5 Things

If only a certain weather pattern who shall not be named will actually go the way that winter is supposed to go this late in March. But enough about seasonal affective disorder, you can watch, run, eat, drink, watch, and listen enough this weekend to get you through the worst of it.

March 20, 2014; 6:00 AM • by Susan Howson

Family-oriented? Check out 5 Things for Families. You won’t be sorry, and you won’t miss naptime.

1. March Madness! – VCU and UVA Basketball

Have I mentioned “basketball” lately? No? Well, let me bring you up to speed. After last week’s nail-biting loss in the A-10 Tournament to St. Joe’s (may they all choke on their cheesesteaks), VCU bounces back this Friday night with their first NCAA tournament game this year, playing the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at 7:27pm on Tru TV. Mr. Jefferson’s team, the Virginia Cavaliers, plays the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at 9:25pm on TBS…THE SAME NIGHT?? If they both win, we’ll have an equally stressful/exciting day when they play again on Sunday. Someone explain to me how quickly the Cavs and the Rams could be playing each other, because, honestly, you guys all freak me out, and that’ll sound like a good day to finish the storm cellar I am currently panic-digging under my house.

• Friday, March 21st • 7:27 PM (Ramz) and 9:25 PM (Cavz)
• Tru TV and TBS, respectively
• Buy yourself a round and plant yourself in front of a TV!

2. Some Opportunities to Run Five Kilometers

Sometimes I look down at my legs, and I think, “Hey, legs. We’ve had good times and bad times, but it’s time for you to carry me from one point to another point 5.0 kilometers away. With a lot of other people. As quickly as you can.” My legs laugh, because they know and I know that we simply do not own the appropriate footwear. But you might! You have two chances to run an official 5K this weekend: the Run for the Hills and The Hill Topper. It’s a good way to get your heart pumping for The Big Event next weekend. At least, so I hear.

• Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd • see sites for times
• Forest Hill and Church Hill
• See sites for registration prices

3. Church Hill Irish Festival

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but one time I wore velvet plaza pants to the Church Hill Irish Festival. I was 17 with my whole life ahead of me, but that’s what I chose to do with my time. And guys, no one cared. The CHIF is fun, traditional, full of beer, full of food, and full of joy. Check out the schedule online for each day’s musical acts, dances, and whatnot. And check out my closet in the late 90s for some velvet pants.

• Saturday, March 22nd – Sunday, March 23rd • see site for hours
• Go east on Broad Street until you start going up a steep hill and back into history. You’ll find it.
• $5 donation. Free parking on your own, or free parking with shuttle buses from the lot on 17th and Broad

4. Silent Music Revival

One of my fave ideas for an event, the Silent Music Revival puts all these “bands” in town to the ultimate test: composing ad hoc(!) scores for silent films. Extemporaneous scoring, M-Fers!! This time, the film is the classic Mutt and Jeff (Bud Fisher – 1926) and the band is Dumb Waiter. And the audience is you.

• Sunday, March 23rd • 8:00 PM
• Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall Street
• Free!

5. Expand Your Musical Horizons

So many bands and orchestras and other musical artists dropping on our town this weekend, that it makes me wish we each had 100 ears all over our body. Man, it would be so hard to find clothes to fit us, but at least we could hear every musical experience in the world! Am I right? Check out 2 Chainz at Altria Theater, Black Girls at the Camel, Andy Statman at the Modlin Center, and more more more!

• Various dates
• Various places
• Various prices

Future Things

• Richmond Ballet’s New Works Festival • March 25th – 30th
• French Film Festival • March 27th – 30th
• The Rat Pack Is Back • March 28th – 29th
• Monument Avenue 10K • March 29th

Photos by: Will Weaver

March 20, 2014 6:00 AM 1