Ed 403: Stone Brewing Sale, Bookstore Crawl, Bike Lane Sweeper
Powered by Graduate Richmond — it's rooftop season! Perch yourself on a bar stool at Byrdhouse, the rooftop bar at Graduate Richmond, and enjoy 360-degree views of the city with craft cocktails, beer, wine, and more. Plan your viz here!
Image Source: @kelseyheintzistyping
Look, you’re catching me at a low point this week.
Stone Brewing is closing its Richmond taproom doors. Like, the Stone Brewing whose michelada praises I sing about every three hours once the temperature gets above 50 degrees. The Stone Brewing that has an elite merch wall from which I just purchased my third shirt not a month ago. The Stone Brewing that serves a mean jackfruit carnitas crunchflip that puts anything from Big Crunchwrap to shame.
In other words: me for the foreseeable future. Please respect my privacy at this time.
Keep scrolling for RVA’s latest social news, including local filmmakers, a new pocket park, an historic cottage, and more.
PODCAST
WEATHER
Wednesday: Partly cloudy; high of 79°, low of 54°
Thursday: Mostly sunny; high of 84°, low of 57°
Friday: Mostly sunny; high of 87°, low of 57°
HAPPENINGS
Wednesday, 12 - 5 pm: TATTOOS & TOE BEANS
Thursday, 6 - 9 pm: SPACE AGE UNHAPPY HOUR
Friday, times vary: BROOKLAND PARK WALK THE BLOCK
CITY GUIDES
1. 8 ESSENTIAL RECORD STORES TO SHOP IN RICHMOND
Image Source: @sguruli via Unsplash
RICHMONDER TO KNOW
How’s the James: If you’ve been here for even one summer, you’re probably familiar with this stellar resource, but since we’re approaching high time for floats and all, we thought you could use a reminder. The environmental conservation org is a particularly fantastic follow on social media for James River-related info like water level, water and air temperature, forecasts, and safety alerts and analysis. Keep tabs there all spring, summer, and beyond, and learn even more about our beautiful waterway at howsthejamesrva.com.
THE LATEST
Image Source: LUNCH. | SUPPER!
Image Source: Stone Brewing
Image Source: Goochland Drive-In
Image Source: Fountain Bookstore
SOCIAL NEWS
How many of you have ever felt personally victimized? Okay, sorry, sorry. We just… can’t get over this development! As we referenced up top, Stone Brewing’s presence in Richmond is coming to an end as parent company Sapporo Holdings sells the Stone brand to Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat USA, with the deal expected to close in the coming months. While Stone beers will continue under new ownership — brewed in California and Kansas City — the Richmond taproom will transition into a Sapporo production hub, becoming the company’s primary US brewery, and will stop producing Stone beer after May. (Richmond BizSense)
For when the Devil Wears Prada 2 hubbub dies down. Richmond-based filmmakers Marc Weinberg and Victoria Fraser have debuted their first feature film, Outrage, a psychological thriller now entering the film festival circuit, including submission to the Richmond International Film Festival. The flick uses a minimalist, microbudget approach — featuring primarily one actor in a single room — to intensify its story, which centers on a controversial podcaster, Jake Gadling, who is kidnapped by a listener demanding accountability for his inflammatory rhetoric. We’ve got the heebie-jeebies already. While you wait to see if it’s accepted to RIFF, you can plan to catch it on Amazon Prime Video in 2027. (Richmond magazine)
In more movie news, Goochland Drive-In has been sold to new owners James and Kathryn Munsey, who plan to preserve and build on its success as a beloved, family-friendly entertainment destination. Despite initial skepticism, community resistance, and the broader decline of drive-ins nationwide, the theater has thrived through a mix of nostalgic appeal, creative business strategies, and a focus on customer experience, including affordable concessions, double features, and operational innovations. The drive-in is one of the few remaining in the region and a model for how the format can still succeed — and FYI, it’s showing Michael this week. (Style Weekly)
Your Saturday plans (and then some!): booked. The Greater Richmond Bookstore Tour, running April 25 through May 16 in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day, invites readers to visit 11 local indie bookstores over three weeks and collect stamps for a chance to win a grand prize of $50 gift cards from each participating shop. Timed around the nationwide annual celebration of books, the tour highlights the uniqueness and community spirit of independent bookstores, with participating spots like Fountain Bookstore, bbgb, and Midlothian Book Exchange. (Indie Bound)
Cottage core. The JXN Project, led by sisters Enjoli and Sesha Moon, recently unveiled a reconstructed version of the historic Skipwith-Roper cottage in Jackson Ward, honoring Abraham Peyton Skipwith, the first documented Black homeowner in the area who purchased his freedom and built a legacy as an entrepreneur in the late 18th century. Sparked by a 2020 question about the origins of Jackson Ward’s name, the sisters uncovered Abraham’s story and worked to restore his place in Richmond’s history, culminating in a $5.6 mil reconstruction that now serves as the nonprofit’s HQ and a permanent exhibition space focused on reclaiming Black community history. The project also highlights the home’s near-demo during highway construction, its relocation, and its eventual restoration, while broader efforts include scholarship funding and community programming; the unveiling drew local and state leaders and coincided with the designation of April 17 as Jackson Ward Day, reinforcing Abraham’s significance as a foundational, yet previously overlooked, figure in American and Richmond history. (The Richmonder)
It has pockets! Scott’s Addition, that is. A new pocket park is planned for the neighborhood as local business owners Christie and Kevin Barry move to transfer their 0.43-acre Norfolk St property to the Capital Region Land Conservancy, combining a $600,000 purchase with a donated portion of the land’s value to preserve it as permanent greenspace. The project, to be known as Christie’s Garden, aims to address the neighborhood’s significant lack of tree cover and public outdoor space. Backed by local organizations, city leadership, and community advocates, the half-acre park is seen as a meaningful step in improving quality of life, environmental sustainability, and equitable access to nature in a rapidly developing area, where thousands already live nearby and more residents are expected. (RVA Hub)
More local whos, whats, and wheres to know ASAP. The inaugural Seen Awards, hosted by The Richmond Seen at myCNTR last Friday, brought a high-energy celebration of the city’s culture, with attendees, nominees, and presenters excited to rep local creatives and community leaders. Supported by BLK RVA and hosted by ShaelaSoul and Jess Snyder, the evening highlighted the people, places, and events shaping the city’s cultural landscape, kicking off with a VIP reception featuring music from DJ Melodic, food from Cocoa Pariis, and drinks from G-Spot Lemonade. The Seen Awards honored standout contributors across categories, including Chelsea Jackson, Michael Millions, All City Art Club, The Black Olive, Duron Chavis, and Charged Up Fest, reinforcing the newly established media outlet’s mission to lift up the forces driving Richmond forward. (Instagram)
MORE LINKS YOU’LL WANT TO CLICK
🌮 There’s a new concept by your trusted friends (from LUNCH. | SUPPER! (?)) coming soon to Scott’s Addition. (Instagram)
🧹 The City of Richmond just debuted a new Baby Broom bike lane sweeper. (Axios Richmond)
🎨 RVA Fatties set a one-week extension for submissions to its Fat Art Show with Gallery5 — due today, April 22. (Instagram)
Image Source: Juan More Taco
Weekly Giveaway
Juan More Taco
They say now through May is technically burrito season, so if you’ve got a craving, we’ve got funds. Our boots on the ground recommend the carne asada burrito at Juan More Taco, but there are plenty of meat options and three vegan protein options, too — plus a whole vegan menu if you’re not in the mood for a bigger-than-your-head burrito.
This week, we’re giving away 25 bucks to Juan More Taco! Guac and roll 🤘
To enter, tell us: What’s a song you know completely by heart?
Last week: Congratulations to last edition’s winner, Richard T, for winning The Veil Brewing Co giveaway!
Image Source: RVA Paddlesports
Member Perks
RVA Paddlesports
We’re seeing more toasty temps this week, which means you need to put in some time on or near the James. RVA Paddlesports is the top destination for outdoor activities in Richmond, offering a wide variety of kayaking, rafting, canoeing, paddleboarding, and climbing services for customers of all skill levels.
As a member of The Richmond Experience, you get 10% any booking Sunday through Friday! Use code stormtrooper when you check out.
What’s trending from RVAx
👇
SAVE THE DATE
👋
Hey, new members!
We’d like to welcome 8 new members this week: Madison C, Leslie M, Julie C, Temesiah V, Kate D, Valerie M, Douglas T, and Michaela C, 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 403 of The Weekly Insider.
Cheers! 🥂
- The Richmond Experience
Thank you to Graduate Richmond for powering this edition of The Weekly Insider from The Richmond Experience!
OUR LOCAL PARTNERS
