Ed 133: Christmas Parade Kits, RVA Illuminates, Virtual Nutcracker
Image Source: @kevinjkelleyphoto
Hey there! Alicia here 👋
Anyone else having a little trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year?
We put all of our decorations up this past weekend, but we’re just not getting that magical feeling that usually comes with this time of year quite yet.
Maybe attending a few of the many holiday events happening (both virtually and in person) over the next few weeks will help us kick it into Winter Wonderland mode.
Whether you’re feeling festive or you’re not quite there yet, things are about to get lit this week — and I mean literally. The Richmond skyline and the riverfront are set to get glowing on Friday.
Beyond that, there are totally new ways to get involved with the Dominion Energy Christmas Parade this Saturday, and fan-favorite holiday performances from the Richmond Ballet and the Richmond Symphony will go on this weekend and beyond.
We’ve got the details on all of this and more, along with the new tropical fare and juice market that just opened its doors and some stellar Thursday night plans for you featuring cocktails from Cirrus Vodka and dinner delivery from Chop Chop RVA.
Let’s get to it!
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SOCIAL NEWS
The colder the weather gets, the more I crave sunshine and tropical flavors. Which is precisely why I’m so excited that one of my favorite spots for Thai food and tiki drinks, Sabai, just opened a new tropical fare and juice market next door called Sabai Jai.
Open daily, this market offers tropical smoothies (like the Tropical Sweater made with papaya, coconut, pineapple, tumeric root, allspice, honey, and cinnamon), fresh juices (such as Leaves of Lemongrass made with pear, red beets, spinach, lemongrass, and sweet basil) and bubble teas (including the Matcha Latte made with green matcha tea, pineapple juice, coconut milk, demerara, and boba pearls).
They also offer five different flavors of sugar cane mojitos, as well as a food menu of salads, hot plates, and skewers. I’m feeling very ready to get my daily servings of fruits and veggies here, aren’t you?
It’s not quite Santa coming down your chimney with a sack of presents, but it’s pretty close. Karri Peifer at the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that most Richmond residents can now get bottles of booze delivered straight to their doorstep by the Virginia ABC.
So long as you live within 25 miles of the ABC store located at 2610 Buford Rd, all you have to do is visit abc.virginia.gov, select the store at the aforementioned address, shop, and select “ship to my home” at checkout.
Alcohol, wine, and mixers can all be delivered, so long as someone 21 or older with a valid ID will be home to sign for the delivery. Ho ho ho-ly crap, talk about a pandemic game-changer.
Speaking of boozy delivery, don’t miss your chance to get dinner and drinks delivered to your doorstep as you tune into the virtual awards ceremony of the season. ICONS 2020 is happening online this Thursday, December 3 at 7 pm — and in addition to celebrating the city’s best and brightest young professionals, ticket holders will also get a cocktail from Cirrus Vodka and a voucher for dinner delivery from their local restaurant of choice through Chop Chop RVA.
All virtual attendees will also be entered to win amazing prizes from dozens of local businesses (including Common House, Top Golf, Quirk Hotel, RVA Cheese Girl, and more), which will be awarded by the evening’s emcees, radio personalities Melissa and Jack from 103.7 Play between rounds of trivia led by our friends at Why Richmond Is Awesome.
All that to say: You do not want to miss this event! You can get your ticket for $40, which includes all of the above and more.
You better not pout, you better not cry! Santa Claus is comin’ to town this Saturday, December 5 for the 37th annual Dominion Energy Christmas Parade. This year’s parade will be taking place virtually with all-new performances from fan-favorite local entertainment groups, heart-warming stories focused on celebrating our Richmond community, "best of" clips from past parades featuring giant helium balloons and colorful floats, and even a special appearance by Santa himself.
Tune in exclusively to WTVR CBS 6 this Saturday at 10 am to enjoy this holiday tradition from the comfort of your own home — and maybe even take it up a notch by purchasing an At-Home Parade Viewing Kit from Celebrate RVA ft. an ornament decorating kit, hot chocolate mix, a cookie decorating kit, and an activity book with specially designed Dominion Energy Christmas Parade coloring pages.
Let it glow, let it glow, let it glow. And by “it,” we mean the city skyline, which will be lit up this Friday, December 4 at 5:30 pm at the annual RVA Illuminates ceremony, which you can catch live via ABC 8 News, at WRIC.com, or on 103.7 Play.
After that, Brown’s Island and the Turning Basin on the Canal Walk will join in on the cheer and help the City of Richmond kick off the season with Holiday Lights on the Riverfront, a display of decorative lights that is totally free to the public on Friday from 6 - 8 pm. Attendees can enjoy food and drink from vendors Espresso-A-Go-Go and Curbside Creations as well as entertainment from Jonathan the Juggler on Brown’s Island, or take a festive stroll along the Canal Walk to the Turning Basin.
Don’t forget to support our local arts and culture scene this season! The Richmond Symphony will present Let It Snow! The Brass Edition via livestream and in person this Saturday, December 5 at 8 pm for a magical musical experience that the whole family will love. This 90-minute concert is a part of their Home For The Holidays bundle, which includes two additional performances from the Symphony — and you can even add on the Holiday Cheer option and the Richmond Symphony will mail to you a special box of holiday cheer, incuding items like sleigh bells, an ornament, and an activity booklet.
And it just wouldn’t be the holiday season without a performance of The Nutcracker. Thankfully, the Richmond Ballet is offering plenty of options for you to watch this year’s performance virtually. Register now to bring the magic home this year and thank us later!
HAPPENINGS
Winter markets galore! If you didn’t snag gifts for everyone on your list on Small Business Saturday, don’t worry — you’ve still got plenty of chances to shop local this week:
Richmond Night Market - This 2-day “Holiday Village”-inspired virtual market experience is happening this Saturday and Sunday ft. live music from The Fuzz Band and Mighty Joshua, and it’s totally free to register (Virtual)
Local Love 2-Day Trunk Show - Another weekend-long event happening in-person at Alma’s RVA on Brookland Park Blvd, where you can shop small, support local artists, and spread cheer (Northside)
Birdhouse Online Winter Market - Starting this December, Birdhouse Farmers Market will operate an online-only winter farmers market to provide access to local foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, all year long (Virtual)
Sip & Shop at Stony Point Fashion Park - This is touted as the only holiday shopping experience in Richmond with the ability to purchase and enjoy adult beverages while shopping (Stony Point)
Find more holiday markets in our recent City Guide here. Happy shopping!
Weekly Giveaway
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
It’s officially Gingerbread Stout season, so we’re giving away a $50 gift card to Hardywood for you to use toward your favorite GBS releases (or anything else from their taproom or store!), along with a Richmond Lager hat, a pair of Hardywood sunglasses, and a reusable Hardywood tote bag.
The timing works out well, since this is the last week that Hardywood will be doing GBS releases, and they’ll be released in taprooms only.
The $50 gift card can be used to place an order for pick-up, local delivery, or shipping — as well as for in-taproom purchases (like the releases mentioned above)!
To enter to win: Tell me your favorite Hardywood brew! I know it’s super basic, but I just love sipping a crisp Richmond Lager in the sunshine.
Last week: Congratulations to Alyx B. for winning last week’s Discover Richmond Box: Holiday Edition giveaway!
Member Perks
Ellen Etches RVA
If you’ve been scratching your head trying to think of a special, personalized gift for a loved one this season, your search is over — Ellen Etches RVA has you covered.
This local maker creates custom handcrafted glass gifts of all kinds, from ornaments to glassware to dishes and beyond. The designs are frosted directly onto the glass, so they are permanent and dishwasher safe.
She can make just about any design, so whether you’re looking to commemorate a special occasion, your favorite sports team, a particular person, a beloved pet, or anything else, she can make it happen.
Spend $50 and get a custom-etched pint glass or stemless wine glass free — just make a note that you’re a member of The Richmond Experience to take advantage of this perk!
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SAVE THE DATE
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Hey new members!
We'd like to welcome 30 new members this week: Erin W., Jacklyn M., Allison M., Reginald S., Shannon V., Abigail E., Lizzie M., Portia B., Nancy S., Amelie R., Jayme S., Stephanie H., Laura E., Sarah B., Kirsten M., Sarah H., Grace C., Hannah W., Montia C., Heather C., Alex D., Weezie B., David G., Cagney S., Angela E., Caddie A., Cassandra C., Hollie M., Vincent R., and Mary Genevieve C., we're so glad you're here!
It takes a village, so let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback, tips, or recs! Thanks for reading edition 133 of the Weekly Insider.
Stay well friends,
Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
Thank you to Scents of Serenity for powering this edition of the Weekly Insider from The Richmond Experience!
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