Ed 184: Holiday Pop-Up Bars, Seasonal Sweets, December Shows & Concerts
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Hey, y’all! Alicia here 👋
It’s the first full week of December, and you know what that means: The Trendspotter just dropped, outlining the top can’t-miss, just-opened spots you need to check out this month!
Consider this (and the rest of the editions of The Trendspotter from this year) your end-of-the-year bucket list. Happy exploring!
WEATHER
Wednesday: Partly cloudy with morning showers; high of 43°, low of 26°
Thursday: Mostly cloudy; high of 47°, low of 31°
Friday: Cloudy with afternoon showers; high of 57°, low of 51°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 7 pm: The Hip Hop Nutcracker
Thursday, 6 pm: Drag Bingo at Diversity Richmond
Friday, 7:15 pm: Church Hill Candlelight Walk & Caroling
CITY GUIDES
1. The Trendspotter: December 2021
2. Music Roundup: Concerts & Shows Happening in Richmond in December
3. Richmond's Top Holiday Happenings & Winter Events 2021
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
Ari Augenbaum & Trey Owens: Co-owners of JewFro, now open in Shockoe Bottom serving Jewish and African cuisine (along with some truly incredible cocktails). And ICYMI: This month only, JewFro will play host to seasonal pop-up bar Jingle Belle: A Woke Holiday Story featuring holiday-inspired cocktails, Insta-worthy decor, seasonal bar bites, and more.
P.S. JewFro and Jingle Belle are hosting a Holiday Drag Brunch this Sunday, December 12 including a two-course pre-fixe brunch menu, a holiday-themed cocktail, and a spectacular show starring four of Richmond's most fabulous queens! Snag tickets for the first seating at 11:30 am here or the second seating at 2 pm here.
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including the fully mobile bar/“booze truck” now available for rent for events all around Richmond, holiday shows kicking off their 2021 season this week, where to find a mouthwatering menu of decadent boozy hot chocolates this month, and more!
THE LATEST:
THIS WEEK
Christmas movies in Carytown: Holidays at The Byrd are back for 2021 with showings of favorites like…
Love Actually (12/8 and 12/22)
The Polar Express (12/11 and 12/23)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (12/13 and 12/22)
It's A Wonderful Life (12/23 - 12/26)
…and more. Each showing will be complete with a Mighty Wurlitzer Organ sing-a-long, and even snow — don't ask how, that's part of the magic!
The mobile bar Richmond’s been waiting for: A Short Pump staple, The Grapevine Greek & Italian Restaurant, just unveiled Tipsy Grape, a fully mobile bar that will come to you! This "booze truck" provides professional bartenders and full packages for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and more, including wine, beer, and liquor at various price points.
And to the relief of event planners everywhere, they're fully licensed and insured — no need to obtain a separate alcohol license for your venue, as they hold a state-wide liquor license! More info here.
Let the seasonal shows begin: A quick reminder that two of Richmond’s most highly anticipated holiday shows are kicking off this weekend (and still have tickets left for sale)!
A Charlie Brown Christmas, presented by Henrico Theatre Company (12/10 - 12/12)
The Nutcracker, presented by the Richmond Ballet (12/11 - 12/23)
Getting into the holiday spirit(s): Every year, members of Richmond's boating community decorate their boats with twinkling lights and seasonal decor before gathering on the James River for the annual Richmond Boat Parade of Lights. This year’s event will take place this Saturday 12/11 at 5:30 pm!
Typically, families and friends set up chairs or blankets to watch the parade for free from spots like the wharf at Rockett's Landing, Ancarrow's Landing, or Libby Hill Park. But this year, you’ll also have the option to pay a $10 cover to watch the parade from right on the water at The Lilly Pad Cafe, which is all decked out for the holidays with larger-than-life inflatable snowmen, colorful twinkling lights, and more! The parade will end at The Lilly Pad around 7 pm, so folks here will get the chance to see the grand finale up close.
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland: Enjoy some free, family-friendly fun at Winter Wander this Sunday 12/12 from 12 - 4 pm with The Valentine. Take a walking tour of the picturesque Court End neighborhood, enjoy free museum admission to The Valentine, hop on a shuttle to visit nearby cultural sites, and more. There will be hot beverages, live entertainment, and family crafts and games to enjoy throughout the event, so come ready for an afternoon of merriment!
Boozy hot chocolate is back: Mosaic RVA is offering a whole menu of alcoholic cocoa with all the fixin’s, including Boston Cream (made with Kahlua, topped with a beignet and a toasted marshmallow), PB Ball (mixed with Skrewball peanut butter whiskey, whipped cream, and Reese's cups), Strawberry White Chocolate (made with Godiva white chocolate liquor), and Mexicoco (cinnamon and cayenne-infused hot chocolate spiked with house tequila). Cheers to making spirits bright!
COMING SOON
Silent night, but make it a party: Join UnlockingRVA for a special Silent Party Pop-Up for the winter holidays at Switch Pop-Up Bar next Friday 12/17 from 8 - 11 pm! Tickets are limited, so be sure to snag yours ASAP before they’re gone.
This event will be a silent disco, meaning each dancer will get their own pair of headphones that will allow them to fully tap into each Silent Party DJ's live mixes, switching between sets as the music moves them.
Not to mention, The Grinch Who Stole Switch pop-up bar concept is happening all month long, so all dancers will have the chance to enjoy festive decor and seasonal cocktails throughout the Silent Party. Groove, Grinches, groove!
Celebrate the solstice: We’ve shared about holiday happenings celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, but you know what we haven’t talked about yet? The Winter Solstice, i.e. the shortest day of the year, happening on 12/21 (which is also the first day of winter).
So, we thought we’d share that RVA Moon Market is hosting a special Winter Solstice Market at Stone Brewing the weekend of 12/18 - 12/19 in celebration of this astronomical event!
Saturday and Sunday from 12 - 5 pm, you can gather under the full moon to honor the changing seasons with dozens of local makers, artists, and healers for a day of live music, food trucks, craft beverages, and of course, shopping local.
Weekly Giveaway
Tempered Coffee
In case you haven’t given them a try yet, Tempered Coffee provides environmentally friendly single-serve pouches filled with high-quality coffee that you can temper in hot water to brew a delicious cup of joe anytime, anywhere — like tea bags, but for coffee drinkers.
This year, Tempered Coffee is selling Holiday Gift Bags at $25 each, which will include a six-pack of Tempered Coffee along with treats from Richmond-based Cafe Warshafsky including two Salty Peanut Petite Shortbread cookies, two Lavender Coconut Petite Shortbread cookies, and four Sea Salt Caramels.
We’re giving away one Holiday Gift Bag including all of the above to one lucky member of The Richmond Experience!
To enter to win: Tell us your favorite holiday dessert! Personally, I love peanut butter blossoms (aka those peanut butter cookies with the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle).
Last week: Congratulations to last week’s winner, Isaiah T., for winning a bag of Holiday Blend coffee from Blanchard’s!
Member Perks
Sweetest Stitch
Winter weather, holiday parties, New Year’s Eve plans — there are so many occasions coming up that call for photo-worthy outfits. So why not update your wardrobe with on-trend pieces from local boutique Sweetest Stitch?
From cozy sweaters to chic outerwear to glitzy dresses and beyond, they've got items that will fit everyone's sense of style. Not to mention, they carry accessories, jewelry, and gifts that would be perfect for anybody on your list this year.
Members of The Richmond Experience can use code RVAX20 for 20% off every purchase at Sweetest Stitch — shop here!
Shopping in person? Just let the staff know that you’re a member and they’ll apply your discount at checkout. Happy shopping!
New + Trending from RVAx
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We'd like to welcome 30 new members this week: Kerri S., Lexi S., Hayden V., Alyssa G., Shannon W., Kyle B., Sandra A., Fiona C., Heather R., Nikki B., Emily H., Shelley Y., Stacy S., Karen I., Lauren T., Abby M., Megan W., Aiana M., Abbie N., Debbie W., Mary Grace M., Lauren J., Brandy J., Alyssa D., Elizabeth C., Stephanie H., Sarah F., Kailyn E., and Madison 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 184 of The Weekly Insider.
Have a great week!
- Alicia @ The Richmond Experience
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