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Byrd Theatre faces boycott calls over "Harry Potter" and RIFF

The backlash started online. Now Carytown businesses are distancing themselves from the historic theater.

News

Calls to boycott the Byrd Theatre are spilling beyond social media after weeks of backlash over its &quot;Harry Potter&quot; screenings and ties to the Richmond International Film Festival.Why it matters: The online criticism has turned into real-world fallout for the historic nonprofit theater, with nearly 20 Carytown businesses withdrawing from one of its annual events.

Richmond wages rise even as the region sheds jobs

Metro Richmond lost 10,400 jobs over the past year, but base pay still rose 3.3% in August.

U.S. employers added <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="162,000 jobs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/04/august-jobs-federal-reserve-trump" data-vars-content-id="4e66d282-a91b-403a-8db7-617a1004c6ad" data-vars-headline="Richmond wages rise even as the region sheds jobs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/04/august-jobs-federal-reserve-trump" target="_self">162,000 jobs</a> in August, while the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unemployment rate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/02/august-jobs-manufacturing-adp" data-vars-content-id="4e66d282-a91b-403a-8db7-617a1004c6ad" data-vars-headline="Richmond wages rise even as the region sheds jobs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/02/august-jobs-manufacturing-adp" target="_self">unemployment rate</a> held steady at 4.1%, the Labor Department said on Friday.Why it matters: The better-than-expected report is fresh evidence of the labor market&#x27;s resilience, easing fears that a hiring slowdown had taken hold.

PrideFest and Dolly headline Richmond's packed weekend

Food, art, live music and a Black history run round out a busy few days across the region.

Things to Do

It&#x27;s a packed mid-September weekend in Richmond, with PrideFest, a Dolly parade and more.

Virginia is de-Flocking. Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield aren't 

At least 20 Virginia localities have pulled away from Flock since July. Richmond's biggest localties aren't among them.

One Richmond-area locality has ditched Flock&#x27;s controversial license plate readers, but its biggest neighbors aren&#x27;t following — at least not yet.Why it matters: Hundreds of Flock cameras remain active across the region as mounting privacy and surveillance concerns push lawmakers from both parties to consider banning the technology.

The Richmond history behind Kehinde Wiley's "Rumors of War"

A look back at the sculpture that foreshadowed a historic Richmond transformation in front of the VMFA.

History

It&#x27;s been 10 years since the Confederate statues on Richmond&#x27;s Monument Avenue inspired artist Kehinde Wiley to create &quot;Rumors of War&quot; as a counter-response.

The story behind Richmond's Sauer's Vanilla sign

The 60-foot sign has a wild backstory involving 1,200 light bulbs and a helicopter ride.

Culture

The glowing, mustached chef towering above Broad Street has been a Richmond fixture for roughly a century. Why it matters: The Sauer&#x27;s Vanilla sign at Broad and Hermitage is one of Richmond&#x27;s most recognizable landmarks, but little is known about how it got there in the first place.

Dolly Parton's surprising Richmond connections

From staying at the Jefferson Hotel to performing in Henrico, the country music legend left a local legacy.

Dolly Parton and Richmond go back nearly 50 years.The big picture: The country music legend, who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="died Tuesday at age 80" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-has-died-at-80-obit" data-vars-content-id="5ad364eb-a027-46db-8c23-18626106d70e" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s surprising Richmond connections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-has-died-at-80-obit" target="_self">died Tuesday at age 80</a>, left her mark on Virginia through decades of performances and a literacy program that puts free books into the hands of over 9,000 local kids <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="each month." data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dce0gvEAO4J/" data-vars-content-id="5ad364eb-a027-46db-8c23-18626106d70e" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s surprising Richmond connections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dce0gvEAO4J/" target="_blank">each month.</a>

Richmond film tells overlooked Black stories from America's founding

As America turns 250, Abraham Peyton Skipwith's story is getting a new national audience through VPM and PBS.

A new Richmond-made documentary centers Black Americans in its telling of the nation&#x27;s founding story as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.Why it matters: One of the film&#x27;s main figures is a Richmonder whose own history is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="currently being restored" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/04/17/jackson-ward-skipwith-roper-cottage-homecoming" data-vars-content-id="612efd60-8118-4217-83b8-052a9e8baa84" data-vars-headline="Richmond film tells overlooked Black stories from America&#x27;s founding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/04/17/jackson-ward-skipwith-roper-cottage-homecoming" target="_self">currently being restored</a> in Jackson Ward.

Richmond unveils design for $18M Lumpkin's Slave Jail Pavilion

The project will preserve one of the nation's most significant slave-trading sites.

Richmond unveiled the design for the Lumpkin&#x27;s Slave Jail Pavilion, the next major piece of the city&#x27;s long-planned <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shockoe Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" data-vars-content-id="a24220b6-96b5-43cc-b260-0850a860d086" data-vars-headline="Richmond unveils design for $18M Lumpkin&#x27;s Slave Jail Pavilion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" target="_self">Shockoe Project</a>.The big picture: The $18 million pavilion will preserve and tell the story of one of the nation&#x27;s most significant surviving slave-trading sites, where thousands of enslaved people were imprisoned before being sold.

Richmond's time capsule picks: Drunk raccoon, Gun Hole, Marlboros

We asked what should represent Virginia 250 years from now. Here's what Richmonders said.

This week, after being underwhelmed that Virginia&#x27;s entry in &quot;America&#x27;s Time Capsule&quot; was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a coin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/07/02/virginia-americas-time-capsule-2276" data-vars-content-id="9954ddc9-63a6-45ae-b220-8fddc17e8a5a" data-vars-headline="Richmond&#x27;s time capsule picks: Drunk raccoon, Gun Hole, Marlboros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/07/02/virginia-americas-time-capsule-2276" target="_self">a coin</a>, we asked readers what they would&#x27;ve picked instead.Why it matters: The responses were very Richmond — arguably the best city to represent our state for Americans 250 years from now.

Shockoe Institute opens, confronting Richmond's role in slavery

How its exhibit begins: "American racial slavery began in Virginia. Richmond played a central role in its expansion."

One of the first messages visitors will see inside the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shockoe Institute" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2025/04/07/shockoe-slave-trade-history-center" data-vars-content-id="4587d483-1ff5-4928-8783-4e756df83cfb" data-vars-headline="Shockoe Institute opens, confronting Richmond&#x27;s role in slavery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2025/04/07/shockoe-slave-trade-history-center" target="_self">Shockoe Institute</a> is a blunt, unflinching introduction to a history the city has long struggled to confront:<ul><li>&quot;American racial slavery began in Virginia. Richmond played a central role in its expansion.&quot;</li></ul><figure><img alt="Exhibition gallery with tall white panels bearing bold maroon text about hierarchy and racial slavery; maroon wall on left with white text; track lighting, curved white line on dark floor." height="4284" id="6af4fbc5-5c2f-48a8-8762-6e085e1fc64b" src="https://images.axios.com/uXrH_YlAZ1Omlb-O1IhyDH3fTg4=/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg" width="5712" srcset="https://images.axios.com/LwIdbm5oY7DHIsojoPJSJeSjtmI=/0x0:5712x4284/1920x1440/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=1920 1920w, https://images.axios.com/-Nm35MiE3_PmeavW19uL5QSsREI=/0x0:5712x4284/1600x1200/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https://images.axios.com/ZvlLWvLRDiF5LoHKkRi3VVOGzdY=/0x0:5712x4284/1366x1024/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=1366 1366w, https://images.axios.com/3qWT8-A8ZUjZ1ERUyXw-3gkWB98=/0x0:5712x4284/1024x768/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=1024 1024w, https://images.axios.com/uB4iplTZCTL_46sihpgkatfdQbU=/0x0:5712x4284/768x576/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=768 768w, https://images.axios.com/EKfTzWev4QfJ1eKCIME8FqUkElw=/0x0:5712x4284/640x480/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=640 640w, https://images.axios.com/WJ3UEx59v6PKnCydK8N8ENRYtl0=/0x0:5712x4284/320x240/2026/04/09/1775762471390.jpeg?w=320 320w"/><figcaption>Some of the first words you see upon entering the exhibit. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios</figcaption></figure>State of play: The 12,000-square-foot <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="institute" data-vars-click-url="https://www.shockoeinstitute.org/" data-vars-content-id="4587d483-1ff5-4928-8783-4e756df83cfb" data-vars-headline="Shockoe Institute opens, confronting Richmond&#x27;s role in slavery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.shockoeinstitute.org/" target="_blank">institute</a>, housed within Main Street Station, is the first major piece of Richmond&#x27;s $265 million <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shockoe Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" data-vars-content-id="4587d483-1ff5-4928-8783-4e756df83cfb" data-vars-headline="Shockoe Institute opens, confronting Richmond&#x27;s role in slavery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" target="_self">Shockoe Project</a> — a sweeping, decades-in-the-making plan to memorialize the city&#x27;s part in the slave trade.

In photos: "Walk for Peace" monks arrive in Richmond

Their arrival drew thousands to City Hall on Monday.

The Buddhist monks&#x27; arrival in Richmond on Day 100 of their &quot;Walk for Peace&quot; drew thousands to City Hall on Monday.Why it matters: They said it was the biggest crowd they&#x27;d seen yet in Virginia.

Richmond's $265M Shockoe Project begins to take shape

The Planning Commission pushed through two new approvals for key parts of the project this week.

Richmond just made two big moves in its push to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="memorialize the city&#x27;s role" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" data-vars-content-id="fce3d68c-9233-4543-8a21-ff58e280d612" data-vars-headline="Richmond&#x27;s $265M Shockoe Project begins to take shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/02/29/richnmond-bfd-shockoe-project-slavery-museum" target="_self">memorialize the city&#x27;s role</a> in the transatlantic slave trade.Why it matters: Once complete, the 10-acre <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shockoe Project" data-vars-click-url="https://theshockoeproject.com/" data-vars-content-id="fce3d68c-9233-4543-8a21-ff58e280d612" data-vars-headline="Richmond&#x27;s $265M Shockoe Project begins to take shape" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://theshockoeproject.com/" target="_blank">Shockoe Project</a> will bring long-promised recognition to sites once ignored or erased — and transform Shockoe Valley.

How one Shockoe Slip spot tells Richmond's restaurant story

This Cary Street space has seen Richmond's restaurant trends rise, fall and reinvent themselves.

Food and Drink

Karri here, ready to take you on a brief history of Papi&#x27;s space in Shockoe Slip.Why it matters: The building in the 1400 block of East Cary Street has a history of housing some fantastic Richmond restaurants.