RICHMOND NEWS




more in community

The Fight Over Who Gets to Sell Weed

A recent report by Radio IQ suggests Virginia lawmakers are once again inching toward a legal recreational marijuana market, this time through the state budget process. Following Governor Abigail Spanberger's veto, Senate Democrats have threatened to fold retail...

Three Tall Ships, One River, 250 Years of American History

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 the upcoming IllumiNation. Also, filmmaker Justin Black of Headwaters Down is sailing aboard...

Richmond’s Funniest Weekend Returns With 2nd Best Comedy Fest

It’s time for the 9th Annual 2nd Best Comedy Fest running June 11–13, 2026. The Coalition Theater hosts this annual event, and is the brick-and-mortar heart of Richmond's alternative comedy ecosystem. Calling it the 2nd Best Fest is a beautifully defensive undersell...

Local, Latino and A New Richmond Cosmos

Tucked into the alley behind 2512 West Main Street, a fever dream of the cosmos has taken shape across a brick wall. The mural is the collaborative work of four Latino artists working in and around Richmond: Visibly Hidden, Monolith, Mars, and Sol. A distant Earth...

The Mayor of Sunny Mart

There are certain people who become part of a neighborhood so slowly that nobody notices it happening until one day they realize the place would feel strange without them.   If you’ve spent enough time around The Fan late at night, then you probably know Sunny Mart....

Sojourner Truth and Why Her Story Still Matters

Editor's Note: This is a companion piece to our preview of Songs of Truth, the new musical inspired by the life of Sojourner Truth. This essay from Christian Detres takes a closer look at the woman behind the legend and the enduring relevance of her story. Sojourner...

Replanting His Life in America, Leaving Behind Everything He Knew

Following is an updated excerpt from the book, Portraits of Immigrant Voices, in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, which is celebrated during the month of June throughout the United States to honor the contributions and resilience of the newcomers who have shaped our...

Virginia Pride Festival 2025: Everything You Need to Know 🏳️‍🌈

Richmond will come alive with color, music, and community as Virginia Pride Fest 2025 takes over Midtown Green 2401 West Leigh Street on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 8 p.m. The day caps off more than a week of events organized by VA Pride to celebrate Richmond’s LGBTQ community, culminating in the state’s largest LGBTQ festival. Headlined...

Read More

Virginia-Pride-Festival-2025_RVA-Magazine-2025

RVA 5×5 | Shine On You Crazy (And Memorable) Diamond

On Sunday afternoon, the last baseball game will be held at The Diamond after 40 years of service to a city and region and two baseball teams in what was, when it opened, “a major league park in a minor league town.” Between opening night in 1985 and the last game on Sunday is a span of 14,761 days.  Through all the debates over the decades about...

Read More

Richmond-Diamond-construction-1984_photo-courtesy-of-The-Valentine

The Felon Who Built Scott’s Addition

Before the beer taps and condos, before the buzzwords about ‘revitalization,’ Scott’s Addition’s future passed through the hands of a single man: Justin Glynn French. A convicted felon whose empire collapsed in scandal, he set the stage, even if unintentionally, for the neighborhood we know today. Scott’s Addition is now one of the crown jewels...

Read More

Justin French and Scott Addition by R. Anthony Harris_RVA Magazine 2025

Help Support the Family of Johnnita Russell

A GoFundMe has been launched to support Baby Saphire and the family of Johnnita Russell, who was killed the night before what would have been her 34th birthday. Just nine days earlier, she had given birth to her daughter, who has spent her first weeks in the NICU. According to Richmond Police, Johnnita was shot inside her home on...

Read More

Johnnita-Russell-gofundme_RVA-Magazine-2025

Richmond’s Zoning Code Refresh: Developers Know, Do You?

Most Richmonders haven’t heard about it, but the City of Richmond is rewriting the rules that will determine what can be built, and where, for decades to come. It’s called the Zoning Code Refresh, and right now, it’s quietly moving through the public comment stage. If that sounds boring, it isn’t. Zoning controls whether your neighborhood sees...

Read More

Richmond-Zoning-Code-Refresh_RVA-Magazine-2025