02.20.2024

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52º | 6% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:53 a.m. | Sunset 5:53 p.m.

👋 Hey, sister cities

Meet Richmond’s sister cities

Richmond is a borough of London on the Thames River. | Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Here’s a pop quiz for you. What do Ségou, Mali and Olsztyn, Poland have in command? What about Saitama, Japan and Windhoek, Namibia? They might seem completely unrelated, but they’re all actually Richmond’s sister cities.

The Richmond Sister Cities Commission coordinates these special international relationships, which are mainly focused on sharing cultural activities and encouraging future generations to be engaged global citizens.

Richmond upon Thames, England

We’re not the only Richmond in the world. In fact, our city gets its name from our first sister city, Richmond upon Thames. We officially established the partnership in 1938.

Richmond upon Thames is known for its quaint, appealing outdoor spaces as well as an array of history and arts attractions. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew may even rival Lewis Ginter — it has one of the largest and most diverse botanical collections in the world. The gothic revival Strawberry Hill House is also a timeless tourist attraction.

Olsztyn, Poland

RICtoday_Poland_FishMarket_SisterCity — The Fish Market in Olsztyn had grand ice sculptures during the Christmas Fair.
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Photo by Mazaki

Located on the Łyna River in northeastern Poland, Olsztyn is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Its medieval history begins with the construction of a watchtower in 1334.

The city’s main industries are food processing, furniture manufacturing, and the Michelin Polska tyre company, which is the largest employer in the region.

Highlights include the architecture-rich Old Town and the St. James’ Cathedral, which dates back to the end of the 14th century.

Zhengzhou, China

RICtoday_Zhengzhou_Trains_SisterCity — Trains pass on the Zhengzhou Metro transit line.
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Photo by Windmemories

The capital and largest city of Henan Province, Zhengzhou is a major transportation hub by rail and air. Our sister city relationship began in 1994.

During the Shang Dynasty — around 1600-1050 BCE — Zhengzhou was the capital of China. Remnants from that era can still be found downtown. There’s also the Zhengzhou Confucious Temple, one of the oldest of its kind in China.

3 more sister cities

Events

Tuesday, Feb. 20

VCU Baseball vs. Longwood | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 3-6 p.m. | The Diamond, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | $7-$10 | The Rams face the Lancers in their home opener.
Common Ground Virginia History Book Group | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | This month, the Library of Virginia group will discuss “Heavy Metal: The Hard Days and Nights of the Shipyard Workers Who Build America’s Supercarriers.”
Justin Golden with Devil’s Coattails on Shockoe Sessions Live! | Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | In Your Ear Studios, 1813 E. Broad St., Richmond | $0-$15 | Get tickets to see this local folk-blues show in person or stream it on YouTube.

Wednesday, Feb. 21

UR Women’s Basketball vs. La Salle | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 6 p.m. | Robins Center, 365 College Rd., Richmond | $7 | The Spiders play La Salle in their second-to-last home game of the regular season.
Bat Boy Record Release | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond | $12-$15 | Be among the first to hear the new LP, plus enjoy tunes from Dim Wizard and Madison Turner.

Thursday, Feb. 22

Why Design Matters: Arthur Ashe Boulevard | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, 2501 Monument Ave., Richmond | Free | Register to hear about community engagement, partnerships, messaging, and more from the team behind the naming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
“Daughters of the Dust” | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | This 1991 film follows three generations of Gullah women in the early 20th century.
Champions | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Coalition Theater, 8 W. Broad St., Richmond | $5-$10 | Sarah Ahmed and Jordan Boyd host this stand-up open mic show with champions crowned at the end of the night.

Friday, Feb. 23

New Exhibitions Opening Reception | Friday, Feb. 23 | 6-9 p.m. | Artspace Gallery, 2833-A Hathaway Rd., Richmond | Free | See paintings by Sara Clark, photographs by Carl Patow, and lithography by Andrew Polk at the gallery.

Full events calendar

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Cause

Let your inner kid loose: Slide into a night of whimsical fun

Adults on a carousel during Pretend Again: A Grown-Up Night at the Museum hosted by Children's Museum of Richmond.

Dress up in cocktail atttire for a grown-up playdate at the museum. | Photo by Children’s Museum of Richmond

Remember pillow forts and pretending? Relive the magic of your childhood at Pretend Again: A Grown-Up Night at the Museum.

Indulge in a spectacular bourbon bonanza, engaging games, prizes, live music, and more — all in support of the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s work to ensure all kids have access to play.

This adult-only event will be held on Friday, March 22, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the museum’s downtown location.

Snag tickets

News Notes

Traffic

Crews will begin replacing the bridge on East Broad Street over I-95 in March. Most work will be done during weekend closures, but expect significant traffic and detours as the project continues.

Festival

The Iron Blossom Music Festival will return to the Bon Secours Training Center Sept. 21-22. The festival debuted last year with headlining acts Hozier, Lord Huron, and Noah Kahan. Related: The training center is set to become the new home for the city’s Parks and Recreation department.

Drink

Your last chance to grab a coffee from Roastology’s current location on Cary Street will be this Sunday, Feb. 25. A new cafe and roastery is in the works in Scott’s Addition, but the opening date has not yet been announced.

Biz

Local artisan store Pop of Confetti is relocating from Carytown to a new spot in Bon Air. It’ll host a grand opening on March 23 to welcome customers to the former Maple’s Farmhouse storefront.

Arts

Swing by Ironclad Coffee Roasters at 12 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 22 and you could catch a pop-up performance by Richmond Symphony featured pianist Dinara Klinton. Get a preview and a cup of coffee before Klinton performs at the Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto concerts this weekend.

Theater

The Virginia Opera’s 2023-24 season wraps up in March with performances of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The creative team is led by internationally renowned stage director Mo Zhou. Tickets start at $25 for the March 22 and 24 productions at the Dominion Energy Center.

Award

The 20 albums in the running for the Newlin Music Prize have been announced. The local award honors work by Richmond artists and is decided by a jury and public fan vote. Check out the nominees and cast your vote before Thursday, March 21.

Travel

A friendly reminder to book spring + summer vacations (they’re just around the corner). Looking for privacy? This beachfront Bahamas cottage is perfect for two. Prefer the mountains? Book this newly built Gatlinburg, TN cabin. Want beach time? Walk to St. Simons, GA’s shore from this Vrbo that’s also a treehouse.*

Cause

🦦 Help name this otter

Help name Maymont’s new otter

An otter perched on a rock looks at the camera

You’ve got until Sunday to Adopt an Animal and submit your name suggestion. | Photo via Maymont

Richmond, meet the newest resident at Maymont’s Robins Nature Center. She’s a three-year-old rescued otter who comes to the River City via Louisiana. Maymont is asking the public to help give her a name.

To submit an official suggestion, participate in the Adopt an Animal program before Sunday, Feb. 25. Pro tip: “Adoptions” start at $25 and include an official certificate and animal fact card. Include your otter name idea in the comments box at checkout.

Once suggestions have been collected, the public will be able to vote on the top three choices the week of March 1-8. Look out for the poll on social media.

The winning name will be revealed and the otter will make her debut March 15-17.

The Buy

The Buy 2.20.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Top-rated microfiber pillowcases, because you deserve new, soft pillowcases to sleep on at night. We like how these are wrinkle free (no ironing needed) and are super soft to the touch.

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The Wrap

Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin

From the editor

This RVA Reddit thread of celebrities who are known to have hung out in Richmond was interesting to comb through — comments vary from Bruce Springsteen to Aaron Burr to an alleged Rihanna sighting in Short Pump.

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