Awesome fun event to do if you have small kids who enjoy lights my daughter is eight. She had a…read moreblast. Everything was mesmerizing.

It's the end of 2020, and I'd say most of us need some extra cheer in our lives right about now…read more Fortunately, Lewis Ginter didn't cancel their annual holiday lightfest, but this year was certainly different than years' past with lots of pandemic precautions in place. I had visited once prior in 2017 and enjoyed the experience, but what I recall from that visit was that the garden was mobbed and the parking lot was insane. We had to park in a subdivision across the street and run across the street/try not to get hit by cars on Lakeside Ave. that year. And last year, I tried to bring my mom so she could experience it too. But we were stuck in an hour+ line at the Lakeside Ave. to make a left, and then as we got close, the police wouldn't let us turn left randomly. I was pretty upset to say the least and actually had an exchange with someone at Lewis Ginter after I direct messaged them about the incident, and they offered free tickets. I never took them up on it, though. Just went to the Norfolk lights instead the next night. This year was much more limited in terms of how many tickets were sold, plus there were staggered entry times. We were able to park right in the front row near the entrance, which is off to the left side this year. There's one entrance and one exit. We arrived within our half-hour window and showed the tickets to a clerk behind glass. Masks are rightfully required to be worn at all times while on their grounds, which I appreciated as a rule (though of course some people didn't listen - eye roll). We arrived at twilight (5 pm) and that turned out well for photos. I was able to get some in both twilight and total darkness. And with less people at the garden, it was easier to snap photos of the displays without others walking into view (though that did happen a few times). This year is all outdoors (so no big tree inside). The treehouse is also blocked off. They offer hot drinks and some food items, but I didn't buy any. With an hour-limit for the visit, we just made it through in the allotted time. Surprisingly, the gift shop was open. I was actually surprised by that, but I guess they need to boost their sales. Hand sanitizer was available upon entry. The tickets themselves were also pretty pricy for nonmembers like myself. And I attended on a value night, so I'm glad I visited when I did. Hopefully by next year, the pandemic will be a thing of the past, but I do see it being helpful if they continue with the timed entries, online ticket purchases, and limiting the amount of visitors to what the parking lot can hold.

We heard about this Buffalo Bills bar and tried to check it out. It looks like a great facilty and…read morecrowd. If you are going their, get there early. We got there 45 minutes before kickoff and not a seat to be found.GO BILLS!!

Cute experience for pumpkin picking. It was a small fee to enter the pumpkin patch (either 5 or 10…read moredollars, can't remember) but if you show up in costume, you get in for free. Good selection of pumpkins. Hay ride to the patch is included with your purchase. Pumpkins are bought separately. Corn maze, bouncey jumps for kids, etc all included in the experience. I would recommend.

If you didn't go to Virginia Tech, you may want to skip this wine festival. The Central Virginia…read moreWine Festival is hosted by the Richmond chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. 14 wineries are present at Innsbrook, and your ticket ($20 in advance, $25 at the door) gets you unlimited tasting. Here's what I wasn't a fan of. First off, it's a really hot, crowded day to be outside at Innsbrook. The wineries are under tents, but the tasters aren't really, so prepare to sweat. Also, because of the warm weather, most of the wines weren't cold enough to get a good taste. No one wants to drink warm wine, be it red or white. Second, along with wine, they were selling beer. This led to lots of non-wine-drinking Va Tech grads just hanging out getting drunk. Not my favorite atmosphere when I'm actually trying to taste wine. There were lots of the usual player wineries here: Grayhaven, James River Cellars, Cooper, Lake Anna, etc., which is nice if you don't drink much local wine, but if you do, you might prefer to sample these wines at the local wineries or at a festival at a nearby winery with nicer atmosphere. There were people selling food, but nothing looked too great. We stayed for about 2 hours and then were hot/bored/sick of the crowds and left. Go: if you want to get drunk with a bunch of hokies. Don't go: if you actually want to sample wine and find some you like.

This festival was a huge hit! I just adored the crowd and the people in charge. There was music,…read morefood, and, of course, tons of wine. Everything you could ever want in a wine festival was there and it was magical. I happened to be there working the Yelp table, but I did get a chance to walk around as a spectator and experience the festival in that way. This year the sun was beaming down with fury. Around midday you could tell that the heat was taking its toll on folks, but the VIP tent had tons of water so kudos to them for anticipating #TheThirst. My favorite winery in all of VA, Belle Mount Vineyards, was there which made me super happy. No other winery could have shown up and I would have been perfectly fine. But the fact that I could get pepper spray, my favorite sangria from Belle Mount, and clothes from various vendors at the same festival makes it a winner in my book. I also love how it's always very well-attended, but never so busy that you can't move like other festivals in RVA tend to be. Definitely check it out next year!

They offer different classes year round for all ages and levels - adults, teens/youth, beginners,…read moreadvanced - for a very reasonable fee. Drawing, painting, ceramics, carving, leatherworking, dyeing, jewelry making, and photography are some of their classes. I learned a lot from the two classes I took during winter. The galleries showcase art of different artists including students here. Rating 5/5. This weekend, I saw a show at the theater (8-Track: The Sounds of the '70s) which has ~350 seating capacity. The audio in the theater was not the best so it affected the experience. Nevertheless, the expectations should be tempered especially given the ticket price. Rating 4/5

I was in town and saw the gallery opening advertised on their digital sign. It was a free event…read morewith snacks and a cash bar. The building was large and beautifully laid out. Art was everywhere and some of the artists were their to meet and mingle with! It was also great learning about the programs and classes going on here. Everyone was so friendly and it seemed like a great community!

The Armenian Food Festival is an annual fall festival hosted by St. James Armenian Church, just…read morewest of the city. There is no dedicated parking, so you'll need to find parking in the surrounding quiet neighborhood. Prices for food and drinks are reasonable, and they have entertainment and some goods to purchase too. It's like a mini version of the Greek festival. I personally love the meat pie - that is my go-to. The festival is known for their hye burger though, which is a mix of beef and lamb (and I don't eat lamb). All in all, I'm a fan and look forward to attending again next year.

The first time I was actually here was back in 2010. I actually use to volunteer here and the…read morepeople that are in charge of this festival are really great people. The last time I was here (besides yesterday) was 2013 because I had always have something going on during those weekends. Anyways, the hue burgers are ALWAYS an amazing choice (you can get those right at the entrance on the left side). I got the combo with the pita bread, sautéed onions, stewed tomato green beans and pilaf. (I got full off of half of it and saved the rest for my hubby.) not only did I not finish my food, I went through the buffet line and got a to go box with the cheese and spinach boreg (sp?), meat pie, and the dessert. Let's say that once I walked through the doors, the leftover food and to go food was gone within 10-15 mins. Haha. The boregs were crispy and filling, the meatpie was REALLY good (I honestly thought the meat in a wrap was gonna be alright, but it ended up being my favorite to go). The dessert of the baklava and others (sorry! I don't know the names) ended up being the perfect touch in ending the Armenian meal. Festival is great, the people who run it are fun and wonderful, food is amaze-balls and these festivals are serious the reasons I love so much about Richmond. Def go and enjoy the experience!