Inaugural Art Deco Weekend to bring the Roaring ’20s back to RVA

Art Deco Society of Virginia to bring back a bygone era with walking tours, live jazz, a picnic, and more.

August 29, 2014; 9:07 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

The Commonwealth’s bygone Jazz Era will be revived during the Art Deco Society of Virginia’s inaugural Richmond Art Deco Weekend taking place September 6th and 7th.

The weekend is designed to showcase some of the area’s Art Deco architectural marvels as well as give attendees a taste of what it was like to live in Richmond during the Roaring ’20s.

Festivities kick off next Saturday at 1:00 PM with a Jazz Age Walking Tour led by architectural historian and Style Weekly writer Edwin Slipek. The tour, which will be centered in and around the downtown area, will introduce attendees to some of the city’s early 20th century architectural marvels and the stories that accompany them.

Later that evening, a Prohibition Cocktail Party kicks off at The Viceroy in the Museum District at 5:00 PM.

The weekend culminates in the third annual Gatsby Afternoon Picnic taking place Sunday from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM at the historic Wilton House Museum.

The lawn of Wilton House will be transformed into a picturesque scene plucked straight from the pages of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel as guests enjoy an afternoon of vintage music, entertainment, food, fashion and vendors.

The picnic, which began two years ago as a quaint gathering of 50 people, is expected to draw between 400 and 500 attendees this year both locally and from surrounding areas, according to organizers.

Swinging jazz will be provided by the Glenn Crytzer Quartette out of New York City, with special guest performances by Reverend Valentine and Gorman & Tuckwiller.

Other activities and features this year include: