I had a good experience at the VA State Fair. A fun time for individuals and families. The games…read moreand activities are entertaining. I wouldn't consider it in the category as one of the best fairs I've visited, however, being this is the annual event of its kind for Virginians, there's no better experience in Virginia. Parking is free, however, a frustrating experience if you do not arrive early as virtually everyone drives to this fair. If you don't arrive early, it is a literal hike to the fair grounds from the satelite parking, so prepare to walk. If you have the ability, purchase the parking that gets you closer access to the grounds. It is worth it especially at the end of a long day. The food here leaves more to be desired. Think your typical DMV carnival food. The availability of exciting, novelty foods is limited which is disappointing for a state fair. They do have your classic fair foods like hot dogs, funnel cakes, corn dogs, fries, chicken fingers, etc.. I give them credit for attempting to create jaw-dropping food items, however, some of them seemed to lack the creativity, flavor, and quality that you sometimes see at some of the country's premiere state fairs. For example, the bacon-topped chicken sandwich and bacon-topped jalapeños mac & cheese was a good effort, but bland and low quality. The drinks at the various stations are perhaps the best value as you can get refills on the larger and more expensive drinks. I recommend arriving early to get good parking, first dibs at food and rides, and a better uninhibited walking experience. The grounds can get oppressively crowded after midday on weekends and locals don't help this as they are able to take advantage of late entry. When I visited, I exited the grounds after 3pm and people were still arriving in droves.

First time at the Virginia State Fair, went opening weekend and I think there are some pros and…read morecons of the whole experience! Pros: The admission fee felt extremely fair especially when purchasing in advance online. I found there to be so much to do for free with admission including an Agricultural themed mini-golf, animal exhibits and plenty of organizations tabling to make the whole experience feel very educational. Parking being free was a highlight and the walk did not feel terrible! It was paved most of the way and the fair layout felt very intuitive. The entertainment was another highlight! The Triple Crown Circus was about 50 minutes of pure delight! Those performers really care about their craft and I had an amazing time watching them. The other entertainer that was phenomenal was Rosaires Pig Racing! That was the most entertaining 30 minutes of interactive fun I've ever had. I have seen them at fairs in other states and they still are extremely fun to participate in and watch. Cons: The food was extremely pricy with small portions and not very fresh or good. We ended up trying a chicken tenders basket which was $16 for two tenders and fries, A chicken & waffles slider with waffle fries for $12 and a $3 debit card fee. The waffles were very similar to eggo in shape, size and thickness, while the chicken was chewy and lukewarm. Typically the fair is a place where food gets weird and weird tastes amazing. Here there were not many options of unique food offerings beyond the typical turkey legs and funnel cakes. The lines were a bit long without much direction so people were kind of standing in areas without any guidelines making it hard to maneuver around the space, just something to consider if you have mobility concerns. The last con was the lack of free water or hydration. It was around 85 degrees with extreme sun. Typically when I have attended festivals, concerts or even fairs, there are usually water fountains or hydration stations to refill water bottles, however there were none here. With such a hot day 5 dollars on the low end for a bottle of water felt almost like gouging, especially with no other options for hydration. Overall, I think this was a fun experience for the entertainment. We did not try the rides so can't speak to those but I think coming for the entertainment is worth it, I just wouldn't reccomend it for an avid fair foodie.

This ode to summer's red orb is coming up in a week or so and it's a blast. I didn't go last year,…read moreso it's time to head out for some of our region's best tomatoes and a dose of country and bluegrass music. The event is at Pole Green Park and it's free. It's also usually a scorcher so wear something cool and bring plenty of water. They have tons of vendors, recipe contests, and of course, the beauty pageant to end all vegetable pageants, "Little Miss Tomato". The winner of that title may need therapy for the rest of their adult life, although I suppose it's better than "Little Miss Watermelon".

Very nice area Festival with loads of vendors, many that you'd come across at like events…read more The organizers have the event down to a science with parking, but my hunch is to avoid long lines as it be, go before noon (say, 9 am) and you'll be fine ... though you won't be the first car in the spacious lot. On a summer Saturday, it's a good way to stroll around the grounds, pick up a bundle of free pens, grab some local tomatoes, and have quality family time with food and musical performances.

Y'all it was worth the price of admission! It lasts about 30 minutes and is a twisted maze in the…read morewoods with lots of good scares. Recommend buying your ticket online and wearing clothing appropriate for the weather and terrain. It's in the woods, so sometimes there's roots and tree limbs that might swipe you, but it's totally safe. Nice employees and an all around spooky good time.

What a fun night! We came about a half hour before opening and on a Thursday to make sure we didn't…read morespend most of the night in line. That was a great decision because the line started early and was long. The first stop is the pre-show. Think of it as part warm up act and part "rules of the game." The storyteller gave us the backstory of the property and guidelines to keep us and the actors safe. Following the guidelines will make sure you don't get lost and don't get too close to the group ahead of you - which isn't great because it will lead to spoilers. So, the event itself was fun. They had great music, atmosphere, and really know how to set up a scare. Lots of unexpected surprises. If you have any fears, trust me, they will exploit it here! It's good for ages 15 and up, I'd say. I would imagine that it could be pretty scary for those who are younger. The woods definitely add a dimension of fear, so go and enjoy. I would go back and recommend it.

Went there tonight with the family and was not disappointed. Tractor ride to the isolated entrance…read moreand even a haunted corn maze to escape. Definitely worth it and will be back

My sister and I won tickets to this attraction and we were very excited to check it out. We made…read morethe hour+ trip on opening weekend. When we arrived, the place was almost deserted. We took our waivers and tickets to the ticket booth, where we were greeted by friendly staff, and started our journey. Right off the bat, we had trouble seeing the path. There was a long (did they take the long way?) hayride full of dust in our face. So, we started with dry, burning eyes. Bring eye drops! When we arrived at the entrance, there were four visitors and a few employees. We assumed we would get to go with the other two customers, but instead, they split us up and sent each group in with an employee tailing us. My sister and I don't startle easily, so we generally enjoy being with others who do startle; that is the part we enjoy. That and the cool effects. Since we were sent in with other customers, we didn't enjoy the attraction much. The employee who was tailing us received the bulk of the startles and attention. Also, the path was hard to discern. And there were really long, empty paths, then one small "scare", then another long, hard to follow path. It also seemed disjointed, like they could use a "theme" for the path. We did enjoy some of the effects, but we did not like having to crawl through the hearse and jump out the other side. We also didn't enjoy the part where we were in a small box and we were stepping on an actor. Especially since it seemed like this place was using a lot of underage actors... Some of them looked like they were ten years old! At the end, the staff selling refreshments were really friendly and we enjoyed the conversation. It's not the worst attraction we have visited, but it's also not the best. My all-time favorite is still "The town of the living dead" that was in Powhatan, VA. (no longer exists). The theme, story telling, props, actors, and effects all came together in a symphony of horror. I really hope to find that again in my lifetime. IMHO, it was worth the drive to try it out, but I doubt we will try it again. Let us know what you experienced!

It was super hot. Even in a tent…read more Price: Free admission but food and drink were a little bit expensive for the small portion. Water $2. Lechon $7. Rumpia $2. Cake $4. Halo halo $6. Taste: Delicious! Lechon(roasted pig) was simply good. Tender and juicy. The skin was crispy and flavorful. Halo halo(sweet bean, carnation milk, pudding, boiled banana, shaved ice, etc...) was good too. That was my first fantastic experience I've not done in Philippine somehow. Vender: Clothes, soap, info, etc... No Yelp this year... Historical Church tour: I didn't try but must be good. They kept saying, 'AC is there.' From 2:00 and 4:00pm. Show: Dance shows were fun. I'm not sure why they had some opera shows tho. Too loud. I wished they had a break time to enjoy talking with friends. Parking: Free.

Welcome to a taste of the Philippines right in Richmond' s backyard. The Filipino Fest was a…read moregreat way to get a flavor of the Filipino culture with a sampling of the cultures food, music, dancing, and great people. They had a tent with food to include favorites like turon, pancit, lumpia, & empanadas. Grab a meal ticket, check off what you'd like, take it up to the both and pay, then wait and they'll hand you your order. They do take square & card payments. They have tropical drinks: halo*halo, mango puree, & cantaloupe drink with fresh pieces inside. They had a Hawaiian shaved ice truck and a soda & water tent. They had a desert tent which I didn't visit there. The eating area was large with covered tents and also in the wooded area nearby. They had plenty of craft vendors, history tent, tourism tents, & best of all a Yelp tent make sure to meet the event rep take a pic, & get a free food voucher to use the event day! I Had a great time Mabuhay!

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is absolutely beautiful! The gardens are incredibly well maintained,…read morethoughtfully laid out, and a pleasure to explore. There are so many gorgeous flowers, plants, and trees around every corner that it's easy to spend hours wandering the grounds. My favorite parts were the butterfly house, where butterflies flutter all around you, and the cacti garden, which was a fun and unique change of pace with an impressive variety of desert plants. Whether you're a serious gardener, a nature lover, or just looking for a peaceful place to spend an afternoon, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is definitely worth a visit. I'll absolutely be back!

My wife and I visited LGBG to see the new butterfly exhibit. We got there early enough to walk…read morearound the grounds for an hour. What a beautiful setting! Lots of carefully thought out flower / plant beds spread over a huge park-like area. We could see the staff (or volunteers) weeding, replacing, and caring for the plants to keep everything healthy and fresh. A children's presentation was taking place over under the shade in one area, and it was entertaining and informative enough that I wanted to stop and listen. A restaurant and a large meeting hall (one of the older houses) and a music performance pavilion and a gift shop rounded out the setting, along with the various sheltered exhibit buildings. There is also a refreshment cart on the main pathway, which was invaluable on this hot day. The butterfly exhibit was absolutely enthralling. Hundreds of live flutter-byes in a closed glassed in space. Many colors and varieties. I am told they curate the butterflies to replace them every week or so as they inevitably.... go to insect heaven. So the exhibit is constantly changing! Admission to the butterfly experience is included with the price of getting into LGBG.

What better way to spend a beautiful spring/summer evening than watching musical acts under the…read morestars in a botanical garden? Yep, I'm a fan of this concert series and look forward to it every year! I saw Iron & Wine this evening at Groovin' in the Garden and it was just as delightful as I remembered. Despite the rain creating a minor delay, the show seemed to go off without a hitch. My one complaint is that they don't allow you to bring in outside food, so you're stuck with ordering from their concession options. Luckily, they have quite the variety, with healthier options that you don't often find at concerts. I didn't purchase anything this evening - and I'm glad I wasn't too hungry, because the food line was insanely long for a good part of the show. The beer line, on the other hand, moved super quick! I appreciate that they offer both beer and wine choices, so there's something to please every palate. Groovin' in the Garden is held in such a relaxing venue, and I always dig the vibe of the crowd at their shows. The staff is super organized and helpful and the lines to enter the venue move quickly (although, I suggest printing your tickets at home, because will call definitely takes a little longer). Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, cash for bites and beverages, and be ready for a great night.

Groovin in the Garden is a summer concert series held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on Thursday…read morenights throughout May and June. It provides a fun opportunity to enjoy music and a beautiful atmosphere. Gates for each concert open at 5:30 p.m. and the opening band goes on at 6 p.m. Ticket prices vary depending on the act and are always less expensive in advance than at the door. Food, beer and wine are for sale. Acts for the 2010 season include Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Keller Williams, Patty Griffin, Josh Ritter and Mason Jennings, Zappa Plays Zappa and Arlo Guthrie. I guess maybe it's all the greenery, but there's something about listing to music here that feels very relaxing. Grab some friends, head to the garden and spend a relaxing night chilling out and listening to music.

Absolutely lovely historic venue. The staff here is friendly, engaging, and extremely…read moreknowledgeable. We were here for the holiday activities and we had a blast. My wife and son loved the wreath making. The fact that it has snowed the day before was just a cherry on top of a perfect afternoon. Cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone who is even remotely a history enthusiast.

I thought this place would be more popular as a Founding Father, but we were the only visitors when…read morewe attended, so it was nice to have a private tour. You can buy tickets online, but it isn't likely necessary. A lot of the furnishings are original, even though Henry didn't live at the house very long. The tour guide went over the history of the Henry family, including the death of his first wife and remarriage. The guide reenacted Patrick Henry's famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech which was very engaging. The house tour only covers the first floor, but there are signs around for QR scans/additional audio for the outbuildings. They were a bit repetitive and sometimes speculative about things or people who may have lived there, so that was hit or miss. The gift shop was small but pleasant and there was plenty of parking. It is a bit off road, but it's worth the visit.