5 Things: Blacklights, bier, bikes, and bushels of bivalves

If this weekend were a hard, lumpy object, it would be one giant oyster shell.

October 15, 2015; 11:38 AM • by Susan Howson

Photo by: wselman

1. Science After Dark: Glow!

Glow! is like the normal astronomy program plus a bunch of cool stuff: fire dancers and backlights a Cosmic Expedition in the Dome and a showing of Back to the Future II (next week marks the date that Michael J. Fox will careen into our unsuspecting lives as promised by the prophet!). Including a Delorean! Oh, and it’s all so we can learn about luminescence and phosphorescence, the science behind raves.

• Friday, October 16th • 5:00 – 9:00 PM
• Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad Street
• $5 (free for members)

2. Richmond Oktoberfest

Germophiles! Wait, that’s not right. Germanophiles? People who love German culture, or maybe just beer and funny outfits, get yourself to the big, bad Oktoberfest. This one is in a huge hall and involves many accordions and a couple of gallons of beer that you’ll have to fight over with 4,999 other attendees. JK, there will be enough beer to sink the country of Germany. Check out pics from years past!

• Friday, October 16th – Saturday, October 17th • see site for schedule
• Richmond International Raceway, Old Dominion Building, 600 E. Laburnum Avenue
• $12 in advance, $15 at the door

3. Oystoberfest

This year’s Oystoberfest is packed with Rappahannock River Oysters and Olde Salts–raw, steamed, or fried! It’s oyster season and you are duty-bound, as a Virginia, to take advantage of it. Neat things: using the bike valet get you $2 in tickets, there’s a bunch of different beers this time (including a “mystery tap”). There’s also a bunch of brats and kid activities–which I didn’t even start out meaning to be a joke. But now it is!

• Saturday, October 17th • 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 3602 Hawthorne Avenue
• Free to attend, the food’ll cost ya

4. MARTIN’S Tour of Richmond

It’s a gran fondo! Guess what that means? A BUNCH OF BIKES SWARMING ALL OVER RICHMOND!! Yes, RVA! The Big Bike Race™ is back! Well, maybe just a Big Bike Ride™. But didn’t your heart leap and soar just a little bit at the prospect? You can participate in this at whatever speed you wish and at one of three distances–26 miles, 58 miles, and 101 miles. I just threw up at the prospect of the latter. If finish it in as charming a manner as Peter Sagan, we will consider interviewing you separately.

• Saturday, October 17th • waves between 7:30 and 9:30 AM
• Richmond Raceway Complex, 600 E. Laburnum Avenue
• Various prices for various levels of participation

5. Shell-Raiser’s Shindig

Oyster lovers, food lovers, wine lovers, good-time lovers, you are all welcome at the Shell-Raiser’s Shindig, which is a way to thank people for their love of oysters. Why do we, as a people, need to thank each other for loving oysters? Because many, many restaurants and retailers are now participating in the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program, which collects used shells and sticks them into the Chesapeake Bay, giving growing oysters something to cling to, helping the population, helping the coast, helping all of us. Thanks to VOSRP, chefs like Joe Sparatta, Walter Bundy, and Owen Lane are all pitching in and making amazing food for you to eat in a bucolic setting. Don’t freak out, but the Shindig will feature oysters from all seven ofVirginia’s regions. We have more oyster variations than any other place in the country! I urge you to click through and read all about it.

• Sunday, October 18th • 2:00 – 6:00 PM
• Seven Springs Farm, 6831 Dabneys Mill Road, Manquin, Virginia
• $100 (with other options available on the website)

October 15, 2015 11:38 AM · in Fan of the Fan, North Richmond News, and more 0