It’s tomato season, and locals know Hanover County is renowned for the fruit. Two tasty experiences celebrating the crop in the coming days are the Hanover Tomato Festival and Village Garden’s Summer Supper Somm series. Also this week, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kick it in RVA, it’s family time at Artspace, and Agecroft Hall hosts an artisan market along with the annual Shakespeare Festival. Enjoy!
Tomato Time
As a Hanover County native, I’ve been attending the Hanover Tomato Festival with my mother for as long as I can remember. Established in 1978, the event predates me by a few years, but I have countless fond memories of snacking on tomato cookies, participating in tomato-themed kids’ activities and, of course, snagging a bag of the ripe red orbs each year. The free festival returns to Pole Green Park July 14-15 with family fun, artisan vendors, music and food.
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
‘Cowabunga!’
Who ordered a pizza with peanut butter and clams? That would be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I agree, it’s definitely an acquired taste. But I’m sure the offerings at Coalition Theater’s upcoming “Roll 4 Cowabunga” show, set in the bodacious world of TMNT, will be more appealing. The Roll 4 crew will jump into action on July 15 with this role-playing adventure game turned improv show, where the audience will shape the characters and situations. Tickets to the 7 p.m. show are $10.
—Laura McFarland, Lifestyle Editor
‘Let’s go hand in hand’
A unique artisan market punctuates the 2023 Richmond Shakespeare Festival’s final month at Agecroft Hall & Gardens. On July 15-16 from noon to 5 p.m., the public is invited to shop Kismet Market RVA for one-of-a-kind handmade goods and treats presented by more than 20 local artists and makers, accompanied by music from Jeffery Oneal Harper of Osgood Creates. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., Shakespeare Festival ticket holders enjoy exclusive access to the market, followed by a performance of William Shakespeare’s raucous play “The Comedy of Errors.” Admission to Kismet Market is free. Tickets for “The Comedy of Errors” are $35; the show runs through July 30.
—Susan Morgan, R•Home Managing Editor
Juicy Fruit
Something about a party on a farm feels very summery, especially when the farm is in Hanover and features rows upon rows of heirloom tomatoes. On July 16, David and Barbara Hunsaker of Village Garden are inviting guests to their property as part of the annual Summer Supper Somm series, which celebrates tomatoes in all their juicy glory. Diners at the laidback affair can enjoy dishes highlighting the summer fruit from local chefs, sip selections from Barboursville Vineyards and tour the farm with rosé in hand to see where the magic unfolds. Bonus: Proceeds benefit SCAN and The Holli Fund.
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Relatable
The exhibition at Artspace through July 22 explores the nature and varied interpretations of “Family.” You are born into a family and also make your own through relationships and/or parenting. But family may also apply to connections arising between people and objects. Richmond artist and educator Miguel Carter-Fisher served as juror for this show of painting and photography, and he poses the questions, “How has family changed historically? How has family changed personally? And what do we do when it is absent?” The depictions, both figurative and abstract, are by turns poignant, thoughtful and humorous. A portion of proceeds from sales benefits ChildSavers. Disclosure: The artist Amie Oliver, to whom I’m matrimonialized, has work in this show, but I would recommend taking in this exhibition regardless.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Other Suggestions
- The final show of the Broadway in Richmond 2022-23 season, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” stops at the Altria Theater for eight performances July 11-16.
- An all-female artists show, “Boundless” opens at Reynolds Gallery’s Main Street location on July 13 and continues through Sept. 1.
- Live horse racing returns to Colonial Downs July 13 and runs Thursdays to Saturdays through Sept. 9.
- Quirk Gallery hosts an opening reception for “The Clock Chimes Twelve Times” and “Call Me Darling One More Time and I’ll …” on July 13, and the exhibitions continue through Sept. 9.
- Black Pride RVA offers a weekend of inclusive free and ticketed events July 14-16.
- Music at Maymont features Richmond’s indie rockers Carbon Leaf with Charlottesville-based folk band David Wax Museum on July 14.
- The Southern Soul Music Festival brings an infusion of blues, country, and rock ’n’ roll to Brown’s Island on July 15.
- Storyteller and comedian Tom Dreesen recounts his 14 years as the opening act for Frank Sinatra during “Tom Dreesen: The Man Who Made Sinatra Laugh” on July 15 at the John Marshall Ballrooms, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Legacy Media Institute.
- The Virginia Holocaust Museum has extended the exhibition “Halt! Remembering the Holocaust” through Sept. 1.
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.
