More What’s Booming RVA: Oct. 31 to Nov. 7
A week of entertaining and inspiring events plus a road trip and news
Bluegrass and Brahms, history and humor, art, plus nearby historic restorations, author events and more. In today’s What’s Booming, Richmond, Virginia: October 31 to November 7, 2024.
Also check out:
- Boomer’s Top 5 picks in RVA this week,
- Browse the week ahead below, and
- Go to our updated events page for Down the Road happenings and ongoing exhibitions and performances.
October 31 to November 7, 2024
Thursday, October 31
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Halloween @ Dave & Boo-ster’s. Video games, costume contest, candy scavenger hunt, crafts, and spooky surprises. Oct. 31, 4 to 7 p.m., at Dave & Busters, Short Pump.
The Soul Rebels. The eight-member brass sensation expanded on pop music and the NOLA brass tradition and blended it with funk, soul, hip hop, rock, and jazz. Oct. 31, pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m., concert at 7:30 p.m., at Camp Concert Hall, University of Richmond.
Gold Rush and The Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel. Two tribute bands. A salute to Neil Young, the godfather of grunge rock, with classic songs from every era of his career. And a salute to the best-selling duo, with accurate musical renditions and vocal harmonies. Oct. 31, 8 p.m., at The Tin Pan, Richmond.
“Shucked.” Broadway in Richmond presents the Tony Award–winning musical comedy. This corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater, guffaws, and giggles. Through Nov. 3 at Altria Theatre, Richmond.
Friday, November 1
Marquis de Lafayette Student Webinar. In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who helped the Continental Army win independence from the British, returned to tour the U.S. and was received with a hero’s welcome. Watch a living history presentation and Q&A of Lafayette’s life and ideals. Nov. 1, noon to 1 p.m., online.
Friday at the Museum. Learn about Henrico County’s people and places. This museum interprets the story of the Palmore family who lived on a small farm in 1930. Like other farm families living through the Great Depression, the Palmore family struggled to make a living during tough economic times. Nov. 1, noon to 4 p.m., at Clarke-Palmore House Museum, Henrico.
Salsa Dance Class. Learn the popular Latin dance: spin, turn, and do solo moves called Shines, with or without a partner. Ages 18+. Nov. 1, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, Henrico.
RVA First Fridays. Stroll the art galleries along and around Broad Street, plus restaurants, shops, and other organizations. Presenting live music, special events, tastings, and more. Nov. 1, times vary at venues around downtown Richmond.
First Friday at the Library of Virginia. View a display by Virginia artists, enjoy refreshments, get creative in the makerspace, and visit the Virginia Shop for books and gifts. November’s theme is architecture, the art form that produces the structures in which we live and work – view items from the collections and create in the makerspace. Nov. 1, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Library of Virginia, Richmond.
First Fridays at VMHC. Free museum admission, family-friendly activities, live music, food trucks, a living history meet and greet with the Marquis de Lafayette, and screening of “The LEGO Movie.” FREE. Sept. 6, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Richmond.
Band Together 2024. Take in live music from Dance Candy, gourmet food, and specialty drinks while supporting youth in need through the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. Nov. 1, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., at the Dewey Gottwald Center, Richmond.
Over the Rhine. A musical couple, Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, created Over the Rhine. Nov. 1, 8 p.m., at The Tin Pan, Richmond.
“Plaid Tidings.” See Boomer’s Top 5 picks.
Saturday, November 2
Pamplin Park Breakthrough 5k Trail Run. Runners and walkers wind through the Civil War Breakthrough Battlefield trails, through a picturesque and historic landscape with original earthworks from the decisive Breakthrough battle. Entirely on trails with no motor vehicle traffic. Nov. 2, 9 a.m., at Pamplin Historical Park – Hart Farm, Petersburg.
Driving Tour: The Battle of Burgess Mill. The battle was part of Grant’s Sixth Offensive in the Petersburg Campaign. This tour features four stops across grounds on which the battle was fought. Registration required by Oct. 31. Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tour starting point provided after registration.
Día de Los Muertos. Immerse yourself in the cultural experience of the tradition with a Day of the Dead altar, stories, craft demonstration and vendors, food, and more. Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond.
Holiday Artisan Market. Vendor market plus concessions. Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Glen Allen.
“Election Day 1864: Black Soldiers Vote on the Front Lines.” See Boomer’s Top 5 picks.
“The Hint of Light.” Author Kristin Kisska signs her suspense fiction novel. Nov. 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Books, Beads & More, Mechanicsville.
Hops in the Park. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
“Haunted Inns and Hotels of Virginia” with Susan Schwartz. The author and paranormal expert talks about exploring haunted historic lodging in the Old Dominion. Nov. 2, 1 to 3 p.m., at Book People, Henrico.
Oysters, Barbecue … Battersea. Relax on the rolling lawn eating oysters from the grill, a Virginia barbecue lunch with traditional sides, plus desserts, wine, beer, live music, and lawn games. And explore both floors of the restored 1768 Battersea villa. Nov. 2, 1 to 4 p.m., at Battersea Foundation, Petersburg.
Hardywood Bluegrass Festival. Six bands from Virginia and North Carolina present rich traditional American sounds. Nov. 2, 2 to 9:30 p.m., at Hardywood on Ownby, Richmond.
Richmond Frocktails. A family-friendly evening of fashion and fun, with a fashion show of clothing created by diverse local sewists and modeled by the sewists themselves, followed by a celebration for sewists, friends, and guests. All profits used to provide free sewing education, free materials for classes, and maintaining equipment in the free sewing center. Nov. 2, 7 p.m., at Triple Crossing Fulton, Richmond.
“Wine, Women, & Dementia.” The documentary feature debuts nationally, timed to coincide with National Family Caregivers Awareness Month. This full-length film explores the physical and emotional toll of dementia caregiving on family members who face isolation and financial stress. Debuts Nov. 2 on PBS and the PBS app.
Sunday, November 3
CozyCon: A Cozy and Historical Mystery Afternoon. Three mystery authors – Ellery Adams, Colleen Cambridge, and Daryl Wood Gerber – take part in a panel discussion and signing. Nov. 3, 2 to 3:30 p.m., at Ashland Theatre, Ashland.
Puerto Rican Bomba Dance Workshop. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
Symphony Series 2: Brahms and Dvořák. James Ehnes joins Valentina Peleggi and the Richmond Symphony for Brahms’ romantic Violin Concerto; Carlos Simon’s meditation on Beethoven, “Fate Now Conquers”; and Dvořák’s lyrical hymn to nature, the Eighth Symphony. Nov. 2, 8 to 11 p.m., and Nov. 3, 3 to 6 p.m., at Dominion Energy Center, Richmond.
Monday, November 4
Bingo at Belmont. Bingo games with prizes and games in the community game room. Nov. 4, 1 to 3 p.m., at Belmont Recreation Center, Henrico.
Tuesday, November 5
Genealogical Virtual Event. GRIVA German SIG: Birth Records. German expert Sylvia Elchinger discusses where to find them, how to read them, and how to interpret them. Hosted by GRIVA, the Genealogical Institute of Virginia. FREE, registration required. Nov. 5, 7 p.m., online.
Wednesday, November 6
Bluegrass Jam. The weekly open jam session focuses on bluegrass music of all styles, vocal and instrumental. Musicians within the circle are expected to participate. All experience levels welcome, including beginners. On the first Wednesday of each month, there will be a jam etiquette lesson at 5:30. Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27, 6 to 8 p.m., at Twin Hickory Recreation Center, Glen Allen.
Feast for the Eyes: Table Dressing & Herbal Centerpiece Workshop. Create historically inspired holiday tablescapes with instruction and supplies from historic educator Rebecca Suerdieck. Nov. 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Agecroft Hall & Gardens, Richmond.
Gaelic Storm. A melodic mix of Irish, Scottish, Celtic folk, and Celtic rock. Nov. 6, 7 p.m., at Cultural Arts Center, Glen Allen.
Thursday, November 7
Early American Migrations. The Library of Virginia hosts a virtual presentation by senior map archivist Cassandra Farrell about the roads that early Americans traveled during the Colonial and early Republic periods. Spanning from Maine to Ohio to Georgia, these routes were traveled by boat, foot, horseback, and stagecoach. FREE. Nov. 7, noon, online.
Road Trip
Historic School Dedication & Tours
Williamsburg Bray School Dedication Ceremony. The school is the oldest-known structure in the nation in which enslaved and free Black children were formally educated. The building was identified in 2020, moved to Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area in 2023, and has been undergoing restoration since. Event speakers include Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Justice John Charles Thomas, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia and its first Black justice; and Virginia State Senator Mamie Locke. Tours of the building will allow a limited number of guests to get a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration process. Nov. 1, 2 to 3:15 p.m., on the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
News & Announcements
A return of grandeur
Restored Hotel Petersburg Opens Dec. 5. A historic hotel, established in 1916, has been restored as an upscale boutique hotel. The seven-story building blends artful design with the building’s 20th-century Second Renaissance Revival style featuring original marble columns, a grand marble staircase with brass handrails, and terra cotta cornices with Italian-inspired scrolls on the exterior. The hotel is in Petersburg’s Courthouse Historic District, which is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, and Hotel Petersburg has been designated a member of Historic Hotels of America. In addition to 64 guest rooms, the hotel also hosts Shirley’s, a full-service restaurant and bar serving seasonal fare; 20 West, a rooftop lounge with curated cocktails and sweeping city views; The Boiler Room, a spirits bar with speakeasy vibes; an outdoor courtyard; and 2,200 square feet of meeting space. Opens Dec. 5 at 20 West Tabb St., Petersburg.
Click here to make plans with this list of events to come and ongoing exhibitions and performances.
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