Top 5 weekend events: Friday Cheers RVA Music Night, Big Tent & Daydream Fest
Let's raise a toast to Memorial Day weekend. With live music filling the air, a draft menu ready to quench your thirst and a flea market providing some retail therapy, it's time to get out there and enjoy the weekend. We added some extra events this week just in case of rainy weather.
Daydream Fest at Main Line Brewery
Sunday and Monday, May 2 & 29
Experience two full days of live music this extended weekend with the second year of the Daydream Fest at Main Line Brewery. The fest features a vast lineup of local bands, including Palm Palm, Matthew E. White, Kate Bollinger, No BS! Brass Band and more, plus drinks, food trucks and vendors, with plenty of outdoor seating to camp out with some friends. Doors open at 1 p.m.; music starts at 2:30 p.m. 1603 Ownby Lane. $30-$50. Rain or shine. www.daydreamfest.com.
Friday Cheers RVA Music Night
Friday
Claim your spot on the lawn on Brown’s Island for Friday Cheers' RVA Music Night, showcasing the talents of Butcher Brown, Celler Dwellers and Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers along with vendors offering food and drinks. 6:30-9:30 p.m.; gates open at 6 p.m. 500 Tredegar St. $10 in advance, $15 at door. www.myticketstobuy.com.
The Richmond Symphony Big Tent
Saturday
Bring the family (and your pup, too) and head to Jackson Ward as the Richmond Symphony puts on a free outdoor concert conducted by Chia-Hsuan Lin, featuring music from Florence Price, Joseph Bologne and Adolphus Hailstork and a painting demonstration led by Richmond artists. 7 p.m., Abner Clay Park, near 200 W. Clay St. Free. Rain date Sunday. If both days are rained out, the event will be cancelled. www.richmondsymphony.com. The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia also has special hours with family activities leading up to the concert. 122 W. Leigh St. $6-$10. www.blackhistorymuseum.org.
Lager Fest at The Answer
Saturday
Treat your tastebuds to an afternoon all about savoring refreshing brews under the sun and exploring the flavors of eight lagers on tap from an outdoor trailer in The Answer Brewpub’s beer garden. There will also be an eclectic mix of food trucks, slinging lobster bisque, bao buns and sisig. Noon-4 p.m. 6008 W. Broad St. Free entry; pay as you go. (804) 282-1248 or www.theanswerbrewpub.com.
Diamond Flea Market
Sunday
The Diamond Flea Market kicks off its third season with over 100 vendors offering a wide selection of products and unique finds, from vintage apparel, sneakers and handmade jewelry to home goods, tufted rugs, body scrubs and more. Noon-6 p.m. 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. Free entry; pay as you go. www.diamondfleamarket.com.
‘Sign Spotting’
Opens Thursday
From vintage neon signs to Jim Crow-era public facility signs, the Valentine’s new exhibition explores the rich history of iconic Richmond signage. Visitors will see signs from Ignatius Hats, Overnite Transportation and from the museum’s most recent acquisition, the Robin Inn, among many others. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday with extended hours to 7 p.m. Thursday. 1015 E. Clay St. $8-$10; free for members and ages 17 and younger; free admission on Thursdays. Through next year. thevalentine.org or (804) 649-0711.
'Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience'
Opens Saturday
If the weather is a washout this weekend, check out the Science Museum of Virginia’s new exhibit, “Space,” to learn how astronauts live and work. At interactive stations, put your hand inside an astronaut’s glove, go inside a full-size mock-up of the International Space Station’s U.S. Destiny lab module, and more. Through Sept. 4. 2500 W. Broad St. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. $10-$17, additional $5 ticket required. www.smv.org or (804) 864-1400.
Memorial Day weekend is "officially when our peak season kicks off for the summer," according to the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Here are several events and activities for the long weekend, both in the Richmond area and within a few hours' drive.
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