Richmond is overflowing with entertainment options. From the Greek Festival to the Flower and Garden Show, NASCAR Weekend to the Capital City Kwanzaa Festival, the city offers something for everyone. Examples of other cultural opportunities in Richmond include:

National Folk Festival
Bringing nearly 100,000 people to Downtown Richmond’s riverfront, this festival is a celebration of American culture’s musical roots exhibited through live performances, dances, traditional crafts, storytelling and foods.

Second Street Festival
This festival turns the hands of time back to an era when 2nd Street was the heart of Richmond’s African-American community. Jazz, swing, big band, and gospel music highlight the event. 

River City Beer and Seafood Festival

This event features imported and craft-brewed beer, great seafood, and live music on Brown’s Island, one of Richmond’s best outdoor concert venues. 

Annual Brunswick Stew Festival
Stew masters compete at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market for the International Brunswick Stew Championship and fun galore.

Shockoe Tomato Festival
This festival honors Richmond’s favorite fruit.  The event is held at the Farmer’s Market and includes family activities, vendors, recipe contests and sampling and much more.

CaribFest
Every August, the flavor of the Caribbean Islands emerges from Richmond’s riverfront through traditional song & dance, handmade crafts, artists, performers, foods, and vendors celebrating the passion, reverence and abandon of this rich community.

Celebrate Illuminate
This event centers around the Grand Illumination of downtown Richmond’s City Skyline on both sides of the James River during the holiday season. Festivities include a Holiday Market at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market, an Open House at Main Street Station, and horse-drawn carriage rides around the Historic Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom areas.

Jefferson Hotel’s Annual Tree Lighting
Each year a towering tree is lit in the Jefferson Hotel.  Since 1895, the hotel has been recognized as one of the grandest hotels in America.  It is a national historic landmark and a charter member of Historic Hotels of America.                      

The above are just a few examples of Richmond’s countless community celebrations. And the city aims to add yet another big event to its long list of entertainment options. This year’s 2007 commemoration of the founding of Jamestown – the first permanent settlement in North America - has Richmond anticipating an influx of tourism to the region, including a stop by the replica ship Godspeed, which was originally captained in 1607 by Christopher Newport as one of the three East India Company ships en voyage to the new Colony of Virginia.

A report prepared by Boisseau Partners, a marketing and advertising firm, finds that the Richmond region stands to gain 400,000 additional tourists in 2007. This could translate into $287.6 million in tourism dollars spent.