Greetings, Friends!
As you read through this issue, you can practically smell spring popping off of the pages, and I for one can’t wait for the warmer weather and longer days.
You may notice that this is our first ever combined March/April issue, which is great news for those of you who love to plan things out well in advance. You’ll be able to see both March and April events in our unparalleled calendar, including lots of spring break camps, Easter and Passover events, and more spring fun across the region. Moving forward, we’ll be changing to a bimonthly print schedule, so don’t forget to pick up each of our six annual print issues when they hit stands – the first week in May will be the next date to mark on your calendar to grab the new RFM!
No matter where you picked up this copy, you can always find us on the free racks at the exit of every Richmond area Food Lion or Wawa, plus on the newspaper racks at all area Publix locations, and on the RFM racks at Wegmans. We’re also at area libraries, daycares, fitness facilities, and lots of other places – we make RFM easy to find! You can even subscribe to RFM on our website and have it mailed straight to your home, so you never miss a single issue.
In between print issues, we stay in touch with area families with our social media pages, our website, and our weekly RFM eNews. If you’re not getting those emails, you’re missing out, so be sure to head over to our website to sign up.
This issue of RFM has so much to love that will help get you ready for spring and spending time outside. We welcome our newest features writer, Laura Boycourt, who had the pleasure of chatting with NBC12’s Andrew Freiden about better ways to care for our lawns and how it will make a positive impact on our environment (page 20). Paula Peters Chambers takes a deep dive into our beloved Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and will tell you why you’ll want to add their latest traveling exhibition to your family’s spring calendar (page 34). Joan Tupponce introduces us to Mike McGrath, founder of River City Inclusive Gymnastics, and gives us a sneak peek of his brand-new facility (page 42).
I know I shouldn’t play favorites with our articles since they are all phenomenal, but sometimes I just can’t help it. This issue’s Real Mom, Lindsay Garrison (who you definitely should be following on Instagram @RVA.familyfun), has the ultimate guide to free outdoor play spaces across the Richmond area (page 28). From Ashland to Powhatan and everywhere in between, Lindsay breaks down her top ten favorite outdoor spots for family time, exploration, and good old-fashioned unplugged outdoor fun. You’ll want to keep this one in your car for those spur-of-the-moment family adventures!
The RFM team will be out and about at Richmond Flying Squirrels games, Richmond Kickers games, farmers’ markets, and those aforementioned parks this spring, so be sure to say hi if you see us!
