Ed 175: Chili Throwdown, Spooktoberfest, RVA Fashion Week
Hey, y’all! 👋
We’ve got two awesome member meet-ups planned for October, y’all. The first is a member workout, a free YogaSix 101 class (with limited capacity!) on Thursday, October 7 at 5 pm. The second is the first-ever meeting of our brand new book club on Tuesday, October 26 at 6 pm.
We’ve got more details on both events below (and we’re giving away a free copy of this month’s book club selection), so keep scrolling — but for now, be sure to mark those dates on your calendar as “busy hanging out with other cool people in Richmond” and we’ll see you there!
WEATHER
Wednesday: Sunny; high of 75°, low of 53°
Thursday: Sunny; high of 77°, low of 51°
Friday: Sunny; high of 74°, low of 52°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 6 - 9 pm: Väsen Run Club
Thursday, 6 - 9 pm: Reflections in the Garden
Friday, 5 - 11 pm: RVA First Fridays
CITY GUIDES
1. 11 Seasonal Lattes You Need to Try Now
2. RVA Neighborhood Guide: Northside
3. Music Roundup: Concerts & Shows Happening in Richmond Now - November 1
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
Mike Ledesma: Owner at Perch and The Coop. In a past life, Mike was a financial advisor, but he made a career change in 2002 when he enrolled in culinary school in Hawaii. He has since worked under "Iron Chef" Roy Yamaguchi, as a corporate chef for Richmond Restaurant Group — and now, as executive chef at his own Richmond restaurants.
Have you been to happy hour at Perch? Wednesday through Saturday, you can visit this upscale Scott's Addition restaurant from 5 - 7 pm for a $7 cocktail of the day, $5 rail highballs, $3 Narragansett beers, and discounted food items.
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including the just-opened restaurant in Southside with a stellar beer list, your chance to help crown Richmond’s next Chili Champion this Friday, two (free!) multi-day music festivals returning to Richmond this weekend and next, where to catch Spooktoberfest (and see dogs competing in a Halloween costume contest) this Saturday, and more.
THE LATEST:
THIS WEEK
Now open in Southside: Riverside Tavern has officially opened its doors in the location that was formerly home to The Forest at 5057 Forest Hill Ave, just across the street from The Veil Brewing, Charm School Study Hall, and Blanchards Forest Hill.
Richard Hayes at RVAHub says they’ve got a stellar tap list (particularly if you love IPAs) as well as crisp, tasty fries. They’re currently open for dinner with future plans to serve lunch — and we’ve got our eyes on the Riverside Cheesesteak (with sliced brisket, grilled onions, and house whiz) and the Pressed Pimento (flour garden white bread and classic southern pimento cheese).
Who will be this year’s Chili Champ? That’s what we’re going to find out at the VisArts 8th Annual Chili Throwdown this Friday, October 1 from 6 - 9 pm. Local restaurants will contribute their very best chili recipes to this competition, which will be taste-tested by event attendees as well as a blind jury. At the end of the evening, VisArts will present two restaurants with awards: one with an overall award as selected by the judges, and one with the people's choice award.
Adult admission is $30 which includes a handmade ceramic bowl (made by a VisArts clay artist!), a drink ticket, and as many samples and/or bowls of chili as your heart desires, while supplies last. Snag your tickets here, and come hungry!
See you at Spooktoberfest. This Saturday, October 2 from 12 - 6 pm, celebrate the 2nd Annual Spooktoberfest with Richmond Makers Market at dog-friendly brewery, Basic City Beer Co.
That “dog-friendly” note is important because, in addition to shopping 30+ local artists and small business vendors at this free Halloween-inspired market, you’ll also have the chance to enter yourself and/or your pup into their costume contest to win categories like “Best Costume: Human,” “Best Costume: Dog,” and “Scariest Costume: Dog.”
CRAUNIC Sounds will be there to keep people vibin', and Richmond Animal League will be bringing a few pups who are still seeking fur-ever homes. More details here.
It’s officially back: The annual 2nd Street Festival hit the pause button in 2020, but it’s returning to Jackson Ward for its 33rd year (!) in 2021 this Saturday, October 2 - Sunday, October 3.
Admission to this event is totally free, and there will be food, drinks, and merchandise available for purchase throughout the festival site, which spans an eight-block area along N 2nd Street between E Broad and E Jackson Streets. You can learn more and check out the full event schedule (including live music performances, walking tours, artist demos, and more) here.
COMING SOON
Don’t miss our free member workout: There are just a few spots left for our Y6 101 Class for members of The Richmond Experience at YogaSix Richmond next Thursday, October 7 at 5 pm!
This all-levels yoga and strength training class is totally free for RVAx members — you can find more details and reserve your spot here.
Kicking off on Monday: RVA Fashion Week returns October 4 - 10 with a jam-packed week of can’t-miss events like the 2-day RVA Sneaker Fest, A New Me Fashion Show hosted by Miss Virginia, the RVAFW Finale Runway Fashion Show, and more. Details here.
We’re so folk-ing excited: Three days, five stages, and 65 different musical performances — The Richmond Folk Festival returns for 2021 with all of this PLUS concessions from 30 regional food and beverage vendors, a marketplace of 21 local artists and makers, and more next Friday, October 8 - Sunday, October 10 on Brown’s Island! This festival is free to attend, and you can donate here if you’d like to keep it that way.
Next month: GROWRVA will kick off the Sunday South of the James Market at Forest Hill Park on November 7, and will continue to host Sunday markets there each week from 10 am - 1 pm through April. More updates here.
Weekly Giveaway
The Richmond Experience Members-Only Book Club
Exciting news: We are starting our own book club for members of The Richmond Experience!
We're launching this new event series using Bookclubz, an app from a Richmond-based startup that makes organizing book clubs as seamless, easy, and fun as possible for all involved.
For our first book club gathering, we'll meet at Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop on Tuesday, October 26 at 6 pm. You can RSVP for free here to join us.
To celebrate, we’re giving away a copy of our first book club selection, the novel Three Rooms by Joy Hamya!
A brief description of this book: "A piercing howl of a novel and 'a tart pleasure... with echoes of Zadie Smith and Sally Rooney,' about one young woman’s endless quest for an apartment of her own and the aspirations and challenges faced by the Millennial generation as it finds its footing in the world, from a shockingly talented debut author." (Kirkus, starred review)
To enter to win: Use this link to sign up for our book club! We’ll randomly select a winner from those signed up and ship the book to them next week.
Last week: Congratulations to last week’s winner, Roz H., on winning an item of their choice from our shop! To everyone else who entered to win, don’t forget that you can still shop your favs anytime here.
Member Perks
Tandem Adventures
It's prime paddling season, and the folks at Tandem Adventures are ready to take you out on the James River!
This locally owned and operated biz offers three different beginner-friendly, rapid-free, tandem kayaking tours to choose from: The Skyline Experience, The Canal Experience, and The Goochland Experience.
For years, the James River has been known for its rapids, but there is so much to see from the flatwater — and there’s no better way to see it than in a comfortable, stable, easy-to-use, two-person kayak. Tandem Adventures' guides will have everything set up and ready to go for you when you arrive, and they'll provide pointers on how to paddle to set you up for success!
Members of The Richmond Experience can use promo code RvaExp15 for 15% off when booking now through October 31, 2021 — book here!
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We'd like to welcome 18 new members this week: Jason P., Juhsien C., Jamie G., Adam P., Courtney D., Brandy G., Kim H., Sara M., Joanna S., Alyson O., Korinthia N., Elizabeth H., Colette A., Elaine D., Cathy W., Michael L., John B., and Jennifer W., 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 175 of The Weekly Insider.
Have an awesome week!
- The Richmond Experience
OUR LOCAL PARTNERS
