First Place: Friday Cheers

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Second Place: Innsbrook After Hours

Third Place: Richmond Folk Festival

Wording is everything, and the second-place winner for best music festival technically belongs in this category. But either way, Friday Cheers scores big with voters. Celebrating its 32nd year, the festival takes place before the really hot days of summer commence, running for the months of May and June on Brown’s Island, usually costing only $5 to $10 entry. It’s a great way to kick off the weekend. Farther west, Innsbrook After Hours has made upgrades for audiences in recent years, not to mention increasing the diversity of its acts. Soul queen Sharon Jones made the cut this year, alongside new country artists and Vince Neil of Motley Crue. The Richmond Folk Festival isn’t so much a series as a three-day smorgasbord of love, music, food and happiness — oh, and baby strollers.