We love cozying up with a book at home, but sometimes you need a change of scenery. We asked our readers to share their favorite River City reading nooks, from rocky riverside spots to local cafés, libraries, and pools. Now, if everyone could please turn to page one:
Outdoors
The Valentine, 1015 E. Clay St. | via Evelyn W.
Specifically, “the lovely walled garden behind the museum, in the shade of old magnolias.”
Pony Pasture, 7300 Riverside Dr. | via Anonymous
Bring a lawn chair and park yourself on the bank, or wear some shorts + sandals and wade our to a flat rock.
Lewis Ginter, 1800 Lakeside Ave. | via Karen S.
Admission usually costs $20, and it’s well worth it for a lush, immersive reading day.
Indoors
Grit Coffee, 1621 Roseneath Rd. | via Justin K.
Most importantly, our reader adds, “especially when the barista is playing electronica.”
Jardin Wine Bar, 1520 W Main St. | via Terry C.
Find a seat on the patio, order yourself a glass of wine, and immerse yourself in a new story.
The Shadow of a Petal: Floral Design Inside the County Jail | Friday, July 18 + Saturday, July 19 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Branch Museum of Design | $10 | Photographs and first-hand participant accounts explore the emotional + creative impact of a flower arranging course at Chesterfield County Jail — all proceeds benefit HARP RVA Recovery Program.
Y2K: A Throwback Dance Party | 8 p.m.-1 a.m. | Uptown Alley | $13+ | Call up your besties, dust off your tracksuit, and party like you just found out that the world keeps turning in the 21st century.
Saturday, July 19
Matcha Popup | Saturday, July 19 + Sunday, July 20 | Times vary | ILYSM Books | Price of purchase | This Brookland Park bookstore is teaming up with popular popup The Exit Plan for two days of stop-and-sip matcha.
Dogwood Dell Festival of Arts | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell Amphitheater | Free | Experience a delightful mix of Afro-jazz, funk, reggae, hip-hop, and go-go by locally loved musician Plunky Branch.
TBT After Dark | 9 p.m.-12 a.m. | TBT El Gallo | Free entry | Expect “something rooted in positivity, movement, and a mutual love that good late-night music and food can go hand in hand.”
Sunday, July 20
Pride in the Park | 3-7 p.m. | Byrd Park (Shelter No. 1) | Free | Join Black Pride RVA at the park for music, food, drinks, and celebrations of Black queer lives.
Cookie Chris, a sweets shop specializing in cookies, shakes, and ice cream, is opening a new store in Eastern Henrico, near the Richmond Raceway. The biz boasts six rotating flavors each week, all baked in-house and selling for $5 each. (Richmond BizSense)
Concert
If you’re still looking for weekend plans, look no further than the Pocahontas Mini Bluegrass Festival. Pocahontas State Park will host this strummin’ shindig tomorrow, July 19, at the Heritage Amphitheater. The event will last from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. + feature acts such as Hickory Ridge Bluegrass Band, Hammaville, and Tara Mills Band.
Biz
The City of Richmond is launching a business development program called Government Contracting Made Simple, a free four-week course designed to assist small and minority-owned businesses with the contracting process. If you or someone you know might be interested, check out the available training dates. (The City of Richmond)
Plan Ahead
Afterglow Coffee in Scott’s Addition will host a Wine + Party event on Thursday, July 24, from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Prepare to sip on Eastern European wines, snack on pierogi by Ryba’s Pierogi, and enjoy some mood-setting beats.
Try This
Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer is underway, and in case you haven’t heard, we have all the info to get you caught up. Restaurants have been dishing out tomato + mayo specials left and right. The latest menu pick we’re eyeing: Hot for Pizza’s Sourdough Tomato Pie Galette.
Cause
The Virginia Lottery’s mission has one focus: giving back to Virginia public schools. Since 1999, all Lottery profits — totaling more than $12 billion — have gone to support local students and teachers in grades K-12. Follow the money.*
41,318. That’s how many potential candidates are looking at this right now. Ready to promote your job listing to find your dream hire? It’s absolutely free on our RICtoday Job Board. List it now.
The Buy
No more gatekeeping. These are our top five summer essentials we wish we’d purchased sooner:
🩴 A pair of comfy + versatile Crocs sandals. Pro tip: Keep them by the front door for last-minute errands, walking the dog, and more.
🧊This No. 1 best-selling cooler backpack that features a built-in bottle opener and can fit up to 40 cans.
🧺 A waterproof blanket that’s perfect for beach days, family picnics, baby playtime, and more.
☀️ La Roche-Posay’s award-winning tinted sunscreen that’s non-greasy and fast-absorbing.
👗This flowy sundress that’s available in 20+ colors and patterns like blue floral, pink, khaki polka dot, and purple.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Time for a little check-in. Today marks my fifth month as the RICtoday newsletter editor, and it’s been a whirlwind of hyper-local fun. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how things are going.
What do you look forward to most when reading the newsletter? What type of stories or news coverage would you like to see more of? What type of events? Is there a recent story that stood out to you? Share your thoughts — I’m happy to hear ‘em.
}})
