Own your October weekends 🍁

Plan your October weekends in Richmond, VA

Get your month in order at our Events page.

Richmonders are in for a month full of festivals, frights + fall fun this October. We’ve collected weekend activities coming up in the River City so you can plan ahead.

🎉 Festival fans

🎃 Scare squad

Pumpkins and gourds at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden — Fall Flair events at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden include Fall PlantFest and HarvestFest.

🍂 Autumn adorers

Pumpkin Patch Days | Sun., Oct. 9-Mon., Oct. 31 | Times vary | Ginter Park United Methodist Church, 1010 W. Laburnum Ave. | Free entry | Take home a few gourd pumpkins to get you feeling the fall vibes.

Fall Flair | Daily through Halloween | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $17, members free | Explore the seasonal displays throughout the gardens + enjoy live music and Maker’s Market as part of HarvestFest on Sat., Oct. 29.

Don’t miss dozens more events to add from our calendar to yours.

This content is sponsored by Virginia Physicians for Women. Planning ahead? VPFW has personalized care and services you need at every stage of life, from birth control to OB care, mammograms to menopause. Learn more.*

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Today

Andy McKee w/ Calum Graham | Fri., Sept. 30 | 8-10 p.m. | The Tin Pan, 8982 Quioccasin Rd. | $30 | The two acoustic guitarists will perform original songs + classic hits. 🎶
“Bullet Train” | Fri., Sept. 30-Sun., Oct. 2 | Times vary | The Byrd Theatre | $8 | See the action-packed summer flick on the big screen. 🚄
Sounds of September | Fri., Sept. 30 | 6-9 p.m. | James River Cellars Winery, 11008 Washington Hwy. | Free entry | The winery finishes out its summer concert series with music from Simply Us + La Bête food truck. 🍷

Saturday

Chips 4 A Chance | Sat., Oct. 1 | 7-11 p.m. | Acca Shriner’s Ballroom, 1712 Bellevue Ave. | $100+ | Everyone 18+ is welcome to this annual casino-themed fundraiser for Jacob’s Chance. 🎰
Difftober 2022 | Sat., Oct. 1 | 5-11 p.m. | Gallery 5, 200 W. Marshall St. | $15 | Support the local art gallery with an evening of music headlined by The Last Real Circus. 🎨
Västoberfest | Sat., Oct. 1 | 12 p.m. | Väsen Brewing Co., 3331 W. Moore St. | Free entry | Celebrate the season + the brewery’s five-year anniversary with local beer collabs, food trucks and vendors. 🍻

Sunday

Books & Brews | Sun., Oct. 2 | 4-6 p.m. | Intermission Beer Company, 10089 Brook Rd. | Free entry | Talk about whatever book you’re reading + drink beer. 📚
Dorrance Dance, SOUNDspace | Sun., Oct. 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Modlin Center for the Arts, 435 Westhampton Way | $10+ | Get grooving with these tap and jazz performers at the Alice Jopsen Theatre. 💃

Monday

Cultured Cell Culture | Mon., Oct. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad St. | $10+ | Learn something new from Corey McAbee’s third multimedia performance lecture.
11th Annual Keep Virginia Beautiful Golf Tournament | Mon., Oct. 3 | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Stonehenge Golf and Country Club, 1000 Farnham Rd. | $150+ | Join a team, grab a club + spend the day supporting Virginia’s wildlife and environment. ⛳️

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

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Weather

62º | Showers | 100% chance of rain
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a State of Emergency in VA due to Hurricane Ian’s expected impacts. This decision means the state can move rescue resources and equipment quicker. The high winds and heavy rain are forecast to move through tonight throughout the weekend. (ABC8 News)

Festival

Hurricane Ian has canceled this weekend’s 2nd Street Festival. Some of the festivities will continue indoors, with Grandmaster Flash playing a free concert at the Hippodrome Theater tomorrow at 5 p.m. Space will be limited.

Development

City Council approved the re-zoning for the pending City Center Innovation District. These changes mean the imminent demolition of the Richmond Coliseum + create a zoning category for mixed residential and commercial use. Read the most updated plan. 🧱 (Richmond BizSense)
The last few tenants of Virginia Center Commons in Glen Allen are expected to vacate the mall by the end of October. Developers with the $50 million Henrico sports complex will be building hotels + apartments where that property now stands. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Coming Soon

After two years, Stoplight Gelato is set to open shop with another business — Penny’s Wine Shop by RichWine wine delivery. There’s no opening date set for either business at the Brook Road storefront, but watch this space for more on the wine delivery service’s next steps. 🍷

Opening

Magdalena’s Botanica is hosting its grand opening in Church Hill tomorrow at noon. The candle, crystal + bookshop moved from its Chesterfield storefront earlier this month and will be open for new guests through 7 p.m. 🌙

Number

$1 million. That’s how much DoorDash will give to Richmond through Project DASH. The company partnered with mayors around the country, including Mayor Levar Stoney, for this new program to deliver groceries from local food pantries to families in need. 🥦

Community

The Henrico Pet Adoption Center has adopted its new name, thanks to the Henrico Humane Society. The proposed shelter is part of the county’s $500 million collection of capital projects, which include new (and renovated) schools, parks, and fire stations. Voters will choose which projects will receive funding in November’s bond referendum. (NBC12)

Outdoors

The Virginia Capital Trail is turning seven this Saturday + will honor the milestone with a month-long celebration. Register to complete three of these 12 events before Halloween to get commemorative Cap Trail swag. 🚲

Watch

Two VCU students have been featured on TedxTalks YouTube channel this month through TedxVCU. Cynthia Ong (School of Medicine ’24) delivered her talk, “Redefining How We Love” + Madeline Narkinsky ('23) shared their “The Autistic Dialect” speech. Both have nearly 40,000 views. (The Commonwealth Times)

Cause

Earlier this year, Chesapeake Bank launched their ThankU Checking account to serve local heroes (read: emergency responders, veterans, teachers, health care professionals + more), because giving back matters.*

Travel

Who’s planning on traveling out of RIC for the Thanksgiving holiday? Pro tip: It’s never too early to book those flights. Pro, pro tip: Scott’s Cheap Flights Elite Plan gets you up to 90% off premium economy, business, and first class seats. ✈️*

Learn

Bom dia, Richmond. Learning a new language can feel difícil (that’s Portuguese for “difficult”), but with Babbel, it doesn’t have to be. Their bite-size, 10-minute lessons are designed to fit your lifestyle — and right now, you can get 55% off your subscription.*

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Pack the pantry 🪥

FeedTheStreetsRVA adds new hygiene pantry in Richmond, VA

Feed the Streets RVA second pantry filled with toothpaste, feminine products, tissues, and wipes.

Hygiene pantries provide everyday essentials for those in need in the community to look and feel their best. | Photo via @kinfolkcommunityrva

The nonprofit FeedTheStreetsRVA added a new hygiene pantry to the Gilpin Court neighborhood this week. The team worked with Kinfolk Community RVA, a local outreach program in Richmond’s public housing neighborhoods, to build the free cupboard in Gilpin’s community garden.

It works like other local pantries like RVA Community Fridges, but instead of canned goods + produce, there are bars of soap, toothpaste, and feminine care products — all for residents to take what they need for free.

The first pantry opened at the end of April, and can be found behind Mount Olivet Church (1223 N. 25th St.) in Church Hill. The organization refills the shelves monthly, but donations are always encouraged at both pantries. That includes stocking up the toothbrushes or sending $5 through the Feed The Streets Cash App ($feedthestreetsrva.)

A third pantry is already in the works, but no location has been specified yet.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Katie.

Editor’s pick: As I write this in my sweater, fuzzy socks + blanket, I reminisce about basking on the sunny patio of Burger Bach just last week. ☀️

For other summer lovers like me, here’s our guide to heated patios so you can still enjoy the great outdoors if temps keep dropping. (Maybe sip on a mulled wine instead of a chilled sangria?)

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Three cheers for the Three Notch’d expansion + Mural Fest.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Robin Schwartzkopf, Katie Potter, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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