Richmond

Richmond Alerts

Alert

blue

Axios Richmond Partners

Axios Richmond

Standard

A picture of the Richmond skyline with the letters RIC

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Richmond.

Axios Richmond Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Richmond Members

Membership

The results are in on the great rainbow cookie debate of 2026, and it turns out the biggest skeptics aren't transplants — they're Richmonders who grew up here.

Why it matters: Over 900 Axios Richmond reader responses show the split among longtime locals comes down to one thing: whether they experienced Ukrop's as a kid.

The backstory: The origins of the bite-sized cookies that have become part of our cultural DNA date back to Italian immigrants who made sponge cake in the Italian flag colors before the recipe evolved into cookies.

Dot's Pastry Shop brought them to Carytown, then Ukrop's bought Dot's in 1976 and the free cookie tradition was born.

Even after Ukrop's stores closed in 2010, Ukrop's Market Hall has kept the nostalgic pastime alive. 

"For us, it was never just about the free cookie," Bobby Ukrop, CEO of Ukrop's Homestyle Foods, told Axios. "It was about what it represented: a moment to share."

The latest: Given the rainbow cookie's legendary status, we had to ask: What do readers really think about them?

Data: Axios Richmond survey; Chart: Sabrina Moreno/Axios

What we found: 74% who grew up going to Ukrop's love them, per an Axios review of the poll data.

66% who grew up here, but didn't go to Ukrop's, said they're not good.

Those who moved here as adults were nearly evenly divided: About 30% love them, 30% are indifferent, and 33% dislike them. 

Transplants were also the most likely to admit they pretend to like them to avoid social shame (8%).

The intrigue: The question also sparked over a dozen reader responses to Axios that reveal even Richmonders who dislike the cookie have a soft spot for it.

"Rainbow cookies are meh," wrote Annie T. "But I loved that my kids got a free cookie when we were shopping."

"They really are only good if you take a sip and bite at the same time," said native Brandon J. "But what about pride in your homeland!!!"

Then there's Lauren D., who moved here in 2021, and loves them so much she exports them to her family in New Jersey (who now request them).

One reader, John B., called rainbow cookies "the Lil Sebastian of Richmond food," referring to the beloved horse in "Parks and Recreation."

And: Food & Wine just named Gelati Celesti's rainbow cookie flavor the best in Virginia, saying it "tells the story of a destination in a way that few other foods or landmarks ever could."

Fun fact: Mayor Danny Avula, Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas and Chesterfield County Administrator Joe Casey told Axios they're all fans, too.

The other side: Reader Delaney B. was less diplomatic: "RAINBOW COOKIES F—G SUCK."

The bottom line: The secret ingredient was never in the cookie.

Richmond is fighting over rainbow cookies

Spoiler: The biggest skeptics aren't transplants.

Close-up of clear plastic containers piled with red and green rainbow cookies. Labels read "Rainbow Cookies" from Ukrop's, showing a Best By date and net weight 11 oz (312 g).

These colorful cookies — which Ukrop's produced over 13 million of last year — make regular appearances at birthday parties and have inspired shirts, art and popsicles. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios

The results are in on the great <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rainbow cookie debate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/05/19/richmond-rainbow-cookie-debate-poll" data-vars-content-id="3c70dee4-f109-4424-a565-ecb94ee16888" data-vars-headline="Richmond is fighting over rainbow cookies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/05/19/richmond-rainbow-cookie-debate-poll" target="_self">rainbow cookie debate</a> of 2026, and it turns out the biggest skeptics aren&#x27;t transplants — they&#x27;re Richmonders who grew up here.Why it matters: Over 900 Axios Richmond reader responses show the split among longtime locals comes down to one thing: whether they experienced Ukrop&#x27;s as a kid.

Culture

Food and Drink

New apartments, redesigned shopping centers and more walkable streets could transform parts of Richmond under plans tied to the proposed North-South Pulse bus line.

Why it matters: The newly unveiled concepts show how the years-in-the-making transit line could drive redevelopment across the city.

But the process is surfacing a broader tension: Residents want more investment in their neighborhoods, but they fear growth could one day price them out.

Driving the news: During a Monday night presentation, GRTC consultants shared redevelopment visions for neighborhoods surrounding future bus rapid transit stations along Chamberlayne Avenue, Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike.

Those three corridors are critical to the rapid transit route that will connect Chesterfield and Henrico to the city.

Officials said the concepts were shaped by more than a year of public feedback, corridor studies and reviews of proposed zoning changes.

What residents asked for the most: Safer streets, affordable housing protections and more parks.

They also repeatedly raised concerns about displacement and gentrification. 

The big picture: Six station concepts — Brook Road, Southside Plaza, Brookland Park Boulevard, School Street, Broad Rock and Erich Road — were presented as examples of how different neighborhoods could redevelop in the coming decades.

Aerial view of a planned urban district: beige, multi-story buildings along a tree-lined street with ground-floor shops, parked cars, a bus, and a central plaza amid surrounding blocks.

What Brook Road could look like. Screenshot: GRTC

At Brook Road, planners pitched redeveloping the vacant Azalea Mall area into a mixed-use district with apartments, retail, senior housing and parks.

Aerial view of a modern mixed-use development with beige and brick multi-story buildings along a central street of shops, trees, and parked cars, with a desert landscape in the distance.

A rendering of Southside Plaza's concept. Screenshot: GRTC

At Southside Plaza, concepts include replacing large parking lots and aging shopping center space with offices, hotels, a consolidated transit transfer station and room for community markets. 

Architectural rendering of a modern urban complex with a curved corner building rooftop garden, surrounding beige mid-rise blocks, tree-lined streets, pedestrians, and a blue bus.

School Street's concept plan. Screenshot: GRTC

Around School Street, near VUU, plans involve new housing, hotel space and better pedestrian connections to campus.

Map titled "Broad Rock Road – Concept Plan", Phase 3 2040+. A circular dashed boundary encloses a neighborhood with two highlighted blocks, buffers, route lines, and a legend in the bottom left.

Broad Rock's potential future. Screenshot: GRTC

Meanwhile, Broad Rock focused on adding retail, boosting walkability, and improving connections to the James River Branch Trail.

Aerial view of a planned suburban town: uniform beige blocks on the left, tree-lined main street in the center, brick storefronts on the right, and a green bus in the foreground.

Brookland Park emphasized preserving neighborhood character while improving bike and pedestrian safety along Chamberlayne and near Pollard Park.

Two side-by-side maps titled "Erich Road – Concept Plan and Alternative" show Phase 2 2035+ (left) and Phase 2 - Alternative 2035+ (right) within a dashed circular boundary over a city map.

Erich Road's concept has two ideas because the area's future depends on the redevelopment of large properties. Screenshot: GRTC

For Erich Road, planners proposed converting truck yards and parking lots into mixed-use housing, employment hubs and green spaces while adding safer pedestrian crossings. 

Reality check: The phased plans show redevelopment could stretch into the 2040s, though planners cautioned the projects might not happen exactly as shown.

Most of the land is also privately owned, meaning redevelopment would depend on property owners, developers and market demand.

It may take "20 to 40 years even to develop," said Cecily Bedwell, a planner and consultant on the North-South Pulse study.

Between the lines: The redevelopment study is separate from another GRTC effort on final station placement and how the future bus line itself — which is in the design phase — will operate.

Construction on the new line won't start until 2028 at the earliest.

What's next: Residents can comment on the study here through May 31.

GRTC reveals redevelopment vision for future Pulse line

The concepts could see Chamberlayne, Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike transformed over the next few decades.

Blue and lime-green GRTC Pulse bus in a red bus lane on a city street; the side shows a large Pulse logo and a beverage ad. Brick buildings, traffic lights, and a crosswalk in the background.

The Pulse downtown. Photo: Courtesy of GRTC

New apartments, redesigned shopping centers and more walkable streets could transform parts of Richmond under plans tied to the proposed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="North-South Pulse bus line" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ridegrtc.com/community/projects/brt-expansion/" data-vars-content-id="42562e7f-29ba-4f8a-a0e3-bcb6f2c85142" data-vars-headline="GRTC reveals redevelopment vision for future Pulse line" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ridegrtc.com/community/projects/brt-expansion/" target="_blank">North-South Pulse bus line</a>.Why it matters: The newly unveiled concepts show how the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="years-in-the-making" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/10/16/grtc-north-south-rapid-transit-route" data-vars-content-id="42562e7f-29ba-4f8a-a0e3-bcb6f2c85142" data-vars-headline="GRTC reveals redevelopment vision for future Pulse line" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/10/16/grtc-north-south-rapid-transit-route" target="_self">years-in-the-making</a> transit line could drive redevelopment across the city.

News

Transit

We hope you're feeling rested for a weekend filled with festivals and concerts. Let's get into it.

🇬🇷 Richmond Greek Festival is here through Sunday at Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral. We're salivating already. Starts at 11am Thursday. Free.

🍷 FriendBar at Pizza Bones in Church Hill has its weekly wine tasting. 6-8pm. Free (as far as we can tell).

🏳️‍🌈 Watch the annual Pride flag raising over City Hall to kick off Pride Month. 11am. Free.

🌚 Lakeside Farmer's Market has a night market in collaboration with Twisted Carrot Farm (but no pets allowed). 5-8pm. Free.

🌆 Dance some salsa while overlooking the sunset from the Graduate rooftop. Lessons start at 6pm. $5.

🏟️ Young the Giant plays at Allianz. 6:30pm. Tickets start at $35 for lawn.

🐦‍⬛ Old Crow Medicine Show will be performing on Maymont's Carriage House Lawn. 7pm. Tickets start at $53.92 for lawn.

🚶🏻‍♀️ Brookland Park's Walk the Block is back for its monthly event all about shopping local. Times vary but most spots start up after work. Free.

🍓 Jackson Ward's first farmers market arrives at Abner Clay Park with fresh produce and food. 10am-2pm. Free.

🛍️ Swap Meet RVA, one of Richmond's largest monthly flea markets, is at Main Street Station. 11am-5pm. Free admission.

😋 Southern Food Fest returns to Ashland's Center of the Universe Brewing Co. with catfish, fried chicken sandwiches, smoked meats and beer. Noon-7pm. Free admission.

💃🏻 The annual ¿Qué Pasa? Festival, Virginia's largest celebration of Latino culture, is at CarMax Park. Noon-8pm. Free.

🎭 Comedian John Mulaney is at the Altria Theater for two showings: 4pm and 7pm. Tickets start at $76.40 for the 4pm.

🏰 Celebrate National Bounce House Day at Crump Park's Meadow Farm Museum in Henrico, which will have an obstacle course, inflatable games and colorful bounce houses. 11am-1pm. Free.

♥️ ILYSM Books has an AAPI pop-up with The Exit Plan's matcha cart, Alex the Tiramisu Guy and Auntie Ning's. 11am-4pm.

🎸 Main Line Brewery has its Music on a Mission fundraising concert with live music, food trucks, cotton candy stand, face painting and more. 1-4pm. Tickets start at $55.20 for adult general admission.

🎶 Hear about the life of Richmond's D'Angelo at Eastern Henrico Recreation Center. 2-3pm. Free.

17 things to do in Richmond this Greek Fest weekend

Events include: John Mulaney comedy show, Young the Giant concert and the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival.

Animated illustration of a line of food trucks driving from left to right.

an illustration of differently colored food trucks

We hope you&#x27;re feeling rested for a weekend filled with festivals and concerts. Let&#x27;s get into it.

Things to Do

We've made it to Memorial Day weekend! Here's what to do if you're still in town.

🚴‍♀️ Ever wanted to bike to work with the Mayor? Now's your chance. Meet at Chimborazo Park Circle at 7:30am to ride out with Mayor Avula at 8am to City Hall. Free.

🍽️ There's a "lunch and learn" at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture about preserving and sharing Asian American and Pacific Islander history in the state (Lunch not included). Noon. $15 for non-members.

🏛️ The Valentine is hosting a 30-minute gallery tour of its "Generations: Stories of Asian Americans in Richmond" exhibition. 6-6:30pm. Free.

🎨 If you've wondered about all those murals in Jackson Ward, you can tour them and hear the stories behind them with a walking tour starting at 325 N. 2nd St. 6-7:30pm. $20.

🥃 Tech For Troops is hosting a bourbon tasting and cigars event at the American Legion Post in Midlo. 5-10pm. Tickets start at $95, benefiting the local nonprofit that helps veterans build digital skills.

🕯️ Head to a candlelight concert that's a Queen vs. ABBA tribute at the John Marshall Ballrooms. 6:30pm. Tickets start at about $40.

🍿 Watch one of the most iconic romantic movies of all time, "The Notebook," at the Byrd Theatre. 7pm. $10.43.

🐿️ The Ardillas Voladoras, the Spanish name for the Flying Squirrels, are back with their blue and green jerseys in honor of Latino culture and lucha libre wrestling at CarMax Park. 7:05pm. Tickets start at $12.

🌺 Lewis Ginter is unveiling its $31 million expansion, including a nearly doubled conservatory, a year-round butterfly house, seven acres of new gardens and a new public lake. 9am-5pm. $24 admission for adults.

🦥 A live two-toed sloth is coming to the Science Museum as part of its new exhibition "Survival of the Slowest." 9:30am-5pm. $24 ($19 for the museum, $5 for the exhibition).

☀️ Main Line Brewery on Ownby is back with its Hello Summer Festival to kick off the warm weather with R&B, hip-hop, food truck and dancing. 5-10pm. Tickets start at $17.85.

😋 There's an Indian & Sri Lankan Food Festival at TPC Church in Glen Allen with live music. 11am-3pm. Free admission.

🌭 Final Gravity Brewing Co. in Lakeside is having a "Cheesesteak Factory" day, with cheesesteaks for carnivores and vegans. Noon. Free admission.

🎶 Reggae Sunday is back at the Lilly Pad in Varina with Tom Leighton & Righteous Roots. 1-4pm. Free.

📣 Hardywood's West Creek spot is calling all bluegrass enthusiasts for its Ode to Bluegrass Festival. 2-9pm. Free admission.

💃🏻 Juan's Rooftop in the Arts District has a day party with drinks and food specials from 4-6pm, including a $7 house marg and two tacos for $5. 4-10pm. Tickets start at $18.20.

🐝 A bonus weekend pick for Sting, who is performing at the Amphitheater with every breath he takes. 8pm. Resale tickets start at $106 for the lawn.

17 things to do in Richmond this Memorial Day weekend

Events include a bike ride with the mayor, an Indian food festival and Sting performing at Allianz.

Urban street with two large murals: left shows a grayscale head with floating books; right a yellow brick wall depicting a girl amid blue waves. Cars line the curb under a clear blue sky.

Some of the Jackson Ward murals you might see on the Valentine's tour this weekend. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios

We&#x27;ve made it to Memorial Day weekend! Here&#x27;s what to do if you&#x27;re still in town.

Richmond-area writer Robin Farmer spent 20 years trying to bring her story about a Black teenager navigating 1970s Philadelphia to the big screen — while keeping it her own.

Why it matters: Local nonprofit Oakwood Arts finally helped it happen this year, turning Richmond into the home of a film headed for the major festival circuit.

The big picture: The result is "Malcolm & Me," a proof-of-concept short film based on Farmer's historical fiction novel about 13-year-old Roberta Forest, who finds guidance in Malcolm X's autobiography after an incident with a Catholic school nun.

The film — which includes people who worked on "Succession," "Stranger Things" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" — is now in post-production after a four-day shoot in March.

And they're eyeing Sundance, Tribeca, Martha's Vineyard and the NAACP Image Awards.

"I mean that's the dream, right?" Farmer told Axios. "If we don't have dreams, what's the point?"

Zoom in: The film was shot entirely indoors in a Church Hill home and an old school (now used as a church) to evoke 1970s Philadelphia on a tight budget, Farmer said.

"It just took me back," said Farmer, a Hanover resident and director of the Virginia Screenwriters Forum who grew up in Philly, of the Church Hill set. 

The backstory: Farmer wrote "Malcolm and Me" as a screenplay inspired by real-life events in 2006, the same year she said she sent it over to Keke Palmer's then-agent, who ultimately passed on the project.

Farmer turned the story into a novel in 2020, and Hollywood interest later resurfaced. But when a deal would've meant giving up too much, Farmer walked away.

Then, Oakwood Arts' executive director Shannon Castleman reached out last summer, offering a full crew, equipment, casting director, production budget and assurance that Farmer would keep creative control.

"I know it's crazy that we're coming to you and we're going to spend $100,000, and it's totally going to be your vision," Castleman told Axios she recalls saying. "But that's what we're going to do."

How it works: The nonprofit's mentor model has industry pros show trainees everything — from budgets to legal agreements — and then builds a pipeline where they can go on to help hire future trainees.

What they're saying: "The best part of this whole deal is that I had young people helping me tell a story for young people," Farmer said, her voice breaking as she remembered what it was like "seeing it play out again."

What's next: Castleman said Oakwood Arts is still fundraising for post-production as arts funding faces political pressure.

"Richmond has a lot of artistic talent here, a lot of people who love movies," the film's editor Adam Lapallo told Axios. "We don't have the resources of an LA or New York or Toronto ... so most of the things we do, we pull them together ourselves."

Richmond-shot film based on local novel eyes Sundance

Now a local nonprofit is helping turn "Malcolm and Me" into a film festival contender.

Two women sit on a bench outside a house with a mailbox. Left: a young woman with a large afro, wearing a green jacket and teal top. Right: an older woman with brown hair, black shirt, red lipstick, smiling.

Amelia Lang (left) played Roberta in the short film and Robin Farmer (right) wrote "Malcolm and Me." Photo: Courtesy of Hilary Kehoe 

Richmond-area writer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Robin Farmer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.robinfarmerwrites.com/" data-vars-content-id="f63bc1f3-2a66-48da-8304-cb7721791edb" data-vars-headline="Richmond-shot film based on local novel eyes Sundance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.robinfarmerwrites.com/" target="_blank">Robin Farmer</a> spent 20 years trying to bring her story about a Black teenager navigating 1970s Philadelphia to the big screen — while keeping it her own.Why it matters: Local nonprofit <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Oakwood Arts" data-vars-click-url="https://oakwoodarts.org/" data-vars-content-id="f63bc1f3-2a66-48da-8304-cb7721791edb" data-vars-headline="Richmond-shot film based on local novel eyes Sundance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://oakwoodarts.org/" target="_blank">Oakwood Arts</a> finally helped it happen this year, turning Richmond into the home of a film headed for the major festival circuit.

Sabrina Moreno

Featured stories

Richmond-shot film based on local novel eyes Sundance

17 things to do in Richmond this Greek Fest weekend

Richmond is fighting over rainbow cookies

17 things to do in Richmond this Memorial Day weekend

GRTC reveals redevelopment vision for future Pulse line