5 Things: Food fests, wine fests, pride fests, ballet fests, and RVANews fests!

It’s one of those weekends where you realize you didn’t schedule in any time for a nap, and you are mad at yourself for it but realize that you’re going to look back on many cool memories. Sleepily.

September 10, 2015; 12:17 PM • by Susan Howson

1. RVANews Live #004: Out with the Old

Come hang with us tonight as we speak with Ana Edwards and Sarah Fought about Confederate symbols and the KonMari method. Plus we drink and chat and eat a lot of food provided by Relay Foods! So fun, guys.

• Thursday, September 10th • 5:00 PM (program starts promptly at 5:30)
• Visual Arts Center, 1812 W. Main Street
• $15 (online or at the door–we recommend getting them online)

2. ST. JAMES ARMENIAN FOOD FESTIVAL

One thing I’ve figured out about our food festivals here is that they have a disproportionate number of hard-to-get URLs (way to nab armenianfoodfestival.com before the other ones all over the world, theoretically, did!). The other thing is that some people I trust swear that this one is the best. Not too crowded, reasonable prices, fantastic food (lahmajoon and bulgur salad are favorites in my house), and those cookies! Plus, last time I stopped in at a booth and learned a whole lot about Armenian history! Success all around!

• Friday, September 11th – Sunday, September 13th • see site for times
• St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Avenue
• Prices a la carte!

3. SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

See what I mean? Really great URL nabbing, South African Food and Wine Festival! Or should I say “southafricanfoodfest.com.” Food from this region cannot be described in just a couple of words, unless those two words are “really eclectic.” You got your Dutch influences, your Indian influences, your French influences…there’s almost certainly something for everyone. Oh, and wine. That’s certainly something for a lot of people.

• Saturday, September 12th – Sunday, September 13th • 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Grayhaven Winery, 4675 E. Gray Fox Circle, Gum Spring
• $20 – $25, kids get in free!

4. PRIDEFEST 2015

Hopefully Browns Island won’t decide it goes against its religion to do its chosen job, which is to be ground upon which fun festivals happen. PrideFest is all about love and togetherness and, this year, a whole lotta victory. It even has its own Youth Pride Village, which sounds like a good place for LBGTQ kids to hang, or really for anyone to hang.

• Saturday, September 12th • 12:00 – 8:00 PM
• Browns Island
• Free!

5. Richmond Ballet: In Studio

This isn’t until next Wednesday, but it deserves your attention! I spend a lot of time interviewing ballet dancers and I find them to be some of the most warm and impressive people! Maybe it’s just our Richmond Ballet dancers or maybe this is a dancer trait worldwide. I’ll never be able to tell, because I am too loyal to RB to ever even acknowledge the exist of other companies! Anyway, this new series lets you get a drink, see a rehearsal (which are really, really fun to watch–those sinewy physical marvels are doing their feats directly in front of you), and mingle with the dancers, who, they promise, are real people. Great for young professionals who are new to town, even if you don’t know the first thing about dance. I don’t, and I look forward to the ballet’s season every single year.

• Wednesday, September 16th • 6:00 PM
• Richmond Ballet, 407 E. Canal Street
• $25

September 10, 2015 12:17 PM · in Fan of the Fan, Hills and Heights, and more 0