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It's race weekend in Richmond, once again. But this year's event is not your grandpappy's NASCAR race. 

Driving the news: NASCAR hits Richmond Raceway every April and August for two days, but this summer's race kicked off with Bubba's Block Party — an event featuring NASCAR star Bubba Wallace, live music from rapper Wale and DJ Domo and food from some Richmond Black-owned food trucks. 

The event was Thursday night and reached capacity almost as soon as ticket registration was announced. 

State of play: Wallace chose Richmond as the kick-off location for the block party that NASCAR hopes to replicate in other cities, Richmond Raceway president Lori Waran told Axios. 

Wallace is NASCAR's sole Black driver and was the driving force behind the sport banning Confederate flags at its events in 2020. 

Of note: Waran, a former local media executive, is another sign of changes afoot in racing — she's the first female president at the Richmond track in its 76-year history. And this weekend is her first race as track president since she started the role in June. 

Details: The gates open Saturday at 11am for food and entertainment with the first race starting at 8pm; Sunday, gates at 9am, the race at 3pm. Tickets start at $25. 

Something new for NASCAR starts in Richmond

Richmond became the first city to host Bubba's Block Party this week, leading up to this weekend's events at the Richmond Raceway.

Bubba Wallace takes a selfie with a fan who looks thrilled.

 NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace poses with fans Thursday in richmond.  Photo courtesy Richmond Raceway. 

It&#x27;s race weekend in Richmond, once again. But this year&#x27;s event is not your grandpappy&#x27;s NASCAR race. Driving the news: NASCAR hits <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Richmond Raceway" data-vars-click-url="https://www.richmondraceway.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw0dKXBhBPEiwA2bmObd7WE6K70iBkMXiBP2dPxjpmVVyi4RklSXDGPupZum4sHeBqoK9VLBoCIT8QAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" data-vars-content-id="13df489a-73ac-45b9-bf1a-b153ca43c647" data-vars-headline="Something new for NASCAR starts in Richmond" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.richmondraceway.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw0dKXBhBPEiwA2bmObd7WE6K70iBkMXiBP2dPxjpmVVyi4RklSXDGPupZum4sHeBqoK9VLBoCIT8QAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Richmond Raceway</a> every April and August for two days, but this summer&#x27;s race kicked off with Bubba&#x27;s Block Party — an event featuring NASCAR star <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bubba Wallace" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bubbawallace.com/" data-vars-content-id="13df489a-73ac-45b9-bf1a-b153ca43c647" data-vars-headline="Something new for NASCAR starts in Richmond" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bubbawallace.com/" target="_blank">Bubba Wallace</a>, live music from rapper Wale and DJ Domo and food from some Richmond Black-owned food trucks.

Sports

Things to Do

By the end of the month, most students across the Richmond area will be back in the classroom, yet districts across the region are still collectively in need of more than 600 teachers. 

Why it matters: The school year starts in Chesterfield on Aug. 22, with Richmond and Henrico starting classes the following week and Hanover beginning after Labor Day. 

Driving the news: School districts across the country are facing unprecedented numbers of teacher vacancies. Dan Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association, told the Washington Post this week the teacher shortage is the worst he's ever seen.  

By the numbers: As of this week, the biggest districts in the region tell Axios they need to hire: 

The latest statewide figures, from last October, show there are 2,563 unfilled teaching positions, according to the Virginia Department of Education. In 2019, it was 1,063. 

What's happening: The pandemic, burnout, the COVID achievement gap from remote learning, the contentious state tip line for reporting "inherently divisive" teaching, and the increasing politicization of education are all factors in teachers leaving the profession, per the Virginia Mercury. 

But there's also a far more common job-change driver at work: pay. 

What they're saying: "It's clear, as Virginia pays its teachers nearly $6,800 less than the national average salary for teachers, that the commonwealth must make quality teaching and learning conditions in our state a top investment priority," James Fedderman, president of the state's teacher's union, tells Axios. 

Threat level: The average annual salary for teachers in Virginia — regardless of education, tenure or district — was $58,000, compared with the national average of $65,293, according to a 2022 National Education Association report.  

Of note: Teachers and other state employees will get a 10% raise over the next two years in the latest budget, but some educators say it isn't enough. 

"We can do far better than we're doing," Fedderman said. 

Meanwhile: With the school year slated to start, local districts tell Axios they've been holding summer job fairs to try to lure non-teachers into the field as well as asking retired teachers to come back. 

But for the biggest effort to get new Richmond-area teachers, districts are looking outside of the region — and in some cases, outside of the state. 

Chesterfield County said it is boosting job ads on sites like Indeed and LinkedIn to reach applicants from farther away, as well as working with universities outside of Richmond to try to identify future teachers. 

Richmond Public Schools launched an ad campaign statewide and beyond — with radio ads, billboards and social media promotion — to bring in new teachers from as far away as Raleigh.

The Richmond School Board recently approved money to help make the move more enticing, including: 

$6,000 for moving costs for teachers at least 50 miles outside of Richmond.

$4,000 signing bonus for experienced educators.

Richmond area needs teachers

Districts across the region are still collectively in need of more than 600 teachers.

Illustration of a teacher's chalkboard with "Now Hiring" written across it.

By the end of the month, most students across the Richmond area will be back in the classroom, yet districts across the region are still collectively in need of more than 600 teachers. Why it matters: The school year starts in Chesterfield on Aug. 22, with Richmond and Henrico starting classes the following week and Hanover beginning after Labor Day.

News

What would Carytown look like with no cars and open for pedestrians only? Urban planning advocate Zach Katz cannot only tell you, but he can show you — using the AI image-generation platform DALL-E, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

Katz, a 28-year-old Brooklyn-based artist, is blowing up on urbanist Twitter thanks to his AI-generated images that show real-world, car-dense streets as pedestrian utopias. He's recreated cities like New York, Boston and even Richmond.

Why it matters: Images are powerful tools for imagining what's possible in urban design — and Katz's work is already being used by advocates across the country to push for the changes they want.

Yes, but: In Richmond, we get a chance to experience Carytown without cars once a year, when the streets close for the annual Carytown Watermelon Festival, which is celebrating its 40th year this Sunday from 10am-6pm. 

Be smart: The Carytown Watermelon Festival wasn't always called that — nor was it in celebration of watermelon. It was "Discover Carytown Day" until the founder took a trip to South Carolina and discovered the sweet fruit celebration we all know today, Richmond Magazine's Harry Kollatz Jr. reports. 

Artist uses AI to reimagine Carytown without cars

Images are powerful tools for imagining what's possible in urban design.

Carytown with no cars and a rainbow painted in the middle of the street

Carytown imagined without cars — and also a large rainbow in the street. Image courtesy of @betterstreetsai

What would Carytown look like with no cars and open for pedestrians only? Urban planning advocate Zach Katz cannot only tell you, but he can show you — using the AI image-generation platform <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="DALL-E" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/07/ai-creates-images-from-words-openai" data-vars-content-id="7828e811-1225-44aa-8870-cda10c422143" data-vars-headline="Artist uses AI to reimagine Carytown without cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/07/ai-creates-images-from-words-openai" target="_self">DALL-E</a>, Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Alex Fitzpatrick reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/03/artist-ai-dall-e-urban-design" data-vars-content-id="7828e811-1225-44aa-8870-cda10c422143" data-vars-headline="Artist uses AI to reimagine Carytown without cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/03/artist-ai-dall-e-urban-design" target="_self">Alex Fitzpatrick reports</a>.<ul><li>Katz, a 28-year-old Brooklyn-based artist, is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blowing up" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/betterstreetsai" data-vars-content-id="7828e811-1225-44aa-8870-cda10c422143" data-vars-headline="Artist uses AI to reimagine Carytown without cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/betterstreetsai" target="_blank">blowing up</a> on urbanist Twitter thanks to his AI-generated images that show real-world, car-dense streets as pedestrian utopias. He&#x27;s recreated cities like New York, Boston and even Richmond.</li></ul>

Here's this week's heaping serving of local restaurant news. 

Botanya Restaurant, a new concept from the one of the folks behind Kabana, Sonora, Nama and Switch restaurants — is in the works in Carytown in the former Jimmy John's spot.  

The fine dining spot will offer craft cocktails and is expected to open in late September. 

Ironclad Coffee Roasters has opened ​​Ironclad National Park at its Shockoe Bottom location. 

The coffee shop acquired the little plot of land next to its cafe earlier this year and turned it into a community space for customer coffee sipping.  

Three Richmond spots — Redemption BBQ, ZZQ and Ronnie's — were named among the 10 best places in Virginia for barbecue. 

Three Notch'd RVA Collab House — the Scott's Addition brewery — expanded into two vacant storefronts to create a full-service restaurant, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

Suzy Sno, the sno-ball concept from the owner of Ruby Scoop, moved from Jackson Ward to the former Sweet 95 space by Kitchen 64 and The Diamond, Richmond Magazine reports.  

Hang Space, the vegan cafe in Chesterfield, closed last week. 

Richmond restaurant news: a coffee park and new Carytown fine dining

Ironclad Coffee Roasters has opened ​​Ironclad National Park at its Shockoe Bottom location.

side by side pictures of the new pocket park in Shockoe Bottom 

Ironclad National Park. Image courtesy of Ironclad 

Here&#x27;s this week&#x27;s heaping serving of local restaurant news. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Botanya Restaurant" data-vars-click-url="http://botanyarestaurant.com/" data-vars-content-id="c831ba6e-792c-450e-ab0b-fa03cb6ead19" data-vars-headline="Richmond restaurant news: a coffee park and new Carytown fine dining" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://botanyarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Botanya Restaurant</a>, a new concept from the one of the folks behind Kabana, Sonora, Nama and Switch restaurants — is in the works in Carytown in the former Jimmy John&#x27;s spot.

Food and Drink

Note: The analysis includes U.S. Social Security Number holders born 1984–1992 measuring their childhood locations at age 16 and young adult locations at age 26; Data: Center for Economic Studies, et al., 2022, "The Radius of Opportunity: Evidence from Migration and Local Labor Markets"; Chart: Skye Witley/Axios

About 72% of millennials who were raised here stayed in adulthood.

Those who did leave tended to stay fairly close to home, with D.C. as the top destination.

State of play: Axios looked at a Center of Economic Studies analysis of census migration data comparing where Richmonders born between 1984 and 1992 lived at the age of 16 vs. age 26.

Why it matters: The comings and goings of young people reflect where they're finding opportunity, according to a July report by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University.

Yes, but: The data only measures where millennials moved up until 2018, which is not reflective of moving trends that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details: The average young Richmond resident who left moved to a city 149 miles away, 32 miles below the national average.

North Carolina and NYC were also popular destinations. 

The other side: We got plenty of new young people, too, mostly coming from other parts of Virginia or, of course, D.C. 

The top places people came from: D.C. (which includes Northern Virginia), Newport News, Virginia Beach and Fredericksburg.

Between the lines: Wealth is a huge indicator of mobility.

38% of Richmond millennials who grew up with parents in the highest income bracket moved away, compared with just 21% of those in the lowest income bracket, the report found.

Our thought bubble: Richmonders have long joked about the area's boomerang effect, so we'll say this to those former Richmonders: see ya soon. 

Where Richmond millennials moved

D.C. was the most popular destination for millennials who left Richmond.

About 72% of millennials who were raised here stayed in adulthood.<ul><li>Those who did leave tended to stay fairly close to home, with D.C. as the top destination.</li></ul>

Karri Peifer

Featured stories

Something new for NASCAR starts in Richmond

Where Richmond millennials moved

Richmond area needs teachers

Artist uses AI to reimagine Carytown without cars

Richmond restaurant news: a coffee park and new Carytown fine dining