As we close out the year, here’s a look at some of the most impactful stories we published in 2025. Over the past year, we covered Richmond as a living system under pressure, focusing on the people, culture, and policies that shape daily life and determine who gets held up or left behind.
Thank you to everyone who read, shared, challenged us, and supported homegrown, independent Richmond media this year.
Richmond Music of Right Now 2025 Poll Results
Our annual music poll captured a clear generational shift, with voters under 25 driving record participation and spotlighting Richmond’s next wave of artists. More than 65,000 readers and 7,000 votes underscored how invested the city remains in its local music scene.
You Voted. Here Are the Results of ‘Support Local, Vote Local’ Reader Poll 2025
Thousands of readers weighed in on Richmond’s best local businesses, from neighborhood staples to under-the-radar favorites. The annual poll highlights where Richmonders are actually spending their money and why supporting local still matters.
Spanberger Wins Decisively, 53 Minutes After Polls Close
Abigail Spanberger secured a swift and historic victory, becoming Virginia’s first woman governor. The race signaled a shift toward pragmatism and policy-focused leadership in a polarized climate.
→ Read the full story
Photo | The Night Abigail Spanberger Made Virginia History
At the Richmond Convention Center, Abigail Spanberger’s election marked a historic moment as she became Virginia’s first woman governor. The photo essay captures a night that reshaped the state’s political landscape and reflected a broader shift in leadership.
“I Don’t Know How We Stay Open”: A Virginia Vape Shop Owner on the New Ban
As Virginia’s new vape law takes effect, Richmond shop owners face an existential threat. The piece centers on how enforcement and regulatory gaps could wipe out small businesses while leaving distributors untouched.
McCormack’s Irish Pub Sparks a National Debate in Richmond
A simple T-shirt ignited a viral political firestorm, pulling a Richmond bar into a national debate over free speech, protest, and consumer backlash. The story examines how quickly local gestures can become cultural flashpoints.
The Bottom Line: What’s Really Happening in Shockoe, and What Needs to Change
Once poised for success, Shockoe Bottom now sits at the intersection of nightlife, neglect, and policy failure. Business owners and community leaders describe a district struggling under unmanaged growth and disappearing oversight.
Exclusive | Senator Warner Talks Trump, Shutdown, and Democracy in Crisis
Senator Mark Warner discusses the accelerating erosion of democratic norms, a prolonged government shutdown, and what he describes as a deliberate strategy of political chaos. The interview frames 2025 as a turning point, where institutional strain has become impossible to ignore.
Rama Duwaji: From VCU Arts to New York’s First Lady
As Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City’s next mayor, this piece spotlights a Richmond connection worth celebrating. Rama Duwaji, a VCU School of the Arts alum, steps onto a national stage as New York’s First Lady, offering a moment to reflect on her artistic roots and the city that helped shape them.
A Richmond Hidden Gem: The Story of Gary’s Chalkboard
On Floyd Avenue, a simple chalkboard has become a quiet neighborhood ritual. This profile explores how one small, human gesture turned into a shared point of reflection for a community.
Richmond’s Water Crisis: A Wake-Up Call for Aging Infrastructure
A winter storm exposed deep vulnerabilities in Richmond’s water system. What began as an outage quickly became a warning about deferred maintenance and fragile public infrastructure.
Rest Easy, Adam Turck
A tribute to a performer who reshaped expectations of local theatre. The piece reflects on how Adam Turck consistently delivered excellence in small rooms and changed how audiences experienced regional stages.
Richmond’s Hipster Decade 2005–2015: And the Crown We Didn’t Ask For
Richmond’s so-called hipster era wasn’t manufactured, but it defined a generation. This retrospective looks at how that decade of DIY culture shaped the city we live in today.
The Death of Ipanema, or Richmond Shrugs Again
The closure of a longtime Richmond restaurant sparked equal parts grief and indifference. The story examines how the city processes loss, change, and cultural turnover.
The Last of the Virginia Hemp Farmers
As one farmer prepares to destroy a quarter-million-dollar crop, the future of legal hemp in Virginia looks increasingly bleak. The piece exposes how regulation has made viable farming nearly impossible.
Opinion | Richmond Knows Better Than to Fear the Wrong People
After FBI testimony singled out Antifa as a top domestic threat, this opinion piece challenges the narrative by contrasting rhetoric with documented histories of violence. It argues that Richmond’s lived experience offers a clearer understanding of where real danger comes from and who is being wrongly targeted.
The Interview | Lt. Governor-Elect Ghazala Hashmi
A post-election conversation with Ghazala Hashmi on rejecting performative politics in favor of policy-driven leadership. Hashmi positions Virginia voters as active participants in shaping democracy during a period of national instability.
No Kings II: 14,000 Citizens Protest in Support of Democracy in Richmond
Tens of thousands marched through Richmond as part of a nationwide protest against authoritarianism. The coverage documents one of the city’s largest demonstrations in recent memory.
200 People, One Backyard, and a Whole Lot of Heart
Crowefest returned after a pandemic hiatus, raising over $6,000 for a local musician and reaffirming Richmond’s DIY spirit. A backyard show became a reminder of how community still works here.
D’Angelo, Groundbreaking Neo-Soul Artist From Richmond, Dies at 51
The loss of D’Angelo marked the passing of one of Richmond’s most influential artists. The piece reflects on his legacy and the city he helped shape through music.
The Felon Who Built Scott’s Addition
Before breweries and buzzwords, one controversial figure helped lay the groundwork for Scott’s Addition. This personal reflection explores the complicated origins of one of Richmond’s most transformed neighborhoods.
Salon de Résistance | A Live Interview Series From RVA Mag
RVA Magazine launched Salon de Résistance as a live interview series creating space for deeper conversations beyond the algorithm. Hosted by Landon Shroder in collaboration with Black Iris and Le Cachet Dulcet, the series brings together experts and creatives to confront politics, culture, science, and democracy at a moment when informed dialogue feels increasingly urgent.
Vicky Hester, Owner of Babe’s of Carytown and LGBTQ+ Advocate, Dies at 71
Vicky Hester’s death marked the end of an era for Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community. For nearly five decades, she kept one of the nation’s oldest lesbian bars open and welcoming.
Authoritarianism, Ninety Minutes Away
Federal power moves in Washington, DC reverberated quickly through Virginia. The piece examines how normalized authoritarian tactics feel uncomfortably close to home.
Photos | Turnstile, Blood Orange, Speed, and Jane Remover in Richmond
Turnstile’s return to Richmond felt like a turning point, with Brown’s Island barely containing a band that has outgrown genre and venue alike. The photo set captures a night where Richmond’s long-standing connection to Turnstile’s rise felt earned, communal, and personal.
From the Village Cafe to Literary Fame: Tom Robbins Dies at 92
Though known worldwide, Tom Robbins’ creative roots trace back to Virginia. This obituary reconnects his literary voice to the places that shaped it.
Carytown New Year’s: We Hardly Knew Ye
A viral photo revived memories of Carytown’s once-iconic New Year’s Eve celebration. The piece traces how the event began, why it ended, and why it still looms large in Richmond’s collective memory.
The Man Who Never Stopped Showing Up
A profile of Edward Peters, whose quiet, relentless outreach work meets people where they are. The piece highlights the unseen labor holding Richmond’s public health safety net together.
The Parham Papers: How Virginia’s Recovery Housing Network Got Too Close for Comfort
An investigation into how oversight failures and conflicts of interest plagued Virginia’s recovery housing system. Years of reporting reveal how accountability eroded behind the scenes.
Maynard James Keenan: A Conversation on the Sessanta V2.0 Tour, Immediate Gratification, and Cultural Absurdity
A wide-ranging interview on discipline, creativity, and refusing to wait for permission. Keenan reflects on art, aging, and making meaning in chaotic times.
The Lost Cause Boys’ Club
A historical reckoning with the ideology behind Richmond’s Confederate monuments. The piece connects the city’s past narratives to present-day efforts at accountability and change.
Charlie Kirk and The Politics of Martyrdom
The murder of Charlie Kirk will have far-reaching consequences. They’re already coming into focus. A universe of disinformation and conspiracy theories is one of them. Regardless of the truth, the damage is already done.
The Interview | Mad Skillz
A wide-ranging conversation with Richmond hip-hop elder Mad Skillz on longevity, mentorship, and creative discipline, anchored by his Grammy-nominated poetry album Words for Days Vol. 1. The interview reflects on how Skillz has shaped Richmond’s cultural ecosystem while continuing to evolve as an artist.
Photo | What Suitcase Joe Found at Skid Row University
A photo-driven profile of LA-based street photographer Suitcase Joe, tracing his Richmond roots and documenting his work capturing Skid Row with dignity, access, and trust rather than spectacle.
Pigs Can’t Fly Vol. 1 Is What Happens When a Northside Kid Refuses to Play the Part
A review of Pigs Can’t Fly Vol. 1, an album born from grief, reflection, and resistance. The piece explores how a Northside Richmond artist Troy rejects imposed limitations and rewrites expectations through music.
Photo by Landon Shroder
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