5 Things
Summer felt about five seconds long this year, possibly because the good-weather times added up to about two days total. Now’s your chance to catch up on all the RVA-centric things you wanted to do but couldn’t, because you were too busy jammin’ out at festivals.
Looking for things to do with the smaller versions of yourself? Fire up the family wagon and take a looksee at 5 Things for Families.
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1. See a Show
It’s easy to be like, “Oh, the last local band Richmond ever had was that band that was a big deal IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I DISCOVERED THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO BED EARLY.” But not true, my aged friend! The hopeful rockstars of the local variety soldier on, and as the old ones fall, the young ones take up the torch. The venues are better than they used to be, and I promise, no one will look at you funny. I mean, depending on what you’re wearing. So take a chance and try out a new band.
- See our music listings, keep an eye on flyers, and ask around
- Select bars. Try Balliceaux, The Camel, Bogarts, Strange Matter, and Cary St. Cafe
- Varying covers (and sometimes none at all)
2. Tour Your City
The things to tour and the ways to tour are new and exciting. Take a food tour to delight your mouth, a ghost tour to delight your goosebumps, or a Segway tour to delight me, because I really like watching those nerds ride by.1 For real, though, exploring new areas of your city (or old ones in a different way) can make staying at home feel like vacation. Wait, I just had the BEST idea for a word!
- Our events calendar list tours, as do the calendars of other media sites
- Try also Eerie Nights, the Valentine Richmond History Center, and Discover the James.
- These can get pricey, but you can always walk yourself down the Richmond Liberty Trail for free!
3. Watch Some Sports
“Sports. They’re Played by People” continues to be my motto, and those people enjoy your support at their physical games. The Richmond Kickers, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and other sports teams that I assume exist…they’re all wrapping up their seasons and getting into the good stuff of semifinals. No one will call you a fairweather friend—playoffs are exciting! Get some tickets and pretend like you have been intensively supportive all year.
- Check our calendar, or view the calendars on specific sports’ teams websites
- Sporting venues
- Vary wildly. The Flying Squirrels are a kickass way to spend very little money.
4. Do Something Useful
This week marked the 50th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You’re welcome to sit in front of your computer, watching videos (or worse, reenactments) of that famous oration, but you COULD get together with other Richmond citizens who happen to be staging a protest for insignificant trifles, like Jobs and Money. Time to make sure we are still making good on our promises to each other. Join the march on Richmond to protest unfairness between economic classes. There just simply are no jokes about that.
- Saturday, August 31st • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Assemble at Festival Park behind Colisseum
- Free!
5. RVA Wake N’ Sun Fest
And, finally, go to a festival! I’m as serious as a heart attack! Maybe you missed your festival opportunity because you were too busy/scared to stop working/leave your house. Well, the RVA Wake ‘N’ Sun Fest certainly fits your bill. It incorporates the best parts of your regular old run-of-the-mill festivals and adds to that “aquasports.” I don’t know, guys, that sounds super fun to me, and I hear this stand-up paddleboarding craze is off the chain.
- Sunday, September 1st • 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Rockett’s Landing
- $10 in advance, $12 at the door, kids under 12 are free!
Future Things
- Bicycle Film Festival – September 6th-8th
- Fall Line Fest – September 6th-7th
- RVA Street Art Festival – September 11th-15gh
- VCU Broad Street Mile – September 28th
Theatre](https://www.facebook.com/events/186962951479868/) – October 5th - Treehouse of Horror
- The Richmond Folk Festival – October 11th-13th
- Over the Edge – October 17th-18th
- David Sedaris tickets now on sale – October 19th
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Footnotes
- Oh, don’t fall off your weird scooter. Segways are fun and I self-identify as a nerd, too. Nobody looks unhappy on a Segway. ↩
Photo by: Dougtone
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Susan Howson
Susan Howson is managing editor for this very website. She writes THE BEST bios.
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