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As Virginia Legalizes Cannabis, New Penalties Spark Backlash

Virginia’s long-running effort to build a regulated cannabis marketplace has hit a new turning point this legislative session. Since adult possession became legal in 2021, lawmakers and stakeholders have spent years negotiating a retail framework to replace the...

The Next Generation of Richmond Straight Edge

Editor’s Note: This piece was written by a student at Randolph-Macon College as part of a feature writing course. Thank you to the students and to Professor Seth Clabough, Ph.D., for organizing the project. The storage unit smelled of sweat and wood. The garage door...

Knit Against the Machine: How Gen Z Is Fighting Tech With Yarn

Editor’s Note: This piece was written by a student at Randolph-Macon College as part of a feature writing course. Thank you to the students and to Professor Seth Clabough, Ph.D., for organizing the project. Where there was once a forest full of life and hidden...

Find Your Dark Art at ‘Market of the Beast’ Richmond

Market of the Beast is a dark market for all the weirdos and occult lovers who have a bit of a funny bone in them and it’s coming to Richmond Feb 7th, 2026. This handmade market specializes in all things macabre from taxidermy and bone jewelry to home decor, occult...

The Interview | Mad Skillz

UPDATE February 2nd, 2026: Mad Skillz has won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. You can read about that HERE. In honor of that win here is our interview with him back in December. ------------- "A life lived through music, is a life well lived." - Mad Skillz  Mad...

Buddhist Monks Enter Virginia on Walk for Peace, Richmond Ahead

UPDATE February 1st, 2026: The monks are in Chester, VA today. You can see that HERE. The Buddhist monks participating in the Walk for Peace, a 2,300 mile walking pilgrimage across the United States, crossed into Virginia on January 28, marking Day 95 of their journey...

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...

Sound Check! Wes Parker, Rubblebucket, Sweet Bahs

In a dancing mood this week. We got some bouncers, some swayers, some goth sporadic twitching. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at griffin@rvamag.com.  Gallery5 Friday January 31st, 2025Wes Parker, Opin, Sun V Set https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atD1wST7U6c Splinter is Wes Parker’s newest EP, a...

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Wes-Parker_Splinter-video_RVA-Magazine-2025

Sound Check! Bone Machine, Benjamin Shepherd, Nicotine Dolls

Sometimes the world feels bleak. Right now, in my eyes, the world looks bleak. I went to think about it, take stock of what puts gas in my tank, and did my pondering at The Camel, at Gallery 5, at Bandito’s. After all that, I didn’t feel so bad. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at...

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Bone Machine_RVA Magazine 2025

Meet the Man Bringing Shuffle Dance and FlingGolf to Richmond

Richmond’s own Garry Callis Jr. has a lot going on right now. Whether he’s lighting up the dance floor or making his mark on the golf course, he’s forging his own path and inspiring others to join him along the way. Photo courtesy of Garry Callis Jr. RVA Hard Dance Collective: A Shot of Energy for Richmond’s Dance Scene It started with an idea as...

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Garry Callis Jr_RVA Hard Dance Collective_FlingGolf_iver City Rogues_RVA Magazine 2025

Venue Turns 30 | The Richmond Skate Shop Keeps Rolling

For 30 years, Venue Skateboards has been part of the Richmond story—a skate shop that’s never been just a skate shop. Since 1994, it’s been a meeting place, a community hub, and a home for skaters from all over the city. Kim and Maury Blankenship didn’t set out to change the world; they just wanted to create a space for skaters in a town that...

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Venue 30 Year Anniversary_by R. Anthony Harris_photo by Cristian Espinoza_RVA Magazine 2024

‘It’s Still Our City’ Podcast | Episode 1: Broad Street Bullies

"Broad Street Bullies, it's like an anomaly. It's like a, it's interesting. It's like a self-supporting entity. There's either a lot of love for the situation, or there's like a lot of just sort of misguided, like non-understanding about it. And I've always thought it was such a cool thing. I remember the first time encountering them, I was on...

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Its-Still-Our-City_Broad Street Bullies_Salad_RVA Magazine 2025