Ed 181: Cider Week, Sip & Shop, Ice Cream Advent Calendar
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Hey, y’all! Alicia here 👋
Reminder: The Trendspotter dropped last week with the top five just-opened spots that you NEED to check out in Richmond this November. Read it here!
WEATHER
Wednesday: Mostly sunny; high of 74°, low of 45°
Thursday: Partly cloudy; high of 70°, low of 60°
Friday: Partly cloudy with morning showers; high of 70°, low of 44°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 6 pm: HYPE 2021 ICONS Young Professional Awards Celebration
Thursday, 8 pm: Tropical Thursdays at Havana '59
Friday, 7 - 11 pm: InLight 2021
CITY GUIDES
1. RVA Spots That Will Take Care of Thanksgiving Dinner For You in 2021
2. Thanksgiving Break: Top Events Happening November 19 - 29
3. Get Your Tickets to These Holiday Shows Before They Sell Out
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
Elizabeth Redford: Executive Director and Co-Founder at Tablespoons Bakery, opening today (Wednesday, November 10) in Westover Hills. Tablespoons Bakery is a vocational culinary training program through the non-profit Next Move Program, that provides internship experiences and employment opportunities for young adults with developmental disabilities. The brick-and-mortar bakery will serve as a training and employment site for their students—plus, a community cafe!
Check out Tablespoons Bakery at 1707 Westover Hills Blvd, offering a menu of baked goods, coffee, tea, and more as well as free wifi, a screened in porch and outdoor courtyard, and even a Tot Lot playground for kiddos.
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including the inside scoop on how to avoid marathon traffic this Saturday; the local spots offering ice cream advent calendars and cookie advent calendars for pre-order as we speak; where to find unlimited tastings of Virginia wine, beer, cider, and spirits for just $35 this weekend; and more!
THE LATEST:
THIS WEEK
Don’t forget: The VCU Health Richmond Marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, and Allianz Partners 8k races are all happening this Saturday, November 13 — which means you’re going to see some traffic pattern changes.
The good news is, you can use the Waze traffic app to help navigate around Richmond on race day. Road closures have been pre-loaded into the app, which should allow you to move about town using the most efficient route possible.
If you’re running this weekend, we wish you the best of luck! If you’re planning to be a spectator on Saturday, this page has all the info you need about following your runner's progress electronically, party zones and music along the course, the post-race party on Brown's Island, and more.
It’s gonna be lit. 1708 Gallery’s 14th annual InLight will kick off this Friday, November 12 through Saturday, November 13 from 7 - 11 pm at Great Shiplock Park, Chapel Island, and nearby sites along the Virginia Capital Trail and Low Line in Richmond.
This totally free, outdoor, two-night exhibition features artwork that embraces light and sound through sculpture, installation, and performance. The event will kick off on Friday at 7 pm with the Community Lantern Parade — trust us, you don’t want to miss it.
How ex-cider-ing (I’m sorry, that was a terrible joke) — Virginia Cider Week officially kicks off this Friday, November 12 across the commonwealth!
It started back in 2012, when the Virginia House of Delegates and the state Senate passed House Joint Resolution 105 to designate the full week before Thanksgiving as Cider Week in Virginia.
Nearly a decade later, cideries all across Virginia are still celebrating with all kinds of awesome events, like a Cider & Cheese Pairing with Truckle Cheesemongers at Blue Bee Cider, Potter’s Friendsgiving Cider Week Dinner with Autumn Olive Farms and Laird’s Apple Brandy, and more. You can find the full roster of Virginia Cider Week events here!
Shopping and sipping are two of our favorite activities, so you can imagine how excited we are for the return of the Sip & Shop Holiday Vendor Market to kick off this Saturday, November 13 at Stony Point Fashion Park.
It's totally free to attend — the only costs are a) whatever you decide to spend on beer, wine, and spirits to enjoy as you browse, and b) whatever you may choose to purchase from the dozens of local vendors and artists in attendance. This event series will continue every Saturday and Sunday from November 13 - December 19; more details here.
But wait, there’s more: The Stony Point Beer, Wine, & Spirits Festival is also happening this Saturday, November 13! For $35 in advance (or $40 at the door), you get a sampling glass with access to unlimited sampling from all of the Virginia distilleries, breweries, wineries, cideries, and more that will be in attendance. There will also be live music, games, food truck fare, and more to enjoy at this annual event; more info here.
Harold and Kumar go to Hatch Kitchen . Wait, that’s not right... But it’s close, considering that Smashed RVA is bringing their Smash Castle pop-up back to Hatch Kitchen this Saturday, November 13!
From 5 - 8 pm, they'll be smashing your favorite sliders in Richmond one of two ways: in a Traditional Smash Castle Pack (Seven Hills beef patties, American cheese, Smash sauce, and beef fat onions, served on brioche sliders by Back Alley Bakes) or a Vegan Smash Pack (roasted shiitake mushrooms, soy, garlic, spicy vegan mayo, served on vegan sliders by Back Alley Bakes). You can place your pre-orders here.
These are some pretty sweet advent calendars — literally. Scoop just introduced its first-ever advent calendar featuring 24 ice cream truffles, each with a unique holiday-themed flavor, to enjoy December 1 - 24. Place your order here before November 16 for pick-up the last week of November, so you have them in time to get started on December 1!
Another tasty option: these advent cookie calendars from River City Selections. Place your pre-order here!
COMING SOON
We’re just two weeks away from Thanksgiving! If you’re starting to plan out what your holiday is going to look like this year, we’ve got two new city guides to help you out:
RVA SPOTS THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR YOU IN 2021 - Whether you want to cater your meal or dine out with loved ones, we’re rounding up all the best options for this year’s biggest meal.
THANKSGIVING BREAK: TOP EVENTS HAPPENING NOVEMBER 19 - 29 - Hosting family or friends for Thanksgiving this year? We've rounded up the top events happening in Richmond to keep you and your visitors entertained throughout the holiday break!
And winter will be here before you know it. Our little elves are working on pulling together all the guides you’ll need to make the most out of the season, but just to kick things off:
GET YOUR TICKETS TO THESE HOLIDAY SHOWS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT
UNIQUE RICHMOND AIRBNBS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY VISITORS OR NEXT STAYCATION
Weekly Giveaway
Craft + Design
Clear your schedule, because Craft + Design is returning for its 57th year next weekend, November 19 - 21!
This museum-quality show is produced by the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and acts as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season in Richmond. Spend the weekend browsing the works of artists from all over the country.
This year, you have the option to shop Craft + Design online, or opt for IRL browsing with a pop-up shop featuring local artists at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond on Saturday, November 20 from 11 am - 4 pm.
We’re giving away an early access ticket, valued at $15, offering exclusive access to shop Craft + Design 48 hours before the general public (so you can snag gifts for everyone on your list before your favorite items are out of stock).
To enter to win: Tell us something you’re looking forward to this holiday season in Richmond! Personally, we can’t wait to go on an RVATukTuk Tacky Lights Tour.
Last week: Congratulations to last week’s winner, Katie C. (and her pups, Pickles and Jameson), for winning two free day passes to Ruff Canine Club!
Member Perks
Bartizan
Consider this your permission slip to take yourself, a friend, a significant other, or whomever out for dinner and drinks this week. You deserve it!
If you’re looking for something new to try, the new fall menu at Bartizan has you covered. We highly recommend trying their house-made fettuccine, hand-rolled daily and topped with your choice of local Italian sausage, short rib ragu, carbonara, or wild mushrooms — but to be honest, you can’t really go wrong with anything from their seasonal selection.
Pair your dish of choice with something off of their lengthy list of libations, from Richmond-brewed craft beer to creative cocktails utilizing local spirits like Cirrus Vodka, Belle Isle Moonshine, and more.
Make your reservation here to dine al fresco on their covered patio or to cozy up in their beautifully appointed dining room.
RVAx memberes get a 20% off of their entire food bill on every visit to Bartizan — just tell your server you’re a member of The Richmond Experience!
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We'd like to welcome 50 new members this week: Pham A., Colette G., Haleigh F., Kelsey H., Larissa D., Diana V., Ania B., Sarah B., Tyler W., Christophile K., Natasha U., Eric W., Rachel M., Josh S., Bianca G., Michaela M., Jenna P., Adam W., Matt C., Devyn J., Samira M., Janet Y., Jordyn M., Tabitha P., Bethany S., Aynsley C., Chris R., Sara B., Kelsey M., Jenna K., Erinn G., Joyce F., Sally R., Tiffany W., Sachi S., Bahar S., Gustavo D., Justin A., Julia G., Sylvia R., Shannon G., Lindsay G., Christina A., Olivia H., Sydney W., Sarah S., Kathy F., Steph T., Madison J., and Cameron J., 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 181 of The Weekly Insider.
Enjoy your week!
- Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
Thank you to Canon & Draw for powering this edition of The Weekly Insider from The Richmond Experience!
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