Thursday, Nov. 20

Ninth annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival at VMFA and VMHC (Nov. 20-23)

A success story on the local film fest scene, Pocahontas Reframed has brought great films by and about Native people for nearly a decade now, which organizers note wouldn’t have been possible without founding sponsor, Francis Ford Coppola. This year marks a move to an even wider selection of films, with the addition of an Australian First Nations film program, as you can read in our preview by Karen Newton. Note: All Thursday events at Virginia Museum of History and Culture are free and open to the public (the screening of “Watandar, My Countryman” is at 1 p.m. and “Limbo” is at 2:15 p.m.).  All Friday films are at VMFA, and Saturday films are at VMHC, with Sunday a combination of both venues. You’ll want to go to the website and download a schedule for entire festival to learn more.

In Defense of Iran with Phil Wilayto at Afterglow Coffee Cooperative

According to organizers, this is the first Richmond showing of “Ameneh’s Golden Blood,” an Iranian film about a gravely ill college student whose family carries out an international search for a rare blood type that can save her life. The film will be followed by a discussion on contemporary U.S.-Iran issues with longtime anti-war activist Phil Wilayto, editor of The Virginia Defender and author of “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation’s Journey through the Islamic Republic.” 7 to 8:30 p.m.

RVA Community Fridges Fundraiser at Gelati Celesti locations

Help fight food insecurity in Central Virginia at any of three Gelati Celesti locations (West Broad, Grove Avenue and Scott’s Addision) from 3 to 9 p.m. A portion of sales from the day will go directly toward stocking community fridges with free, fresh food for anyone who needs it. Learn more or get involved at rvacommunityfridges.github.io/

Falco and Book play Garcia at The Broadberry

Members of the Infamous String Dusters perform the music of the most famous musical hippie in history, Mr. Jerome Garcia of Grateful Dead fame. Doors at 7 p.m. 8 p.m. show. General admission: $36.60 (fees included).

MORE TO THE STORY: If you read our recent On Parenting column by Tom Nash, you may be interested in this related community event:

Community Town Hall at Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary School

Proponents and opponents of a proposal to place a privately owned, indoor tennis facility on a large swath of land belonging to Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary will gather to hear from the nonprofit putting the plan forward. A former Style staff reporter offers his view of the issues at play in our most recent On Parenting column. 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 21

VisArts’ Craft + Design Show at the Main Street Station train shed (Nov. 21-23)

A contemporary craft show, and the signature event for the nonprofit Visual Arts Center of Richmond, this showcases museum-quality craft and draws thousands of guests to shop the work of 170-plus artists from all over the nation. Since launching in 1964, this has become a weekend-long event featuring artist demos, family-friendly workshops, local food and drink. For more info and a complete schedule visit the website.

Arturo O’Farrill and Afro Latin Jazz Octet at Camp Concert Hall (Modlin), University of Richmond

Seven-time, Grammy-winning Afro-Cuban musician Arturo O’Farrill’s first concert at the University of Richmond is Friday night, but this is a multi-day event.  The son and musical heir of the legendary bandleader Chico O’Farrill, the pianist-composer is spending the week at the university, performing with the student jazz ensemble on Wednesday, and participating in UR’s first “InclusiviTeas” event: “Rhythms of Belonging: The Sound of Freedom and Connection” on Thursday. (Both events are free and open to the public.) The climax of this visit is a Friday night performance from his eponymous Afro Latin Jazz Octet- an ensemble large enough to provide the power of a big band while retaining the intimacy of a small group. Latin music has become integral on the local scene over the years, with bands like Bio Ritmo, Miramar and Kadencia, the impact of the Richmond Folk Festival, and recent concerts sponsored by Secret Planet Richmond, as well as the unceasing promotion of Afro-Cuban traditions by UR professor/trumpeter/ethnomusicologist Michael Davison. A visit from one of the top bands in the genre, with a legacy that, through O’Farrill’s father, intertwines with jazz back to the earliest days of bebop and beyond, may be a conclusion to a full week, but it’s also a high-energy start to a pre-holiday weekend.  7:30 p.m. $45.—Peter McElhinney

Fall of Freedom: An Art Show in Defense of Democracy at Antennae

A Richmond group art show in collaboration with a national call to the arts “to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.” This is part of a nationwide wave of creative resistance that includes galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters and concert halls. Among the featured artists: Pia Bakala, Hovey Brock, Tom Chambers, Hope Ginsburg, Todd Hale, Ronald Johnson, Sue Johnson, Aimee Joyaux, Archie Marz, Brian Palmer, Sirena Pearl, Christine Riederer, Frankie Slaughter and Gordon Stettinius, plus special guests. According to organizers: “Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part — and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation. Art matters. Artists are a threat to American fascism.” Opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Antennae is located at 8 E. Broad Street. Learn more at  www.falloffreedom.com. Additional viewing: Sat. Nov. 22 from noon – 6 p.m. and Nov. 23 – Dec. 1 by appointment.

Author Nicolas Ballet presents “Shock Factory: The Visual Culture of Industrial Music” at the ICA

Industrial music isn’t just about inspired collage and musique concrete, author Nicolas Ballet claims in his new book, “Shock Factory: The Visual Culture of Industrial Music.” The postmodern subculture has been built on, and has influenced, a wide range of contemporary expression — musical, visual, multimedia and performance arts. In this lecture and Q&A at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, the art historian and associate curator in the New Media Department at the Centre Pompidou in Paris will discuss the history and development of the form (and its offshoots) and take questions from the audience — hopefully someone will be representing in a Throbbing Gristle T-shirt. 6 p.m.  Free but registering online is suggested.—Don Harrison

November Fest with Tim Barry at The Camel (through Nov. 23)

A popular annual tradition led by singer-songwriter Tim Barry (frontman from Avail) which showcases his ongoing folk/punk solo music from the last 20 years. Day one features Barry along with Julie Karr, Roger Harvey and Lela Jane Barry. Day two (Nov. 22) is Barry with Andrew Alli and Josh Small and Sally Rose. And day three (Nov. 23) is the family show featuring all the performers. 7 p.m. $25. All ages. UPDATE: These shows are likely sold out, but you may have your ways.

Hard Light Cinema presents “Tampopo” (1985) at Studio Two Three

Often referred to as a “Ramen Western,” this wild Japanese comedy written and directed by Juzo Itami is a delight for the senses that would launch many a ramen restaurant name. Free and open to the public. This event marks one year of 30 screenings offered by Hard Light. 7:30 p.m.

Afro-Zen Allstars at Reveler Experiences

This eight-piece group of world music, jazz and salsa vets return to the cozy confines of Reveler in Carytown and you can be certain that joyful afrobeat jams will flow accordingly. Doors at 7 p.m. and show at 8 p.m. Admission: $17.50.

Rattlemouth at Ripple Rays

Looking for a chill place to hang in Carytown on a Friday eve for free? Do drop in for Richmond’s long-running art school dance band. 9 p.m. Yes, free.

Saturday, Nov. 22

“Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys” at VMFA

After a star-studded preview night last week, the public finally gets to check out the personal art collection of R&B and soul music star Alicia Keys and her husband, Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean), which includes 130 works by renowned Black artists from Africa, Europe, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Among the artists featured: Derrick Adams, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kwame Brathwaite, Nick Cave, Barkley Hendricks, Arthur Jafa, Titus Kaphar, Esther Mahlangu, Meleko Mokgosi, Odili Donald Odita, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Gordon Parks, Ebony G. Patterson, Deborah Roberts, Jamel Shabazz, Amy Sherald, Mickalene Thomas and Kehinde Wiley. This exhibit runs through March 1. Learn more in our preview by Don Harrison. $12.

Pocahontas Reframed Film Fest and VMFA present Family Powwow

Features family activities, artist demonstrations and performances by celebrated dancers from multiple Native American nations. This event is hosted in conjunction with the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival. 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free.

Rosette String Quartet, Derrick Skye is So Hot Right Now at Gramophone Winery

Part of Rosette’s So Hot Right Now series, this is the fifth of six concerts during the month of November featuring the music of Derrick Skye. Rosette will be joined by double bassist Ayça Kartari for this performance, which will feature two works by Derrick Skye: “As I Heard When I Was Young” and “American Mirror, Parts I & II.” 7 p.m. Free performance thanks to sponsors. Learn more here.

Dominion Energy’s GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Nominated again for the best botanical garden holiday lights in the country, this year’s theme is The Elements, and it will feature millions of lights used to create displays inspired by fire, earth, air and water, as well as a special fifth elment, love (aww). Among other new aspects this year: Adult-friendly nights presented by Keiter will be held this weekend on Nov. 20-21, which simply means 18 and over. Also, Garden guests can reserve portrait sessions with professional photographer Jessica Capozzola. Visit the website to learn more. GardenFest of Lights runs through Jan. 4, 2026. Hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly (closed on Thanksgiving and Dec. 24-25). Tickets must be purchased online before arrival.

Christoph Wagner, cello, and Joanne Kong, piano, perform the cello and piano sonatas of Chopin and Shostakovich at Camp Concert Hall, Modlin Center (UR)

Wagner, an award-winning cellist from Germany, joins forces with UR pianist and faculty member Kong, who was awarded a fellowship from the American Academy of the Arts in Europe and was the grand prize winner of the 1985 International Piano Recording Competition. They will perform the cello and piano sonatas of Frédéric Chopin as well as Dmitri Shostakovich (in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death). 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free to attend, but registration encouraged.

Kiss Boom Bah and the Lonely Teardops at Northside Grille

Garage, punk, bubblegum and surf from Philly with the mod garage rock of RVA’s Lonely Teardrops. 8 p.m. 1217 Bellevue Ave.

Nabeel, Strawberry Moon, Receiver, Kitchenette fundraiser for the Gaza Soup Kitchen at Cobra Cabana 

Hailing from Harrisonburg, Nabeel is an Iraqi-American indie rock band with a wide and avid following. Principal songwriter Yasir Razak has a knack for crafting plaintive yet sugary melodies that’ll appeal to Teenage Fanclub fans of all ages, meanwhile the band’s crunchy guitar sound scratches an itch for anyone who turned up ‘90s rock radio favorites like Nirvana or Smashing Pumpkins. The songs are sung in Arabic but include translations and make a case for music’s universality. They’ll be joined on the bill by a stellar showing of guitar-toting Richmond acts. This one, as the kids are wont to say, is a banger. Doors are at 7 p.m. and entry costs $15.—Tim Abbondelo

Sunday, Nov. 23

Ariel Pink with Twin Films at The Broadberry

Once a revered darling at outlets like Pitchfork, Pink (Ariel Marcus Rosenberg) is considered one of the pioneers of the hypnagogic pop genre, or “chillwave,” and had a booming career before he lost his record deal and got cancelled by many of his fans after attending a speech by President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 in Washington, DC;  he did not march on the capitol but went back to his hotel and napped, according to a sad-sack interview he gave Tucker Carlson. The LA musician brings what will surely be a deeply weird redemption tour to smaller market cities, performing newly recorded songs like “I Wanna Be A Girl” and “House of the Haunted Hebrews,” reportedly backed by three childhood friends. 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 24

El Khat at Reveler Experiences

Billed as “Yemeni junkyard funk,” El Khat exists in a nether zone between ethnic music and 21st century DIY punk psychedelia. The name derives from the addictive plant that is the African/Middle Eastern analog to chewing coca leaves. The trio’s music, made on a combination of traditional instruments, electronic keyboards, self-made instruments, and percussion that combine conventional drums with metal cans and other unconventional targets. The hypnotic rhythms are akin to the Sufi trance music of the North African desert, filtered through the nomadic experience of the band, which came together out of the Yemen diaspora in warehouse performances in the ancient port city of Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv, and has since relocated to Berlin. The most interesting music is often found at the intersection of cultures. The creative space that El Khat inhabits, a wild, unpredictable blend of past and future, ancient and modern, is exotic, urgent and, if you give it a chance, becomes increasingly familiar. Doors at 6:30, show at 7:30 p.m. $21.—PM

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Fear of Music Thanksgiving Eve at Broadberry

An annual tradition in RVA – same as it ever was – come shake your tail feathers to the groovy dance fusion sounds of the Talking Heads with this excellent tribute group. See old friends and enemies. Doors at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $22.26 including fees.