RVA Drunk History club goes viral before first meetup
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Illustration: Victoria Ellis/Axios
A new Richmond club is having its first meeting this week. The club: RVA Drunk History.
Why it matters: Much like the viral "Drunk History" web series that inspired it, the new RVA club is for history buffs who enjoy imbibing.
State of play: The woman behind the club, Allyson Burt, tells Axios that as a history buff she was looking for a way to connect with other history lovers and expand her social circle.
- She was on the fence about actually putting the idea out there, but her friends gave her the push she needed to create an rvadrunkhistory Instagram account and share her idea.
- She made her first post on Memorial Day there and on her personal TikTok to little fanfare and went to bed. Clearly she was onto something. By the next morning, the post had more than 3,000 views and interest has kept growing.
- Now, less than two weeks later, she's racked up more than 10,000 likes across both accounts and nearly 1,000 comments from locals eager to join or venues offering to host.
How it works: "People who join the club will get to get drunk and share a history story they enjoy," Burt says in her inaugural post.
- The first meeting is Friday at 7pm at Byrd Park next to Shields Lake, mostly to gauge interest.
- And that one will be sober history, Burt says, since it's a public park (and thousands might turn up).
What they're saying: Burt says she's been blown away by the response, and is slightly panicked since her initial post said it would be BYOB, before she knew public drinking in city parks isn't legal.
- "To be completely honest, I don't really drink that much. ... Luckily some people warned me in the comments, so I made some panicked updates emphasizing no alcohol at the first meeting."
Plus, despite the "drunk" in its name, all events are open to sober people, too. Drinking isn't a requirement. An interest in history is.
What's next: Future events will likely be at "breweries/bars where people are absolutely allowed to drink," per the account. Follow for details.
- Reps from The Veil, Blue Bee Cidery, Hardywood, Black Heath Meadery and Richbrau have all expressed interest in hosting.
- And most local history museums and clubs have said they're interested in participating.
The bottom line: RVA Drunk History might be the hottest ticket in town this summer.