Explore the sleek and innovative designs of the popular Italian scooter brand, Vespa, centered around the rare Vespa 946 Snake.
Free to the public, The Branch will host an opening reception for these two new exhibits on Thursday, July 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. — open bar + light snacks provided. The exhibit will remain on view until Sunday, Aug. 31, accessible with a $10 museum ticket.
Asked
Asked
The Branch’s new exhibit will showcase this iconic motorcycle, designed for use in a hit television show — which show?
Make-it Bar | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Shop Made in VA | $12+ | Each hour invites a new DIY craft, from candles and charm bracelets to patched trucker hats.
Chromatic Jazz | 6-9 p.m. | Chromophore Art Space | $35 | See Richmond’s Arts District come to life with jazz band Control the Room + powerhouse vocalist, Andrea Nicole — tickets include wine and light hors d’oeuvres.
Rose City Band | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall | $20 | Find your spot in the crowd for this country-rock band hailing from Portland, Oregon.
Tuesday, July 22
Portland Sea Dogs at Richmond Flying Squirrels | Tuesday, July 22-Sunday, July 27 | Times vary| The Diamond | $13+ | Join in for special games like Walk in the Park Night, Wine + K9s, 1990s Night + Boots, Beer, and Baseball County Night.
Wednesday, July 23
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes | Wednesday, July 23 + Thursday, July 24 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $150+ | “Identification of grasses, sedges, and rushes is often perceived as one of the most difficult activities in the realm of botany,” and you can conquer that preconception with two immersive workshops.
Thursday, July 24
Hot Tomato Summer Tasting Dinner | 7-10 p.m. | Sweet P’s | $123+ | Join a dining experience with five seasonal (tomatoes + mayo) courses and optional drink pairings.
We’re going back to Hogwarts. Filming is officially underway for HBO’s “Potter” series — a television adaptation of the iconic books and movies. With the expected release still years away, you can pass the time with a movie filmed in Richmond. (USA Today)
Drink
According to a sommelier, these are the best wines to get from Trader Joe’s this summer — all of which come at or under $20. Pair a bottle with some cheese from local business Truckle Cheesemongers, and you’ve got yourself a perfect summer picnic. (Business Insider)
Mansion Monday
Imagine if you had a tennis court, a spa room, and a gym all to yourself. All you need is $2.5 million. This 7,980-sqft home just hit the market in Mechanicsville. Not to mention, there’s an outdoor pool, home theater, modern half-moon bar, and gazebo-style balcony. You might want to see for yourself.
Trending
The secret is out. Starbucks launched a “secret menu” option on its app, including items like “Dragonfruit glow up.” The coffee chain also launched a contest for customers to submit their own customized drink. Who needs a secret menu when we’ve got so many local shops to sip from?
Travel
Do you know someone who puts the “bomb” in “bombshell?” While the country is still coming down from its collective “Love Island USA” hysteria, the producers are already looking for Season 8 applicants. If you’d like to see Fiji without the drama, Richmond International Airport is a good place to start.
Number
3. That’s how many fewer days homes in the Richmond metro area spent on the market in June 2025 than June 2024. Explore our real estate coverage to stay in-the-know on local trends and trendy homes. (Newsweek)
Family
Ready to travel back 250 million years?“Ultimate Dinosaurs,” now on display at the Science Museum of Virginia, features fully mounted skeletons and real fossils of creatures that evolved as Pangaea (read: Earth’s supercontinent) broke apart. Snag tix before they go extinct.*
Try This
$1 Mondays at Goodwill are the real deal. Every Monday, select items from the previous Color of the Week are marked down to just a dollar. Sounds like a good time to visit your local Goodwill for back-to-school steals.*
Riverbend is a short walk from Libby Hill Park if you like to take your joe on the go. | Photo by @artzkopf
For richer or pour over, Richmond’s coffee shops are what keep us going in the morning. Whether you’re looking to try something new or pin a perfect mid-errands fuel stop, we’ve gathered all the brews clues to help you out.
Espresso yourself
Sefton Coffee Company, 24 N. 8th St. | Trust the experts at this Downtown shop — your morning latte will thank you.
Paix Espresso, 407 Cleveland St. | The espresso experts at Paix will set you up with specialty drinks and baked goods.
Lift Coffee Shop & Cafe, 218 W. Broad St. | Try a specialty drink like the Banana Bread Latte, Mayan Mocha, or Jane Eyre — that’s a lavender white mocha latte.
Stop by Sefton Coffee Co. downtown.
Photo by RICtoday
Roasts to boast
Rostov’s Coffee and Tea, 1618 W. Main St. | These quintessential Richmond roasters got started in 1979 and haven’t slowed down since.
Afterglow Coffee Cooperative, 1719 Summit Ave. | Richmond’s first worker-owned coffee roaster offers bags of beans, specialty drinks, and community events.
Bonus: Don’t miss Afterglow’s upcoming Wine and Party (and Pierogi) event, coming up this Thursday, July 24.
Psst. Wondering what everyone bought during this year’s Prime Day? Here are the top most shopped items that The Buy team recommended — and some of them are still on sale:
👀 Slip into a soft pair of high-waisted leggings with NexiEpoch’s light-compression pair.
👀 It’s hard to say no to a two-in-one vacuum and mop roomba from iRobot, especially with features like “Clean While I’m Away.”
👀 Your under-sink storage space gets a lot more functional when you use these pull-out cabinet organizers that can fit around plumbing.
👀 Anker’s magnetic charging station charges devices two times as fast, all while replacing messy cords.
👀 The perfect lipstick doesn’t exi — ope, we nearly forgot about Clinique’s sheer, flattering Almost Lipstick.
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.
To help promote new exhibits “Ruined” and “Refined,” The Branch has organized a group ride this Saturday, July 26, open to all motorcycle or scooter enthusiasts. Take your wheels to Moto Richmond on Midlothian Turnpike, enjoy some coffee and donuts, then ride out with the community crew to The Branch for food trucks + half-priced exhibit admission.
I don’t own a two-wheeler, but I’ll still be cruising over to The Branch this week for a behind-the-scenes look at the new exhibits — andyes, of course I’ll tell y’all all about it.
}})
