vol. 78 / awaken 🌅Unplug. Power down. Take a pause from the ordinary this weekend.
VOL. 78 / AWAKEN
Unplug. Power down. And take a pause from the ordinary this weekend. We've rounded up three tips to get you started on your journey right here in our River City.
Because, there's no place like here.
Climb
Right RVA
Find your Zen at the Manchester Wall. Climbing is all about being present. Your body makes a clear shift, your ego takes a seat on the bench, and all that unimportant stuff banging around in your head somehow slips away as you focus completely on your next move. To help you find that oh so sweet space, the folks at Peak Experiences are hosting their annual Climb Right RVA event at the Manchester Wall. If you haven’t checked it out, the Manchester Wall is part of the historic pilings scattered along the James that once held the Richmond-Petersburg Railroad Bridge. Today, the original granite structures are home to some of the best climbing in the area and can be reached by theT. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge or south side access.
Climb Right RVA will consist of two days of free climbing events, designed for beginners and advanced climbers, by certified guides. Plus, there will be plenty of gear demos by Sterling, Wild Country, and Evolv as well as local food and drink vendors. On Saturday night, head over to Väsen Brewing for the official after party filled with craft beer and climbing games, like crash pad stacking (imagine a life-size Jenga game with you balancing on top).
Perk: The first three Here. readers that drop our name when checking in at the registration table at the Manchester Wall will receive a free stainless steal water bottle from Richmond Grid magazine with a sweet Richmond flag logo.
Vitals:
Saturday, April 27 / 9 am - 4 pm
Sunday, April 28 / 10 am - 3 pm Climb Right RVA
Awaken
VMFA Exhibition
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment opens this weekend at VMFA, providing a chance to hop on a voyage into the visionary art of Tibetan Buddhism. The journey from clamor to contemplation unfolds as you progress through a series of immersive spaces with spectacular art and nearly 100 objects along the way. Best of all, you'll have an opportunity to take part in the narrative it presents and quest for enlightenment. Our friends at the VMFA promise that the opening weekend will offer a pause from the ordinary noise of daily living and a chance to contemplate and reflect.
Get your hands dirty this weekend while making a difference in the place we call home. The action-oriented team at Enrichmond Foundation will host its annual Earth Day of Service on Saturday. For over 25 years, Enrichmond Foundation has called on neighbors all over Richmond to volunteer in their communities. And this year promises to be their biggest Day of Service yet! Here. readers can help clear invasive plants, plant native trees, beautify public spaces, and so much more. Make sure to register to volunteer here. Volunteers will receive an Every Day is Earth Day tote bag.
Two tickets are up for grabs for Friday Cheers for Here. members. Tag a friend to take with you on our Instagram page for a chance to win two free passes to a concert of your choice from this season's Cheers lineup!
vol. 77 / ring leader 🎪One of Richmond's favorite ring leaders gives you his take on this place we call home.
VOL. 77 / RING LEADER
Cataloging an impressive resumé of hot restaurants over the last decade, Michael Smith is no rookie to Richmond’s thriving dining scene. Many readers may recognize his bearded face as their first impression to a memorable dining experience. Currently, Michael is the ring leader at South Side’s Laura Lee's, where he earned an Elby Award for Employee of the Year in 2017. His tips for the weekend showcase the beauty of nudity: in the flesh, in art, and in liquid form!
And now, Michael's take on the best ways to enjoy Richmond this weekend!
Lap of
Luxury
If you haven’t attended a burlesque show, you don’t know what you’re missing! The performers at this Friday’s Lap of Luxury at Gallery5 provide a little something for everyone. Producer Empress de Naste welcomes a cast of women, men, and gender non-conformists to the stage for a night of titillating fun. The icing on the cake is the night’s emcee, my favorite drag performer in town, Magnolia Jackson Pickett Burnside. I guarantee by the end of the show your face will hurt from an evening of non-stop smiling.
A few weeks ago, a sudden power outage cancelled the opening of Kevin Sabo’s latest art exhibition at Art Works in Manchester. But fear not, the recent works in the show, titled “OK, OK," can be enjoyed until this Saturday! Kevin's gestural, mostly nude characters are handled with refreshing simplicity and an acute focus of color, composition, and line. Black ink in tandem with vividly toned acrylic permits him to show figures in as much detail as he desires, with certain details blurred and others crisp and fine. My favorites include paintings with multiple figures in union, arms and legs outstretched with ecstatic reach (check out “Mood is a Monument” and “Astrogliding”).
Local natural wine distributor Native Selections’ newest direct imports from Abruzzo, Italy are some of the prettiest wines I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in recent weeks, and the time to enjoy is now! Small allocations of three “raw” wines from newly planted vines by winemaker Luca Paolo Vergilio of Agricola Caprera are now available in Richmond. Hunt down the “not quite” rosé of Montepulciano on Ellwood Thompson’s shelves, peruse Abi Huntington’s thoughtful Italian wine list at Dinamo, or glimpse the gorgeous, peach-toned Trebbiano by the bottle at Laura Lee’s.
For Here. readers only, stop by Laura Lee's this Friday through Sunday for a surprise cocktail made just for you. The first ten readers to tell Michael or the bar tender that Here. sent them will receive a cocktail on us!
On tap this week, our guest editor Robey Martin is coming at you with three solid tips (and perks)! Robey, you might say, lives a double life here in Richmond. During the day, she balances human resources and contract staffing for Remx Specialty Staffing. On those very same days, she serves as an online/tv/print personality who features food, spirits, and culture throughout the region. She’s also the co-host of the food podcast Eat It, Virginia, creates Richmond's restaurant Hot List for WTVR CBS 6, and is regularly found penning articles for the likes of Richmond Grid, Richmond Magazine, Style Weekly, and BeerAdvocate, just to name a few. Take it away, Robey!
Unconventional
Fine Creek Brewing is nestled in Powhatan, idyllic with a large porch, cozy Adirondack chairs, and farm-to-table food victuals. On Saturday, the porch (and the brewery) will play host to the Wild and Weird Spring Festival. Here you can enjoy their award-winning beers alongside other local craft breweries and cideries. The event offers funky and sour brews, and of course -- eatables prepared to match by their chef Sarah Tocco!
Eat Restaurant Partners is gearing up to open yet another new restaurant. Fatty Smokes, in Richmond's Arts District, is a modern space that will feature dry-rubbed, slow-cooked pork, chicken, and brisket with 50 different types of bourbon. The plan is to open the restaurant on April 20 and allow Richmonders their chance to be a taste-maker! For more info, listen to Eat It, Virginia on your preferred podcast app.
Perk: Be one of the first to check out Fatty Smokes. The team at Fatty Smokes is offering a bonus taste-maker opportunity as part of their #EaterEGGhuntRVa campaign! Head to either @hotchickrva or @richmondgrid at 11 a.m. on April 19 for a chance to win a special Eater Egg containing two tickets for their opening night!
As a former Hollywood celebrity stylist (think Kerry Washington), Jammie Baker has heard the “I have nothing to wear” refrain. And when seasons change, the sentiment only grows. Relying on collaboration and honest listening, Baker is half closet counselor and half style sage. Her new Spring Edit Guide (free, free, free and free) has heaps of wardrobe encouragement with a light guiding touch. Where to find the magic? Hop over to her instagram @jammiebaker_ or peep her website.
Grid magazine's maker shop, called Grid Supply Co, is now offering these sweet hand-stitched leather beer holders, complete with a bottle opener, made in a workshop on Broad Street by our friends at Awl Snap. This locally made beer holder is created from cognac brown saddle leather that smells oh so wonderful.
Go
