20 Downtown Richmond Events You Can't Miss in 2020

Due to COVID-19, many of the events included in this list have been cancelled or rescheduled.

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As some of the information below may be out of date, please make sure to check for upates on each event on event or event organizer's website and/or social media.

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Your goals are set, now comes the fun stuff: filling up your social calendar with things to do in Richmond in 2020. We've made it easier for you with our list of essential events that make downtown Richmond a must-see this year. Go ahead, get started, and make 2020 your best year in Richmond yet!

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GalaxyCon is 3 days of fun featuring celebrity guests, comic book creators, voice actors, industry guests, cosplayers, artists, writers, panels, Q&A’s, films & shorts, costume & cosplay contests, vendors, parties, anime, workshops, video gaming, wrestling, and more! Dress up in costume or come as you are for this family friendly event. Tickets are on sale now!

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Join in the fun of RVA's Coolest Winter Festival in an effort to support impact areas of litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, beautification and education for the Commonwealth of Virginia! Sign up for the Community Clean Up along the banks of the James, run/walk in the 5K and/or take a chilly dip in the James. Hang out before and after for the Winter Festival including heated tents, food and beverage vendors, music, and a fun environmental atmosphere for everyone involved.

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Explore galleries, shops, restaurants, non-profits and more on the first Friday of every month as the city celebrates the arts.

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The 2020 Virginia Wine Expo presented by Publix is a multi-day, immersive and educational craft beverage and culinary experience featuring more than 30 carefully curated events. For six fun-filled days, you'll taste an exceptional variety of brilliant wines, spirits, ciders and high-end craft beers (at the new Ultimate Brew Fest) with Virginia's vintners, distillers, cider-makers and craft brewers, including highly sought-after top-scoring bottlings.

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The Winter Wedding Show will fill the beautiful, grand Main Street Station Train Shed with over 100 excellent and experienced vendors to meet, more than any other local show, and there’s plenty of time to see them all!

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Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Food & Beverage Expo connects industry buyers with Virginia specialty food and beverage products. Retailers, wholesalers, distributors, food service representatives and those in search of private-label brands will find hundreds of Virginia-produced and processed products that are properly packaged and labeled for the retail setting. Taking place once every two years, attendees meet one-on-one with producers, select new items and place orders right on the show floor. There is no cost to attend.

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In its four years, Richmond Brunch Weekend has raised over $85,000 for cancer research at VCU Massey Cancer Center. On Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22, they do it all over again! Show up at one of the participating restaurants and support cancer research and a local restaurant. Who knew there was more to brunch than omelets and mimosas?

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The 5th edition of the RVA Street Art Festival will take on its biggest canvas to date along the floodwall on Dock Street in Shockoe Bottom. Partnering with DPU, the festival will turn Richmond’s floodwall into a canvas of mixed-media art – including painted murals, projection lighting, landscape art, and other mediums. The 2020 festival will offer the community a chance to watch and participate in the live art transformation of the concrete floodwall, featuring acclaimed national and international artists alongside some of the most popular and up and coming local artists.

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Taking place just by the river at Historic Tredegar and hosted by Viridiant, Party for the Planet is a FREE, non-profit hosted, family-friendly festival dedicated to environmentally-friendly living and sustainability. Honoring Earth Day, environmental groups and businesses will come together with local music, food and drinks to ignite interest in the health and well-being of our bodies, our city, and our earth. Highlights include: Earth Day 5K Race Without a Trace; live music; craft beer, wine, and local food trucks; kid-friendly activities; local community organizations, non-profits, artists and vendors; educational demos and activities to build interest in sustainability, health, and the environment!

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Bikes and Beers Richmond features a 15 and 30-Mile ride departing from Stone Brewing and traveling through the beautiful region of Richmond, VA. All rides will feature rest stops with refreshments and will finish up back at Stone Brewing. This is a ride for everyone - All riding levels welcome!

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The annual ¿Qué Pasa? Festival highlights the food, music, and art of Virginia’s Latin American communities along the Riverfront Canal Walk in downtown Richmond with this FREE festival and offers attendees discounted rides on decorated canal boats courtesy of Riverfront Canal Cruises.

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In 2020, Friday Cheers celebrates its 36th anniversary. As the longest running and largest event of its kind in Richmond, Friday Cheers showcases some of the nation’s hottest touring bands and all-time regional favorites. This family-friendly event has been named Style Weekly’s “Best Concert Series” in Richmond the last seven years in a row. Tickets to individual shows are $5 or $10, but children 12 and under are FREE!

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The Menuhin Competition presents an 11-day festival of music, education and cultural exchange. Jurors give performances during the event and competitors participate in masterclasses and consultations with the jury as well as peer to peer learning. The young musicians also become mentors themselves, working with our partners to deliver engagement opportunities in the local community.

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Dominion Energy Riverrock is a full weekend of sports and music on downtown Richmond’s riverfront. You and your friends can experience the festival by participating in it, watching the pros face off in awe-inspiring competitions, listening to a full line-up of amazing live music or by visiting the interactive village. There’s plenty to keep you a part of the action all weekend long!

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You've waited all year for the return of Broad Appétit! Enjoy the selection of food from the best local restaurants our fine city has to offer - and all at $3 a plate! Bring your appetite and cash and plan on grazing your way down Broad Street. There will be plenty of Virginia wines and beers to wash down the delicious offerings with, as well as great vendors to visit and music to please your ears. Remember your re-usable shopping bag and gather up your favorite in-season produce from local farmers and food providers.

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Help Stone Brewing celebrate their fourth anniversary in Richmond with a day of bands and beer at Stone's Throwdown on Brown's Island. All ages are welcome and kids 12 and under are FREE!

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This FREE, family-friendly day of festivities feature a variety of vendors, local eats, activities, and entertainment for a day of fun in the sun celebrating Virginia's LGBTQ+ community.

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The 2nd Street Festival in Richmond returns in 2020 for its 32nd anniversary, celebrating the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhoodh with this FREE event. Over the years, it has grown to be one of Richmond's favorite annual events and one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest street festivals. Nearly 30,000 people visit historic Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of Richmond's African-American community and was known as “the Harlem of the South.” Today, Jackson Ward continues to be a thriving Richmond neighborhood and community, and the 2nd Street Festival is an annual celebration and homecoming.

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The Richmond Folk Festival celebrating its 16th Anniversary this year! This beloved event attracts over 200,000 people to downtown Richmond's riverfront over three days to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through 30 different genres of music on seven stages, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food. While The Richmond Folk Festival features a large variety of musical talent, the festival also showcases Virginia Folklife. With children's activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods and more, there's something for everyone at The Richmond Folk Festival.

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With street art, river views, historic architecture, and beautiful neighborhoods, the marathon treats runners to a unique and unforgettable tour of RVA that ends with the renowned downhill finish and CoStar Post Race Party on the riverfront!