Artsline: Virtual Edition || December 6, 2021
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” ~ John Boswell
The holidays are bursting out in music, on stage, and with fantastic opportunities to get out of the house and be a part of the magic in Richmond and beyond. This week RVA offers holiday tours, sing-alongs, and concerts – many of them free – plus family-favorite stories to keep the season bright. Get out and gather those golden moments!
To list your events on Artsline, go to vpm.org/artsline.
HOLIDAY TOURS & SANTA
CHURCH HILL HOLIDAY CANDLELIGHT WALK
December 10, 7pm
Jefferson Park, E Marshall St, Richmond, 23223
Richmond Pipe and Drums will lead the walk through beautiful gas-lit streets and handsomely decorate homes as neighbors join along the way. With the lights of the city as the backdrop, the crowd will gather for holiday caroling, a visit from Santa, and hot cider and cookies. Rain, snow, or shine! No registration required. Sponsored by The Church Hill Association of RVA.
WINTER WANDER
December 12, noon
Various locations throughout Richmond, VA
Individuals and families from across the greater Richmond Region will celebrate the season while exploring fascinating history and enjoying a variety of activities and performances. Attendees will enjoy children’s activities, refreshments, music, entertainment, tours and much more. Winter Wander will include free admission and shuttle transportation to nine historic sites. -The Valentine, The Valentine First Freedom Center, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Historic Monumental Church, The John Marshall House, Historic St. John's Church, The American Civil War Museum's White House of the Confederacy, The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, and Mason's Hall. No registration required. (The Valentine and The American Civil War Museum are VPM sponsors.)
CHRISTMASTIDE AT STRATFORD HALL
December 11, 5pm
Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, 22520
$20/Adults, $10/Children 6-13, 5 & under free
Join Stratford Hall for their annual open house Christmastide celebration. Come see the mansion decorated in holiday spirit, listen to colonial music, and step into the kitchen to see colonial food cooking on the original 1738 hearth. Purchase tickets online.
FAN HOLIDAY GARDEN TOUR
December 10 & 11, 4pm
The Fan District, Richmond ( Map of locations)
$15/adults, $5/children under 12
All the merriment will be outside and family friendly with ten splendid Fan gardens decked out in holiday joy. You’ll get a sneak peek into Fan garden treasures and more. Between the Illumination of Meadow Park on Friday the 10th and the Holiday Garden Tours both Friday and Saturday, the Fan is the place to be. Purchase tickets online or in person at Meadow Park both days. All proceeds go to support The Fan District Association grants programs.
SOUL SANTA
December 11, 10 & 11 am
Online
It’s that time of year again! Soul Santa is coming to town at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia! To keep everyone safe, Soul Santa will visit virtually again this year. Special guest, Jasmine Turner , will interview Soul Santa on the Soul Santa Network (SSN) and he will be joined by some of his special friends for fun craft activities. Register online for this free event! Every child who registers will receive a Christmas card in the mail from the big man himself!
HOLIDAY DANCE & THEATRE
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
December 10, 7pm; December 11, 3pm & 7pm; and
December 12, 3pm
Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, 23060
$15
Enjoy this LIVE STAGE PERFORMANCE by Henrico Theatre Company! This classic animated television special comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation, in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts Gang discover the true meaning of Christmas. Don't miss this special stage performance that's holiday fun for the whole family! Purchase tickets online.
THE NUTCRACKER
December 11-23, times vary
Dominion Energy Center, 600 E. Grace Street, Richmond, 23219
$25 - $125
The Nutcracker makes its triumphant return to The Richmond Ballet this holiday season! Accompanied by the Richmond Symphony, Clara and her adoring Nutcracker, the glittering butterfly, and dancing Russian bear will once again charm audience members of all ages. Purchase tickets online.
HOLIDAY MUSIC
MERRY AND BRIGHT: SONGS OF CHRISTMAS CHEER
December 9, 7:30pm
Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education, 11810 Centre St., Chester VA 23831
$35
Usher in the holiday season at the Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education as they bring Ryan & Ryan's Merry and Bright: Songs of Christmas Cheer! Featuring seasonal favorites in a variety of styles and some of our personal favorites, there's something in this program for everyone to enjoy. Ryan & Ryan is a dynamic father-son piano duo that blends classic and contemporary music into an enthralling concert experience. Purchase tickets online.
CAROLING IN MONROE PARK
December 12, 3:30pm
Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 8 North Laurel Street, Richmond, 23220
A community sing featuring sounds of the season from traditional hymns to popular carols, led by The Grace & Holy Trinity Vocal Ensemble, the RVA Street Singers, the Voices of Zion Choir from Hood Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and the Greater Richmond Children’s Choir. No registration required.
SHEPHERD’S STAR: AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
December 12, 7pm
Saint Benedict Catholic Church 300 N Sheppard Street, Richmond, 23221
Seasonal music joyfully marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of Three Notch’d Road, the Virginia Baroque Ensemble. They will play Christmas and audience favorites from the past ten seasons. No registration required.
HALLELUJAH
December 10, 7:30pm at Grace Baptist Church, 4200 Dover Road, Richmond, 23221
December 12, 3pm at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 Henry Street, Ashland, 23005
$15/adults, $10/students
Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale performs Handel's Messiah, Part One, and British composer Cecilia McDowall's "A Winter Night." Renowned organist Daniel Stipe accompanies. Chorale directed by Dr. Ryan Tibbetts. Purchase tickets online.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE RICHMOND CHORAL SOCIETY
December 12, 4pm
Trinity Lutheran Church, 2315 North Parham Road, Henrico, 23229
$10-18
Come celebrate Christmas with the Richmond Choral Society. Experience a holiday concert of beautiful seasonal music! Enjoy pieces by Handel, Rutter, and others! Markus Compton, conductor; Christopher Martin, organ; David Schwoebel, piano. Purchase tickets online.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
December 12, 7pm
Reveille United Methodist Church, 4200 Cary Street Road, Richmond, 23221
Reveille United Methodist Church’s Chancel Choir joins forces with local orchestral musicians to perform Part I of Handel's Messiah. Soloists include Lisa Edwards-Burrs, Hannah Magnelli, Kenneth Wood, and Robert Phanord II. No registration required.
O HOLY NIGHT: A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
December 12, 4pm
First Presbyterian Church, 4602 Cary Street Road, Richmond, 23226
Join the Chancel Choir, special guests, and the strings of First Presbyterian’s Festival Orchestra for an evening of Christmas Music. You’ll enjoy Saint-Saëns’s charming Christmas Oratorio, and the opportunity to sing some of your favorite Christmas carols! Children of all ages are invited, and childcare (infants- 2nd grade) will also be available. No registration required.
Other Local Events
“WHATEVER IS UN-VIRGINIAN IS WRONG:” RICHMOND'S CONFEDERATE ARTISTS & THE ORIGINS OF THE LOST CAUSE
Literary Art, History
December 7, Noon
Online
Join the Library of Virginia online for a talk by Rachel Stephens, an associate professor of art history at the University of Alabama, who is currently a Virginia Humanities Research Fellow at the Library working on a project about artists of the Civil War in Richmond and their contribution to the visualizing of the “Lost Cause” in the decades following the war. Register online for this free event.
2. WRITERS WEDNESDAY HOLIDAY EDITION
Literary Art
December 8, 5:30pm
Online
Join James River Writers for this monthly opportunity to network and socialize with writers of all genres and expertise levels. Wear your holiday attire and/or bring a favorite recipe that you can share with others. Bonus points if you come to Writers Wednesday partaking of said recipes. Register online for this free event.
3. WASHINGTON AT THE PLOW
History, Literary Art
December 9, Noon
Online
Join The Virginia Museum of History and Culture as they bring historian Bruce A. Ragsdale for a discussion of his new book, Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery, which enriches the more familiar biography of the revolutionary general and first president, and offers a new perspective on the founders’ response to abolitionist appeals. The lecture will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube for public viewing.
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.
