2023 was a year of firsts in Richmond
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
2023 wasn't just a year of casino referendum redos and porn hacks. It was also a time of firsts for the River City.
This year Richmond saw its first:
🙌 Official 804 Day — a whole Aug. 4 officially dedicated to celebrating Richmond every year, which henceforth will apparently include an annual festival and awesome 804-inspired discounts from local businesses.
- (It's unclear if those offers will be extended to the unlucky recipients of next year's new 686 area code.)
🍔 Shake Shack! We finally got one — and were reminded that it is, in fact, just a fast-food chain. Albeit a damn delicious one.
🎸 A big-deal headliner, Coachella-esque music festival with Iron Blossom.
🍆 Hustler Hollywood — and with it, Richmond also got its first Pizza Hut-to-porn-shop conversion and mural of Hustler founder Larry Flynt (it's in the back left of the store, next to the phallic straws).
🛼 Outdoor skating rink, open and free for all to use in Northside's Hotchkiss Park.
🍗 Royal Farms, a Maryland convenience store chain known for its stellar fried chicken, though Ned was remains a Lee's loyalist for chicken and WaWa for life for general dining.
👽 Alien invasion preparedness report. And we are the readiest state in the nation, says NJCasino.com.
🐓 And finally, our first farm animal airport parking deck invasion — via chicken little Mable and chicken large Henritta. We weren't at all prepared for that one, but we survived just fine. Flourished, even.
Go deeper: Richmond's year in news.