COMMUNITY

Mayo Island is Finally Whole

Mayo Island is Finally Whole

The acquisition of the island's last privately owned parcel clears a major hurdle for Richmond's plans to create a public park along the James River. The long-running effort to transform Mayo Island into a public park took a major step forward this week after the...




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How Richmond College Students Fit Into the Growing Thrift Economy

Editor’s Note: This piece was written by a student at Randolph-Macon College as part of a feature writing course. RVA Magazine is committed to giving space to young writers across Virginia and will be publishing several student works from this class over the coming...

Writer’s Block | Atmospheric Dread by Ann Marie

A Sunday series from RVA Magazine featuring writers from Richmond and VirginiaWriter’s Block is RVA Magazine’s Sunday series highlighting contemporary writers working in Richmond and across the Commonwealth. Each week, we feature original poems, short stories, or...

Snow Law, Beer Runs, and a Market That Never Closed

In my twenties, snow days in Richmond were not a crisis. They were a gift.  You walked to the local market, and back then there were only a handful, stocked up on whatever counted as “supplies,” and then wandered off under the sacred banner of “snow law.” That...

Review | King James and the Things Men Don’t Know How to Say

Before we go any further, no, you’re not crazy. There is no King James Shakespeare play. Rajiv Joseph’s very recent 2022 play is decidedly not Elizabethan and contains far more garbage can basketball than Hamlet. The only thing I love more than Richmond Shakespeare’s...

The Branch Museum of Design Opens New Chapter With “Undeniable”

The Branch Museum of Design is marking a period of transition with Undeniable, a new exhibition pairing fashion designer Christian Siriano and contemporary artist Ashley Longshore. The exhibition this week arrives as the museum undergoes a formal rebrand and...

William “Bill” Martin, Director of The Valentine, Has Passed Away

Update 9:34am: Richmond Police confirmed that Martin, 71, was hit by a driver while in a crosswalk at the intersection of East Broad and North 10th streets on Saturday afternoon. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. Read more HERE. -------------------------------- William “Bill” Martin, longtime director of The Valentine, has passed away....

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William “Bill” Martin_RVA Magaine 2025

The Best of RVA Magazine 2025

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...

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How a New Richmonder is Fostering Community Through Tiramisu

Editor’s note: Since this story was originally written, Alex Na hosted another free tiramisu drop over the weekend, continuing to build a following around his community dessert project. This feature was submitted by Jordan Smith, a journalism student at the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication at Virginia Commonwealth University. We...

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Alex Na_Free Tiramisu by Jordan Smith_RVA Magazine 2025

The Lights Are On! Richmond’s Tacky Lights Season Has Begun

Tacky Lights season has officially kicked off, and the region is glowing again. From tight city blocks to wide Powhatan backroads, homes across Central Virginia have thrown the switch and settled into that familiar holiday tradition of trying to outshine the neighborhood. Most displays stay lit through New Year’s Eve, which gives you plenty of...

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Tacky Light Tour Richmond_RVA Magazine 2025