Richmond's 804 Day becomes official

Richmond is finally getting serious about celebrating its area code and all things local along with it.

What's happening: The inaugural 804 Day: Richmond's Biggest Block Party takes place today, Aug. 4, in Shockoe Bottom, in and around 17th Street Market, from 4-9pm.

Why it matters: This is the first official celebration of 804 Day, which has been unofficially recognized for years, generally with day-of promotions and deals from local businesses.

• Mayor Stoney is expected to make a proclamation to make the whole day official-official, organizers tell Axios.

The city parks department came up with the idea to do a big 804 Day event and partnered with Shockoe Records to make it a reality, Style Weekly reported.

Zoom in: The free event features 17 local bands across three stages, local food and beer food trucks, other vendors and a kids zone.

• If you're looking for a proper sit-down meal, the restaurants along the market will be open, along with their patios, and some are also selling cocktails to go.

Zoom out: Area code celebratory city days have been cropping up across the country in the past decade, per online publication The List.

• Milwaukee Day on 414 may well be the first, while Chicago's 312 Day seems to be the most well-known.

Worth noting: 804 Day kicks off Richmond Music Week, and there will be local performances through next Sunday at dozens of venues around town.

• If it rains, 804 Day moves to Saturday, same time, same place. Just pretend it's still the 4th.

Meanwhile: Tons of local businesses have already put together their planned 804 Day promotions, and self-proclaimed "small biz hype woman," @miss_elaine_neous⁣ on Insta, has a stellar roundup, including:

• 25% off at Our Life by Stella's, 15% off at Blue Bones Vintage, an $8 bin at Uptown Neon and $8.04 cocktails or 8.04% off at dozens of local spots around town.