For more than a decade, RVA Magazine has worked with Virginia Pride to produce the Official VA PrideFest Guide, bringing together stories from Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community and everything you need to know for PrideFest this Saturday, September 12,...
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Duron Chavis is Building More Than a Farm
How two decades of community organizing grew into a vision for land ownership, education, and self-determination. The first time I met Duron Chavis, he wasn't talking about farmland. He was talking about culture. It was the early 2000s, and Happily Natural Day was still in its infancy. Founded in 2003 at Richmond's Black History Museum &...
RVA 5×5 | Leapfrogging Back to 1776, 50 Years at a Time: 1926
Editor's Note: We're sharing this essay from community content partner Jon Baliles of RVA 5x5. If you enjoy his work and want more in-depth coverage of Richmond politics and history, consider subscribing to RVA 5x5 on Substack. The views expressed are those of the author. As the 250th Independence Day weekend winds down, we take a peek back at...
The Light That Never Went Out
There is a spotlight still mounted in the rafters of 528 N. 2nd Street. It has been there since 1914. It has outlasted segregation, fire, the highway that cut Jackson Ward in two, and decades of silence. On the nights when the Hippodrome Theater fills up, that light falls on the stage the same way it fell on Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and a...
Virginia’s New Marijuana Law: Everything You Need to Know
After years of legislative battles, vetoes, compromise negotiations, and numerous articles, Virginia finally has a roadmap for legal recreational marijuana sales. The state budget signed into law earlier this week establishes a regulated cannabis marketplace beginning July 1, 2027. Until then, many of Virginia's marijuana laws remain exactly as...
The Strange Afterlife of Virginia’s President Heads
Editor's Note: Reminder, the sculptures are located on private property and are not open for general visitation. Access is available only through scheduled guided tours, with Labor Day weekend currently expected to be the final tour on the calendar. Tour information is available HERE. On an industrial property outside Williamsburg, forty-two...
Fourth of July 2026 in Richmond: Fireworks, Festivals, and More
The best Fourth of July celebration in Richmond probably isn't the one with the biggest fireworks. It's the one where someone forgot the hot dog buns, the cooler is running low on ice, kids are chasing each other through sprinklers, and somebody insists they know a better place to watch the show. Still, if you're looking to celebrate alongside a...
IllumiNATION Tells America’s Story on a Monumental Scale
Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on coverage related to America’s 250th anniversary, including Richmond SailFest and IllumiNation. It's hard to impress people with just a building. Yet standing in front of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture last week during a test run for...
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 Capital Region Land Conservancy acquired the last privately owned parcel on the...
Field Trip Bikes and the Long Ride of Richmond’s Cycling Culture
I recently bought my first bicycle in more than a decade. Like most people, I started my search online, comparing models, reading reviews, and trying to figure out what kind of rider I actually wanted to be. Eventually I visited several local bike shops before settling on a new Fairdale. A few weeks later, I received an email from Joel Alford...
