More What’s Booming RVA: Feb. 20 to March 7
A week of events to keep you entertained and inspired
A week of classic performances, a collab crawl, wine, Home + Garden, dance, art, and more. What’s Booming in Richmond, Virginia, February 29 to March 7, 2024.
Check out the Boomer Top picks in RVA here, browse the week ahead below, and go to our updated events page for Down the Road happenings and ongoing exhibitions and performances.
February 20 to March 7
What’s happening in and around the Richmond region
Thursday, February 29
“To Kill a Mockingbird.” Harper Lee’s powerful 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel comes to the stage in an adaptation by Aaron Sorkin that is both entertaining and deeply moving. Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch. Through March 3 at Altria Theater, Richmond. Read the Boomer review here.
Fiercely You: Finding Your Voice Through the Poetry of Sharon Olds. An immersive three-week online journey into the world of this fearless, boundary-pushing writer, culminating in a chance to create your own work. The class is designed for anyone curious about the power of words. Thursday evenings, February 29, March 7, and March 14, from 7 to 9 p.m., on Zoom.
“Difficult Conversations.” See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
“Race in Richmond.” An art exhibit exploring race and identity through photography, storytelling, and interactive experiences. FREE. Through March 11 at Main Street Station, Richmond.
Friday, March 1
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. Take the Love Bus free shuttle running between the Valentine, galleries, and other locations. March 1, beginning at 5 p.m. – times vary at the many venues around downtown Richmond.
First Fridays for the Whole Family. Free museum admission, family-friendly activities, and café specials. FREE. March 1, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Richmond.
Kansas in “Another Fork in the Road.” Take a turn into the concert to be part of their 50th anniversary tour. March 1, 7:30 p.m., at Dominion Energy Center, Richmond.
Mister Showtime: Louder Faster Funnier. Scott Wichmann presents a night of cabaret. March 1 and 2 at Swift Creek Mill Theatre, South Chesterfield.
Moving | Bodies Bodies | Moving. The Department of Theatre & Dance presents the University Dancers and the work of three innovative guest choreographers. March 1 to 3 at Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond.
“Satchmo at the Waldorf.” See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
Richmond Home + Garden Show. More than 250 home improvement, gardening, and landscape design experts. Featured home celebrity guests this year include Virginia Chamlee, author of the bestselling book “Big Thrift Energy: The Art and Thrill of Finding Vintage Treasures,” and Jeff Devlin, carpenter / woodworker and HGTV/DIY/Magnolia Network host. March 1 to 3 at the Richmond Raceway Complex, Richmond.
Steven Glass, A Retrospective: Turning Points in Clay / A Life in Art. Celebrating more than 40 years of the internationally recognized artist’s work, highlighting his creative approach to the art of functional ceramics. Glass has been the resident potter at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts School since 1982 and has lectured and served in other art capacities around the world. The exhibition features over 45 works spanning over four decades. March 1 to 31 at the Branch Museum of Architecture & Design, Richmond.
Virginia Wine Expo. Walk-Around Grand Tastings feature wines from 26 Virginia wineries, 14 distilleries, and 2024 highlighted regions – Italy and Oregon – and other wines from around the world, plus spirits, ciders, and meads. Other special events and educational seminars appeal to wine and spirits enthusiasts and foodies. Through March 3 at a variety of venues around Richmond. Walk-Around Grand Tastings, March 2 and 3 at Main Street Station, Richmond.
Saturday, March 2
Scott’s Addition Beverage District Collab Crawl. Stroll to the neighborhood’s breweries, meadery, cidery, winery, and distillery and enjoy special collaborative drinks – like Buskey Reservoir Rye Dry Cider, Apple Old Fashioned Cocktail, Väsen and Veil mixed fermentation beer conditioned on blackberries, Bingo Beer’s and Brambly Park Winery’s Wild India Pale Rosé, and others. March 2, noon to 10 p.m., in Scott’s Addition, Richmond.
“Peter and the Wolf.” The beloved musical competition from Sergei Prokofiev (1936) blends an exciting tale of a country boy, Peter, and symphonic music. Each character is represented by a different instrument, for an exciting story that simultaneously introduces young listeners to a love for classical music. Performed by the Richmond Symphony, narrated by Really Inventive Stuff’s Michael Boudewyns. Take a favorite youngster or just relive your own memories of the childhood classic. March 2, 3 p.m., at Dominion Energy Center.
Paranormal Investigation. Commonwealth Researchers of the Paranormal (C.R.O.P.) lead an investigation of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. March 2 at 6 p.m. through March 3 at 2 a.m. at Pamplin Historical Park, Petersburg.
Rum Ragged. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Concert. Enjoy fine music while supporting the musicians of the future. FREE, no registration required. March 2, 7 p.m., at Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts.
Burlesque Right Meow. Presenting “Tales of Tassels and Tease: A Burlesque Retelling of Legends, Lore, and Fairy Tales,” a seductive spectacle weaving classic narratives with the artistry of burlesque and a touch of risqué. March 2, 7:30 p.m., at Firehouse Theatre.
Sunday, March 3
RRRC Huguenot 3 Miler. A no-frills race featuring old-time trail / cross-country racing. Virtual option, too. No in-person race day registration. March 3, 9 a.m., at Robious Landing Park, Midlothian.
Doris Wylee-Becker Piano Concert. Faculty pianist performs. FREE. March 3, 3 p.m., at Camp Concert Hall, University of Richmond.
Diana Krall Tour 2024. The jazz singer brings her transcendent music to town. March 3, 7:30 p.m., at Dominion Energy Center, Richmond.
Richmond Invasive Species Week. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
Monday, March 4
Richmond Piano Trio. Faculty pianist Joanne Kong is joined by Richmond Symphony performers Daisuke Yamamoto, concertmaster, and Neal Cary, principal cellist, in works including the Debussy Trio, Grieg Trio, and Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio Op. 70 No. 1. FREE. March 4, 7:30 p.m., at Perkinson Recital Hall, University of Richmond.
Joe Bonamassa: Live in Concert. The blues guitarist, backed by a band of musicians, presents new songs and career-spanning favorites. March 4, 8 p.m., at Altria Theater, Richmond.
Tuesday, March 5
Controversy/History – Faith & Beyond: Finding Our Moral Compass. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
“Blueprint for Going Green” Book Launch. Author Gerald P. McCarthy discusses his new book on how the Virginia Environmental Endowment sprang from Allied Chemical’s ecological disaster on the James River to launch a powerful conservation movement. March 5, 6 p.m., at Fountain Bookstore, Richmond.
Genealogical Virtual Event. GRIVA German SIG. With a focus on Berlin. Hosted by the Genealogical Institute of Virginia. FREE, registration required. Dec. 12, 7 p.m., online.
Thursday, March 7
“Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson.” From Appalachian poverty into the highest echelons of American power. Author Rebecca Boggs Roberts shares perspectives on this complicated woman. March 7, noon, streaming on YouTube and Facebook and in person at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond.
Wild & Scenic Film Festival. See Boomer’s Top 5 Picks.
Petersburg Civil War Roundtable: “The Man Who Lost the Civil War Twice.” A look at John Newman Edwards, soldier, father, husband, and author, plus alcoholic, duelist, culture warrior, and a man at war with the modernizing world. The trip through 19th-century politics and culture involved guerrilla chieftains William Clarke Quantrill and “Bloody Bill” Anderson, outlaws Frank and Jesse James, Confederate general Joseph Orville Shelby, Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Charlotte of Mexico, and more. March 7, 7 to 8 p.m., at Pamplin Historical Park and National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, Petersburg.
Sally Bedell Smith at the English Speaking Union. The author discusses her recent book, “George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy.” March 7, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Agecroft Hall, Richmond.
“Alice in Wonderland.” An astonishing telling of the tale by more than 70 performers of SOUL Aerial & Performing Arts Center. March 7 to 9 at Dominion Energy Center, Richmond.
Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” Richmond Shakespeare presents an epic fairytale about wishes, family, and the choices we make. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim have gathered favorite storybook characters for a timeless modern classic. March 7 to 24 at The Steward School’s Cramer Center for the Arts, Richmond.
“Dr. Ride’s American Beach House.” The evening before Dr. Sally Ride’s historic space flight, a group of women with passionate opinions and no opportunities sit on a sweltering St. Louis rooftop watching life pass them by. Their desires bump up against American norms of sex and power in this snapshot of queer anti-heroines. Presented by YesAnd! Theatrical Co. March 7 to 23 at Firehouse Theatre, Richmond.
News worth knowing
Inaugural Chesterfield Restaurant Week. An abundance of local independent restaurants present dining specials and menus to showcase the county’s culinary diversity. March 19 to April 7 around Chesterfield County.
Chesterfield Outdoor Fest. A family-fun festival including demos, markets, and food trucks, designed to build appreciation for the sustainable community and outdoor adventures in Chesterfield County, including an Earth Day 5K and 1K. April 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, Chesterfield.
Groovin’ in the Garden Returns. The concert series returns after a 10-year hiatus with five to six concerts over the summer and fall. The first concert features long-time Richmond band Carbon Leaf, known for alt-country, Celtic, and folk-infused indie rock on May 30, 7 p.m., at the Cochrane Rose Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond.
Venture Richmond: Save the Dates!
- 2nd Street Festival, Oct. 5 to 6, in Jackson Ward, Richmond
- Richmond Folk Festival Sept. 27 to 29, on and around Brown’s Island, Richmond.
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