“Fight or Flight: a solo exhibition of paintings by Nils Westergard”
Friday, Aug. 6 at Black Iris Gallery
5 to 9 p.m. Free
Finally, a solo show from Richmond artist Nils Westergard who has created some of the most beautiful murals around the city. Now splitting his time between Richmond and Amsterdam, where he is a member of the Multi-Syndicate Crew artist collective, this will be his first solo show in his hometown and it’s long overdue.
A VCU grad who studied film, “today his lens has focused on subjects scaling from the global to the intimate; creating massive, drippy, portraits on walls around the world followed closely by his immensely detailed stencil work in galleries,” according to the Black Iris website. If you’re headed to First Fridays, definitely make this a stop on your trip.
BrewHaHa Craft Beer Festival
Saturday, Aug. 7 at Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the front lawn
6-9 p.m. $30
Celebrate Virginia Craft Beer month with other beer lovers who will plop down $30 bucks for a tasting glass and eight tasting tickets to enjoy a bunch of different craft brews, music and games. Among the breweries: Brothers Craft Brewing (Harrisonburg); Big Ugly Brewing (Chesapeake); Blue Toad Hard Cider (Roseland); and Wasserhund Brewing Company (Virginia Beach). Unvaccinated folks must wear masks when inside the museum.
The 39th Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival
Sunday, Aug. 8 in Carytown
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
carytownwatermelonfestival.com
It’s looking like a hot day on Sunday and what better way to spend it than outdoors, enjoying free live music and sucking down juicy watermelon by the bowl-load. There will be six stages with live entertainment and over 100 vendors hawking their “food, drink, artwork, novelties and services.” Among the musical acts: Harry Gore (2:45 p.m. Rind stage); Saint Square at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (acoustic) on the Main Stage; Premiere Trio at 4:15 p.m. on Slice stage. For more, check the website.
