Say yes to November and check out some of these events happening in the River City this week. There’s a drag brunch at Dogtown, a Man Ray exhibition at VMFA, a “Dopesick” preview in Ashland, an art opening at VisArt and more. Enjoy your week!
The Queens of Brunch
If the combination of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” maple brioche bread pudding and Sunday Funday don’t spark excitement, I’m not sure what will. On Nov. 7, the annual food festival Fire, Flour & Fork will host a drag brunch at Dogtown Dance Theatre that screams fabulous. Kicking off at noon, the show promises multiple performances from local and national drag divas, along with a bountiful breakfast buffet and plenty of mimosas. Another cool aspect: The event will benefit The Holli Fund, a local nonprofit that provides financial assistance and grants to restaurant workers. Tickets are $75-$110 and proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required upon entry.
–Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Photo Bomb
Man Ray’s portrait photography captures the glamour, romance and anguish that encapsulated Paris in the 1920s and ’30s. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts exhibition, “Man Ray: The Paris Years,” features Man Ray’s radical work that details the stories of artists who shattered traditional gender roles and racial boundaries. The exhibit highlights Paris’ finest, including Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein, as well as lesser-known performers: ballet dancers, nightclub singers, even a trapeze artist performing in drag. Through Feb. 21. $10-$16.
–Leah Hincks, intern
Something of a Puzzle
What do you get when you combine 15 artists, seven days and an art gallery? The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is calling it “Where the Pieces Fall,” an exhibition running Nov. 1-7 with an opening reception at 6 p.m. on Nov. 4. Fifteen members of the center’s resident artist program come from varying creative disciplines and practices, diverse backgrounds and locations across Virginia, Luxembourg and South Korea. The original work evolved from their 3-6 month residencies over the past year. Curated by VisArts gallery coordinator Emily Nixon and art resident Unica Buster, the exhibition poses questions for our puzzling times: What happens when something falls apart? Can something new emerge from the pieces? See what these makers made of these queries.
–Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Opioid Crisis
The opioid epidemic continues across Virginia and the nation, with the state projecting a record number of lives lost to overdoses by year’s end. A great primer on the epidemic and its origins is Roanoke resident Beth Macy’s book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.” It’s been adapted into a series now airing on Hulu, with stars including Rosario Dawson, Michael Keaton and Peter Sarsgaard; Barry Levinson directs. An episode from the project, “The 5th Vital Sign,” will be screened at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Ashland Thetare, with Macy on hand for a talkback with the author. It’s free, but you need to register in advance.
–Tharon Giddens, Lifestyle Editor
Shucks!
Head down to Petersburg for historic Battersea’s annual fall Oysters, Barbecue… Battersea! festival on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. Dine on Virginia oysters and homemade BBQ with all the fixings; sip signature cocktails, oyster shooters and craft brews by Ballad Brewing of Danville. Enjoy an exhibition of more than 30 classic British motor cars, and entertainment by Kristie Kream and the Sugar Daddies. Bring a chair or blanket to Battersea’s front lawn. $40 per person.
–Susan Morgan, R•Home Managing Editor
Other Suggestions
- Lynne Koplitz tells jokes at the Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education on Nov. 3
- The stories of incarcerated youth are told in “The Blind and the Just” at the Modlin Center on Nov. 4
- Record nerds, rejoice! The Stand Still Music & Record Show returns at Holiday Inn Express on Nov. 6
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.
