COMMUNITY




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Virginia Among the Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2025

With Women’s Equality Day approaching, a new WalletHub report has delivered sobering news for Virginia: the Commonwealth ranks 42nd out of 50 states for women’s equality in 2025. Breaking Down the NumberS WalletHub compared all 50 states across 17 key...

Canned Heat! A Richmond Guide to Summer Wines in a Can

We had never tried canned wine before this week. Up until recently, we hadn’t really given them much thought. We would see new canned wines emblazoned with eye-grabbing artwork on shelves in stores and wine bars around town, but never felt compelled to try them....

Lowest U.S. Drinking Rate in 90 Years, Richmond Still Going Out

Pour one out, or maybe just crack open a seltzer, for America’s drinking habit. According to Gallup’s 2025 Consumption Habits survey, only 54% of U.S. adults now say they drink alcohol. That’s the lowest level Gallup has recorded in nearly 90 years of polling, down...

Richmond Invests $9 Million in Affordable Housing and Home Repairs

The City of Richmond has awarded more than $9 million through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) to support eight development projects expected to deliver nearly 600 new or preserved affordable housing units across the city. The funding also includes $2.2...

ACA Rate Hike of 20.5% Could Price Out Richmond Creatives

Richmond’s creative economy has always been powered by risk-takers like musicians, painters, actors, writers, photographers, makers, and the small business owners who keep the city’s galleries, venues, and shops alive. Many piece together a living from passion...

Life Wrote These Lines: Local Musicians Against AI

I was recently reflecting on a line I am particularly proud of. The tail half is: “I’ll go to the funeral if I get off of work.” As I am prone to do, it got me thinking about my abrasive hatred towards AI, especially in art. But I have to justify myself, if a computer...

It’s Still Our City | Ep. 12 Hotspit

“This interview was a blast. You know it’s a good one when even the editing (work) is fun. Join us in this episode as we discuss the creation of this wonderful band, their goals, and the process of building the perfect lineup (it’s tough), Crayola House and unwanted snowball fights, the unfortunate ending of Strange Matter, and quitting one Red...

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Its-Still-Our-City_hotspit-RVA Magazine 2025

When the Music Ends, The Bukit Hedz Begin

I came across them one night, sitting in the grass at Kanawha Plaza. Two men, buckets stacked like makeshift toms, a lone snare resting in one lap, framed by the warm glow skyline of downtown Richmond. Beside them, a sign made the economics clear: VENMO DRUMKEEM. PAYPAL DRUMMERVA. CASHAPP DRUMKING7. They weren’t playing yet. Just waiting....

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The Bukit Hedz Richmond VA_photo by R Anthony Harris RVA Magazine 2025

Because None of This is Important, All of It Is.

Amid feedback loops, flickering lights, and fleeting connections at Get Tight Lounge, a local sound tech finds clarity in the chaos and meaning in the impermanence. by Eric Kalata I had to go across town first, to a different venue, to grab the microphones and monitors that I would need for the night. There were six speakers, and I was to take...

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Eric Kalata writing_photo by R Anthony Harris_RVA Magazine 2025

200 People, One Backyard, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Local Brandon Crowe has quietly built something special in Richmond’s underground scene, a Fourth of July tradition called Crowefest. No corporate sponsors, maybe a few local ones. No massive gates or fences, just the usual short backyard one. What you get is a stage, a lawn, and a handpicked lineup of local heavy-hitters and rising stars....

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Crowe Fest 2025_photo by Joey Wharton_RVA Magazine 2025

Uncorking Confusion: Making Sense of the Great Grape

The world of wine can be a bit intimidating at first. Tannins and mouthfeel. Direct press or maceration. Disgorgement. Yeast. Barrels. Sulfites and sugars. We are at another wine tasting today. All I see is smelling and swirling—and smelling again. Whispered murmurs of notes of cherry, or tobacco and leather. “Pepper,” one man says,...

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It’s Still Our City | Ep. 11 Katrina

“This woman is important. This episode is exactly why I wanted to start the podcast. Real deal service industry fella. Mom of 3... she's been in Richmond for a minute and is traversing all the changes that surround us, whilst hustling super hard with a smile. This gal is a badass. Join us as we discuss with Katrina walking the delicate line...

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Its-Still-Our-City_Katrina_RVA Magazine 2025

Writer’s Block | ‘Poker Game’ by Cameron Ritter

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 essays. Just real voices writing right now. This week’s piece comes...

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