Artsline: Virtual Edition || November 29, 2021
“This is the season when people of all faiths and cultures are pushing back against the planetary darkness. We string bulbs, ignite bonfires, and light candles. And we sing.” ~ Anita Diamant
Happy Hanukkah, everyone! This week the opportunities to sing abound as RVA and beyond opens the holiday season with music, parades, and illumination. Check out holiday performances and grab a book for dark evenings, reading by the fire. Wishing all a blessed Festival of Lights!
To list your events on Artsline, go to vpm.org/artsline.
1. LEGENDS ON GRACE: NIGHTCAPS & STORIES WITH JAMES “PLUNKY” BRANCH
Music
December 4, 8pm
Online and at Dominion Energy Center’s Rhythm Hall, 600 E Grace Street, Richmond, 23219
$42.50 - $52.50 in person
$32.50 on demand
As a part of the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance series Legends on Grace: Nightcaps & Stories, James “Plunky” Branch will offer a 90-minute, up close and personal cabaret-style evening with host Dr. Ishmail Conway. Branch is a saxophonist, songwriter, and producer. His extraordinary career includes 25 albums covering funk, jazz, African, rap, and R&B. He has appeared in concert with some of the biggest names in music, including Patti LaBelle, Ray Charles, Earth Wind & Fire, LL Cool J, and Chuck Brown. He was also named one of the 50 outstanding Artists in Virginia over the last 50 years by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Enjoy this up close and personal evening as he shares his legendary journey and passion for music. Purchase tickets online.
2. 38TH ANNUAL DOMINION ENERGY CHRISTMAS PARADE
Various Arts & Culture
December 4, 10am
Science Museum of Richmond, 2500 W Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220
Everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy, will return as the 2021 Grand Marshal for the 38th annual Dominion Energy Christmas Parade, featuring colorful floats, giant helium balloons, college marching bands, local dance troupes, Legendary Santa, and much more! The fun starts on Broad Street between the Science Museum and 7th Street. No registration required.
3. REVEILLE RINGERS AT THE VMFA
Music
December 3, 6pm
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, 23220
Get into the Christmas spirit with a performance by the Reveille Ringers, as part of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ RVA First Fridays program. The Ringers will perform their annual Christmas music extravaganza three times during this come-and-go event. Presented by Reveille United Methodist Church. No registration required.
4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
Theatre
December 3, 2021 – January 2, 2022,
Virginia Rep’s November Theatre, 114 West Broad St, Richmond, 23220
$36-$56
Join us for this treasured holiday favorite. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play brings to life the entire town of Bedford Falls, as it tells the beloved story of irrepressible George Bailey, in the form of a live 1940s radio broadcast. It’s the perfect holiday experience for the whole family. Purchase tickets online.
5. YOUR STORY, OUR COMMUNITY: CREATE YOUR STORYBOOK
Literary Art, History
December 4, 11am
Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, 23219
Join artist, educator, and Columbia Pike Documentary Project team member Sushmita Mazumdar for a special program exploring the human connections exemplified in the Library of Virginia’s current exhibition, Columbia Pike: Through the Lens of Community. Mazumdar will show participants how to make handmade house-shaped storybooks inspired by both the people in the photographs and their lives. Each storybook will be displayed on a City of Stories Installation, representing how each person's story is a piece of the place in which we all live. Participants will be able to take a copy of their storybook home. No registration required.
6. COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Music
December 5, 3pm
Asbury United Methodist Church, 205 S Main Street, Harrisonburg 22801
Come celebrate Christmas with your favorite holiday songs, performed by Matt Felts. Presented by Asbury United Methodist Church to benefit their Sacred Arts Series. No registration required.
7. CHOP SUEY BREW HO HO
Literary Art
December 5, 2pm
Hardywood Craft Brewery, 2410 Ownby Ln, Richmond, 23220
Brew Ho Ho is Chop Suey's annual event where readers can share a delicious Hardywood beer with their favorite local authors. This year they’ve slated 30+ local authors to discuss their most recent works as well as old favorites, and to sign copies of their books which will of course be available to purchase. Signed books make great gifts! No registration required.
8. FAMILY HOLIDAY CONCERT WITH THE CHARLOTTESVILLE SYMPHONY & UVA UNIVERSITY SINGERS
Music
December 4, 8pm
December 5, 3:30pm
Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
$11 - $47 ($10/students)
Jolly and joyous! The Charlottesville Symphony and the UVA University Singers Family Holiday Concert returns! Michael Slon will conduct both performances at Old Cabell Hall on the Grounds of the University of Virginia. This year’s one-hour program is brimming with festive favorites for concertgoers young and old: "Carol of the Bells," a new twist on Leroy Anderson’s "Sleigh Ride," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ "Fantasia on Greensleeves," “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah and more. Purchase tickets online or at the UVA Arts Box Office at (434) 924-3376.
9. GELLMAN ROOM CONCERT: SWEET POTATOES LIVE
Music
December 4, 2pm
Richmond Public Library Main Branch, 101 E Franklin St, Richmond, 23219
The Richmond Public Library brings the Richmond-based jazz band, Sweet Potatoes, in concert, with members Johnny Hargrove on guitar, Reyna Pannell on vocals, and Stephon Larue on drums.
10. ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING AND ILLUMINATION
Visual Art, Music, Culture
December 4, 4:30pm
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, 23059
Celebrate the holidays with The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen at their Annual Tree Lighting and Illumination Event! Enjoy live music and a stroll through The Center to marvel at our artisan tree and wreath exhibit. Plus, bring the kids to enjoy a special visit from Santa!
If you are an arts or cultural organization with lectures, exhibitions, performances, or even book readings, submit your events to Artsline here. If you are an artist or an arts or cultural organization in need of resources and tools, check out the list of local and national resources from Richmond CultureWorks.
