Don’t miss Virago Alley’s next installment of Richmond Ren Faire — Warriors in Bloom, a one-day festival at Agecroft Hall. | Photo by Jaclyn Brown | Jaclyn Brown/Jaclyn Brown
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, and text all your friends. We’ve rounded up 30+ events to help you curate a spontaneous summer.
Festivals
Warriors in Bloom | Saturday, Aug. 2 | 12-5 p.m. | Agecroft Hall | $15, $12 for children 7-15 | We put together all the fun details to help rally your excitement for this one.
Richmond Jazz and Music Festival | Friday, Aug. 8-Sunday, Aug. 10 | Times vary | Locations Vary | $50+ | Popular artists like Masego, CeeLo Green, and Muni Long are heading to Richmond for one major weekend of music.
Spontaneous fun
The Oddities & Curiosities Expo | Saturday, Aug. 9 + Sunday, Aug. 10 | Times vary | Greater Richmond Convention Center | $12+ | This internationally touring event is stopping in Richmond to see just how odd we can get.
Sports
NASCAR | Thursday, Aug. 14 | 8 a.m. | Richmond Raceway | $11+ | It’s NASCAR weekend, and to quote “Talladega Nights,” “if you ain’t first, you’re last.”
Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Crossroads Art Center | Free | Browse this ceramics exhibit showcasing award-winning pieces by local artists — from thought-provoking sculptures to fascinating pottery vessels.
Wednesday, July 30
Valentine Day in July | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | The Valentine | Free, RSVP | Tour the museum, get a behind-the-scenes look at The Valentine’s archives, and enjoy complimentary lunch and coffee.
Thursday, July 31
Flowers After Five | 5-8 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $20 | Take a post-work breather and settle down for live music among the trees — food + drink available for purchase.
“A Strange Loop” | Thursday, July 31-Saturday, Aug. 9 | Times vary | Robert B. Moss Theatre | $55 | Winner of every “Best Musical” award on Broadway, this production is a musical within a musical within a musical — a strange loop, if you will.
Friday, Aug. 1
First Friday at VMHC | 5-8 p.m. | Virginia Museum of History & Culture | Free | Skip the museum entrance fee and hang around for live music, drink discounts, specialty mocktails, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.
Music at Maymont | 5:30-10 p.m. | Maymont | $42+ | Rocking a 22-year return to Maymont, Drive-By Truckers are remembered for heavy rock riffs and on-stage whiskey.
Richmond International Airport may be getting a direct flight to Europe, plus a new airport lounge and a duty-free store. The Capital Region Airport Commission met last week to discuss potential changes at RIC, and we’ll keep an eye out for further updates. In the meantime, we can help you get a head start on your next trip. (Richmond BizSense)
Biz
The former home of Carytown Burgers + Fries is swapping out for “Shark Tank” ice cream franchise Crispy Cones. The shop aims for an October opening, according to Richmond BizSense. What’s on the menu? Soft-serve ice cream in “cinnamon-sugar coated, rotisserie-style grilled dough cones.” (Richmond BizSense)
Civic
Speed data, not speed dating. The City of Richmond launched a public speed data dashboard, which currently includes data from the last two months. Investigate for yourself by visiting this dashboard, clicking on a street section you’re curious about, and checking the 85th percentile number for the average speed record. (City of Richmond)
Mailbag
Congratulations are in order. RICtoday reader Sharon B. was the first to guess which mystery library I was working at for yesterday’s newsletter. The answer: Fairfield Area Library. If you didn’t recognize this one, consider this your inspiration to pay a visit.
Food
Dukes’ Hot Tomato Summer wrapped up this past weekend, and we’ll be waiting in anticipation for the Golden Tomato Award winner. Which Richmond biz do you think will earn the title? Submit your prediction, and we’ll give you a proper shout-out if you’re correct.
Older Adults
Did you know about these senior discounts? Aside from basics like bulk shopping and retirement accounts, here are 20 savings hacks older adults should know about to continue saving and building wealth at age 50+.*
Trending
Amazon Essentials just launched a new activewear collection (read: soft, comfortable gym clothes for less). We’re loving these high-waist leggings and these colorful capri-length leggings.*
Learn
AI won’t take over the world — people who know how to use AI will. Learn AI skills in three minutes a day with Superhuman AI newsletter. Subscribe for free.*
Games
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.
Last week, I recommended a vintage popup at Sefton Coffee, hosted by an old friend of mine from Tennessee. Apparently, quite a few of our readers showed up.
Before I stopped by myself, my friend gave me a wholesome call after a few back-to-back customers mentioned the newsletter recommendation. If you were able to stop by, I hope you left with a fabulous vintage find, a cold coffee, or at least the satisfaction of having a new downtown experience.
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