Ed 217: Non-Alcoholic Wine, Duck Race, Kid-Friendly Parks & Playgrounds in the City

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Hi, everyone! 👋

Paige here 🙋‍♀️ Kelsey is getting in some much-needed and well-deserved OOO time, so I’m stepping in this week to bring you all the social news you need to know!

Fortunately (mostly for you, but also for me 🤣), Kels did most of the heavy lifting prior to her departure, so you can trust this edition will be a goodie like the rest of ‘em. Buckle up — you’re in for a treat!

THINGS WE’RE *WAY* LOVING THIS MONTH

It’s the end of another month, so here’s the low-down on a few of our favorite things for July!

Paige:

All tomato-and-mayo everything: I’m sure you’ve seen my obsession with all things tomatoes and Duke's Mayonnaise on Instagram, so obviously, I need to talk about it more. (BTW, this is not sponsored — I genuinely love fresh ‘maters and anything Duke's. No, I do not have a Duke's tattoo, but there’s always someday.)

• Nightingale X Duke's Mayonnaise Peanut Butter, Banana, & Mayo Sammie: This ice cream sammie is PB-and-banana-heavy with a *hint* of twang; it reminded me of a PB and banana sandwich as a kid. Don't knock it until you try it — you know Nightingale would never give us a bad sammie.

• Summer | Supper | Somm: This series of events is hosted by Village Garden RVA and Barboursville Vineyards, celebrating local food and wine. Expect tasty meals with fresh heirloom tomatoes, delicious Virginia wine, and a fantastic experience. There is still time to hit up a few dinners!

Kelsey:

Luminara | Alcohol Removed | Napa Valley | Red Blend 2018: I’m a few months pregnant, and I’m just slightly missing the seasonal cold ones I’d otherwise be enjoying in this heat. But lucky for me, and everyone else looking for some non-alcoholic deliciousness, Point 5 has entered the chat. I stopped by the new non-alcoholic bottle shop “featuring specialty beverages, bar ware, and mixers for sober-curious and regular drinkers,” and I’ve been loving the (chillable!) Luminara they recommended.

Alex:

Fighting Fish sushi burrito: Sushi is always my comfort food, and what better way to have comfort than to supersize it?! This month, I’m loving the sushi burrito from Fighting Fish. Their burritos aren’t messy, but they are packed full of flavor. And you can get them with tuna, salmon, eel, yellow-tail, or tempura shrimp — there’s a sushiritto for everyone! Not ready to take the plunge on a sushi burrito, yet? Fighting Fish’s Flaming Tuna Nachos are a delicious appetizer, and my fave way to order these house-made wonton chips is topped with shredded spicy tuna and mango pico. Enjoy!

WEATHER

Wednesday: Cloudy; high of 89°, low of 74°

Thursday: Partly cloudy; high of 94°, low of 74°

Friday: Afternoon thunderstorms; high of 90°, low of 70°

HAPPENINGS

Wednesday, 6 - 8 pm: Paradise at Home: Tropical Drinks with Beth Dixon (In-Person Master Class)

Thursday, 7 - 9 pm: Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night

Friday, 8 - 10 pm: Cinema by the Creek: Shrek

CITY GUIDES

1. 5 KID-FRIENDLY PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS IN THE CITY

2. SUMMER FUN: BEACH, LAKE & RIVER DESTINATIONS WITHIN 1.5 HOURS OF RICHMOND

3. THE FAMILY CALENDAR: JULY 2022

RICHMONDER(S) TO KNOW

Gail and Lew Held: The owners of Disco Sports have been running the business since the ‘70s — growing from a small sporting goods shop into a community staple. In addition to being a one-stop-shop for all your athletic needs, Disco Sports also sells and supplies uniforms, hats, equipment, and trophies to local teams for schools, churches, and rec and little leagues.

Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including a new pie-and-cake spot, a nighttime bike ride, some Nickelodeon fun, and more.

THE LATEST:

Image: @secondbottlewine

Image: @sportsbackers

Image: @mannyeats_

Image: @shereen_ahmed

FOOD, FUN & FURRY FRIENDS

A new spot for sweet treats: Pies and Cakes — a new bakery in Carver — opened its doors earlier this month. The spot features a menu of simple and classic treats; cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, and brownies are in regular rotation. But owner Chastity Hise mixes in some specialties, too, and the shop even hosts pizza pop-ups, highlighting their homemade sourdough pizza crust and travel-inspired toppings. (Richmond magazine)

Beef and bottles: Jackie Wayne Beef and Second Bottle are teaming up to host a pop-up butcher shop and wine tasting. This Saturday, July 30, head to the beloved Church Hill wine and snack spot from 5 to 8 pm to shop various cuts of meat and bottles of wine (and sip on some of the latter while you're at it). If you're salivating already, there are beefy options to buy online now, and Second Bottle's hours can be found here — get the Lieu Dit. (Instagram)

Dinner in the Kitchen (Classroom): Kitchen Classroom is hosting its Summer Supper Somm event this Saturday, July 30. Grab your tickets, and enjoy a six-course Spanish feast, featuring build-your-own BLTs, tapas, heirloom tomatoes, wine, and more — six courses, we said! "Spanish cuisine was the first in Europe to incorporate tomatoes," so if ever there were a meal to celebrate the weeks-long, tomato-y series of dinner events, this may be it. (The Kitchen Classroom)

Everybody's biking in the moonlight: If you've been looking to beat the heat, this may be the way to do it. On Saturday, August 5, Sports Backers is hosting the Virginia Credit Union Moonlight Ride. Let the kids stay up a bit past bedtime, and head to Northside for a night of "fun course lights, party stops, costumes, lit up bikes, an awesome post-ride party, and more!" And by the way, if you snag tix now, you'll beat the August 1 price hike. (Sports Backers)

Vino, food, and dessert: RichWine and Manny Eats are teaming up to open a brick and mortar this fall, moving into Spotlight Gelato Café's Jackson Ward digs. The wine delivery service plans to fill its wine-and-shop menu with Spotlight-inspired sweets as well as "eight to 10 small plates which diners will be able to order a la carte, as a coursed tasting menu, or family style." (Style Weekly)

Have a Blue Christmas(ish): Attn, parents, Blues Clues & You! Live on Stage is coming to Altria Theater this December, and tickets are on sale now. Blue, Josh, Magenta, Rainbow Puppy — the entire gang — will put on a whole song-and-dance (literally). And the show starts at 6 — you may even be able to pull this off before bedtime. (Altria Theater)

MORE LINKS YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK

🦈 Celebrate Shark Week with Gelati Celesti and the Science Museum of Virginia: Between July 25 - 31, show your Gelati Celesti receipt at the Science Museum and receive $2 off admission — they have a jaws-dropping shark exhibition right now! Bring your Science Museum receipt to Gelati Celesti and get a free waffle cone with the purchase of any size scoop. (Instagram)

🥞 Save the date: Richmond Brunch weekend is back September 10 - 11. (Instagram)

🎉 RVA Community Fridges just launched their 10th fridge at Black Rabbit Tattoo. (Instagram)

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Weekly Giveaway

RVA Duck Race and Festival of Inclusion

This week, we’re teaming up with the Autism Society of Central Virginia to give away ten duck entries for the 2022 RVA Duck Race and a 2022 souvenir t-shirt! Each Duck Entry is the chance to win incredible prizes, including the $10,000 grand prize! The event happens on Saturday, August 20, on Brown’s Island. The Festival of Inclusion will be Richmond's first sensory-friendly festival designed to include and accommodate individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, featuring music, family activity zones, vendors, food, and more! Proceeds from the festival support ASCV's critical programming and services for our local autism community. (BTW, purchase duck entries here ahead of time and win some cool prizes!)

To enter to win, tell us: Ducks are found on every continent except which?

Last week: Congratulations to last week’s winner, Mallory M., for winning our Maven Made giveaway!

Member Perks

Sandy Feet Photography

Whether you're planning a wedding, a family photo session, or new head-shots for an upcoming job search, you'll want a photographer who's captured every kind of memory. Darin of Sandy Feet Photography is your guy.

Members get:

• 25% off Sandy Feet Photography’s shop at the pop-up craft market (hosted from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays in the red lot at the Diamond)

• 25% off Sandy Feet Photography regular photography sessions

• BOGO booking on Sandy Feet Photography’s airbnb photography session

Just tell them you’re a member!

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New + Trending from RVAx

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SAVE THE DATE

Check out The Family Calendar for family-friendly events and happenings!

👋
Hey, new members!

We'd like to welcome 30 new members this week: Lauren E., Yuanshu W., Taylor S., Astrid O., Kimberly C., Carrie P., Kimberly G., Harper T., Lauren L., Mallory M., Katheryn P., Alex C., Jon D., David O., Bryan W., Quinn L., Brittney F., Laura M., Deborah B., Vanessa E., Madison C., Molly L., Stephon J., Olivia B., Rachel S., Mariana C., Connie H., Nichole L., Jessie B., and Alex P., we’re so glad you’re here!

It takes a village, so let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, feedback, tips, or recs! Thanks for reading edition 217 of The Weekly Insider.

Have a great week!
- The Richmond Experience

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