As Ashland celebrates the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s famous Triple Crown win, the region takes the reins on more events this week. Check out an April Fool’s Day festival, a friendly bartending competition, an art discussion, a visit to the Roaring ’20s and more. Enjoy!
No. 1 With a Bottle
I secretly (and I guess not so secretly, anymore) love a friendly competition. My birthday falls on the first of the month, and I associate the numerology with my ambitious and ardent energy. I also love watching people who are fiercely good at what they do duke it out — enter the RVA Bartender Brawl. Hosted by the United States Bartenders’ Guild Richmond chapter, on Tuesday, March 28, area bartenders will face off in the first-ever competition at Black Iris Social Club. In this “Iron Chef” meets March Madness extravaganza, participants will be tasked with creating cocktails using a specific bar spirit, with secret ingredients thrown in the mix, in just 6 minutes. The grand prize: $500 and bragging rights. This free admission event is open to the public. See you there!
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
On BlackGround
Love learning about art? Join Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Art History at the Institute for Contemporary Art for a lecture on works from Africa and its diasporas. The new “BlackGrounds” series offers critical and historical context to discourses of Black identity and belonging. Cherise Smith, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in African American Studies in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, will speak on March 29. Her book “Michael Ray Charles: Studies in Blackness” won the Smithsonian’s Charles C. Eldredge Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in American Art. Admission is free with online reservation.
—Olympia Theofanos, Editorial Intern
The Horse Knows the Way
Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner, is taking a victory lap, so to speak, in the form of a monumental bronze statue arriving in Ashland on April 1 amid much ceremony. This is the first stop of “Secretariat Racing Into History” by Jocelyn Russell, on a tour of several states marking the 50th anniversary of the equine’s championship season. Ashland native Christopher Chenery founded the nearby Meadow Stable, site of Secretariat’s 1970 birth. Penny Chenery took the reins of managing the farm, and her daughter and Ashland resident Kate Chenery Tweedy chairs the Secretariat for Virginia Committee to raise funds to make a forever home for the statue in Ashland. The day’s free activities begin at 11 a.m. with a screening of the Disney film “Secretariat,” hosted by Tweedy at the Ashland Theatre, followed by the 2 p.m. unveiling of the work at Ashland’s Town Hall Pavilion.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Mischief and Music
Commonwealth Autism is goofing around for a good cause on April Fool’s Day with a special guest: harmonicist (and U.S. Sen.) Tim Kaine. Joining them at Main Line Brewery from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday are The Taters, Indira & Guppy Jo, and the Cary Street Ramblers. Other events at the Mischief & Music Fest include a joke contest and a rock-paper-scissors tournament. A $10 suggested donation benefits Commonwealth Autism.
—Mark Newton, News Editor
The Roaring ’20s
When the glitzy, fun-loving, thrill-seeking vibe of the Roaring ’20s dances its way into The Jefferson Hotel’s ballroom for the Richmond Ballet Gala on Saturday, April 1, I’ll be there to soak in some of its Jazz Age glam. To me, the sheer artistry of the ballet’s studio series is the cat’s meow, as the flappers would say, so I’m excited to see the dancers perform in a different setting. In addition to performances by professional company dancers and Richmond Ballet students, there will be cocktails in the rotunda followed by an elegant dinner in the ballroom, a live auction, raffles and a mystery experience. And for those like me who want to dance the Charleston, the after-party continues with music and dancing. Tickets are $300, and proceeds fund and support Richmond Ballet’s performance season, educational programs and community engagement initiatives.
—Susan Morgan, R•Home Managing Editor
Other Suggestions
- Americana and blues musician A.J. Croce performs classic songs by his late father, Jim Croce, during Croce Plays Croce at The National on March 29.
- Author Dean King will sign copies of his new book, “Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite,” at Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewery March 30 and 31.
- Ms. Pat performs stand-up at Richmond’s Funny Bone Comedy Club March 31-April 2.
- NASCAR returns to Richmond Raceway, America’s premier short track, March 31-April 2.
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.