This week Richmond adds to its list of monuments with two new figures on Brown’s Island, the State Fair of Virginia returns to Caroline County, an Ansel Adams photo exhibition at the VMFA starts with a song, and ZZ Top rocks Meadow Event Park. Enjoy the week!
Statues of Emancipation
Richmond has become known as a city where statues are removed. While several have been lifted or knocked off their pedestals in recent months, two new ones will be unveiled this week. The Emancipation & Freedom Monument, which depicts two persons newly freed from bondage, will be dedicated on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. on Brown’s Island. The project is a part of the Virginia General Assembly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission’s remembrance of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the abolition of slavery.
—Craig Belcher, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Show Must Go On
Though Texas blues rockers ZZ Top lost their longtime bassist Dusty Hill in July, the band has continued to tour, with the group’s guitar tech Elwood Francis taking up the bottom end while singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard soldier on. On Wednesday, Sept. 22, their tour comes to The Meadow Event Park as part of the After Hours concert series. Be sure to show up for the opener, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. A 2021 Blues Music Award nominee for Blues Rock Artist, this trio features a washboard/tambourine in place of a bass guitar.
—Chad Anderson, Copy Editor-at-large
Tone Poems
Ansel Adams worked in black and white, not only in his photography, but at the piano keyboard. Before committing himself to the camera, Adams considered a career as a concert pianist. You’ll get a sense of this aspect of the artist’s life at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts celebrates the opening of “Ansel Adams: Compositions in Nature” with a talk by Curator Christopher C. Oliver and performance by pianist-composer Michael Jefry Stevens playing excerpts of “Ansel Adams: America,” composed by Chris and Dave Brubeck. Preregistration is required for the livestreamed event.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
In the Name of Lambic
Considered the godfather of lambic beers, Cantillon is a small Belgian brewery that has exclusively produced the wild-fermented beer for over 100 years. The brewery has also been a source of sudsy inspiration for The Veil Brewing Co.’s head brewer and founder, Matt Tarpey. On Saturday, Sept. 25, head to The Veil’s Funkhaüst Cafe for Zwanze Day, a tasting celebration of carefully brewed lambics. Tickets ($95) grant access to exclusive pours from the 2020 and 2021 Zwanze bottles and other Cantillon releases, in addition to a dozen beers from The Veil. “Zwanze” roughly translates to a sarcastic style of humor, in keeping with the funky, experimental side of lambic brews. Also in the mix at this event are oysters and tacos, two of beer’s most faithful and fitting companions.
—Eileen Mellon, Food Editor
Together Again
The State Fair of Virginia’s Fair Food Weekend in 2020 was no substitute for the full fair experience. That’s why I’m looking forward to the State Fair’s return this Friday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 3, at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell. The website fittingly uses the tagline, “The Best of Virginia. Together Again in 2021,” and with the traditional showcase of the commonwealth’s wildlife and agriculture, the Heritage Village, and horticulture competitions including giant pumpkins and watermelons and multiple categories of best-in-show plants, the fair is a fantastic way to experience Virginia’s treasures. I’m looking forward to my annual must-do’s: a ride on the Ferris wheel, eating cheesecake on a stick and seeing the dozens of guinea pigs running around at Young MacDonald’s Farm.
—Nicole Cohen, Special Projects Editor
Other Suggestions
- See Çudamani: Gamelan and Dance of Bali at the University of Richmond Sept. 22.
- Ryan K. Smith discusses his book, “Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond's Historic Cemeteries,” in a virtual event via the Library of Virginia on Sept. 23.
- The Richmond Ballet presents Studio One through Sept. 23.
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.
