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Photo courtesy LEGO Group
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Photo courtesy Virginia Capitol Foundation
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Photo courtesy Foam Fest
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We've seen the future, and we're recommending what not to miss. Biking to Jamestown, attending a massive LEGO festival, dancing the Charleston in Jazz Age garb and touring the Executive Mansion on its 200th anniversary are just a few of the opportunities for experiencing the outdoors, art, culture, history and sports in RVA during the next 12 months.
1. Celebrate RVA's Good Looks
The open call for models has been made, as well as the call for designers. Watch for April dates and locations for the fifth annual RVA Fashion Week to be revealed at the beginning of 2013. Founded by a group of 20-something volunteers in 2008, this showcase of fashion from Richmond-based designers and boutiques keeps growing. Shows, which often include musical acts, have been held at Rocketts Landing, the Byrd Theatre, CenterStage, Short Pump Town Center and the Hippodrome. rvafashionweek.com —SW
2. Build a Colorful Masterpiece
Among a certain segment of the population, this might be the biggest news of the year: LEGO KidsFest is coming to the Greater Richmond Convention Center from Feb. 15 to 17. A traveling expo of LEGO-related activities and exhibits, it features live demonstrations by LEGO Master Model Builders, an arena for playing board games, galleries of large-scale creations, and multiple spots for playing with LEGOS, including a gigantic pile of LEGO bricks, race ramps where you can build and race your own custom cars, and "construction zones" throughout the event. LEGO KidsFest is a sessioned event, meaning that tickets ($20 for adults; $18 for ages 3 to 17; free for ages 2 and under) grant you access during a four-and-a-half-hour block of time. "We limit the number of attendees to make sure we provide the best experience for everyone," says KidsFest spokesman Aaron Wartner. This strategy also has the benefit of reducing the need to wait in long lines, and that's something any parent can appreciate. legokidsfest.com —CA
3. Cheer On Some Special Performers
The School for the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC) produced a grand tribute to youth and creative vitality this year that embraced varied artistic disciplines and performers. The second edition, Live Art: Tree of Life , debuts Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, at Richmond's Landmark Theater. This show will involve about 200 students, half of them with some form of disability, who have undertaken a year of intensive training. A constellation of Richmond musicians and entertainers is participating. And this year, there'll be puppets created by Abernathy Bland. The ticket prices have not yet been set; last year, they ranged from $35 to $250. In addition, a film documentary of last year's efforts may receive an April premiere. During SPARC's past 31 years, it has provided theatrical training for many Central Virginia youth including singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, who participated in the 2012 project. 353-3393 or sparconline.org —HK
4. Sip Some Hard Cider (or Fresh Juice)
Virginia's only urban cidery will open at 212 W. Sixth St. in South Richmond's Manchester district in the spring. Courtney Mailey, owner of Blue Bee Cider, says that it will produce both apple juice and fermented (hard) cider. She says that the apples used in the cider come from Silver Creek Orchard in Nelson County, and are occasionally supplemented with apples from other orchards, including a small one right next to the cidery building. There will be two sparkling ciders, a very dry and an off-dry variety. A still (noncarbonated) dessert cider will not be available until the fall of 2013 because it takes longer to age. Mailey says that unfiltered, unpasteurized juice from Blue Bee also will be available for sale during the harvest season at local farmers markets. bluebeecider.com —AH
5. Watch Virginia's History on Screen
Want about 300 years' worth of reasons to be impressed with Richmond and Virginia? Try heading down to the State Capitol's semi-spankin' new visitor center to watch the state's brand-spankin' new tourist orientation film. This is no two-bit affair, either. Filmed at a cost of more than $1 million and featuring a cast, crew and set that's 100-percent Virginian, the 25-minute Keepers of the Flame was narrated by Fox News political analyst Brit Hume, directed by Tim Reid of New Millenium Studios and Sunny Zhao of Dreams Factory, and produced by the Virginia Capitol Foundation. It concludes with a speech by Thomas Jefferson as channeled by Colonial Williamsburg's Bill Barker. "It focuses on the stories of individuals through history in Virginia who have had an impact," says Alice Lynch, the foundation's executive director. "It's that individual action and interest and activity that brought our representative democracy to life." 698-1788 or VirginiaCapitol.gov —CD
6. Hear the Civil War's Musical Legacy
Civil War Sesquicentennial observances in 2013 include two performances by the City Singers Children's Choirs of music from and inspired by the conflict. The selections include spirituals and hymns, folk and patriotic songs, and a few modern compositions written for the sesquicentennial, says Leslie Moruza Dripps, executive director of the choirs. "Some of the music we will perform really has not been heard for a hundred years." The free concerts will take place at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church (3601 Seminary Ave.) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 26 and May 18. The group is also touring for performances in Washington, D.C., and Gettysburg, Pa., on June 21 to 23. Among the songs from the period repertoire is "Battle Cry of Freedom," which the choir will present in Gettysburg Square (657-7667 or citysingerschoir.org). At a free daylong public symposium on April 20 at the College of William and Mary, "The American Civil War at Home," scholars will consider how slavery ended and examine internal dissent on both sides of the war. virginiacivilwar.org/2013conference.php
7. Bury Yourself in Bubbles
Adventure racing has emerged in greater Richmond with Dominion Riverrock, the Color Run and the Henricus Dauber Dash. On May 11, a new race called the 5K Foam Fest at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County will offer obstacles, mud and a clean finish with plenty of foam. "If you ever pictured running through a giant car wash, that's basically what the race is all about," says Chandler Walpole, assistant marketing director for Round House Racing, which organizes the event. The race will feature a giant inflatable slide into which foam is pumped. Early registration is $50; start times vary. 5kfoamfest.com —AH
8. Give a Little Bit
"When I do good, I feel good," said Abraham Lincoln. If you want to feel good, too, here are a couple ways to help make life better for some of our youngest residents. On April 27, the Richmond Peace Education Center (232-1002 or rpec.org ) holds its Youth Peace Summit (venue to be determined), which gathers 150 teenagers for workshops on topics such as conflict resolution and violence prevention. The RPEC needs up to 50 adults to help run the event and shepherd teens. If you're looking for something ongoing, the Greater Fulton Hill community's Neighborhood Resource Center (864-5797 or nrccafe.org ) has a steady need for after-school help to tutor and mentor children of all ages. —JC
9. Get the Real Scoop
Globe-hopping Richmond history writer Dean King's newest book comes out in May, The Feud: The All-American, No-Holds Barred, Blood-And-Guts Story of the Hatfields and McCoys. The media has bequeathed a portrait of rambunctious hillbilly families engaged in armed conflict. In reality, the Hatfields and McCoys were well-established landowners who, decades prior to the Civil War, had intermarried and treated each other peaceably. But after the national convulsion, things turned personal — and bloody. By the time the smoke cleared, 13 family members lay dead, and the grisly dispute grew into a national spectacle drawing in the U.S. Supreme Court. King will speak about the book at 5:30 p.m. on April 25 for the Virginia Historical Society's Chauncey Historical Lecture. Tickets likely will be $15 for nonmembers. 358-4901, vahistorical.org —HK
10. Be Kind to the Earth
A portion of the proceeds from Richmond's Earth Day Festival on April 20 will go toward the development of an urban apple orchard that the Enrichmond Foundation plans to help open in the fall of 2013. "We're pushing the educational component and emphasizing how to be more sustainable in your everyday life," John Sydnor, the foundation's executive director, says of the festival that started through the city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities almost 20 years ago. Held at Hull Street and East First Street in Old Manchester, it runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing education and resources on eco-friendly living, including rain barrel and compost making workshops, an outdoor gear swap, a zero-impact 5K, live music and more. 646-0954 or earthdayrichmond.org —AD
11. Explore the Work of Architect Michael Graves
You may know his name from that nifty broom and dustpan you bought at Target, but world-renowned architect Michael Graves has designed everything from museums and skyscrapers to watches and patio furniture. Throughout his career, Graves has been showered with awards, including the National Medal of Arts, the AIA Gold Medal and the 2012 Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture. The Virginia Center for Architecture will mount "From Towers to Teakettles: Michael Graves Architecture and Design" from Jan. 17 to March 31. This free exhibition explores the wide range of his work encompassing architecture, interior design, furniture, products and branding from the 1980s to the present day. Graves is also scheduled to speak at the VCA, although the date hadn't been determined by time of publication. virginiaarchitecture.org —BF
12. Take a Shot at Brooklyn
Admittedly, a trip to Brooklyn is a bit more involved than heading to the Richmond Coliseum for the CAA men's basketball championship, but with the VCU Rams joining the University of Richmond in the Atlantic 10 Conference this year, attending the A-10 tournament from March 14 to 17 is worth consideration. It's the event's first year at the Barclays Center, the recently opened $1 billion home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. Tickets for individual games can be had for $25 to $75, an all-session pass runs you $125 to $250, but the winner's automatic bid to the NCAA tourney is priceless. atlantic10.com —CA
13. Discover Richmond's Pioneering Women
Historic Garden Week is 80 years old in 2013, but this venerable affair isn't afraid to shake the dust off its feet. During the Richmond leg of house and garden tours (April 23 to 25), a handful of companion events have been added. They include "The Leading Women of Richmond" tour, which will start at the Garden Club of Virginia's headquarters, the Kent-Valentine House on Franklin Street, built in 1845. This daily 9 a.m. tour ($10) will be led by Valentine Richmond History Center docents and introduce attendees to some of the pioneering women of Richmond and the invaluable organizations they created. "Fashionable Richmond Circa 1930" (the Garden Club of Virginia was founded in 1929) will include a noon private tour of the 1812 Wickham House, a presentation of 1930s fashion from the Valentine's costume and textile collection, and a Sally Bell's box lunch ($35). 649-0711 or richmondhistorycenter.com —BF
14. Explore Your Artistic Side
Begin celebrating the Visual Arts Center of Richmond's 50th anniversary by viewing the Megan Marlatt exhibit from Jan. 23 through March 20. The Orange-based artist, who teaches at the University of Virginia, paints colorful and glossy mounds of plastic toys. "They are about mass consumerism and gluttony in a way," Marlatt says of the paintings that start with acrylics — liquid plastic — and are finished with oil paint. Feeling inspired? Take a class at the home of the largest professional studio-class program in Richmond. The art center offers more than 500 classes for adults and children throughout the year. 353-0094 or visarts.org —AD
15. Browse Hollywood Film Finery
Direct from their engagement at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, more than 100 costumes worn in films from the past century are coming to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from Nov. 2, 2013, to Feb. 17, 2014. "Hollywood Costume" brings to the public garments that haven't been seen outside studio walls or private collections: Dorothy's dress from The Wizard of Oz, Indiana Jones' iconic adventure outfit and hat from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Holly Golightly's little Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's and the black tasseled dress Marilyn Monroe wore as Sugar Kane Kowalczyk in Some Like It Hot, among others. Tickets, which are $20, go on sale Oscar night, Feb. 24. 340-1405 or vmfa.museum. —HK
16. Step into the Jazz Age
The style and sounds of the 1920s and '30s return to Richmond about 90 years late — fashionably late, that is — thanks to the newly formed Art Deco Society of Virginia, which presents its Jazz Age Preservation Ball on Jan. 19 at the Bolling Haxall House on East Franklin Street. "The space is a throwback to the Beaux-Arts design," says society co-founder Olivia Lloyd, adding that the hope is a resurrection of the legendary Beaux-Arts Ball held in Richmond's Jefferson Hotel in the 1930s. "They had dancing girls, which we're going to bring back and I think they even had live animals," such as an elephant with a woman riding on its back, Lloyd says of past Beaux-Arts exploits. The 2013 event is a fundraiser to benefit the arts, in this case, the Byrd Theatre. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers, including live period jazz and Charleston dance lessons before the gala begins. artdecova.org —CD
17. Bowl Like a Vanderbilt
Visiting the Biltmore mansion in Asheville, N.C., with its basement bowling lanes left a big impression on me as a kid who grew up bowling in western New York. Now I can recreate that experience for friends and family on the second-floor Ultra-Lounge at Uptown Alley, part of a 57,000-square-foot entertainment venue opening Dec. 6 in Chesterfield County. Servers will visit your group as you bowl in the private, boutique area with 14 lanes. (Don't worry. There are 24 additional lanes for open bowling and a full-service casual dining restaurant, too.) uptownalley.com —SW
18. Peek Inside the Oval Office
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the Oval Office as history unfolds — or even better, to be a person with a camera and an all-access pass. The curated National Geographic Society photo exhibit "The President's Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office," which lands at the Virginia Historical Society in March, features true treasures — moments of candid relaxation with staff, of unexpected warmth and humor with the first family, and of world-changing anxious tension as seen through the lenses of the men and women who were there for it all. The exhibit begins during the administration of John F. Kennedy, the first president to have an official photographer. It also includes a documentary about Pete Souza, Barack Obama's chief White House photographer. The free exhibit runs from March 4 to July 8. 358-4901 or vahistorical.org —CD
19. Check Out Some Books
If you haven't been to one of Richmond's neighborhood libraries lately, it's time to go back. The city is in the midst of a project to renovate its nine public libraries, with the East End Library (1200 N. 25th St., 646-4474) up next. It's set to close at the end of December and reopen in July 2013 after a $950,000 makeover with new lighting, windows, carpet, paint, furniture and shelves, additional computers and better technology access. At the five branches that have already been renovated, circulation numbers have increased by 40 percent, says Richmond Public Library director Harriet Coalter. "The renovations [are] doing exactly what they were intended to do — making the building more valuable to the neighborhood." richmondpubliclibrary.org —TE
20. Feast on Southern Goodness
The Southern Foodways Alliance is the best thing to happen to Southern food since fried chicken and sweet tea. Begun in 1999, the University of Mississippi-based nonprofit organization's mission is to preserve and promote Southern food culture. When their wildly popular annual symposium sold out in less than 15 minutes, they decided to add another conference to the calendar, and Richmond became the lucky landing spot. In the summer of 2013, from June 20 to 23, expect talks, field trips and great food to spring up all over the city in one jam-packed weekend. Only members are allowed to attend, so sign up now to get your chance to experience a taste of hog heaven. Alliance membership is $75 per person, $100 for families. Tickets for the symposium will be in the $350 to $400 range. southernfoodways.org — BF
21. Follow Richmond Ballet to the Kennedy Center
On the anniversary of its international debut in London, the Richmond Ballet will take Ershter Vals to the nation's capital June 4 and 5 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. (Tickets are $15 to $75.) "It's quite innovative, and since it's choreographed for our company, it shows us off very well," managing director Brett Bonda says of the ballet, which premiered in the 2009 New Works Festival. Award-winning choreographer Ma Cong combined folk-dance influences with classical ballet and music that originated in the Jewish ghettos during World War II. In addition to the 7:30 p.m. performances in Washington, the ballet will perform Ershter Vals as part of the Richmond Ballet's Studio Four series. 344-0906 or richmondballet.com . —AD
22. Visit the Henrico of Centuries Past
Next year marks the 300th anniversary of Meadow Farm — or more specifically of the royal charter granted to the Sheppard family of Henrico County in 1713 to operate a plantation in what is now northwestern Henrico County. Now a museum and model of a working 19th-century plantation, the farm is celebrating its tricentennial by staging some special events, the biggest of which is on April 20, with an appearance by family patriarch William Sheppard (or at least his reenactor stand-in) to talk about the English Crown Grant that made his family such an integral part of Richmond and Henrico history. On Aug. 31, activities will commemorate the day of Gabriel's Insurrection in 1800. Possibly the largest planned slave rebellion in U.S. history, it had been delayed because of a massive storm. But the delay proved disastrous to the conspirators after Tom and Pharaoh, two slaves working on the Sheppard plantation, revealed the plot. "They didn't belong to Mosby Sheppard, but they worked for him and they told him about the rebellion," says Kim Sicola, Henrico's assistant supervisor for historic preservation and museum services. "Mosby Sheppard was the one who notified Gov. [James Monroe]." 501-2130 or co.henrico.va.us/rec/recreation-centers-facilities/meadowfarm.html —CD
23. Surf the River
White-water, stand-up paddleboarding is a new craze on the James River. "Think of that feeling you got mastering the bunny slopes at your favorite place to ride," says Ben Moore, one of the guides who recently began leading tours for Riverside Outfitters. "Paddleboarding on moving water is like that, a fun and different way to see the award-winning James River here in Richmond as you ride a board with a paddle to propel you." In the late winter or early spring, Riverside Outfitters plans to offer a half-price deal through LivingSocial, so expect to see more people floating by on foot. A three-hour guided tour is regularly $75 per person. 560-0068 or riversideoutfitters.net/downriver-paddleboarding —AH
24. Plant a Seed
Just in time for spring, Tricycle Gardens will sponsor a Down on the Farm party at 2 p.m. on March 23 at its quarter-acre urban farm near Ninth and Bainbridge streets in Manchester. "We hope folks get inspired by what we're doing," says Sally Schwitters, executive director of Tricycle Gardens. The nonprofit organization transforms vacant urban lots into sources of food and opportunities for economic development in low-income neighborhoods. Schwitters says that the family-friendly event that will include sampling of healthy foods and tours of the farm's four-season growing operation. The goal of the party, she says is, "to come together and celebrate the season of planting and growing gardens, while enjoying the healthy, local food that comes from urban agriculture." The event is free, but donations are welcomed. 231-7767 or
tricyclegardens.org — AH
25. Paint the Town Red
Patrons seated in the front row may need to protect their clothing from spattered red paint during the Virginia Repertory Theatre's performance of Red from April 26 through June 16. Typically, the company stages its signature season in the November Theatre at 114 W. Broad St., but Red will be produced in the building's Theatre Gym, a more intimate venue. " Red has done well in art communities, and Richmond certainly falls into that category," communications director Susan Davenport says of the show, which centers on artist Mark Rothko and his assistant, Ken, as they work on large murals commissioned by the Four Seasons restaurant in the late 1950s. After some performances, the company will invite local arts leaders to participate in panel discussions. Tickets are $34. 282-2620 or va-rep.org —AD
26. Sample Craft Beer in the Countryside
Beer: What better motivator for a day trip to the beautiful and bucolic middle of Goochland County? A big party is planned in March for the grand opening of Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, situated on a rolling 220-acre horse farm on Knolls Point Road. Founders Sean-Thomas Pumphrey, his wife, Lisa, and friend Farris Loutfi, have big dreams of creating entirely locally sourced brews in the best IPA and Belgian traditions. During "an epiphany over a couple beers at Mekong," Pumphrey says, "we said, ‘Hey, we should open a brewery' and it got out of hand from there. " Lickinghole will offer private tours by appointment, "and we are planning to do quarterly events probably centered around a seasonal beer release." 314-4380 or twitter.com/LCCB_FarmBrews —CD
27. Ride the Trail to Jamestown
At the turn of the 20th century, the two-wheeled machine was all the rage in River City. The region's cycling fever is building again in the lead-up to the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. Next year, the Virginia Capital Trail, which broke ground in 2005, will add several new sections, allowing cyclists to travel 38 continuous miles from eastern Henrico County to Jamestown and beyond. In addition, 2013 plans include a connecting bridge to Richmond's Chapel Island, which will become the western trailhead. When completed in 2014, the trail will offer a pathway of more than 50 miles for pedestrians and cyclists all the way to Williamsburg. Your mission — and you should accept it — is to get on your bike and make it to Jamestown and back sometime next year. 788-6455 or virginiacapitaltrail.org —JC
28. Get a Jump on Things
Richmonders will be able to spring into the new year with Jumpology, a nearly 18,000-square-foot trampoline park set to open the second week of January at 10087 Brook Road near Virginia Center Commons. Jumpology owner Case Lawrence says the park will consist of wall-to-wall, steel-frame trampolines, an open jumping field, an Olympic foam pit to jump into, a trampoline dodge ball stadium and a trampoline basketball court. "The cool thing about it is it fixes a social outing, or a social experience, with an active fitness experience. It also has a little bit of an extreme edge or extreme aspect to it," Lawrence says. A single ticket for an hour of jumping will cost $12 (two hours will be $20). People who are interested in aerobics classes can buy a membership for $29 per month or pay the hourly rate per visit. 577-8630 or jumpology.us. —AH
29. See the Redskins Up Close
Football season will come early next year with the anticipated July arrival of the Washington Redskins' training camp to a 17-acre site on Leigh Street near the Science Museum of Virginia and Children's Museum of Richmond. A more perfect summer-break day trip for kids and parents could not be found. But plan ahead. Last year's training camp included about a dozen dates that were open to the public, with practices lasting about an hour and a half. Translation: Richmonders will have about 20 hours to catch sight of their favorite players. Check the schedule on redskins.com . —CD
30. Drop by the Governor's House
The nation's oldest continually occupied governor's residence became home to Virginia's first family 200 years ago. To celebrate its bicentennial, the Executive Mansion is throwing a yearlong party. Expect free public tours every Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m., in addition to a series of open houses (check for dates on facebook.com/VAGovsMansion ). Mansion director Sarah Scarbrough suggests that visitors reserve tours in advance. In 2013, the tour includes artifacts such as Patrick Henry's law book, a ship's anchor owned by James Monroe and, perhaps most dramatic, partly melted wedding rings belonging to Gov. Elbert Trinkle and his wife, Helen, that had to be cut from their fingers after a fire that nearly consumed the mansion in 1922. Also connected with the bicentennial is the new book First House by Richmond author Mary Miley Theobald. Read that, Scarbrough says, to "really get to know the families who lived here. Pets, pranks, ghosts, wars — and fires." 371-2642 or executivemansion.virginia.gov/200thAnniversary —CD
31. Learn the Science Behind Our Buildings
Explore the construction of modern glass buildings, step inside a Mongolian yurt and build a truss at the Science Museum of Virginia's Raise the Roof exhibition. The exhibit, on display from Feb. 9 to May 12, tells the story behind the structures and explores the physics of architecture through immersive environments. "It's an intriguing and fun way to discover the use of science in the buildings we use every day," says Laura Kramer, manager of science conductors. She says the hands-on exhibit studies everything from backyard doghouses to the design standards of feng shui. Tickets to the exhibit are $11. 864-1400 or smv.org —AD
