Welcome to another fabulous edition of RFM!
Depending on when you’re reading this, there still may officially be a few weeks of summer left, a season that seems to be getting the short end of the stick if you’re a parent of school-aged kids. All of our area public schools started classes a full month before the official first day of fall, September 23 this year, and in classic retailer fashion, everything was decked out in pumpkins and Halloween by the first week of August.
It has definitely been an adjustment, letting go of the post-Labor Day start to the school year, but launching into an early fall does have us excited for the many fun fall RVA events we look forward to each year. We’ll be giving you chances to win tickets to some of our favorites, so be sure to subscribe to RFM eNews (scan the QR code on page 9) and follow us on social media for your shot at winning with RFM!
Some can’t-miss fall events in the area include:
State Fair of Virginia Happening September 22 through October 1 this year, this family tradition features over 380 hours of entertainment included with gate admission, lots of farm animals (including my favorite, the hatching chicks!), award-winning agricultural displays, and that classic fair food we all know and love.
Maymont Garden Glow Lighting up RVA from October 19 through November 12, Maymont’s iconic gardens will be transformed into a magical experience for the whole family to enjoy. We love hanging out by the fire pits with some treats from the food trucks before and after we walk through Garden Glow because when else can you visit Maymont at night!
Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival At the Prince George Regional Heritage Center from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, this fun festival is a great chance to experience the culture of the Czech and Slovak people who settled here. There’s traditional food and drink, dance, music, agricultural exhibits, and children’s activities, plus a gallery and gift shop to explore.
All these events and hundreds more are on the RFM calendar, beginning on page 72, so keep this issue with you to make the most of your RVA family fall. You’ll find even more events on our website calendar at RFMonline.com, now more mobile-friendly than ever, so check it out and bookmark it for easy reference when you’re on the go.
Also in this issue, our annual education issue, you’ll get to meet Kevin Hallock, the president of University of Richmond and an all-around cool guy (page 28). We weren’t the least bit surprised to learn he’s fallen in love with the Richmond area – I mean, how could he not?! We also learn about an important resource for all area high schoolers, Chesterfield Recovery Academy (page 18), get an update from our area’s library systems (page 56), and so much more.
I hope to see you at the RFM Education Expo on October 8 – more about that in the next column!
