Richmond to host summer outdoors and arts events
Finals have come. It’s the moment when most students are packing their stuff back up and going home to spend the summer with long-lost friends and family. Those who are staying in Richmond, however, will get to experience plenty of activities that are unavailable during the fall and winter months.
Morgan White
Contributing Writer
Finals have come. It’s the moment when most students are packing their stuff back up and going home to spend the summer with long-lost friends and family. Those who are staying in Richmond, however, will get to experience plenty of activities that are unavailable during the fall and winter months.
The Dominion Riverrock outdoor sports festival will take place on May 16-18. Riverrock will feature several events including music, photography and video contests at Brown’s Island. Sports featured in the two-day event include kayaking, trail running, biking and slackline. Reggae rapper Matisyahu will be headlining the festival on May 17. The goal of the event is to promote Richmond’s riverfront, downtown trails and whitewater rapids. Each event at Dominion Riverrock costs a different price for entry. The festival will also feature several vendors from around Richmond.
Starting on May 2, Brown’s Island will also begin its next series of concerts called Friday Cheers. Notable acts in this season include Lord Huron and the Northerners, J. Roddy Walston and the Business and the Kopecky Family Band. Tickets range from $5 to $10 depending on the show. This season marks the 30th year of Friday Cheers. Each show begins at 6 p.m. and ends after 9 p.m.
The Stone Soul Music and Food Festival will happen for the tenth time this year at the Richmond Raceway Complex sponsored by Kiss Fm. The festival will include various food vendors as well as musicians. Previous years have featured Trey Songz, Rick Ross and Boyz 2 Men. They have yet to release this year’s lineup. Soul food restaurants will be on site cooking for the duration of the festival.
The third-annual Richmond Mural Project by Art Whino will return to Richmond June 16. The project will bring 20 new murals to city walls. The lineup of this year’s artists include Ron English from New York, Meggs from Australia and Smitheone from Mexico. The project will bring the total number of large-sized murals in Richmond to 63.
First Fridays in Richmond will continue throughout the summer. On the first Friday of each month, there will be a plethora of vendors on West Broad street. The event features an art walk through galleries such as 1708 Gallery, Gallery 5, and Love RVA which is an art gallery run by Art Whino, the creators of the Richmond Mural Project. More information about the event can be found at rvafirstfridays.com.
