5 Things

There are lots of things to do this weekend that aren’t quite on the beaten path. Two of those things feature poetry, two are on a stage, two are festival-esque, and one involves Helen Mirren. So it’s almost like you got seven things today!

June 13, 2013; 6:50 AM • by Susan Howson

For those of you who want to dig a little deeper into the world of family-oriented Things, head over to our new 5 Things for Families. But then head back. I’ll get lonely.

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1. Family Camp

I’ll be honest, I’m getting a little sick of festivals. The crowds, the heat, the lines, the media firestorm on Monday about the lack of parking…sick of it all! I figure the exact opposite would be a nice, refreshing literary read. Celebrated authors who hail from RVA will be slingin’ their stuff and talkin’ their talk: poet Jack Christian, novelist Gabe Durham, and poet AND novelist, Allison Titus. Go cleanse your brain and pique your creativity.

• Friday, June 14th • 6:00 PM
• Chop Suey Books, 2913 W. Cary Street
• Free!

2. Richmond Vegetarian Festival 2013

What? Who said that about being sick of festivals? Not me! The Vegetarian Festival is my favorite—a comfortably shaded event in a lush, green setting, peppered with happy people enjoying food that has actual, non-greasy flavor with thousands of tasty variations guaranteed to leave your arteries unblocked (ohhhh, vegetarian-BURN, Bacon Fest!).

• Saturday, June 15th • 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• Azalea Gardens at Bryan Park
• Free to attend!

3. The Comedy of Errors at Agecroft Hall

Some (lame) cities have Shakespeare in the Park. We’ve got Shakespeare at an old-ass estate! Richmond Shakespeare kicks off their annual bard festival with one of his funniest. Grab your pantaloons and doublet, brush off your iambic pentameter, and go ahead and make yourself a pointy little beard while you’re at it.

• Saturday, June 15th – Sunday, July 7th • 8:00 PM
• Agecroft Hall, 4305 Sulgrave Road
• $28 for adults, $14 for children

4. Juneteenth 2013

Hey whoa, whoa. Is it Juneteenth time again ALREADY? We highly recommend celebrating the day that slavery was abolished by jammin’ out with the Elegba Folklore Society. Their annual party features bands, artists, speakers, crafts, moonlit walks, reflective moments, food, and all that regular jazz, but this year they’ve got a guy who goes through each moment in Django Unchained and finds hidden messages from African-American ancestors?? Way to swoop in with the unexpectedly hip, EFS!

• Friday, June 14th (Symposium and Concert) – Saturday, June 15th (Reflective Celebration) • see site for times
• Pine Camp Arts Center, 4901 Old Brook Road
• Friday is $15 per individual or $25 for couple, Saturday is free!

5. NT Live: The Audience (ft. Helen Mirren)

Helen Mirren, the elderly actress that we all kind of find a little sexy, hits the stage in London. A live simulcast will beam us all into a British reverie, while Mirren rejoins with the writer of The Queen, Peter Morgan. Guess, at some point, she will just become the Queen in real life, right?

• Sunday, June 16th • 3:00 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $7-$13

Future Things

• Sheryl Crow (POSTPONED TO JULY 11TH), B. B. King, Pat Benatar and more at Innsbrook – see schedule
• Friday Cheers lives on
• Arts and Culture Xpo – June 29th
• David Sedaris tickets now on sale – October 19th

Photo by: Anne Aurelia Lewis

June 13, 2013 6:50 AM 0