The Easter Bunny hops into town this week with some egg-cellent fun for everyone, including special holiday celebrations at Maymont and Richmond Raceway. Additional egg-ceptional events in the days ahead include a paper art exhibition, an electronic music fest, a new play at The Basement and the inaugural Chesterfield Restaurant Week. Enjoy!
County Feast
If you need a little nudge to explore some of the edible gems on the outskirts of the city, that nudge has arrived: The first-ever Chesterfield Restaurant Week takes place March 29-April 7. The inaugural event features nearly 40 participants, including the acclaimed 21 Spoons, beloved taqueria La Milpa, family-run Bell Greek, Carena’s Jamaican Grille (order the oxtail tostados if they’re available), seafood haven Oceano, Sergio’s Pizza and Tazza Kitchen. I love to see the restaurants with the not-so-obvious ZIP codes getting some spotlight. Each restaurant will be offering specials ranging from multicourse prix-fixe menus to seasonal dishes or desserts.
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Eclectic Electric
Electronic music has many subgenres, jungle music being one of my favorites. On March 29, Ember Music Hall is hosting Electric Jungle: A Drum and Bass Party, a night of DJs and dancing for rave-scene fans ages 21 and up. Performers include Lenore, a veteran East Coast DJ based out of Boston who founded Elements, a weekly drum-and-bass event held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event also features Washington, D.C.-based artists Ken Lazee and Sevendaysin, along with local self-proclaimed “everyday junglist” and co-host of the WRIR 97.3 FM show “Frequency” Joanna O. The free show starts at 9 p.m., and $15 VIP reserved seating is available.
—Parker Barnes, Editorial Intern
Start Your Engines
The hunt for the checkered flag is on as NASCAR rolls into Richmond Raceway. First, the track hosts the Whelen Modified Tour’s Virginia Is for Racing Lovers 150 on Friday, March 29, and the Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 on Saturday, March 30. Easter Sunday’s main event, the Cup Series Toyota Owners 400, is preceded by a free nondenominational service at 3 p.m. featuring Joe Gibbs Racing owner Joe Gibbs and gospel musician Michael Tait at the raceway’s Virginia Credit Union Live Amphitheater. The JGR team is riding high after Chesterfield’s own Denny Hamlin secured a playoff spot with a win at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this month. Single-race and full weekend tickets are available.
—Mark Newton, News Editor
Hot Property
What if you received an offer to move into a fixer-upper at no cost and with the potential to upgrade? This what-if is the starting point of what becomes a darkly satiric urban fable, “Radiant Vermin,” by British artist Philip Ridley and produced locally by 5th Wall Theatre (of which I’m a board member) at the downtown performance space The Basement. The play follows Jill (Kaitlin Paige Longoria) and Ollie (Matt Mitchell), who desire a place to settle down and raise a family. They receive an offer they first find difficult to believe, and then, once Miss Dee (Emily Adler) guides them through the grotty rooms, they are unable to resist. Morrie Piersol directs this “Twilight Zone” meets “Dream Home Makeover” production, with final performances March 28-30. Tickets are $22.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Where My Peeps At?
Gather your brood and your Easter baskets and hop on down to Maymont on Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an eggs-travaganza the whole family will love. Dominion Energy Family Easter offers photo ops with the big bunny himself, Peter Cottontail. Egg-splore the grounds, animal habitats and gardens, now in bloom. Play children’s games including Hen House Hoopla, Carrot Pull and life-size Candy Adventure. Make a new bonnet, pet an alpaca or get a temporary tattoo. Enjoy live performances on three stages by the SPARC Touring Ensemble, the Jump Rope Squad and Jonathan the Juggler. Join the Golden Egg Hunt, solving riddles to find prize-filled eggs hidden in Maymont’s gardens. Pack a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch from local food trucks. Admission is $5 and includes three activity tickets for Easter themed games; purchase egg-stra activity tickets for $2.
—Susan Morgan, R•Home Managing Editor
Fragile Fine Art
Virginian Jeanie Keys is a familiar featured artist at Quirk Gallery, the exhibition space located within Quirk Hotel downtown. Her latest offering takes advantage of the gallery’s sleek and clean design to display her towering paper works. “Metabolism” uses delicate and fragile materials to convey vulnerability and sacred, fleeting memories. The tapestry-like prints are impressive in scale and execution and continue Quirk’s run of exhibitions focusing on local and regional art. The gallery offers free admission, and “Metabolism” continues through May 12.
—Kevin Johnson, Lifestyle Editor
Other Suggestions
- Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center hosts Meet the Maasai, featuring a Kenyan delegation sharing their history and evolving stories on March 26.
- John McEuen celebrates his 50-year music career joined by The Circle Band at The Tin Pan on March 26.
- The Super Sugar Beats groove into The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen on March 26.
- March 30 is officially Secretariat Day in Ashland, including a dedication ceremony for the “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument at Randolph-Macon College at 2 p.m. and a full slate of festivities throughout downtown Ashland.
- Two exhibitions are on view at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia: the 2024 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Multicultural Fellowship and “Like the Dust Settles in Layers, So Does the Story”; both continue through Aug. 17.
More to Peep
- The Ashland Theatre screens Irving Berlin’s “Easter Parade” on March 25.
- The West End Farmers Market hosts an Easter Egg Hunt on March 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.
- Midlothian’s Westchester Commons hosts an egg dash featuring a supersized hunt with 5,000 eggs on March 30.
- Eggward the Easter Bunny and Snoopy the Easter Beagle join the spring break festivities at Kings Dominion March 30-31.
- Easter on Parade returns to Monument Avenue between Davis and North Allen avenues March 31 with live music, vendors and more from 1 to 5 p.m.
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.
