Plus, sales tax holiday set for this weekend
 
07.31.2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE
6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

95º | 15% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:13 a.m. | Sunset 8:18 p.m.
 

🗓️ Your guide to events this August

Your guide to River City summer events
RICtoday_804Day_MayorStoney_Stage
Mayor Levar Stoney spoke at the first 804 Day fest last year. | Photo by RICtoday
We’re in the dog days of summer now, Richmond. Here’s our preview of events to look forward to in August, from live music to nights at the Diamond to some local favorite festivals.

804 Day: Richmond’s Biggest Block Party | Friday, Aug. 2 | 4-9 p.m. | 17th Street Market | Free | Celebrate all things local with 15+ music performances across three stages, headlined by Nickelus F.

Summer Reading Finale | Saturday, Aug. 3 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | PARK365 | Free | Celebrate the end of the RPL summer reading program with crafts, games, music, and ice cream.

East End Street Fair | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Occasions Too! | Free | Expect live music, dance performances, and interactive activities at this neighborhood fest.

RICtoday_WatermelonFestival_Carytown

The Watermelon Festival returns for year 42 this month.

|

Photo by Three One One Productions

JamPacked Festival | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 2:30 p.m. | Brown’s Island | $45-$125 | Greensky Bluegrass headlines this environmentally friendly fest.

Carytown Watermelon Festival | Sunday, Aug. 11 | 10 a.m. | Carytown | Free | This year’s fest will include 80 musicians, 100+ exhibitors, and plenty of refreshing fruit.

Flying Squirrels vs. Altoona Curve | Tuesday, Aug. 20 | 6:35 p.m. | The Diamond | $10-$25 | The first 1,000 fans ages 15 and up will go home with a sweet t-shirt in honor of National Lemonade Day.

RICtoday_FestivalofArts_DogwoodDell_CosbyJr

The Festival of Arts continues with several events at Dogwood Dell in August.

|

Photo by RICtoday

“Firebringer” | Friday, Aug. 23-Sunday, Aug. 25 | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell | Free | This year’s Festival of Arts includes three performances of this comedy musical.

Kickers vs. Spokane Velocity FC | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 7 p.m. | City Stadium | $17-$37 | Cheer on the Roos during Night at the Museums night.

Want more out of August? Click the button below to see the full calendar.
100+ events this month
Poll

What’s your can’t-miss festival in August?

A. Watermelon Festival
B. 804 Day
C. Richmond Jazz and Music Festival
D. JamPacked
E. Other — let us know
Share your plans
Children's Museum of Richmond
 
Events
Wednesday, July 31
  • “The Hunger” | Wednesday, July 31 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | The 1983 British horror film stars Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon.
Thursday, Aug. 1
  • Summer Stanzas: An Evening of Poetry | Thursday, Aug. 1 | 6 p.m. | Basic City Beer Co., 212 W. 6th St., Richmond | Free | Join Richmond’s new Poet Laureate, Joanna Lee, and poet and artist Gwyn R.C. Moses as they read selections from the newly published anthology, “Writing the Land: Virginia.”
  • Telltale | Thursday, Aug. 1 | 7 p.m. | Canal Club, 1545 E. Cary St., Richmond | $15-$17 | See the local grunge pop group with special guests If Not For Me.
  • Culture Shock | Thursday, Aug. 1 | Strangeways Brewing, 2277 Dabney Rd., Richmond | $6 | Head to the brewery for an open-stage drag show hosted by Bebe Gunn.
Friday, Aug. 2
  • After 5 Fridays | Friday, Aug. 2 | 6-8 p.m. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | Eight different acts will come together to fill the sculpture garden with music.
Saturday, Aug. 3
  • End-of-Summer Market and Fundraiser at Clay Ground | Saturday, Aug. 3-Sunday, Aug. 4 | Times vary | Clay Ground, 1000 Carlisle Ave., Richmond | Free entry | Shop from local artists and support scholarships to foster a diverse and inclusive ceramic arts community in Richmond.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Development
  • Work crews have been spotted on the site of the upcoming ballpark. The crews are reportedly doing prep work on the vacant lot adjacent to the Diamond before ground is officially broken. (CBS 6 News)
Outdoors
  • Today is the final day to share your thoughts on the Virginia Outdoors Plan. The public comment period for the five-year statewide plan closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. Check out our breakdown.
Coming Soon
  • The former Hurley’s Tavern space in Innsbrook will soon be home to The Fishin’ Pig. It’ll be the fourth location for the Memphis-style barbecue and seafood restaurant, which is based in Farmville. (Richmond BizSense)
Shop
  • This weekend is Virginia’s sales tax holiday. Qualifying purchases include school supplies, clothing, footwear, and emergency preparedness supplies. Check the guidelines before you go back to school shopping.
Read
  • The Library of Virginia has announced the finalists for the 27th Annual Virginia Literary Awards. Categories include prizes for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature. Winners will be announced at a gala on Sept. 21 — tickets are available now.
Watch
  • The VPM documentary chronicling 20 years of the Folk Festival will premiere on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. on PBS Richmond. “The Sounds of Culture” follows the history and common threads of the fest through its two decades in the River City. Watch the trailer.
Edu
  • SummerFest is this Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MLK Middle School. The RPS celebration will feature resources for families including enrollment assistance, free food, games, music, and the Lit Limo. The district will provide free transportation to the event from various locations.
Fun Fact
  • Did you know? The Virginia Lottery has one mission: giving back to public education in Virginia. Since 1999, all Lottery profits — we’re talking more than $12 billion — have gone to supporting K-12 students in our state.*
Finance
  • Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*
Shop
  • Meet your new shopping BFF. ShopUp is a free, AI-powered app that shares discounts + deals from your favorite local shops, restaurants, groceries, and more. Bonus: It can even help you earn extra credit card rewards with personalized recs. Download Apple or Android.*
 
Traffic

⚠️ Lane closures at Broad and Belvidere

What to expect during Broad and Belvidere construction traffic
RICtoday_BroadBelvidere_VCUArts_Construction
Watch out for construction at the intersection of Broad and Belvidere. | Photo by RICtoday
What was once a parking lot at the southeast corner of the intersection of Broad and Belvidere will soon be home to the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation. Richmonders will see some traffic impacts while the $253 million facility is built.

Until construction is complete — which should be late 2027 — one eastbound lane of Broad and one northbound lane of Belvidere will be closed. The sidewalks on those sides of the street will also be closed.

GRTC bus stop 435 at Broad and Henry will be relocated one block to the east until construction is finished.

The closures went into effect yesterday. The city is installing barricades to block off the site.

Once complete, the Center for Arts and Innovation will include classroom spaces, performance venues, and makerspaces.
The Buy

The Buy 7.31.24 (Affiliate)
A hands-free neck fan, which makes a great gift for yourself or others to enjoy a 360 breeze keeping you cool outdoors.
More worth The Buy
 
The Wrap
 
Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin
From the editor
If you know an event that should be on our calendar but isn’t, good news. Anyone can submit an event on our website. Pro tip: Look for the “Add Event” button near the top right corner.
Missed our previous newsletter?     ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback     ›
Advertise with us to stand out.     ›
Games | Crossword, Sudoku, and More     ›
 
Feedback on Today's Newsletter

Did you like today’s newsletter?

😍 Loved it 🙂 Solid effort 😞 Changes needed
 
 

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY