5 Things: Roses, races, music, dance, plays, fests, and non-fests

See a play, run a race, watch a guy make salt, join a Bolivian dance parade, buy some records…but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. That’s actually a real thing.

October 8, 2015; 12:35 PM • by Susan Howson

Photo by: johnb/Derbys/UK.

1. Richmond Folk Festival

It is possibly Richmond’s favorite event, and one we do quite well. This year, the Bolivian Dance parade will be a cool thing, as will just about everything else. Here’s our guide to what you’ll be seeing, hearing, and experiencing this year.

• Friday, October 9th – Sunday, October 11th • see schedule online
• Browns Island, the Downtown Riverfront, you know, over there
• Free (but do please bring some cash to donate)

2. Fall Race Season!

If you’re the active type and also the goal-setting type or maybe the competitive type. Or maybe just the restless type? Whatever type you may be, it’s possible you’re also the racing type! There are four events going on this weekend, and you can see them in Kathryn Pullam’s Rundown (scroll to the bottom). If that’s not enough time for you to prepare, check out ones for upcoming weekends through November, handily organized for your competitive pleasure!

• This weekend and many weekends in the future
• All over the place
• Almost certainly not free

3. Theater Options

Quill Theatre opens David Mamet’s American Buffalo, which you should definitely see, and Buyer and Cellar is another comedy that is generating excitement from theater fans all over the country. Jen Maciulewicz also really liked The Fabulous Lipitones (my computer really wants me to say “Lipton’s” instead, but my computer needs to get some frigging culture, because seriously) at the Hanover Tavern, which is still running. And the Peter and the Starcatcher phenomenon has been well-received at the Virginia Rep–the book was written by Dave Barry, who my mom loves, and the play is a prequel of Peter Pan, which I love, so basically I should probably take my mother to this, is what I’m saying.

• Click on all those above links for times, but they’re basically showing all weekend
• The Basement, the November Theatre, RTP, and Hanover Tavern (check those sites above)
• Various prices

4. Rose Fest

A festival of roses! Why not! They only smell awesome and look amazing, why shouldn’t we have a festival for them. We have a festival for oysters, which do not look amazing, and we have a festival for beer, which looks super boring and smells like whatever. We have a festival for lights, which smell like nothing, and we have a festival for bacon which…OK, you got me on that one. The bacon festival is kind of like the rose festival, only, please, do not eat Lewis Ginter’s roses. But you can eat other stuff at this fest! There’s also a “Gourd Quest” for kids, which seems like it would tap into that weird part of their brains that loves Minecraft. This Saturday, Capitol Opera and Richmond Ballet will both be putting on various performances in the afternoon, and on Sunday, the Latin Ballet of Virginia closes it out!

• Saturday, October 10th – Sunday, October 11th • 12:00 – 3:00 PM
• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Avenue
• $12 for adults, $8 for kids (free for 2 and under), and free for members

5. VG Minus — A Richmond Record Affair

Steady Sounds and Vinyl Conflict present a big ol’ record fair with so many vendors and sellers that the record collector in your household is going to do that weird cartoon thing when a wolf sees a hot lady and his eyes bug out and his tongue rolls out of his mouth. That’s what the record collector in my household is doing right now, and it is weirding me out to the max. Put those eyes back in your sockets, record collector, and set yourself a budget. Then, go forth and stock up on Christmas presents for yourself! (See site for complete listing.)

• Sunday, October 11th • 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 2408 Ownby Lane
• Free to attend!

October 8, 2015 12:35 PM · in Greater Jackson Ward News, James River, and more 0