More What’s Booming RVA: April 20 to 27
Plus announcements and a link to future fun
More of What’s Booming in Richmond, Virginia, beginning April 20: Earth Day, book events, a big race day, music, comedy, and more – plus news and tickets, like comedian Kathleen Madigan and women who changed the course of WWII.
A week of RVA events, or go to our updated events page for Down the Road events and Ongoing exhibitions and performances.
April 20 to 27, 2023
Thursday, April 20
Richmond Flying Squirrels vs. Erie SeaWolves. Go Nutz and have Funn with professional baseball, giveaways, and fireworks on featured nights. Through April 23 at The Diamond, Richmond.
Friday, April 21
Lessons of the Hour: Frederick Douglass, Andrew Johnson, and the Work of Reconstruction. Douglass’s fight for equal rights for African Americans, his contentious engagements with US president Andrew Johnson, and Douglass’s famous anti-lynching speech, “Lessons of the Hour.” April 21, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.
Rachael Sage. The multi-instrumentalist performs in celebration of the release of her first single, “Whistle Blow,” and her forthcoming album, “The Other Side.” Also appearing are Annalyse & Ryan and Jason Farlow. April 21, 7 p.m., at Gallery5, Richmond.
K Dance YES! Dance Festival. Performers from around the country share their contemporary choreography and dancing. April 21, 8 p.m., and April 22, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., at Firehouse Theatre, Richmond.
RavenCon. The science fiction convention brings together authors, artists, and sci-fi fans. More than 300 hours of programming with cosplay and costume contests, an escape room, gaming, and more. Special guests include Count Gore De Vol. April 21-23 at Virginia Crossings, Glen Allen.
Saturday, April 22
Earth Day: See What’s Booming: Love Local RVA, Love the Earth. Including:
- Earth Day at Virginia State Parks.
- RVA Earth Day Festival.
- Free Community Day for Nature and Healing at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
- Earth Day Festival, Henrico.
- Earth Day Celebration at the SMV.
- Powhatan Earth Day Celebration.
Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k. Richmond’s biggest block party welcomes runners and walkers, from serious competitors to let’s-have-fun-and-dress-in-costume partiers. Participate or join the cheering crowds. April 22, with a 10k mini at 8 a.m. and the full 10k at 8:30 a.m., along Monument Avenue, Richmond.
Deaf History Month Talk: The Lantz Mills Shared Signing Community. Between 1740 and 1970, Lantz Mills, in Shenandoah County, Virginia, was home to many families with a mix of hearing and deaf parents and at least one or more deaf siblings. Deaf historian and Lantz Mills Deaf Village descendant Kathleen Brockway discusses the town. An exhibition on Lantz Mills runs from April 1 to 30. FREE, registration recommended. April 22, 10 a.m., at the Library of Virginia, Richmond.
Bahia de Santa Maria: The Spanish Presence in Early Virginia. Learn how Spaniards came to this part of the New World and interacted with native tribes and English colonists. Demonstrations include armor, weapons, food, and more. April 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Henricus Historical Park, Chester.
“Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond The Mask.” A feature-length documentary on the life and legacy of the first African American poet/writer to gain international fame, with post-screening discussion. FREE, registration required. April 22, 11 a.m., at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, Richmond.
Wild & Weird Beer Festival. See What’s Booming: Love Local RVA, Love the Earth.
Sunday, April 23
Firehouse Radio Players. Original and witty old-time radio performances, with voice actors playing multiple roles alongside the “maestro of sound effects.” April 23, 7:30 p.m., at Firehouse Theatre, Richmond.
Monday, April 24
“Virginia POW Camps in World War II.” Dr. Kathryn Roe Coker addresses the topic, based on the book she coauthored on the topic. April 24, 7 to 9 p.m., at Book People’s new location at 10464 Ridgefield Parkway, Henrico.
Genealogical Study Virtual Event. 18th and 19th Century Medicine: What Medicine Was Like for Our Ancestors. Hosted by the Genealogical Institute of Virginia. April 24, 7 p.m., online.
Richmond Restaurant Week. See What’s Booming: Love Local RVA, Love the Earth.
Tuesday, April 25
“Bluey’s Big Play” Stage Show. The adorable, whimsical Australian show, featuring a friendly dog family, entertains both kids and adults. April 25, 2023 at 6 p.m. at Altria Theater, Richmond.
Wednesday, April 26
Silver Screen Movies: “Crazy Stupid Love.” Tickets and concessions for just one dollar. April 26, 10 a.m. to noon, at Henrico Theatre, Highland Springs.
Thursday, April 27
“Faith, Race, and the Lost Cause: Confessions of a Southern Church.” Christopher Graham, author, historian, museum curator, and member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond discusses his book. April 27, noon, online, or in person at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond.
Bread or Blood: Richmond Bread Riot of 1863. April 27, 7 p.m., at Belmont Recreation Center, Henrico.
Closing Reception Honoring Artists Isabelle Abbot & Frank Phillips. April 27, 5 to 7 p.m., at 3North, 1st Floor Gallery, Richmond.
“Building a New Foundation: Dismantling Housing Segregation Brick by Brick.” Public forum co-sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Virginia, Housing Forward Virginia, the Richmond Association of Realtors, and the Virginia Housing Alliance. FREE, registration required. April 27, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond.
UnHappy Hour. The festive event returns for the 2023 season, featuring an Alice in Wonderland Costume Party and music by Charles Owens Trio. April 27, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Poe Museum, Richmond.
The Dred Scott Decision. Dr. Martha Jones of The Johns Hopkins University discusses this controversial Supreme Court case. April 27, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the American Civil War Museum, Richmond.
An Evening With Adriana Trigiani. The Virginia native and NYT-bestselling author returns to Richmond to celebrate the publication of “The Good Left Undone” in paperback. April 27, 7 p.m., at The Tuckahoe Woman’s Club, Richmond.
“Malone Ridge” Book Signing. Richmond author James Dill signs his fiction book, featuring a female protagonist who finds her way out of a difficult life in West Virginia to a new life in Alexandria, Virginia, which presents its own set of challenges. April 27, 7 p.m., at Book People’s new location at 10464 Ridgefield Parkway, Henrico.
News Notes: Laugh & Learn
Jo Koy. The Seattle-based comedian, star of Netflix and Comedy Central specials, makes a stop in Richmond on his world tour. Ticket sales now open. Sept. 29, 8 p.m., at Altria Theater, Richmond.
Kathleen Madigan: Boxed Wine & Tiny Banjos. Hilarious, relatable, clean, and still going after more than 30 years on stage – including multiple performances for US troops. Oct. 6 at Dominion Energy Center, Richmond.
Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience. The SMV presents hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, peering in to the extraordinary conditions of human space travel and the challenges and triumphs of space exploration. May 27 to Sept. 4 at the Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond.
May Online Book Group from the Library of Virginia. The online group discusses “My Monticello” by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. May 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m., online.
June Online Book Group from the Library of Virginia. The online group discusses “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II” by Mari K. Eder. May 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m., online.
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