The Wrap: May Festival Guide, the VMFA’s new exhibit, naming Richmond’s ospreys and more

The week in brief

Hey there. Hope you’re doing well on this cool, wet Friday. We’ve made it to the end of another week, and a weekend bursting at the seams with festivals and other things to do outside! Let’s hope the weather cooperates. I’ll be in Asheville, myself–looks like RVA’s going to have a better chance at a nice weekend.

The entire month, in fact, is full of festivals. Check out our May 2017 Festival Guide to get the scoop on the happening events all month long.

Friday Cheers kicks off this evening with Lee Fields & The Expressions with opener Kings at 6:30 tonight. Check out contributor Scott Castro’s show preview here. Tickets are $5 at the door, but we’ve got free tickets to each show AND season passes to give away. More on that below (scroll down to see if you’ve won!).

Beyond that, there’s also Arts In The Park at Byrd Park, featuring hundreds of vendors from all over the East Coast selling unique artwork, jewelry, crafts, and much more; the East End Festival featuring musical acts from around town, the Richmond Symphony, and vendors (all to benefit the music and arts programs of Richmond Public Schools); the Que Pasa Festival on the Canal Walk celebrating all things Latin American from food and culture to music and dancing; and more. Get caught up on this fun-filled weekend with our Weekend Event Picks right here.

The South of the James Farmers Market will shift to their summer hours this weekend, too. This and all the food news you can eat on in our Weekly Food News.

The VMFA’s new Yves Saint Laurent exhibit also opens this weekend. Drawn from the collection of the Paris-based Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections, this featured exhibition offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the lifetime achievement of Saint Laurent, one of history’s most radical and influential fashion designers. Learn more and buy your tickets here.

There are also a lot of beer events and releases going on, and per usual, our resident beer expert Richard Hayes is on it! Get caught up on where to go and what to do with our RVA Beer Explorer.

Remember the not-so-smart person who robbed the Carytown Petco and nearby Wells Fargo in broad daylight last week? Richmond Police have finally nabbed him. Check out that mug! Meanwhile, police are seeking the public’s help in locating three teens accused of shooting a staff member at the Norrell Annex in Northside earlier this week.

Henrico County officials, like many localities, are worried about the uptick in opioid and heroin usage and overdoses in the county and as such, are hosting a series of town hall meetings addressing the matter as well as a potentially life-saving workshop on how to administer an over the counter drug to help someone suffering from an overdose. Get all the important details here.

In a bit of sad news, authorities identified 37-year-old William Humphries, Jr. as the runner who collapsed and died following last weekend’s Carytown 10K. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

If you haven’t checked out the RVA Osprey Cam recently, what are you even doing at work, anyway? We officially have a baby osprey in the nest, and it’s time to give him or her a name! Check it out.

Five things you need to know

Photo: Richie MacDonald

1. If you rent your place (maybe not legally?) out on AirBnB in Richmond, you need to attend one of these upcoming public workshops.
2. Food Lion announced plans this week to remodel over 70 of their area stores this summer.
3. Virginia ABC stores registered record profits statewide in 2016; check out this interactive graph.
4. One of the most upscale cycling studios in town to date opens next week with three weeks of free rides.
5. Scott’s Addition is getting almost a half a million dollars for needed infrastructure improvements, it was announced this week.

Giveaways

Photo: Signal Kitchen

Congratulations to the following winners of our Friday Cheers ticket giveaway, and thanks to everyone who shared our post on Facebook. The winners, chosen at random, are:

Pair of Season Passes:

• Douglas Strouth, Jr.

Two Tickets Each to Tonight’s Show:

• Robert Carkin
• Joey Sharp

We’ll contact the winners via Facebook! Congratulations. We’ll have more to give away next week–stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter channels to win!

Make it a great weekend, y’all!

Trevor Dickerson
Editor, RVAHub