Photos by Julianne Tripp
In This Issue
78 / Ablaze With Blooms Flower farming is making a comeback. Meet the gardeners growing a local niche, explore a flower exchange and visit a farm bursting with 200,000 daylilies. By Claire Fortier and Emily Richardson
84 / Best & Worst 2023: A Users Guide to Richmond For our 36th annual Best & Worst issue, we present readers’ picks across 200 categories — services, stores, restaurants and more — as well as Richmond’s less-than-stellar aspects, from traffic jams to political drama.
161 / Private Schools Guide Go behind the scenes with St. Catherine’s all-girls golf team and find expert advice for choosing the perfect private school for your family. Plus, the latest news and updated stats from area schools. By Paula Peters Chambers, Laura Anders Lee, Mark Newton, Matthew Sporn and Will Thalhimer
UPFRONT
24 / From the Editor
LOCAL
32 / Elections The stage is set for an impactful election.
34 / Education A museum merger will help boost civics knowledge.
36 / My Take Help for a community wracked by gun violence
40 / Environment Debating the norms of pet waste disposal
42 / Education A city school’s community garden bears fruit.
46 / Flashback A local Statue of Liberty stands tall.
224 / Parting Shot Salute the flags.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
50 / Datebook Comedian Sommore cracks jokes at the Funny Bone, dragon boats race at Rocketts Landing, the Richmond Triangle Players go “Head Over Heels,” Gary Clark Jr. plays The Meadow Event Park, watermelon reigns in Carytown, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic appear at the Altria Theater, and The Oddities & Curiosities Expo comes to the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
52 / Happenings 19 things to do in August
53 / Spotlight RVA Rapper’s Delight connects hip-hop and history.
54 / Profile Celebrating 20 years of the offbeat Ada gallery
56 / Spotlight Fact or fiction? Mural tours with an unreliable narrator
58 / Spotlight The inaugural Iron Blossom Music Festival brings big names to RVA.
LIVING
62 / Shop Talk Blackbyrd Goods leaves its mark on handcrafted leather.
64 / Health A virtual program helps vets beat substance use disorder.
66 / Try This Cosplay offers a new way to experience favorite characters.
68 / Encore Honoring older adults for their contributions to the community
70 / Travel Layers of entertainment in Lexington
74 / Family Parenting tweens and teens in the digital age
EAT & DRINK
206 / Roundup Edible ways to end summer on a high note
208 / Ingredient Corn is packed with culinary potential.
210 / Spotlight Meet Tanya Cauthen, Belmont Butchery’s owner and chief meat monger.
212 / Specials A monthly dinner club shares the food of Khmer.
214 / Q&A Behind the scenes at Yellow Umbrella Provisions
216 / 5 Faves Summer events demand crowd-sized sides.
216 / Purveyor Dentwood Coffee is building community and conversation.
217 / Open Tab Fruity, refreshing, rum-forward cocktails
This is just a sneak peek of all the content packed into this month’s issue; don’t miss out, SUBSCRIBE NOW!
