Events
Richmond Festival Guide For May 2017: Friday Cheers, Arts In The Park, ¿Qué Pasa? Festival and more
Spring and summer festival season is ramping up in a big way in May. There are so many ways to get outside and enjoy our beautiful city this month from Friday Cheers, and Dominion Riverrock to the Lebanese Food Festival and Strawberry Street Festival. Here are our top picks.
There’s so much going on in RVA in the spring and summer months it’s hard to know where to go and what to do. But that’s what we’re here for! Here are our top outdoor festival picks for the month of May.
Friday Cheers
Photo: Venture Richmond
Richmond’s longest-running outdoor concert series, Friday Cheers, returns to Brown’s Island on Friday, May 5th with a stellar lineup of artists including Conor Oberst, People’s Blues of Richmond, Car Seat Headrest, and more. You’ll see breakout bands, national acts, and RVA’s own home-grown talent.
When: Fridays May 5th – June 30th; times vary | Where: Brown’s Island on the riverfront downtown | Cost: Varies; all shows $5-10 | More info: Season preview article
Arts In The Park
Photo: Studio Eriksdotter
Artists, craftspeople, and makers of all kinds from all over the Eastern Seaboard come together each year for one of the biggest art shows in the country, held in Byrd Park. You’ll find handmade pottery, jewelry, paintings, photography, plants, and much more in a beautiful setting. A free shuttle whisks guests from City Stadium to the park and back.
When: Saturday, May 6th – Sunday, May 7th; times vary | Where: Byrd Park near The Carillon | Cost: FREE to enter | More info: Event website
¿Qué Pasa? Festival
Photo: Joe Kutchera
The annual ¿Qué Pasa? Festival highlights the food, music, and art of Virginia’s Latin American communities. Enjoy lots of live entertainment and dancing, authentic cuisine from some of the area’s best restaurants, handmade crafts, jewelry, and housewares from a variety of vendors, and more–all along the picturesque Canal Walk downtown.
When: Saturday, May 6th; 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM | Where: The Canal Walk downtown near the riverfront | Cost: FREE to enter; pay as you go for food and drinks | More info: Event website
RVA East End Festival
Photo: RPS Education Foundation
The RVA East End Festival theme for 2017 is “The Gift of Arts and Music,” and it’s a name that rings true. The festival is a community celebration highlighting the diverse neighborhoods and unique quality of Richmond’s East End. Enjoy performances by the Richmond Symphony and many others during the two-day neighborhood festival devoted to the arts. Other activities will include a variety of performances by local artists and schools, a kids activities, food trucks, a beer garden, and vendor booths. Lawn chairs are welcomed and encouraged. All proceeds benefit local schools’ arts and music programs.
When: Friday, May 5th; 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Saturday, May 6th; noon – 8:00 PM | Where: Chimborozo Park, 3200 E. Broad Street in the East End | More info: Event website
Strawberry Street Festival
Photo: Taffs America
The 38th annual Strawberry Street Festival takes place at William Fox Elementary School in the heart of The Fan on May 13th. This fun-filled event needs the support of the entire school. The proceeds fund many curriculum enhancements not funded by Richmond Public Schools. Expect family-oriented games, rides, a silent auction, lots of food, vendors, and a strawberry sale.
When: Saturday, May 13th; noon – 4:30 PM | Where: William Fox Elementary School, 2300 Hanover Avenue in The Fan | Cost: FREE to enter; pay for activities as you go | More info: Event website
Dominion Riverrock
File photo/Trevor Dickerson
The nation’s largest annual outdoor sports and music festival is right here in Richmond–Dominion Riverrock. The festival, organized by Sports Backers and Venture Richmond, celebrates the great outdoors and the mighty James on Brown’s Island. There’s tons of live music including a headlining performance by The Hardworking Americans and The SteelDrivers. Plus, participate in bouldering, kayaking, a mud-laiden 5K, a slack lining competition, a BMX course, and the ever-popular Air Dog competition where pups of all shapes and sizes compete to see who can jump the farthest off of a raised platform into the pool.
When: Friday, May 19th – Sunday, May 21st; times vary | Where: Brown’s Island on the downtown riverfront | Cost: FREE to enter | More info: Event website
Lebanese Food Festival
File photo/Trevor Dickerson
Arguably one of the best annual food festivals in Richmond, the Lebanese Food Festival returns May 19th – 21st where you can enjoy a bevy of authentic Lebanese treats including baked kibbee, beef, lamb, and chicken kebabs, meat, cheese, and spinach pies, shawarma, zalabia, and so much more along with imported wines and beers. There will also be plenty of live music and traditional dancing on the festival stage.
When: Friday, May 19th and Saturday, May 20th; 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Sunday, May 21st; 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM | Where: St. Anthony’s Maronite Catholic Church, 4611 Sadler Road near Short Pump | Cost: FREE to enter; pay as you go for food and drinks | More info: Event website
Community
Richmond Folk Festival Announces First Set of Performers
You’ll notice a well-known local band in the list performing at the best festival in the state of Virginia.
The Richmond Folk Festival returns October 13-15, 2023, and celebrates its 19th anniversary, having become one of Virginia’s largest events. The beloved festival draws fans each year to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food.
The free event hosts 200,000 people over a three-day weekend. Featuring six stages and showcasing music and dance from more than 30 performing groups from around the nation and the world, the Richmond Folk Festival today announces the first eight artists of what will once again make up a culturally diverse and artistically excellent program.
“We are looking forward to showcasing downtown Richmond’s ever-changing riverfront once again for a beautiful weekend of music, dance, food, and crafts with the James River and our city skyline as the perfect backdrop,” said Stephen Lecky, director of events at Venture Richmond. “This is the 19th year of the festival, and we couldn’t be more proud of its legacy in Richmond and across Virginia.”
The Richmond Folk Festival is presented by Venture Richmond Events in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), Virginia Humanities, Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond.
Artists to be featured at the 2023 Richmond Folk Festival include:
- Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Mandinka)
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso- Bio Ritmo (salsa)
Richmond, Virginia- Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk)
Nashville, Tennessee- Genticorum (Québécois)
Montreal, Québec- Hālau ‘O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula)
Carson, California- Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin)
San Francisco, California- Melody Angel (Chicago blues)
Chicago, Illinois- Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass)
Charlestown, Indiana
Events
PlanRVA Day on June 1st offers host of free learning opportunities
The Richmond region’s planning district commission is opening its doors to community members and partners next month for a day of learning and networking.
PlanRVA will host PlanRVA Day on June 1 from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at its new office at 424 Hull St. Rd. in the Manchester neighborhood. The event will focus on the topic of placemaking, the process of creating quality inclusive places where people want to live, work and play. Sessions will explore various aspects of inclusion and public engagement, with a focus on community connection through regional trails, public art and the environment.
The day will conclude with a film screening of the documentary “A River Called Home” with filmmaker Jess Wiegandt from 6-7:30 p.m. The film focuses on the journey of four women who launch at the headwaters of the James River and paddle to the Chesapeake Bay over three weeks, while conducting a water quality study.
“PlanRVA is where the region comes together to look ahead,” said Martha Shickle, PlanRVA’s Executive Director. “Regional collaboration and cooperation happens every day in Central Virginia. PlanRVA Day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress we’re making together to support quality of life and growth in the region. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting event.”
Attendees can tour PlanRVA’s office space and connect with staff and community partners throughout the day.
Sessions are free, but registration is required. People can sign up for single sessions or for the entire day.
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