the Bourbon GBS, ranked as one of the Top 20 Milk Stouts in the World by BeerAdvocate.com, while listening to live bluegrass as a nod to Hardywood’s traditional Bluegrass Festival, while taking in the beautiful scenery of Tuckahoe Creek. You can also grab a Great Return IPA if that’s more your speed - a seven-year collaboration benefitting the James River Association - bringing awareness to the great comeback of Atlantic sturgeon in the James River.
There’s still time to register for James River Association’s Riding the Currents of 2020, happening at 5pm tonight! This annual-oyster-roast-turned-virtual-event will give you an exclusive insider’s look into inspiring updates on JRA’s work across the watershed, James Changer Awards acknowledging exceptional efforts in our river community, and awesome river-themed giveaways including paddles on the James and a pontoon boat tour for 10. There’s even a James Changer cocktail lesson and Waterbird Spirits giveaway if you log on early at 4:45pm! NBC12 Meteorologist Andrew Freiden will host, joined by an exciting lineup of local and international industry experts who will speak to the importance of water in our lives, our rivers, and our planet.
Meet this week's guest editor, Nancy Brown. She's here to provide a handful of tips for the perfect fall day in Richmond -- involving books, coffee, and open spaces. Nancy is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Bookclubz, a web and app for book club management. Nancy believes in the power of narrative. Both in the non-profit and startup space, her career has focused on content across mediums and continents. Whether it is crafting a brand, growing an audience or building partnerships, storytelling and finding shared value is behind everything she does. Take it away, Nancy ...
Read Outside
at VMFA
Pack your favorite book and head to the VMFA. This is one of my favorite green spaces in Richmond to relax and unwind after work or on the weekends. The beautiful campus, including the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden, was made for creativity, contemplation, and community. The coffee is A+ and the Rumors of War statue by Kehinde Wiley is stunning and inspiring. After taking in the natural surroundings, step inside where the VMFA is currently offering the Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities exhibit on view through January 18, 2021 (free to all healthcare workers and first responders). For a deeper dive into Sunken Cities, VMFA is currently hosting a free series of virtual talks (the next one is this Sunday) by noted Egyptologists, curators, professors, archaeologists, and conservators.
One of my favorite parks in Richmond is Chimborazo, a 30-acre park with 180 degree views of the city, in Church Hill. You have an incredible view of Downtown Richmond and the historic houses that line the park and neighborhood are so charming. It's also home to a miniature Statue of Liberty, the popular Church Hill Dog Park, and a community garden! Chimborazo Park is one of my go-to spots for hosting a socially distanced book club!
Bookstores and coffee shops - the most important fuel for the avid reader! Local stores and shops are working hard to support the community amid Covid and I definitely recommend returning the support by purchasing books locally from Chop Suey Books and Fountain Bookstore (offering curbside pickup, private browsing, and virtual events). And for your caffeine fix, order a cup of coffee online from Lamplighter for pickup and let them know Richmond loves its local coffee shops. Save time to swing by Whisk in Shockoe Bottom (they just celebrated their fifth anniversary this week) for Parisian-style pastries and locally roasted coffee. You can also stay in your PJs and take a virtual class offered by Whisk to learn to make your own fall macarons and croissants (watch their Facebook page for upcoming classes and event registration here).
Nancy and the Bookclubz team believe in the power of book clubs to enhance the reading experience, support lifelong learning, and build community. Their website and app support online book clubs, virtual book clubs, in person book clubs, clubs that gather to learn, to stay in touch, to read more, to relax and have fun, to improve work culture, for self-improvement, for social change, and more.
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