Thursday, March 26

All Henrico Reads 2026 with Walter Mosley at Henrico Sports & Events Center

A cool annual event that combines the best aspects of book clubs with legit authorial authority, culminating in an interactive, top-tier literary event. For this installment, public library denizens have read Walter Mosley’s 2025 mystery novel “Gray Dawn,” the latest entry in his long-running, neo-noir cycle featuring protagonist, Easy Rawlins. Readers were encouraged to discuss the text at various Henrico County Public Library book discussion groups held monthly around the city. Mosely is a PEN America and Los Angeles Times Festival of Books’ lifetime achievement award-winning author who has written 60-plus novels (if you’re not up to speed on his latest read, chances are you’ve already been introduced to Rawlins in “Devil in a Blue Dress,” whether on the page or its big screen adaption starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Beals). Hollywood has remained a frequent co-conspirator of Mosley’s; it’s easy to recognize his touch on the series “Snowfall” (FX) or “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” (AppleTV+) starring Samuel L. Jackson. Talk about a big get: Now you can go talk to the man himself. The event is free and open to the public from 7 to 8 p.m. No registration is required. Henrico Sports & Events Center is located at 1 All Star Boulevard.—Timothy Abbondelo

Maya Deren Films Screening Scored by Optic Sink at Studio Two Three

Dig! Records partners with Hard Light Cinema for a very special evening of film and music. Memphis post-punk band Optic Sink, on the first appearance of a two-night stand this weekend in Richmond, will be performing “Relentless Metamorphosis: An Original Score for the Films of Maya Deren.” It’s part film screening, part slow-burning aural feast of sound design. Rather than their usual propulsive, tightly wound numbers, they’ll stretch out into swashes of noise, droney synth atmospheres, and the occasional dubby ambience, all set to the films of avant-garde auteur Maya Deren [1917-1961]. In addition to its multimedia mélange, the night serves as both a benefit for Studio Two Three and an album release celebration for the Memphis band, as Dig! will have LPs of Optic Sink’s soundtrack available for the first time. It’s sure to be a mind-expanding evening. Doors open at 7 pm with DJ Timgenerate, live score and screening starts at 8 pm. $10. Buy tickets for both nights here.—Dash Lewis

Richmond Shakespeare presents “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare at Dominion Energy Center’s Gottwald Playhouse

One of Willie Shakes’ most thrilling tragedies is back for more. Stay tuned for our preview. March 26 Through April 18.  Thursday preview show at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, go here.

Steve-O at Richmond Funny Bone Comedy Club (also March 28)

This “Jackass” mainstay and lifelong Motley Crue fan is back to make you laugh and puke, sometimes in the same breath, with his Crash and Burn tour. Multiple shows March 26-28. Visit the Funny Bone website for more info. $37-$47. Ages 21 and up.

Friday, March 27

Italian and French Film Fest at University of Richmond (through March 30)

If you miss the old French Film Festival in Carytown, then you’ll definitely want to support this inaugural fest featuring some great Italian and French films of recent years, including a 60th anniversary screening of “The Battle of Algiers” by Gillo Pontecorvo, with roundtable discussions included. The closing night film, the highly acclaimed “Sirât” by French director Oliver Laxe will be showing at The Byrd Theatre on Monday, March 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. (free but you must reserve a spot). The festival is free. Visit the website for screening times and the complete listing.

Optic Sink w/ Jacky Cougar & The Vampyres From Africa/ Visiting Hour/ Outer World at Fuzzy Cactus

Fuzzy Cactus hosts the second night of an Optic Sink double-header, this time bringing in bands from the extended Dig! Records family to round out the bill (Note: the show originally had been scheduled at Cobra Cabana, but due to storm damage sustained to its outdoor canopy and the possible rain forecast on Friday, it was moved). Two of Richmond’s finest bands, Visiting Hour (members of Cicada, Star Sign, and Black Button) and Outer World (performing a rare duo set) bring the local heat — keep an eye out for both bands’ records later this year. Dig! artist Jacky Cougar & The Vampyres From Africa brings their potent stew of electro-punk, hip-hop, and krautrock down from Washington, D.C., and Optic Sink headlines with a set of nervy, body-moving jams. Doors at 7 pm, music at 8. Tickets available here.—DL

Hack for RVA at VCU School of Business (through March 29)

While a traditional hackathon is usually focused on a specific technology product, Hack for RVA is Richmond’s first civic hackathon focused on developing real, community-driven solutions to the city’s most pressing challenges. Engineers, designers, nonprofits, civic leaders, and community members will come together, sharing their disciplines and lived experiences to work on how to make Richmond better for everyone. Hack for RVA is in partnership with the City of Richmond and intentionally aligned its event with the pillars of Mayor Danny Avula’s Action Plan. The weekend culminates with teams presenting their solutions to city leadership, including the selection of a Mayor’s Choice Award. Ford Prior, the core organizer of the event, has done numerous hackathons and has seen what’s possible in other cities like Chicago and San Francisco using civic innovation. “It’s not a tech thing,” he says. “This is a neighborhood thing, a church thing, a civic group thing. It’s a, ‘I’m gonna get together with my friends and do some good for a change. Maybe even pretend to be hopeful for a minute.'” The event will take place March 27-29 at VCU School of Business’ Main Hub, located at 301 W. Main St. For more information and to register, visit rvahacks.org.—Andrew Cothern

Saturday, March 28

Second Asian Street Food Festival at 17^th Street Market

This past November, the inaugural Asian Street Food Festival — presented by the Asian American Society of Central Virginia (AASoCV) and the city of Richmond — drew an “overwhelming turnout,” according to the society’s outreach and communications lead Jackie Khoo. The impressive community response prompted the AASoCV to host a springtime fest, taking place this Saturday at 100 N 17^th St. Market. There will be more than 20 local vendors, from food trucks to community groups, bringing the flavors of East, Southeast and South Asia to the River City. Festival-goers will find everything from Piyush Jessani’s (Pi’s Coffee) locally roasted, Indian-sourced coffee beans to henna art and games of mahjong. There will be ample  culinary offerings, including Filipino dishes from Kuya’s Kusina, Lao and Thai cuisine from Zaab Eli and Indian eats from Masala Wheels. The family-friendly event runs from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and is free to attend. —MSH

Dinosaur Adventure at Richmond Raceway (also March 29)

Step into the world of prehistoric giants at Dinosaur Adventure “a unique, indoors exhibit showcasing life-sized, realistic dinosaurs that move and roar just like the real thing” (really?). Kids can dive into fun-filled activities including Jurassic scooters, themed obstacle courses, dinosaur rides and more. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Go to the website for ticket info. $25-$35 plus VIP packages.

Dead People’s Stuff Vintage Market at Main Line Brewery

Vintage Y2k clothing and accessories, antiques and collectibles, home goods, media, photo ops, food trucks, coffee and matcha, beer and cocktails. Noon to 6 p.m. Free to enter.

Ismail: Gembre at Révéler Experiences (daytime show)

This performance promises a deep dive into one of the world’s great religious and spiritual traditions. Ismail Bouzidoune is best known for his leadership of the Jouwala Collective, long one of the most unique, shape-shifting bandson the RVA world music scene. In some settings, such as the Camel or Broadberry, the band is a full-on electric/jazz fusion ensemble whose music swirls mesmerizingly around Bouzidoune’s voice and his traditional, camel-skin covered lute. In other contexts, the band leans into Moroccan acoustic traditions. The roots of the music are in Gnawa culture, an ethnic group originally brought to North Africa in the trans-Saharan slave trade. The hypnotic appeal of the music comes from the mystical, Sufi-based tradition of communal music and dance. The rituals, which can last all night, mystically evoke complex universal themes of creation and healing through ecstatic dance and trance guided by repeating, droning, percussive rhythmic patterns. The rich, resulting music, fusing Arabic and sub-Saharan African form, has drawn Western players from Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones — who brought global attention to the form with the album “Master Musicians of Joujouka” with Gnawa players in 1969 — to more recent players like Pharoah Sanders and Bill Laswell. During this afternoon event, Casablanca-born Bouzidoune will both perform and share deep insights into the music that is part of his heritage and essential to his art. 3 p.m. $15.—Peter McElhinney

“Commonwealth Crossroads: A Celebration of Virginia’s Immigrant Traditions” at Virginia Museum of History & Culture

 The three-hour event will feature music, dance, food, and visual arts from many of Virginia’s immigrant communities — a sort of mini-Richmond Folk Festival, as it were. “The performers have all been featured at the festival over the years,” says Lohman, longtime curator of the RFF’s Virginia Folklife stage. “The event ties in perfectly with this new exhibit, which literally explores centuries of immigration in Virginia.” 5-8 p.m. $10 charge also includes admission to the “We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth” exhibit, which runs thru Sept. 7.  Read our full preview. For more, go to https://virginiahistory.org/

Danae Hays: The Buckwild Tour at The National

Nashville-based comedian, actress and content creator will be presenting content. Doors at 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 29

James River Film Festival at various locations (runs through April 4)

Starts Sunday. For a full PDF of the schedule, visit the James River Film Society site.

Sunday highlights at VMFA:  Short films at 11:30 a.m.; Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep” (50^th anniversary) at 1 p.m. at VMFA, plus “Post Atlantic: The Art of Dewey Crumpler.” and finally “The Magic of Melies w/magician Dan Dalton” at 3:30 p.m. Admission for each of these screenings is $7 for the public or $5 for VMFA members.

Trailer for Charles Burnett’s classic of African-American cinema, “Killer of Sheep” (1978).

Sunday Soundtracks with Pan•American with Stephen Vitiello and J&R’s Music World at Reveler (SOLD OUT)

Seventy-plus local makers, live music, food and drinks, crafts workshops at the Lakeside Farmers’ Market. 6110 Lakeside Ave. in Henrico. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. SOLD OUT. Read our interview with Mark Nelson (pictured). Side note: I was told by Nelson’s former Plan 9 Records co-worker, one Jimmy Blackford, that this might even be the first time that Pan•American has played Richmond.

RVA Rap Elite Episode 64 at Vagabond

If you missed the first gig of RVA Rap Elite’s Season 8 series, you have another chance to see the breadth of Richmond’s hip-hop talent pool at Vagabond this Sunday. Like the season premiere, the schedule is stacked: There’s a SoundClash eliminator battle between Just Cam and One Forever, a 30-emcee Rap Elite cypher, two Live Cyphers with scene vets like Radio B, CJ the Profit, Lew Gilly, and Preme, and faceoffs for the next month’s Southpaw Battle Coalition event. HipHop Henry will be spinning all night, and Meta Phizikal Jewels and Gold Decisions will be selling jewelry and clothing. Doors at 5 pm, show at 6 pm. Tickets are available here.—Dash Lewis

Tuesday, March 31

Frank Hurricane with local support from Star Sign, Saadia Rais, Cold Toast and DJ Parrothead at Greenhouse Gallery

He’s a psychedelic road dog; a spiritual country/folk/blues songwriter and guitarist in a class of his own; a gangsta troubadour and vivid outdoorsman who we first discovered from his excellent (and often hilarious) “Quintorian Blues” album on Feeding Tube Records from 2013. His new album is called “Southern Shrymp (In the Big City)” and just came out in March. Some of his past songs might come off like a “Jackass” movie commentary scored by John Fahey, but there’s a lot of underlying charm and love of music always guiding the way, plus he can fingerpick that thang. Should be a lovely evening. Doors at 7 p.m. and music at 8 p.m. 319 1/2 S. Pine, alley entrance. $10 bucks.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country at The Broadberry (also Wed., April 1)

On his Horizons Winter Tour, sizzling guitar player Daniel Donato from Nashville sets up shop with his band at The Broadberry for two nights.