Richmond weekend guide: Oyster week and food festivals
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
It's the first weekend of a government shutdown so you might as well get out of the house, right?
Thursday, Oct. 2
π¦ͺ Richmond's Oyster Week is back for a second year. More than two dozen local restaurants are serving up Virginia oyster dishes through Oct. 7 with 15% of oyster sales going to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its oyster restoration efforts.
πΉ Blue Bee Cider is teaming up with Red Vein Haunt for horror trivia, complete with actual monsters scaring you while you play. 7pm. Free.
ππ» The Broadberry is hosting a midnight release party for Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl." 9pm. $22.26.
Friday, Oct. 3
π¦π² The Armenian Food Festival at St. James Armenian Church is back with food, dancing and live music on Friday and Saturday. 11am-9pm. Free.
πΆπ»ββοΈ It's the time for the Museum District Art Walk, where food trucks will be parked along Arthur Ashe and home owners will have exhibits on their porches and patios. 4-8pm. Check out the map here.
π₯ Gallery5 has the "Carnival of 5 Fires" a celebration with circus acts, burlesque dancers, stilt walkers, tarot readers and more. 5-10pm. Free.
π€€ Sample some chili from local restaurants at VisArts' Chili Throwdown. 6-8pm. $35.
Saturday, Oct. 4
π It's a bad week to be an oyster. Oystoberfest at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church at Ginter Park has oysters, brats, beer and more. Noon-6pm. Free but $2 donation is suggested.
π Dachtoberfest has wiener-themed everything, including contests for the longest and shortest dachshunds and wiener dog races, at the Richmond Raceway. 9:30am-4pm. $10.
π₯³ 2nd Street Festival, one of the best festivals of the year, returns to Jackson Ward Saturday-Sunday to celebrate the historic neighborhood with live music, food and more. Times vary. Free.
π It's National Mead Day and Black Heath Meadery in Scott's Addition is celebrating with five special honey wine releases, including The Last Sip of Summer, a mead made with Red-N-Sweet, a rare, heirloom watermelon. Starting at 1pm. Free.
πΆ Redlight Reggae is at Vagabond with DJ Markus Gold playing dancehall, afrobeats, demobow and more. 10pm-2am. Free before 11pm.
Sunday, Oct. 5
π§ Richmond Funny Bone Club is having a "Hocus Pocus"-themed drag brunch. 2-4pm. Tickets start at $27.
