What’s Booming RVA: Memorial Day and More
Boomer’s top 5 picks for the week ahead
Salute American heroes and enjoy the freedoms they have helped us maintain – at a Fourth Friday fest, summer bike challenge for all speeds, and two eye-opening new museum exhibits. All in “What’s Booming RVA: Memorial Day Tributes and More.”
Ashland Fourth Friday
May 24, 5 to 8 p.m., in Downtown Ashland
Stroll the historic district, take in tunes by popular bands, discover treasures in shops open late, dine on farm-to-table fare, and get to know local businesses.
Summer Challenge Kick-Off & Pop Up Rest Stop
The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation kicks off its Cap Trail Summer Challenge with a booth for first-day registration plus Stone Brewing discount offer. Online registration also opens Saturday. The Challenge aims to helps people stay active this summer by covering all 51.7 miles of the Virginia Capital Trail, in bits and pieces. Run, walk, bike, or skate. Pop Up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rocketts Landing. Challenge from May 25 to Sept. 9 along the Virginia Capital Trail, from Richmond to Jamestown.
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“A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools That Changed America”
May 25, 2024 to April 20, 2025 at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond
A new exhibition honors the Rosenwald program, a unique school program established to provide educational opportunities for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. One of the most transformative educational initiatives in American history was forged by Booker T. Washington, a Black educator, and Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist. The exhibition features photographs and stories of the schools alongside a Virginia-based collection of related artifacts, images, and more.
“BODY WORLDS: The Anatomy of Happiness”
May 25 to Labor Day at the Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond
What makes people happy? How does that impact the mind and body? A new exhibition answers those questions, using real, plastinated human specimens. Complementary programs will be available throughout the run of the exhibition.
Memorial Day Tributes Around the Richmond Region
Memorial Day at Pamplin Park. Honoring fallen military members with a military art exhibit, programs, speakers, and a ceremony. May 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, Petersburg.
Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony. Honoring and remembering the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation with speakers, memorial wreath presentations, and more. FREE. Broadcast live on WTVR-TV CBS6.1 & 6.3 in Richmond and the WTVR-TV website and on Facebook pages of Virginia War Memorial and Virginia Department of Veterans Services. May 27, 11 a.m.; concert by the Richmond Cadet Alumni Band at 2 p.m.; at Virginia War Memorial, Richmond.
Commonwealth Ceremonies at the three DVS cemeteries:
- In Amelia, at the Virginia Veterans Cemetery, the ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Chuck Zingler, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. The cemetery is located at 10300 Pridesville Road, Amelia Court House, Va. 23002.
- In Dublin, at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery, the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Vice Admiral Evan M. Chanik, (U.S. Navy, Retired). The cemetery address is 5550 Bagging Plant Road, Dublin, Va. 24084.
- In Suffolk, at the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, the ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Colonel Mike Winstead (U.S. Army, Retired). Additional speakers include David Buchy, Navy veteran and Commander of American Legion Nansemond Post 88. The address of the cemetery is 5310 Milners Road, Suffolk, Va. 22334.
Prior to each cemetery ceremony, volunteers will place American flags on all gravesites. For the latest information on all these ceremonies, please visit DVS.virginia.gov.
Hanover Memorial Day Ceremony. May 27, 10 a.m., at Hanover Veterans Memorial at Hanover Wayside Park.
Free Admission for Active-Duty Military and Veterans. May 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond.
“Honoring Service to America” and Free Admission at Colonial Williamsburg.
- Free admission for all active-duty military, reservists, retirees, veterans, National Guard members, and their immediate dependents. May 24 to 27.
- Memorial Day Commemoration. Traditional wreath-laying ceremony. May 27, 10 a.m., on Palace Green.
- A Salute to the Fallen. A lone bagpiper plays iconic selections in tribute to men and women who gave their lives while serving in America’s Armed Forces. May 27, 4:40 to 5 p.m., on Palace Green.
Check websites for more details, including prices and registration requirements.
More of What’s Booming besides Memorial Day Tributes
Food and more fun to fill your plate
Boomer’s featured flavor of the week:
10 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Your Next Picnic
And lots more events to throw on your calendar:
MORE EVENTS from May 23 to 30, 2024 + Down-the-Road events
