During the UCI Bike Championships this weekend, locals and tourists will get the chance to explore the city for free thanks to a group of RVA businesses.
During the UCI Bike Championships this weekend, locals and tourists will get the chance to explore the city for free thanks to a group of RVA businesses.
West Main Village, a small community of restaurants, galleries, and retail shops along witht the Carytown Mercants Association will provide free trolley rides and a mini festival to residents and out-of-towners this Friday through Sunday.
BJ Kocen, owner of glave kocen gallery along with Tammy Rostov of Rostov’s Cofee and Tea in the Fan are spearheading the event along with about 12 to 15 other businesses to get people to come to the area this weekend.
“We immediately saw it as a great opportunity to band the neighborhood together and do something special for all the out of towners coming and even the Richmonders too interested in the race,” Kocen said. The number one reason was to be ambassadors to our foreign visitors.”
West Main Village’s pop up festival, which is the 1600 block of West Main Street, will go on through the weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’ll have everything from pop up shops inside certain locations, to vendors in the street, restaurants who are typically closed during lunch hours are open,” he said.
Besides Glave Klocen Gallery and Rostov’s, Bombolini Pasta, Heritage, home Team Grill, Refuge for Men, Belly Timber, Brux’l Cafe, Gold’s Gym and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond have all joined in the grassroots effort.
Kocen said their gallery has a bike-themed exhibit and Artemis Gallery will have a bike-themed event as well. Restaurants will be offering specials such as Heritage, who has been selling two-go boxed lunches. Home Team Grill, Belly Timber will also be open for breakfast as well as Foo Dog, who will be open for lunch.
Bombolini Pasta will also have a small beer garden.
“Theres no way this would have happened at all if all these people didnt get involved and say they were going to contribute somehow,” Kocen added.
Local vendors will also be in the closed off part of the street for people to visit.
“Everything from handmade jewelry, Capital Trail Foundation is going to be here, we’re going to have an expo by a 3D printer that just moved into the neighborhood,” he said. “There will be plenty of things to keep people entertained and occupied in between watching the races careen around Lombardy and Main Street.”
The group is using RVA Trolley to get people around and Kocen said the trolley, which is free to the public, cost the businsses about $2,800.
“We thought offering a free trolley would certainly be incentive to get people down to see everything,” he said.
The “Carytown-West Main Village Free Connector” will offer stops in Carytown and the Fan.
They include: City Stadium, Mccloy and West Cary Street, GRTC Bus Barn, Vine and West Main Street, Sticky Rice at 2232W. Main St., and Crenshaw and Wesr Cary Street. The free rides are available every 30 minutes from 10 am to 6 pm Friday and Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.
Kocen said he hopes to do many more events like this in the future for the public.
