5 things

There are some weeks when I’m kind of blown away by how much goodness Richmond has to offer. This, my friends, is one of them. Take a look at our picks for the week… and be sure to enter our sweet giveaway.

February 18, 2010; 6:00 AM • by Valerie Catrow

There are some weeks when I’m kind of blown away by how much goodness Richmond has to offer. This, my friends, is one of them. Take a look at our picks for the week… and be sure to enter our sweet giveaway.

1. Sit-in|Stand-out

Virginia Union University and Richmond CenterStage have teamed up to provide a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Richmond 34, a group of VUU students who staged (and were subsequently arrested for) a sit-in at the Thalhimers “Whites Only” lunch counter. Events include a chapel service led by Reverend Leroy M. Bray, Jr. (one of the Richmond 34), a commemoration marker ceremony at VUU, performances of Othello by Richmond Shakespeare and the African American Repertory Theatre, and an evening of reflection with John Legend. Locations, times, and ticket prices vary, so check out our list of scheduled events to learn more.

2. Maymont Flower & Garden Show

What better way to shake off those winter blues than a weekend spent focused planning your spring garden? Wow, I almost made it sound like I actually *have* a spring garden. Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21, Greater Richmond Convention Center (403 N. 3rd Street), $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for kids (11 and under are free). Tickets are available for purchase online through the MAC Events website.

Giveaway: We’ve got a pair of tickets to the Flower & Garden show to pass along to one lucky winner. Enter to win the tickets here. Contest closes at noon today (yes, this is a quick one).

3. LolliPops: Peter and the Wolf

Obviously we’ve got a little thing for Peter and the Wolf over here. But seriously, this show is a great opportunity to give your kids the music bug. Not only will they get to hear a classic story, they’ll also be introduced to different instruments in the orchestra. Top the day off with a viewing of the Disney adaptation (which you can watch on YouTube here and here), and you’ve got yourself a lovely day of multimedia enrichment. Saturday, February 20, 11am, Carpenter Theatre (600 E. Grace Street), $12-$17. Tickets are available for purchase online through Ticketmaster.

4. 7th Annual Italian Film & Food Festival

An afternoon spent gorging yourself on food from the likes of Edo’s Squid, 8 1/2, and Mama ‘Zu while watching wacky Italian movies? *That* is a recipe for a wonderful day (and a very, very long nap). Saturday, February 20, 11am, Planet Zero (0 E. 4th Street), individual films are $15 per tickets, all-day passes are $45 (tickets include Italian food and coffee). For more information on the scheduled films and your food options, stop by the Richmond Moving Image Co-op website.

5. 2010 North American Squash Open

The sport, not the food. You may not know this, but this tournament is way legit in the squash world. Players from all over the globe will be convening in Richmond to compete for over $90k in total prize money. Sunday, February 21 through Saturday, February 27, Millhiser Gym (University of Richmond), $10 (additional sponsorship opportunities available). For more on the tournament schedule and ticket options, stop by the North American Squash Open website or head over to their Facebook page. (And if you’re not super familiar with the sport itself, check out our coverage of last year’s tournament.)

If none of these look particularly compelling (although I can’t imagine why), perhaps I can interest you in our Events Calendar for more ideas?

And as usual, if you’d like to give special shout-outs to happenings this weekend, leave them in the comments!

(Don’t forget: If you’ve got an event in the works that you’d like to see featured, send it our way.)

As the editor of RVANews, Valerie Catrow spends most of her time wrangling people over email and muttering to herself about the content calendar. She also contributes to our parenting column while maintaining her own blog, Made in Richmond. It should be noted that she loves tots, both the potato and child varieties.

February 18, 2010 6:00 AM 3