Weekend Event Picks: Loads of Barbecue, Food Trucks, and Flying Squirrels Baseball

GWAR-B-Q

Richmond’s favorite celebration of blood, gore, and metal is back for its seventh year–it’s the annual GWAR-B-Q at Hadad’s Lake. Hosted by Richmond metal band GWAR, the event will include performances from Lamb of God, Against Me!, and American Nightmare, among others. Plenty of food and retail vendors will be on site.

When: Saturday, August 20th – Sunday, August 21st; all day | Where: Hadad’s Lake, 7900 Osborne Turnpike in the East End | Cost: Ticket packages start at $60 | Festival website

Grateful Dead & Olympic nights at The Diamond

Summer will soon be winding down; there’s only so much time left to enjoy a Flying Squirrels baseball game at The Diamond. The team is hosting several great theme nights Friday and Saturday. Friday evening is Grateful Dead night. The first 1,000 fans 15 and older will go home with a Grateful Dead/Nutzy T-shirt. Cover band Dead Giveaway will provide the tunes before first pitch, which is at 7:05 PM. On Saturday, Richmond native and Olympic gold medalist Townley Haas will throw out the first pitch. The swimmer, who just returned home from Rio, will kick things off at 6:05 PM.

When: Friday, August 19th, 7:05 PM (Grateful Dead night); Saturday, August 20th, 6:05 PM (Olympic night) | Where: The Diamond, 3001 N. Boulevard in Scott’s Addition | Cost: $8 – $15 | Team website

RVA BrewBQ

Richmond is known for its bevy of delicious barbecue and selection of craft beer–and bringing the two together is pretty much the “quintessential celebration of summer,” as the organizers of the fifth annual RVA BrewBQ, taking place this Sunday, like to say. This year’s barbecue will include Alamo, The Halligan Bar & Grill, Saucy’s, Inner City Blues, Smok-N-Pigz, and Buz & Ned’s. Almost 20 local craft breweries will serve up the suds.

When: Sunday, August 21st; noon – 5:00 PM | Where: 17th Street Farmers Market, 17th and E. Main Streets in Shockoe Bottom | Cost: $1 suggested donation to support Enrichmond; pay as you go at each vendor (cash recommended) | Event page