09.18.2024

Today’s Forecast

74º | 77% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:54 a.m. | Sunset 7:12 p.m.

Travel and Outdoors

Free ways to exercise around Richmond

Pickleball is popular at Bryan Park. | Photo by RICtoday

While Richmond has no shortage of gyms to chose from, not all exercise has to come with a membership fee. Here’s our guide to getting your workout in without spending money.

🎾 Go to court

Richmond’s parks have public tennis courts galore, but these days it’s the local pickleball courts that have people talking. You can access courts for free at parks across the Richmond area, including Bryan Park, Forest Hill Park, and Broad Rock Sports Complex.

👟 Hit the road

Whether you’re a walker, a runner, a road cyclist, a mountain biker, or some combination, Richmond is a pretty great place to explore. The trails around the James River are beloved among hikers, runners, and mountain bikers alike.

Though better bicycle infrastructure is ongoing, road cyclists still ought to be careful where they chose to ride. If you’re new to cycling, we collected be-spoke advice from our readers on biking around Richmond safely.

RICtoday_BikeLane_FranklinStreet — Whether you ride in bike lanes or on single track trails, Richmond’s a great place to traverse on two wheels.
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Photo by RICtoday

💪 Pump some iron

If you’re looking for a workout closer to the sort you’d get in a gym, several public parks around the Richmond area have workout equipment available.

Petronius Jones Park has workout gear at the corner of Idlewood and North Allen. The VITA Course at Byrd Park also features calisthenics equipment like pull-up bars. Both of these spots also feature gravel loops for walking and running, if you’re looking to mix in some cardio.

A brand-new, state-of-the-art fitness complex is opening at Broad Rock Sports Complex tomorrow. The outdoor gym is available in tandem with a free app which coaches users through workouts on the equipment.

Asked

How do you prefer to work out?

A. Training at the gym
B. Running or walking
C. Cycling
D. Playing a sport
E. Other

What's your go-to?

Events

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Bilbo Baggins’ Birthday Celebration | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 6-9 p.m. | Black Heath Meadery | Free entry | Get ready for a party with all things concerning hobbits including snacks, drinking songs, “Lord of the Rings” trivia, and a hobbit foot contest.
“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre | $9 | Bill Murray stars in this Wes Anderson film.

Thursday, Sept. 19

Belle Isle Habitat Restoration | Thursday, Sept. 19 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Belle Isle Bike Skills Area | Free | Volunteer with Richmond Tree Stewards and do your part to keep Belle Isle healthy by removing invasive non-native plants and replacing them with native ones.
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan | Thursday, Sept. 19 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts | Free | The museum will welcome the sitar maestro in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition “Ragamalas: Picturing Music & Emotion.”

Friday, Sept. 20

“Best in Show” Opening | Friday, Sept. 20 | 6-9 p.m. | Pamplemousse Gallery | Free | Be among the first to see this collection of dog-themed works from 40+ artists at the exhibition opening.
Deau Eyes – Tour De Richmond | Friday, Sept. 20 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | Free entry | Join the local musician for an evening of tunes as she kicks off a series of shows around the city.
VCU Men’s Soccer vs. Rhode Island | Friday, Sept. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | Sports Backers Stadium | $8+ | Cheer on the home team in this Ram showdown.

Saturday, Sept. 21

Iron Blossom Festival | Saturday, Sept. 21-Sunday, Sept. 22 | 1-11:59 p.m. | The Training Center on Leigh | $135 | Mt. Joy, Turnpike Troubadours, Caamp, and Nathaniel Rateliff headline year two of the River City festival.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Outdoors

PlanRVA is hosting a public meeting tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. to discuss challenges and resources to creating a more flood-resilient city. Head to the Hickory Hill Community Center tonight to get involved.

Biz

Oxford Cellars, the Stratford Hills location of local wine shop Once Upon a Vine, has been sold to a new owner. Chantel Crocker, the former general manager of Lady N’awlins, purchased the shop from Richmond Caldwell and Ernest Walker, who had owned it since 2019. (Richmond BizSense)

Civic

Election Day is less than two months away, and Richmond will be voting on a new mayor. Looking to find out more about the five candidates on the ballot? Our election guide has the information you need.

Festival

You probably know the 20th Richmond Folk Festival is happening later this month, but what do you know about the festival’s history? Dive into the full story of the iconic Brown’s Island music festival. (Richmond Magazine)

Tech

City Council has adopted a resolution declaring high-speed internet a public necessity. The resolution officially calls on city leaders to create a strategy to make internet access in Richmond faster, more reliable, and more affordable. (Virginia Mercury)

Listen

Picture natural sound all around you — from bustling cafes to quiet parks. With advanced directional microphones, these tiny hearing devices focus on what you want to hear, and soften what you don’t. Hear what all the fuss is about.*

Seasonal

The countdown to fall is on. Celebrate the start of the season at the Wilderness Fall Festival, a free outdoor event happening on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Fredericksburg (~1 hour from downtown). Enjoy hay rides, a moon bounce, games, food trucks, and so much more.*

Coming Soon

Did this catch your eye? That’s because locals (like you) are excited about new happenings in our city. Spread the word about your business, services, big news, or upcoming event with our 46,000+ readers.

Edu

HCPS’ first “living building” is coming soon

Henrico previews “living building” project at Wilton Farm

The Wilton Farm campus will include hands-on learning zones, a small-scale wind turbine, and an orchard. | Renderings via Henrico County

Henrico County Public Schools will break ground on its “living building” project at Wilton Farm in summer 2025. The $16.3 million project will include an orchard, wind turbine, pollinator garden, and outdoor classroom.

When construction begins, the project will become the first K-12 education building in the world classified as a “living building.” As of now, only 30 buildings in the world meet the requirements laid out by the International Living Future Institute.

The Wilton Farm campus will someday be part of the Varina High School Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability. Students from across the county will have the opportunity to learn at the groundbreaking facility.

The campus is expected to open to students in December 2026.

The Buy

Decorate your space with this year’s trendiest fall decor. Here are five items we just added to our cart:

🍂 These velvet pumpkins to add festive flair around the house.
🍂 A hand-crafted wreath boasting beautiful autumn hues.
🍂 This welcome mat complete with seasonal adornments.
🍂 A hand-blown glass cup embellished with candy corns.
🍂 This embroidered table runner to elevate your dining space.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor

Even I, a local reporter here in Richmond for the last several years, find it difficult to keep up with local elections sometimes. I’ve found that specific breakdowns like ours and The Richmonder’s help me feel informed on Election Day.

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