KidMed, the Children’s Museum of Richmond, and the Virginia Museum of History + Culture are a few other Richmond organizations that have been recognized as Autism Friendly Communities. | Photo by Will Nelson, courtesy of Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Last Saturday, Aug. 30, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden staff and members of the Autism Society of Central Virginia (ASCV) celebrated a milestone of inclusivity as the garden became a designated Autism Friendly Community.
What is an Autism Friendly Community?
In short, the title is held by businesses and organizations with intentionally safe and welcoming environments for people with autism and sensory processing differences.
The official “Autism Friendly Communities Designation” is only granted after completing one of the ASCV’s official training programs.
Regarding the program and new title, all Lewis Ginter staff members completed disability-specific training, and the garden has introduced a new sensory guest guide + free-to-borrow sensory backpacks.
New resource: Sensory guide
An additional guest guide has been introduced in the form of an online slide deck. The 32-slide presentation includes pictures and a first-person narrative detailing what guests can expect, from sights and sounds to smells and temperature changes.
Chesterfield Towne Center Carnival | Friday, Sept. 5-Sunday, Sept. 14 | Times vary | Chesterfield Towne Center | Free Monday-Thursday, $5 Friday-Sunday | You deserve some cotton candy, so go get yourself some cotton candy.
Festival of the Arts | Friday, Sept. 5 + Saturday, Sept. 6 | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell, Byrd Park | Free | Friday’s show moves through the world of dance, and Saturday’s show pays psychedelic tribute to Grateful Dead.
Boot Scootin’ Boogie Nights | 8 p.m. | Uptown Alley Richmond, Midlothian | $15+ | Pull up your boots and shuffle over to the dancefloor for 1990s country night.
Saturday, Sept. 6
The Well Fest | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Main Street Station | $10+ | The Well Collective aims to curate a restorative atmosphere with movement classes, community conversations, live performances, and local vendors.
Beginning Birding | 1-4 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $43, $36 for members | Want to learn a new skill? Now’s your chance, and you’ll have 50 acres of garden grounds as your educational backdrop.
Hilos Heredados | 6-9 p.m. | Visual Arts Center of Richmond | Free | Witness the unveiling of VisArt’s new exhibit, a multidisciplinary showcase celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
Sunday, Sept. 7
OktoberForest Fest | 12-6 p.m. | Fine Creek Brewing | Free | Take a little drive outside of Richmond for this food-filled collaboration between four local breweries and The Nature Conservancy.
NFL Sunday Kick-Off | 1 p.m. | River City Roll | Price of purchase | Charge into the football season with $20 pitchers + wing deals — the team with the heartiest fan crew gets the biggest screen.
Two new restaurants in one. Daquan Woodberry plans to open RVA Cafe + Blasian in Manchester’s redeveloped Corrugated Box building. The doubled-down restaurant will serve breakfast and brunch during the day and a fusion of Black and Asian cuisine by night. Woodberry aims to open on Saturday, Sept. 13. (Richmond BizSense)
Announced
Grab the popcorn. The Byrd Theatre plans to reopen downstairs seating today, marking a cushioned milestone in the multi-year replacement project. Coming up next, the theater plans to revitalize the marquee and install a replica of its former namesake sign on the building’s facade.
Concert
This Sunday, Sept. 7, Fonticello Food Forest will host a fundraiser concert to help raise support for its food pantry, which feeds ~150 families per week. Bring a blanket, tap into nature, and tune in as Erin Lunsford serenades the gardens. This concert is totally free to the public; donations are welcome.
Festival
Shoutout to Reader Ceresa G. for reminding us to add Hog on the Hill — a Libby Hill barbecue bash — to our list of year-round festivals. Plus, there are plenty more street fairs and festivals to decorate your calendar. In fact, we found about 15 more coming up this month.
Try This
If you’re heading to RVA First Fridays tonight, don’t forget to hop on the newest trend: a trivia trolley, completely free and looping through Broad Street from 6 to 8 p.m. This month’s trivia host is Alvion Arnell Davenport, transporting you through a quiz-worthy mix of local history and drag trivia.
Mailbag
Earlier this week, we asked you to share your Richmond-representing LEGO sets in light of the new Short Pump store. Reader Peter E. suggests “Old City Hall,” Holly S. recommends “a sturgeon that was revitalized here in Richmond,” and Lorene D. suggests “the stone pyramid in Forest Hill Park.” Keep building onto those ideas.
Shop
Score this cap sleeve tee for an effortless transition from summer to autumn wardrobing. It features a chic V-neck design and is available in 12+ colors. Bonus: It’s under $17.*
The Buy
The chance to learn a new language during Babbel’s Best Sale of the Year. Turn your morning read into a new daily habit — with Babbel, 10 minutes a day builds real conversation skills you can use on your next trip or at the international festival downtown. Get lifetime access for $199 across all 14 languages.*
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.
What’s the name of Richmond Public Library’s river otter mascot?
That guy?Yeah, we go way back. Our readers represented Ripple the river otter with pride. 56.1% of you got this one right, and we only tricked 21.8% of you with the Richmond-coded name Richie.
Craving something sweet? I literally always am. Lucky for us, Gelati Celesti is hosting a Buy One Now, Share One Later promotion from Monday, Sept. 8, through Thursday, Sept. 11. Any customer who buys ice cream between 2-6 p.m. will receive a free scoop card to enjoy on their next visit, according to a recent press release. See ya there.
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