Lucky you. You just found RICtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events taking place in Richmond each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to in February. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back — we update our guide monthly.
Want to keep searching? Check out our full events calendar.
Valentine’s Day
Friday, Feb. 13
Friday the 13th Valentines | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | The Poe Museum | Price of admission | For the gothic romantics, craft Victorian-inspired cards and get poetic in Poe’s Enchanted Garden.
Galentine’s Day Pop-Up | Friday, Feb. 13 | 5-10 p.m. | The Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel | Free entry, RSVP | Grab something sweet and join local vendors for romance novel book swaps, photobooth moments, and permanent jewelry fittings.
Valentine’s Beer + Chocolate Guided Tasting | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Hardywood, West Creek | $35 | Go solo, with a bestie, or with your partner to try beer flights and Gearharts Fine Chocolates.
Honky Tonk Valentine’s Dance | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5 | $12+ | Tip yer hat, grab yer pardner, and get to boot-scootin’.
Lonely Hearts Club Dance Party | 10 p.m.-2 a.m. | Susie’s Delicatessen | $5 | Every city needs a safe space for “lonely hearts” to fall in love with the dance floor.
Saturday, Feb. 14
Find Your Purrfect Match: Market + Adoption Event | 12-4 p.m. | Basic City Beer Co. | Free entry | This could be the meet-cute for you and your new BFF (Best Fur Friend).
Valentine’s Day Cabaret | 8 p.m. | DreamHaus | $10+ | Attend a special, seductive edition of this Shockoe theater’s classic cabaret.
Club 90s: Heated Rivalry Night | 9 p.m. | The National | $35+ | If you know you know — dance your heart out.
Sunday, Feb. 15
Trio Coffee + Secret Flowers Valentine’s Market | 12-4 p.m. | Secret Flowers | Price of purchase | Grab coffee and bagels, and check to see if Secret Flowers has any 5-foot-tall roses left in stock.
Black History Month
Nu West: Black Western Film Series | Wednesday, Feb. 4-Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 6:30 p.m. | Institute for Contemporary Art | Free, RSVP | Four film screenings aim to inspire conversation about Black cinema and the American West.
Black History Month Kick-Off Celebration | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 12-3 p.m. | Gateway Dining and Event Center | Free | Party into the afternoon with Evolution Band, DJ Reggie Mac, and line dancing by Break It Down RVA.
Wine Quirks: History, Craft, and Community (21+) | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 6-8 p.m. | Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel | $35 | Guest speakers will guide folks through the event, but there will be plenty of time for socializing and wine-sipping in between.
Black History Month Celebration | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 12-3 p.m. | Library of Virginia | Free | Originally rescheduled due to weather, you still have time to plan for this artist and storyteller celebration.
Have a free day on your calendar? Visit the VMFA’s latest special exhibit, “Giants,” which features over 130 works by 40 Black artists.
Photo by RICtoday
Festivals + holidays
ChinaFest: Family Day | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts | Free | Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year at the Year of the Fire Horse.
Snowball Festival | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | River City Sportsplex, Midlothian | Free | Expect music, food, inflatables, and a synthetic ice rink.
Garden Ink (18+) | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 5-9 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $20+ | Celebrate and learn more about the art of botanical tattoos.
Mardi Gras Party | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 1 p.m. | Get Tight Lounge | Free entry | The party starts at 1 p.m., Pay Rent Brass Band takes the stage at 3 p.m., and Food + drink specials last the whole event.
Fat Tuesday Second Line | Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 5 p.m. | Get Tight Lounge | Second Line kicks off at 5 p.m., but you can stick around for Bounce Night with Hip Hop Henry starting at 10 p.m.
RVA Ren Faire: Lunar New Year Party | Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 6-9 p.m. | Black Heath Meadery | Free | Try a sip of G’Knight Moon, our local Renaissance Faire’s collaborative mead with Black Heath.
RVA Environmental Film Festival | Saturday, Feb. 21-Saturday, March 7 | Locations vary | Free | Check the schedule for nearly two-dozen screenings happening across the River City.
World Wildlife Day | Saturday, Feb. 28 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Maymont | $8+ | Head to The Robins Nature Center to connect with local wildlife and catch an Environmental Film Fest screening.
Spontaneous Fun
RVA Ren Faire: “The Princess Bride” | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 1-5 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre | $15 | Not only will you catch a classic movie screening, but a live fencing demonstration and a costume contest as well.
Art Unveiling Event | Thursday, Feb. 12 | 6-7 p.m. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Cochrane Atrium | Free | Get a first look at the 8th annual RVA Community Makers art installation.
Muttminster/Meowminster Dog + Cat Show | Sunday, Feb. 22 | 12-4 p.m. | Main Street Station | Free | Simply put, see local pets strut their stuff.
K-Pop for Everyone Dance Class | Sunday, Feb. 22 | 1-2 p.m. | The Valentine | Free, RSVP | Learn something new, and explore two more upcoming classes — all free.
Theater + performances
“Penelope” | Thursday, Jan. 29-Sunday, Feb. 8 | Times vary | Firehouse Theater | $45 | Meet Penelope as she waits for her husband Odysseus to come home from a decade-long war.
“Giselle” | Friday, Feb. 13-Sunday, Feb. 15 | Times vary | Dominion Energy Center | $31+ | Spend Valentine’s Day with this emotional performance by Richmond Ballet.
“Shrek The Musical” | Friday, Feb. 13-Sunday, Feb. 22 | Times vary | Cultural Arts Center, Glen Allen | $20 | This production does not take place in a swamp, but it channels that vibe.
Virginia is for Burlesque Lovers | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 8-11 p.m. | Gallery5 | $20+ | This fundraiser event will raise awareness in the most glamorous fashion.
“Hi-Hat Hattie” | Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 7 p.m. | Cultural Arts Center, Glen Allen | $25 | Experience this “solo musical tour-de-force” recalling the storied history of the first African American woman to sing on radio.
Concerts
Holler Choir + Drunk Mother | Thursday, Feb. 5 | 8 p.m. | The Camel | $15+ | Hailing from Asheville, NC, Holler Choir brings Appalachian sound to Richmond.
Club 90s: Heated Rivalry Night | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 9 p.m. | The National | $35+ | If you know you know.
Love is King Tour: Evening with Gregory Porter | Thursday, Feb. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Altria Theater | $66+ | Join the crowd for a night of soul and jazz with this acclaimed vocalist.
Richmond Symphony: Let’s Groove Tonight | Friday, Feb. 20 | 7 p.m. | Dominion Energy Center, Carpenter Theatre | $20+ | Hear renditions of all-time favorites by musicians and bands such as The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross.
Count on local venues like The Camel to find rising talent in Richmond’s music scene.
Photo of Circle the Drain by Claire Johnson
Sports
River City Fight Night: Charity Boxing Event | Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 7 p.m. | Great American Ranch, Midlothian | $79+ | Local professionals and WBC title fighters square up in support of the nonprofit Guardian of the Gloves.
“The Biggest Super Bowl Sunday in Richmond” | 6:30 p.m. | The Park RVA | Lock down a place to watch the game, and fuel the party with the Ultimate Game Day Platter.
🏀 If you’re joining the stands for college basketball season, here’s a shortcut to find schedules for the VCU Rams, UR Spiders, and VUU Panthers.
Share your event
Have an event of your own you’d like to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page. Click or tap this button.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right corner. Create a login and input your event information. We’ll need the name, link, date(s), time(s), location, price, and a brief description.
- Click “Submit,” and — ta-da — you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.
Want to guarantee coverage for your event? Take a look at our promotional offerings.