Forget chocolate, celebrate Valentine’s Day with robot combat

Most people spend Valentine’s Day with flowers and dinner reservations. Not at Regency Mall.

This Saturday, February 14, Regency Mall transforms into a robot-fighting arena for Cupid Carnage, a free event where tiny custom-built bots smash into each other in double-elimination brackets. It’s exactly as fun as it sounds.

Hosted by Rabid RVA, a local nonprofit focused on robotics and engineering education, the event features three weight classes: Fairyweights (a delicate 150 grams), full combat Antweights (one pound), and 3D-printed plastic Antweights (also one pound). Top three finishers in each class take home prizes.

Doors open at 11 a.m. in the mall’s lower-level central common area, outside the Adult Education Center. There’s no tickets, no registration for spectators, no catch, just show up and watch robots destroy each other. It’s a Valentine’s date that doesn’t require a reservation.

Rabid RVA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and their whole thing is building an inclusive community around robotics, getting people of all ages interested in engineering by making it, well, fun. Hard to argue with the approach when your pitch is “come watch tiny robots fight.”

For anyone who wants to get involved beyond spectating, the group’s Discord server has volunteer sign-ups (with community service hours available) and tips for aspiring builders. Event details and competitor registration can be found at Robot Combat Events.

Regency Mall is at 1420 N Parham Rd in Richmond’s West End. Bring the kids, bring a date, bring whoever. Just maybe leave the box of chocolates in the car.