5 things

Three-day weekend alert! That means you have even more time to soak up Richmond’s offerings ‘o’ fun. Check our top picks for what’s shaking around town.

May 27, 2010; 12:00 PM • by Valerie Catrow

Three-day weekend alert! That means you have even more time to soak up Richmond’s offerings ‘o’ fun. Check our top picks for what’s shaking around town.

1. Sesame Street Live

Anyone looking to make his/her kid’s head explode with joy should make plans to check this one out. The description is so adorable I just might throw up (in a good way… if that’s possible):

Elmo has raised his sunflower, Sunny, from a seed, but his floral friend has outgrown the flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink! While Abby searches for just the right words to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn some big lessons about patience, overcoming their fears and appreciating the role that each creature plays in our ecosystem – from dancing ladybugs and beautiful butterflies to grouchy beetles that scavenge the garden floor. Will being small help Sunny grow tall?

This marks Sesame Street Live’s 30th season on tour, meaning that a good portion of the parents taking their kids will have seen this when they were little. There’s sure to be lots of “feelings” and “reminiscing” going on.

• Thursday, May 27 through Sunday, May 30 (morning, afternoon, and evening shows scheduled, see website for details)
• Landmark Theatre (6 N. Laurel Street)
• $13-$27

2. Cherry Bomb Presents : RVyAy!

The brains behind Richmond’s only all-female DJ collective bring you a “rock and shop” charity event to benefit Gallery 5 and Books on Wheels. The two-day funfest includes food from local favorites like Ellwood Thompson’s and Cous Cous, handmade goodies and home-baked treats available for purchase from over 25 regional vendors, live music, and oh so much more. Remember to bring cash!

• Friday, May 28 from 7pm to 11pm and Saturday, May 26 from 12pm to 6pm
• Gallery 5 (200 W. Marshall Street)
• Friday costs $8 and gets you food, first dibs at items for sale, and music from the likes of No BS! Brass Band, David Schultz, Jonathan Vassar, and the ladies of Cherry Bomb. Saturday costs $2, giving you access to shopping, a cash bar, and pizza available for purchase by the slice!

3. Tiffany: Color and Light

This is the first major exhibit to come to the VMFA since the opening of the new wing, so get stoked. Tiffany: Color and Light is “the most important exhibition of the work of renowned designer and master of glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933) in a generation,” and the VMFA will be the ONLY American museum to show it. Take that, New York City!

• Opens Saturday, May 29 (runs through August 15); museum hours are 10am to 5pm daily, open until 9pm on Thursdays
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (200 N. Boulevard)
• $15; $12 for seniors, students, and kids ages 7 to 17 (free for members and kids 6 and under)

4. Ashland Firehouse Theater: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Sure, sure, Ashland is a bit of trek, but HELLO, it’s the film that started it all! And in an effort to get to know each other better, here’s a fun fact about Raiders of the Lost Ark and yours truly:

My dad once directed John Rhys-Davies (the guy who played Sallah and would later go on to portray Gimli in Lord of the Rings) in some voice-over work. Later, we all went out to lunch, and Mr. Rhys-Davies bought me a piece of chocolate cake. I realize this story probably won’t convince you to go see the movie, but has a semi-movie-star ever bought YOU dessert? Doubtful.

• Saturday, May 29 at 7:30pm
• Ashland Firehouse Theater (201 Duncan Street)
• $6

5. Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial

Let’s not forget why we have a three-day weekend. Join members of the American Legion, 11th District to honor those brave men and women of the U.S. Military who died while serving in our country.

• Monday, May 31 from 10am to 11am
• Virginia War Memorial (621 S. Belvidere Street)
• Free

None of these sound good? Check out our Events Calendar for more fun stuff going on around town.

As always, if you know of something that deserves a shout out, please do so in the comments OR submit it to the calendar yourself!

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.

May 27, 2010 12:00 PM 0