5 Things: Wine, video games, burlesque, fake political debates, and trucks crushing stuff

Democrats. Republicans. Wine lovers. Video game lovers. Really big truck lovers. This is easily one of the most varied weekends in Richmond ever.

February 18, 2016; 11:19 AM • by Rachel Marsh

Photo by: aFrozenMoment

1. Wine!

1a. Virginia Wine Expo

Why commit to a whole glass of wine when you can get a pour of a bunch of wines? Enter: Virginia Wine Expo. Try a whole assortment of wines, plus snacks and meals. And a little craft beer will even manage to sneak itself in somehow. It always does.

• Wednesday, February 17th – Sunday, February 21st • see site for schedule
• Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. 3rd Street
• Various events, various prices!

1b. Winter Wine Festival

If you’re not too wined-out from the Virginia Wine Expo (ha! Just kidding! As if!), take a stroll up to Staunton to see what they have to offer. I’ll give you a hint, it’s wine.

• Saturday, February 20 • 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center, 24 S. Market Street, Staunton
• $20 in advance/$25 at the door

2. Monster Jam 2016

I’ve never really been a big fan of monster trucks, but after reading more about it (and perhaps spending an entire afternoon watching YouTube clips) I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I DIDN’T GET INTO IT SOONER. Massive trucks going off ramps and crushing tiny cars and running into things…I would highly recommend taking the rest of the day off work to look at monster truck videos. And then go see it live!

• Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th • 7:30 PM
• Richmond Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh Street
• $20 – $30

3. Blacklist Burlesque Presents: The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me

Jim Henson has done so much for us; he’s enhanced imaginations, created unforgettable characters, and been a staple to childhoods all around the world. It’s about time that someone paid tribute to him and his accomplishments. And who better to do so than a group of saucy, hardly-clothed burlesque dancers?

• Saturday, February 20th • 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM
• Richmond CenterStage, 600 E. Grace Street
• $12

4. Richmond Symphony Presents: Video Games Live

For everyone who spent the big snowstorm trapped inside and disappointed that they couldn’t go to Richmond Symphony’s Video Games Live event, I have good news. For everyone who didn’t even know about the Video Games Live event but loves the idea of listening to classical versions of popular video games, I have good news. Video Games Live has been postponed to this weekend! So grab your tickets for this no-snow-included concert put on by the Richmond Symphony, featuring music from some of the best video games ever.

• Saturday, February 20th • 8:00 PM
• Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel Street
• $20-$70

5. Trump vs. Bernie

Forget South Carolina; this weekend, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are coming to Richmond for a live political debate. Okay, maybe it’s not really Bernie and Trump (sorry, it’s comedians), and maybe it’s not an actual political debate (it’s funny on purpose). But it is almost completely improvised and way more entertaining than any politics you see on TV. So come on, Let’s make America great again, people. (That was my attempted impression of Donald Trump. It’s way better in person ¹).

• Sunday, February 21st • 7:00 PM
• The Broadberry, 2729 W. Broad Street
• $15 in advance, $20 at the door

February 18, 2016 11:19 AM · in Fan of the Fan and Shockoe News 0