5 Things

School looms on the horizon! Luckily, this weekend is full of family-friendly events so you can get some time in with your offspring before they spring off to another year of books, lunchboxes, and painful unrequited crushes.

August 23, 2012; 8:02 AM • by Susan Howson

School looms on the horizon! Luckily, this weekend is full of family-friendly events so you can get some time in with your offspring before they spring off to another year of books, lunchboxes, and painful unrequited crushes. No kids to speak of? That’s fine, too. There are lots of other options for those who want to be able to drink, swear, and vote with impunity.

1. West End Comedy Club “The Having a Great Time and Wish You Were Here Show” and “Good-Bye to Summer Show”

I’ve been into comedy lately. Blame it on being busy, blame it on being tired, blame it on the rain (yeah, yeah!). But there’s nothing like comedy to lift you up, wax poetic on the differences between men and women, and set you back down again with a smile on your face. And, dag nab it, there’s just something improv. Who knows WHAT could happen with zany folk who practice being spontaneously funny? Celebrate another great summer as it comes to a close, and chase away the Back to School anxiety that you’re really too old to be sweatin’.

• Fri. Aug. 24  (HAGT&WYWH Show, family friendly) and Sat. Aug. 25 (GTS Show, adult fare) • 7:30 PM
• HATTheatre, 1124 Westbriar Dr.
• $5 – $7

2. VHBG Youth Triathlon

Triathlon fever. I’ve seen it before. The only solution is to get your sporty kid into a youth triathlon, stat. Let them swim, cycle, and run their hearts out (not literally) for a good cause, the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. But warning, once they have tasted the sweet and sweaty essence of a triathlon, your life will…well, it’ll be about the same, just involving a lot more spandex around your house.

• Sat. Aug. 25 • 6:30 AM
• Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, 8716 W. Broad St.
• $55 for individuals, $100 for relay teams

3. Richmond Challenge Urban Adventures Race

Oh, you think you know Richmond, do you? You think you’ve cornered the market on Lee statue hangs and white house roll sandwiches. You think you’ve just got it all figured out, don’t you? Why not put your money where your brain is and join this popular urban scavenger hunt. You and your team of RVA specialists will drop knowledge about our beloved town and maybe actually pick up some knowledge along the way. It’s a 5K as well, so be prepared to walk, run, or sidle to various destinations.

• Sat. Aug. 25 • 1:00 PM
• Siné Irish Pub, 1327 E. Cary St.
• $30-$50

4. 10th Annual Seafood Splash

This yearly seafood explosion is at Hadad’s Lake, but before you burst into tears, know that the seafood doesn’t COME from Hadad’s Lake. You simply enjoy it there between refreshing dips in Richmond’s favorite “water park.” With your ticket, your stomach gets an all-access pass to crabs, fish, shrimp, chicken (a-wha?) and more. Music, door prizes, and watersports (double a-wha??) turn this gut-busting fest into a certified par-tay.

• Sat. Aug. 25 &bull: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
• Hadad’s Lake, 7900 Osborne Tpke.
• $20-$35

5. Richmond Magazine’s Best Of Bash

Richmond Magazine’s got the longest-running Best and Worst list in town, and they want you to join in their celebratory merrymaking this Monday night at the renovated John Marshall Hotel. Sample the fare of the best restaurants, and revel until the cows come home (they come home at 9:00 PM) with the help of local beers and wines. Awards will be given out, bands will play, and there will be dancing, but it’s highly unlikely that the “Parade of Worsts” that you’re imagining in your head will never come to pass. Check it out, though, it should be a good time.

• Mon Aug. 27 • 6:30 – 9:00 PM
• John Marshall Hotel, 101 N. 5th St.
• $25 (subscribers), $30 (general admission), or $75 (VIP)

photo by dumbledad

August 23, 2012 8:02 AM 1