5 Things for Families

This list includes opportunities for you to both eat hot dogs AND help actual dogs. I’m not sure what that means, but it seemed worth noting. OK, here we go!

July 23, 2014; 8:34 AM • by Valerie Catrow

1. National Hot Dog Day

Someone somewhere decided that today, July 23rd, is National Hot Dog Day… let’s just go with it. Sonic and 7-Eleven will offer $1 hot dogs throughout the day, or you could try out some local establishments like Joey’s Hot Dogs in Innbrook or Scooby’s Hot Dogs on the Northside.

Wednesday, July 23rd • all hot dogs, all day
Wherever the hot dogs flow like wine
Prices will vary

2. Marble Run Mania

All ages are welcome to take part in this free event designed to put your engineering skills to the test. Create a marble run of your own and take part in a race for prizes. Important side note: Ginter Park Library is carpeted, so those of you cringing at the thought of constant clatter as marbles inevitably crash to the floor can rest easy.

Wednesday, July 23rd • 3:00 — 4:00 PM
Ginter Park Library, 1200 Westbrook Avenue
Free

3. Richmond SPCA Fundraiser at Gap

All of these catalogs keeping popping through our mail slot and declaring it’s time to start back-to-school shopping. Even though I’m not sure how that’s possible, this event has me considering it. Bring pet food and pet supply donations for the SPCA to the Gap’s Stony Point location and receive 25 percent off all regular price items. Come on, think of the puppers and kittehs.

Friday, July 25th through Sunday, July 27th • open from 10:00 AM — 9:00 Friday and Saturday, 12:00 — 6:00 PM on Sunday
Gap at Stony Point Fashion Park, 9200 Stony Point Parkway
Whatever your budget is, man

4. American Girls Book Group

Confession: a friend of mine has an eight-year-old daughter who just got an American Girl doll (this one, if you were wondering…and I know a lot of you were) as a reward for a major accomplishment. It takes everything in me to not ask to brush the doll’s hair when I’m over at their house. What I’m saying is, I would go to this event if it didn’t make me a total creepster. And apparently they discuss a different American Girl each month!

Friday, July 25th • 7:00 PM
Short Pump Barnes & Noble, 11640 W. Broad Street
Free

5. 2014 Be The Match Walk/Run

A little background from the Be The Match website:

“Every year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma, sickle cell anemia or other life-threatening diseases. Seventy percent of people do not have a donor in their family and depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a match to save their life.”

You (and your whole family!) have quite a few options with this event–1K, 5K, kids run, something called a “tot trot” which sounds adorable–and proceeds go towards Be The Match and its efforts to find bone marrow donors for those who so desperately need them. If you’re not on the bone marrow registry, learn more about it here. I joined a couple years ago and the registration process is easy-peasy.

Saturday, July 26th • gates open at 7:00 AM, and the opening program is a t 8:00 AM
Brown’s Island, Tredegar Street and 5th Street Footbridge
$10-$35 (see website for details)

Photo by: stevendepolo