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Richmond has the only mimosa trail in the U.S.
The Richmond area allegedly has the only mimosa trail in the country.Why it matters: It's time beer and wine move over to make room for the real, underground star of our bar scene (we're half kidding).The big picture: The Richmond Region Mimosa Trail went live last October and includes 46 stops on it that span the city and its suburbs.We repeat: 46 stops.Can you imagine having over 40 mimosas? Sounds like a bucket list item for the brave (and people with designated driver friends).Zoom in: The tour is self-guided and ranges from options like mimosas with mini golf at Hotel Greene and mimosas with a drag brunch at Godfrey's to a beer-mosa at Millie's and a mimosa flight at Cooper's Tavern in New Kent.For rooftop bar fans, the OJ-bubbly combo is at Kabana and Quirk.For mimosa pitcher lovers, there's Sidewalk Cafe in the Fan and Lulu's in Church Hill.What's next: People at Richmond Region Tourism told Axios there are some upgrades coming this fall/winter, but that's the most they can share for now.
Sabrina Carpenter is coming to Virginia
Richmond isn't a stop on pop star Sabrina Carpenter's North America tour, but Charlottesville is. Why it matters: That's close enough — even if we're still salty about Richmond getting snubbed again as a place for a major artist to come play. The big picture: Carpenter announced last week...
Poll: Southerners most likely to support preserving Confederacy's legacy
Nearly 60% of Southerners support efforts to preserve the legacy of the Confederacy, which is more than Americans everywhere else (50%), a new poll finds.Why it matters: It suggests a dedication to keeping alive the "Lost Cause" myth created by white Southerners, which romanticizes the Confederacy and debates slavery as the root cause of the Civil War, nearly 160 years ago.By the numbers: The survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute found that Black Americans (25%) were the only racial group without majority support for those efforts.81% of Republicans support versus 30% of Democrats.A quarter of Americans believe Confederate...
Dangerous heat wave in Virginia stretches into the weekend
We wish we weren't back with more heat wave news, but all of Virginia is facing moderate to extreme heat risk this weekend.Why it matters: These are dangerously high levels of heat that can affect anyone without proper hydration or access to AC, which can mean increases in heat-related ER visits.The big picture: That's according to the National Weather Service's HeatRisk tool, which provides a forecast risk of heat-related impacts.The worst of it will be on Sunday, which has a high near 100°F.Eric Seymour, a meteorologist for the NWS Wakefield office in Virginia, tells Axios it could feel like 105...
Gallery5 launches a monthly membership program
Gallery5, the Jackson Ward community arts space in a historic fire station, just launched a monthly membership program. Why it matters: The 19-year-old visual and performing arts center was critical in establishing the surrounding neighborhood as the city's Arts District. State of play: The nonprofit's leadership hopes the money from the program will help sustain its mission to support local artists, musicians and performers while making their work accessible to all Richmonders. What they're saying: "Coming out of [the pandemic], we realized that our strength comes from bringing the community into the organization, and we want this...
Virginia Capitol will host a Fourth of July celebration
Virginia's State Capitol grounds will host a Fourth of July celebration this year, its first since the 1800s.Why it matters: The family-friendly and free event will also serve as the state's official kickoff for the U.S.' 250th birthday, coming in hot in 2026.And this will be the only year a Fourth of July celebration happens in Richmond as part of Virginia's 250th anniversary events. State of play: On July 4, (a Thursday this year), Capitol Square will transform into a "grand festival," as envisioned by founding father John Adams more than 200 years ago, a spokesperson for the Virginia American...
The Richmond restaurant scene is booming in summer 2024
If summer 2024 is any indication, Richmond's dining scene is on fire. Why it matters: The pandemic dealt a brutal body blow to RVADine and independent dining everywhere. But Richmond's innovative and award-winning food scene seems to be thriving. State of play: A half-dozen new restaurants opened in town in the last few weeks and a few more were announced for the summer or fall. They'll bring Latin flavors, Cali cuisine, brews and treats, fresh seafood, a cocktail bar, handcrafted sausages and more.Zoom in: 🌯 Cochiloco — the team behind Y Tu Mama in South Richmond (and Hibachi Box...
Felony assault charges on police in Virginia are often dropped
People who are charged for assault and battery on a police officer, a crime that carries up to five years in prison, often have those charges dropped or reduced, reports the Times-Dispatch.Why it matters: Sometimes they spend weeks or months in jail before a judge dismisses the charge, even when the same charge on a non-officer wouldn't require jail time ahead of the trial.The big picture: In Virginia, assaulting an officer is a felony that has a mandatory minimum sentence of six months.The law doesn't require an officer to be physically touched for it to be considered assault, or for...
What to do in Richmond this weekend: Pride bar crawls, Stone Soul Fest
If you're braving the summer heat wave in Richmond this weekend, stay hydrated.Thursday, June 20🚶♀️ Quoit Club's LGBTQ+ tour of Monroe Ward begins at Historic Richmond on East Main Street. 6-8pm. $25.Friday, June 21🪩 Virginia Pride is having a Silent Dance Party at 17th Street Market with an after party at Fallout. 6-10pm. $15.🍿 The Diamond is having its first of four Movies in the Outfield nights and playing "Cars." 7pm. $8.33.Saturday, June 22🐝 The Chesterfield Honey Bee Festival will have honey tastings, food trucks and live music. 10am-5pm. Free.🎭 A walking tour of LGBTQ history in Carytown, hosted by...
Officials warn folks to stop bringing their gun through Richmond airport TSA
Local and federal officials gathered at Richmond International Airport Tuesday to share a simple message: Stop trying to bring your gun onto the damn airplane. Why it matters: Thus far this year, 18 guns have been confiscated at RIC's TSA checkpoints. That's more than the 17 intercepted in all of 2023, and puts Richmond on track to surpass its all-time record of 24 in 2022. State of play: Airline passengers are not allowed to bring weapons or firearms, especially loaded ones, with them onto an airplane.It's a thing, like not being allowed to bring on your Costco-sized shampoo or emotional...
Richmond loves its cars more than almost any other U.S. city
Data: Replica; Note: Includes cabs and rideshares; Chart: Alice Feng/AxiosRichmonders are logging some of the most daily driving among people in major U.S. metro areas, a new analysis finds.Why it matters: There's a wide range among different cities in how much people typically drive each day, with factors from walkability to public transit access playing a role.Driving the news: Richmond has the sixth most daily per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) of the 50 most-populated U.S. metros, with 35.5 VMTs.RVA comes in behind Raleigh, which leads the nation in daily driving at 38.1 miles traveled, followed by Birmingham (36.1), Jacksonville...
Wine Rep Michael Smith on his best Richmond day ever
We're back with another installment of our series, Best Day Ever, highlighting how awesome locals spend their perfect Richmond day.The big picture: This time, we chatted with Michael Smith, a local wine rep and fixture in the Richmond dining scene for the last decade.You probably best know Smith from his stints running local restaurants like Laura Lee's, The Roosevelt and Amuse before he headed into the wine world full-time at Common House, and now as a rep with Native Selections.The intrigue: His latest venture is "30 Days of Rosé," a month-long Instagram series that's part local talk show, part celebration of rosé, the...
Richmond unfairly named among worst cities to raise a family
The New York Times recently wrote that Richmond was among the worst places to raise a family in the U.S.Why it matters: We think it's bull💩.The big picture: The Times based its story on a WalletHub survey that ranked 182 cities from best to worst places to raise a family. Richmond is 140.We couldn't help but notice that their top five best (which include Fremont, California, and Overland Park, Kansas) are predominantly non-Black cities.Those ranked among the worst (like Memphis, Tennessee, and Detroit, Michigan) are mostly Black or Latino cities.What they did: The top cities were singled out for their...
Record-threatening heat to hit Richmond this week
A major heat wave is headed toward Richmond this week — and possibly longer.Why it matters: The heat is threatening to break records across the U.S., and heightening health risks since people are not yet accustomed to high temperatures this time of the year.Driving the news: Temps are forecast to reach 91°F Monday, but the hot, humid weather isn't done with us yet, per the National Weather Service (NWS).The high this week isn't dropping below 91°F. Not once.So far, it's peaking at 100°F on Sunday — the highest temp of the year.With rising humidity, parts of the Richmond area could...
Richmond election officials violated nepotism, ethics policies, HR review finds
Richmond's HR department has found that leaders within the city's elections office have violated nepotism and ethics policies, reports the Virginia Mercury.Why it matters: The investigation's findings don't involve anything that deals with voting or ballots, but it risks sowing distrust in election officials ahead of a presidential election that's expected to yield several lawsuits from Republicans over "election integrity."Driving the news: The report, prompted by complaints from ex-employees, was released last week to local and state officials and obtained by the Mercury via a public records request. It focuses on General Registrar Keith Balmer and Deputy General Registrar Jerry...
Richmond's hidden LGBTQ+ history
Richmond's LGBTQ+ community has been active since at least the 1900s, but the details of what that looked like aren't widely known or documented.Why it matters: That history — which includes the spaces people frequented, often at the risk of persecution or prosecution — helped shape a pivotal part of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in Richmond.Between the lines: Most spaces that existed denied access to Black people. And records of LGBTQ+ establishments for Black Richmonders remain scarce, per the Department of Historic Resources, which lists over 100 sites related to LGBTQ history in Richmond.These are a few of them.Early 1900s1914:...
Now's your chance to spend the city of Richmond's money
If you've ever thought you could do a better job at spending taxpayer money than your elected officials, now's your chance to prove it. The big picture: Richmond set aside $3 million in the next fiscal cycle for residents to decide how to spend. Seriously. State of play: The process,...
Where to celebrate Juneteenth in Richmond
Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the official end of slavery in the U.S., is next Wednesday but the Richmond area has celebrations all weekend — and into next.Plus, Venture Richmond has a list of over 80 Black-owned businesses you can support in Richmond.Friday, June 14RVA Parks and Rec has its Jubilation in June Festival all weekend. Free.Friday: Dogwood Dell, 8pm.Saturday: Intermediate Terminal, 3:30pm.Sunday: Dogwood Dell, 8pm.Saturday, June 15The fourth annual Juneteenth Jamboree and 5K is in Carytown from 10am-6pm. Free.Chesterfield County's Juneteenth Day Festival is at the Chesterfield Fairgrounds. 3-9pm. $10.The PopUp Juneteenth Celebration is at 4103 Monument Avenue from 1-6pm....
Richmond's newest park
Dock Street Park, Richmond's newest riverfront park, opens Saturday.Why it matters: The once vacant site was said to have inspired William Byrd to name Richmond after the city in England from his 18th century perch atop Libby Hill.The Conservation Fund, Capital Region Land Conservancy and the city partnered last year to preserve the land 3011 and 3021 Dock Street and make it a park for all Richmonders to enjoy. Zoom in: Saturday's opening is sort of a soft opening and coincides with the city's third annual Jubilation in June Festival, city parks spokesperson Tamara Jenkins tells Axios. The weekend-long Jubilation...
Father's Day in Richmond: Where to take dad this weekend
Father's Day is on Sunday, and in case you don't have plans yet — or want to add to the weekend itinerary — we've got a few ideas on where to go.Thursday🎻 If he's a Beyoncé fan: There's a Candlelight Concert at Bolling Haxall House that plays Beyoncé's music via a string quartet. 9pm. Tickets start at $24.Friday🎶 If he likes concerts: Friday Cheers on Brown's Island has Richy Mitch & the Coalminers. 6-9:30pm. $10.Saturday💪 Get matching tattoos at Shockoe Atelier, which is doing Father's Day flash tattoos. 11-5pm. Starts at $100.Sunday🥑 If he's a guac and live music guy:...
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