5 things

We’ve got such a great sampling of Richmond events this weekend! One might equate it to T.G.I. Friday’s Pick Three For All Sampler, except there are five things here and they are less likely to contribute to the obesity epidemic in this country. Yeah. Well, moving on…

August 19, 2010; 6:00 AM • by Valerie Catrow

We’ve got such a great sampling of Richmond events this weekend! One might equate it to T.G.I. Friday’s Pick Three For All Sampler, except there are five things here and they are less likely to contribute to the obesity epidemic in this country. Yeah. Well, moving on…

1. Mekong’s 15th Anniversary

An Mekong is probably one of the most beloved restaurant owners in this city, so this celebration is sure to be packed. An will tap a rare keg from his private collection every 15 or 20 minutes while party-goers enjoy a performance from The New Belgians.

• Thursday, August 19 (first keg tapped at 5pm, band goes on at 9pm)
• Mekong (6004 W. Broad Street)
• Pay as you go (no tickets this year)

2. The Wiggles Wiggle Circus

I don’t claim to understand the appeal of The Wiggles, but I do know that all toddlers (including my own) go batshit crazy over them. The excitement on my child’s face when these gentlemen come on the television screen makes me able to forgive them for this song being in my head pretty much every day:

• Thursday, August 19 (6:30pm)
• Carpenter Theater at Richmond CenterStage (600 E. Grace Street)
• $17-$77 (See Ticketmaster website for details)

3. Best Friends Day 9

It’s baaaaaaaaaack. This Very Richmond event promises three days of bands, good-natured riffraff, and a chance to hang out with all of your friends…and all of your friends’ friends… and all of your friends’ friends’ friends. Festivities include a Field Day, performances from the likes of Andrew W.K., Tim Barry, No BS Brass, Government Warning (just to name a few), and a super-fun day swimming and hanging out at Hadad’s Lake.

• Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22 (see website for event start-times)
• Various locations (see website for details)
• Costs vary (see website for details)

4. Anthem Moonlight Ride

If you’re not familiar with the Anthem Moonlight Ride (now in its second year) here’s a look at what happened last year:

Enjoy a lovely nighttime ride through Richmond’s Northside and Near West End — 17 miles for the “Full Moon” or 8 miles for the “Half Moon.” If you really want to get into the spirit, decorate your bike (or yourself) for a chance to win the best bike costume award or a prize for best decorative lights. After the ride, enjoy a free soft drink or Blue Moon beer, and check out a free concert from Farm Vegas.

• Saturday, August 21 (6pm packet pick-up; 8pm start-time)
• Sports Backers Stadium (100 Avenue of Champions, near the Diamond)
• $10-$35 (see website for details)

5. Band Together for the Well

Come enjoy an evening of live music, spoken word, and visual arts in support of United Families for Sudan who is working in conjunction with local artist (and Sudan native) Awer Bul to raise funds to build a much-needed well in Southern Sudan. This is an all ages show, so feel free to bring the whole fam!

• Sunday, August 22 (3pm to 9p)
• Capital Ale House – Downtown (623 E. Main Street)
• $10 donation

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!

And just for kicks, tell us what you’re planning to do this weekend. Will you be stopping by any of these shin-digs or do you have other excellent plans?

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.

August 19, 2010 6:00 AM 0