9 best things to do this spring in Richmond

While the last few weeks have been unseasonably cool, it's finally springtime in Richmond.

Driving the news: Spring officially kicks off Monday, and after weeks stuck indoors, the city's ready to embrace warmer weather with our favorite springtime rituals.

Spring in Richmond means one thing: It's time to get outside.

Here's a handy guide to some of the best ways to take advantage of all that Richmond has to offer.

🌺 Don't miss these events

Mark your calendar. Reschedule your vacation, and tell your in-laws you're not coming — these are some of the best happenings coming up in Richmond:

☘️ March 25-26: The Church Hill Irish Festival — bagpipers, Irish food, dancing and beer. It's the classy way Richmond celebrates St. Patrick's Day, belatedly, and once we're recovered from the 17th.

⚾️ April 7: The Flying Squirrels have their season opener, with, of course, fireworks after the game.

🐣 April 9: Easter on Parade is finally back after a three-year hiatus. It's the best bonnet wearing, kid face-painting, dog costume stroll down Monument you never want to miss.

🏃🏻‍♀️ April 22: The Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k has been dubbed the "friendliest marathon" because it's less about winning and more about wearing costumes, cheering on your friends and leisurely brunches to follow.

🪴 April 29: Maymont's Herbs Galore, Richmond's favorite plant sale, has everything you need to get your garden ready.

🧗‍♂️ May 19–21: Dominion Energy Riverrock is a full weekend of paddleboarding, trail running, mountain biking, kayaking and dog jumping, plus live music, all on Brown's Island.

🖼 May 6-7: Arts in the Park has been one of the biggest outdoor events in town for more than 50 years, all dedicated to viewing and buying original art from one of hundreds of vendors.

🍷 Grab dinner and drinks alfresco

Thanks to the pandemic, Richmond is now chock-full of fantastic restaurant patios. But if you're looking for something a little extra, here are some of our picks:

🙌 Go high on a rooftop bar at the Byrd House in The Graduate with its stunning city views in Monroe Ward or atop New York's Deli's tiki-themed spot in Carytown.

🌳 Spread out in the woodsy space at Brambly Park in Scott's Addition or in the lush grass at Fulton Hill's Blue Atlas.

💦 Take in water views at The Lilly Pad in Eastern Henrico or at Island Shrimp Company at Rocketts Landing.

🔥 Warm up on an inevitably cool night next to a fire pit at Pinky's in Scott's Addition or Kreggers at Hand in the Fan.

📸 Be sure to see — and Insta — this art exhibit

We at Axios Richmond are counting down to April 29 for the opening of "Incanto: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture" at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

• The one-of-a-kind exhibition brings the work of two Burning Man artists here to premiere five large-scale, mixed-metal sculptures, each up to 17 feet tall.

The pieces will be designed with Lewis Ginter's setting in mind and on display through Oct. 29.