5 Things

Taking a break from music this weekend after last week’s exhausting but fulfilling Fall Line Fest. Oh, it’s still all exhausting and fulfilling though. Comic Con, artsencrafts, drinking your weight in beer, basking in food truck glory, and hauling tires out of a river.

September 11, 2014; 7:18 AM • by Susan Howson

1. The Tire-Less James

It’s like bobbing for apples, only the apples are made of rubber and are very heavy. And also the barrel is the James. And also I…can’t really recommend putting your face in that thing. I do recommend trying to grab a tire with your teeth, though, but only if you’re taking photos for me to admire. The Tire-Less James sounds like one of the more fun and rewarding volunteer events out there–just scooting along the surface of our fave river, pulling out tires, and sticking them on a boat. You register for a river section, and while you paddle proudly, think about all of the people throughout the state who are doing the same! Person with the most tires at the end of the day gets to put the smallest kid in one and roll them down Libby Hill.

• Saturday, September 13th; on your own schedule
• The Rivah
• Free (unless you’ve gotta rent yourself a boat)

2. 43rd Street Festival of the Arts

Normally when someone’s 23, you’ve just gotta grit your teeth and listen semi-patiently to all their weird dating stories, wishing they’d remember to bring their wallet to this beer hangout once in awhile. But they’re so beautiful and naive that you can’t help but forgive them. In its 23rd iteration, the 43rd Street Festival of the Arts, over in Forest Hill, is a whole lotta beauty but almost no weird dating stories. And you’re the one who has to remember to bring your wallet. Think jewelry, high-level crafts, pottery, fashion, and food/music/fun. Can’t wait until 27, the year that this arts festival turns in early on a Friday night for the very first time.

• Saturday, September 13th • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Forest Hill Avenue and W. 43rd Street
• Free to attend!

3. Richmond Comic Con 2014

Comic Con is not what you think: a laugh-a-minute romp about a stand-up comedian who goes to prison for entertaining everyone’s socks off–and then stealing their socks! Comic Con, for those who are too cool to know, is basically a big geekfest (or is it nerdfest?). At any rate, everyone’s having lots of fun celebrating their favorite comic book characters (and related ephemera). Scheduled to appear (among many others, 100% male, for some reason): Dave Bautista (aka Drax), Ron Perlman (aka Hellboy), James Marsters (aka Spike), and BRUCE CAMPBELL. REPEAT: BRUCE CAMPBELL, the hero of Evil Dead and the master of hearts and chins.

• Friday, September 12th – Sunday, September 14th • see site for times
• Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. Third Street
• See site for rates

4. Central Virginia Food Truck Rodeo

Remember when it was like, “OMG we have one food truck. OMG we have two. OMG we have enough to have a court.” Well, ladies and germs, we now have the quorum of food trucks necessary to throw a rodeo, which is the next step up. After this will be: Food Truck Army, Food TruckCorp, Food Truck Galaxy, and then who cares because we’ll all just be food trucks. Check out this intense listing!

• Sunday, September 14th • 12:00 – 7:00 PM
• Chesterfield Towne Center, 11500 Midlothian Turnpike
• Free to attend!

5. Brews & You

I’m mostly joking when I say this, so don’t expect it next week, but what if we just had a 5 Beery Things column every week? There are almost TOO MANY beer-related events for little old me to cover, particularly because…guys…greyhounds are a clearly superior drink. Just this weekend: Richmond Spoke & Hope Fest 2014 at Hardywood, COTU Oktoberfest, James River Writers’ Books & Brews, Brews & Burlesque at Strangeways, and Beers and Banjos at the Camel, featuring Clay Spokes. Then, I think we should all take this week to sober up and think hard about varying up the way we name events that involve beer and another variable. Suds and X? X: ft. Brewskis? A Cold One and a Hot X. Or maybe just X, because at this point, beer seems like a given!

• All weekend • see individual sites for times
• See sites for locations
• Varies!

Photo by: Curtis Gregory Perry

September 11, 2014 7:18 AM 1