This week sees the return of two illuminating outdoor events, 1708 Gallery’s InLight and Maymont’s Garden Glow, showcasing light-filled displays and sculptures. Also in the days ahead, experience a wing war, a spirited stroll and a native plant festival. Enjoy!
All Aglow
Maymont’s annual Garden Glow event is an opportunity to see the estate’s gardens in a whole new light. Check out the Kinsale Glow Path, a lawn of lights synchronized to music, and the Glow Village, featuring illuminating activities for all ages and food vendors. New this year is a field of 22-foot-tall lighted peonies and trees full of illuminated abstract birds within the “L’Envol” installation. It all kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 15, and continues select nights through Nov. 9. Tickets are $16 to $25.
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
In the Stars
Expect an otherworldly display as 1708 Gallery hosts its annual outdoor exhibition, InLight, Oct. 17-18 at Abner Clay Park in Jackson Ward. Artist George Ferrandi will premiere a multifaceted installation from her project Jump!Star, featuring illuminated sculptures that represent a major celestial shift. On Oct. 17, the displays will be accompanied by indie musician Mirah and the Richmond Symphony will present a new score by Jherek Bischoff, and on both nights, the Ebenezer Baptist Church gospel choir will perform. The traditional barn dance on Oct. 18 is set to performance artist Jee Sim’s North Star sound signatures. The free event runs from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
—Annabel Granger, Editorial Intern
Call Me Crazy
’Tis the season for melancholia and maundering about in cemeteries, so “Fancy Me Mad” at Historic St. John’s Church in Church Hill fits the bill. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, walk among the spirits of the historic graveyard, the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe’s mother, Eliza, and Thomas Willis White, the Southern Literary Messenger publisher who gave Poe his first professional writing gig. After this eerie meet and greet, you can attend a reading in the church delivered by a Poe impersonator. “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream” — so he says. Tickets are $10 to $17.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Growing Native
On Oct. 18, join nature lovers and flora enthusiasts in celebrating the commonwealth’s plants at this year’s Plant Native Festival at Dorey Park in Henrico County. On top of enjoying themed activities, food trucks and vendors, you’ll also get the chance to learn from various organizations about protecting local ecosystems, supporting local pollinators and the role native plants play in maintaining our landscapes. Participants who arrive early also have the chance to win a potted tree, courtesy of the Virginia Department of Forestry. This free event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.
—Lauren Hall, Editorial Intern
Wingin’ It
The title of best wings is a hot and highly debated topic, and last year, the inaugural RVA Wing Wars set out to find the top local contenders during a sold-out competition. From flats to drums, fried to baked and sauced to dry rubbed, dozens of area restaurants delivered takes on the classic bar bite. Bust out the wet wipes once more, because the event returns Oct. 18 at Triple Crossing Beer in Fulton. Participants include reigning champ Royal Pig, Charlotte’s Southern Deli, Zorch Pizza, Fuzzy Cactus, Kwam’s Chicken Project, Yellow Umbrella Provisions and more. Tickets starting at $45 cover samples of all 20 competitors’ creations and a drink. P.S.: I’ll be putting on a serious face to judge.
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Other Suggestions
- Nightmare Weekend Richmond brings cosplay contests, celebrity panels and more to the Greater Richmond Convention Center Oct. 17-19.
- The Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Midlothian Oct. 17-19.
- The fifth annual Diwali Music & Arts Festival features crafts, food, performances and more at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture Oct. 18.
- Artspace presents “Full Moon Cabaret,” a fundraising event where people can purchase artist-donated, 12-by-12-inch unframed works for $50 each, through Oct. 18.
- Celebrating video games as playable art forms, “Inner//Action: Games” continues at Art Works through Oct. 18.
- The 48 Hour Film Horror Project screens scary movies created within 48 hours at The Park RVA on Oct. 19.
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.
