This weekend, a retro celebration in Goochland brings the Roaring ’20s back to life. More events to put a jig in your step in the days ahead include the Richmond International Dance Festival and the Mini Bluegrass Festival. Plus, NASCAR revs into Richmond Raceway as the track celebrates 80 years. Enjoy!
Calling All Gearheads
As Richmond Raceway marks its 80th anniversary, it serves as host to another exhilarating weekend of NASCAR action on the track, Aug. 14-15. Friday will feature the Black’s Tire 250 Craftsman Truck Series race, followed by the biggest names in the sport fighting for a playoff spot during the Cook Out 400 Cup Series race on Saturday. The Virginia Is for Lovers Infield Experience offers fans access to watch teams perform maintenance on their cars in the garages, sign the start/finish line and more. And for enthusiasts and new racegoers alike, the raceway offers scanner rentals to listen in on team communications in real time (not to mention it’s a great way to protect your ears from those 180 mph engines). Single-day tickets start at $29, and weekend packages start at $148.
—Kelsey Robinson, Associate Editor
A World of Movement
The third annual Richmond International Dance Festival brings performances from around the globe on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. The free event involves more than 18 troupes giving expression to traditional dance from locales including Ghana, Ireland, Japan and Peru. In addition to the presentations, there are workshops, food and crafts, the latter featuring the JAG Universal Collection of Pakistani goods. The festival is presented by the Richmond nonprofit Culture Encounters.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
‘I Like Large Parties’
For a shindig that’s just the bee’s knees, head to the Georgian Revival mansion The Estate at River Run in Goochland County for Gatsby on the James on Aug. 15. This immersive experience transports guests to the Roaring ’20s for an evening straight out of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” The event includes an open bar with themed cocktails, a live jazz band, hors d’oeuvres, interactive entertainment, a scavenger hunt and more. Dress to impress in your art deco best. Tickets are $219.
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Fiddle It Just a Little Bit
Get a jump on the fall concert season at the Mini Bluegrass Festival, which takes place Aug. 15 at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County. For a cool $20, concertgoers will enjoy four hours of old-time mountain music. This year’s lineup includes four Virginia-based bands: Josh Grigsby and County Line, from the Northern Neck; Charlottesville’s Tara Mills Band; Garden Variety String Band, based in Richmond; and David Wade & Black Mountain, a traditional quartet from Central Virginia. The concert runs 6 to 10 p.m. at the park’s Heritage Amphitheater. Parking fees apply.
—Scott Bass, News Editor
Other Suggestions
- The Scene in Virginia film series screens “Finding Edna Lewis” at The Byrd Theatre today, Aug. 10.
- Kicking off the 2026-27 Virginia Repertory Theatre season, “Little Bear Ridge Road” is onstage at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym Aug. 12-Sept. 6.
- Part of the 69th Festival of Arts, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” is at Dogwood Dell amphitheater Aug. 14-16.
- Folk-rock powerhouses the Indigo Girls play the After Hours Concerts series at Innsbrook Pavilion Aug. 16.
- A sculptural installation of burned antique furniture, representative of the aftermath of the fires that swept through Richmond at the end of the Civil War, is on view at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University during “Abigail DeVille: Deo Vindice (Orion’s Cabinet)” through Aug. 18.
- “India’s Great Mughals: Art, Power and Opulence” is on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts through Sept. 7.
River City Roundup is Richmond magazine’s weekly compilation of the best things to see, do and experience in the region, compiled by our editors. Get each week’s installment directly in your inbox every Monday by subscribing to our e-newsletter.
