Cross the raging James and you'll be rewarded.

VOL. 70 / GO SOUTH March, here we come! Our advice, go south. Cross the raging James this weekend and you'll be rewarded with oysters, donuts, and craft cocktails.  Venture forward …   Oyster Festival The first ever Dogtown Winter Beer and Oyster Festival is this Saturday at The Butterbean, a newly opened neighborhood café on Hull Street by Michael and Laura Hild. This Manchester celebration promises a hearty selection of craft beer, cider, wine and kombucha on tap, a raw oyster station from Anderson's Neck Oyster Company, oyster stew, crab muffins, and made from scratch eats by The Butterbean. Not to mention, there will be plenty of live music, outdoor fire pits to keep you warm, outside beer stations (serving Ardent IPA, Trapezium Oyster Stout, Potter's Farmhouse Dry Cider, and Center of the Universe Kolsch) and an inside bar pouring a variety of beer, cider, and wine.    Vitals: thebutterbeancafe.com  Hot Diggity Donuts   Because on Richmond’s south side, donuts are served warm and with a cocktail. Sometimes they're even turned into sandwiches! So when you’re venturing over the river this weekend for the Dogtown Oyster Festival, make sure to skip across the street to Hot Diggity Donuts to see what we’re talking about. Here you can indulge in sweet and savory donuts, all made to order, with a cocktail or shooter in hand if you’re so inclined. We’re talking Maple Bourbon donuts (topped with salty peanuts), Grasshopper Pie donuts (pistachio, mint, chocolate shavings), and Bittersweet Mocha (dark chocolate espresso glaze, turbinado). And if you’re looking for something a bit more substantial but equally adventurous, consider one of their signature sandwiches served between two sourdough yeast donuts. Perk: Tell them Here sent you and receive a free cup of Blanchard's Coffee with the purchase of a donut this weekend at Hot Diggity!    Vitals: hotdiggitydonuts.com  Little Nickel Round out your South Side jaunt with a pit stop at Little Nickel, a jewel of a restaurant that invites you to pretend you’re on vacation with a playful mix of tropical dishes and plenty of tiki-inspired and neo-tropical cocktails. Brought to you by Johnny and Katrina Giavos, of Stella’s fame, this Forest Hill destination is all about taking guests to another land with its vacation food, punch bowls designed for two or more, and a retro vibe unlike anything you’ll find in RVA. We suggest starting with a Walk the Plank cocktail (pictured) and the Pu-Pu platter, a house favorite that’s served flaming with General Tso’s wings, pineapple skewers, pork bbq skewers, and lumpia.  Little Nickel offers Happy Hour, from 3-6 p.m., with eclectic cocktail specials and an unforgettable Sunday brunch. On a recent Sunday visit we went for the El Cortez (cheddar waffles, braised pork, queso, sliced jalapeno, and crispy bacon). But really, when you’re on a vacation that's south of the James everything is a winner. Book your trip now.      Perk: Ask for the Here Special to receive a surprise tropical cocktail at $2.00 off this weekend.    Vitals: littlenickel.co

Read on for some tasty ideas and fun Richmond perks along the way.  

VOL. 70  /  PERKY This week we’re feeling extra perky about our lineup. Members, get ready for a feel-good weekend from start to finish. Read on for some tasty ideas and fun Richmond perks along the way.  Let’s go!   Collaboration Crawl Don’t walk, crawl to your favorite watering hole in Scott’s Addition this weekend. The SABD Collaboration Crawl starts at noon on Saturday. Each participating alcohol producer will work with a friendly neighbor to make a beer recipe and then work together to create a cider, mead, or spirit. Some of the pairings include Ardent Craft Ales & Buskey Cider, Three Notch'd RVA Collab House & Reservoir Distillery, Väsen Brewing Co. & Blue Bee Cider, Isley Brewing Company & Blue Bee Cider, Black Heath Meadery & Bingo Beer Co., and Courthouse Creek Cider & Strangeways Brewing Co. The finished collaborations will be released at each location. Make sure to grab a stamp card at your first stop and then hop around the neighborhood to try all 11 releases. Once you've received four stamps, turn in your card at any location to be entered to win a $25 gift certificate at that location.  Double Perk: Drop off your stamped Collab Crawl card at Blue Bee Cider and write Here.Weekly member next to your name. If your card is selected at Blue Bee for the $25 gift certificate drawing we’ll match it, giving you a chance to double your Blue Bee bucks! And after you’re finished with the boozy crawl, use the Lyft code HereCrawl19 for 25% off (up to $5) your ride home.   Vitals: SABD Collaboration Crawl takes place Saturday, 12 p.m to 10 p.m.  Richmond Black Restaurant Experience There’s still time to enjoy Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, a celebratory week dedicated to supporting RVA’s black-owned restaurants, food trucks, and catering companies. Now in its third year, Richmond Black Restaurant Experience was created to promote awareness of minority-owned businesses while showcasing the culinary talent Richmond has to offer. This year’s event boasts 29 local restaurants serving a variety of cuisines and surprise events. Some of the businesses participating include Soul Taco (pictured), Mama J’s (which was recently named as a James Beard award semi-finalist), Brewer’s Café, Croaker Spot, Vagabond, Urban Hang Suite, and more.  On Friday we suggest checking out the live music, food trucks, beer, and wine at Studio Two Three as you browse the work of 30 African American visual artists at Art for the Soul. On Saturday hop on the UnlockingRVA Brunch Trolley at 11 a.m. to travel to three restaurants for brunch samples, specialty drinks, and a chance to get to know new friends along the way. Close out Richmond Black Restaurant Experience on Sunday at Stick a Fork in It, with small plates, tasting contests, cooking demonstrations, and music.    Vitals: vablackrestaurantexperience.com The Brunch Market The Brunch Market, Richmond's first curated monthly market + brunch, is set for this Sunday and we’re coming at you with an extra special perk for Here. members! Founded by a local maker/designer, the Brunch Market is a monthly pop-up catering to Richmond’s love of small business and handcraft. Hosted at the Urban Roost Event Space by Lunch.SUPPER!, the market takes a playful twist to shopping in a casual atmosphere with plenty of biscuits, mimosas, DJ Ant Boogie, and good vibes.    This Sunday’s lineup includes vendors like Figure Form, makers of beautiful body positive prints; WhichWick, offering super fresh soy candles perfect for spring; Raising Green Kids, suppliers of eco-chic goods; JermanMade, a local maker with an eye for home décor; and more.   Perk: The first ten readers to tell The Brunch Market that they’re a Here. Weekly member will receive a FREE BISCUIT. If you happen to be the very first member to drop a Here. reference you'll also score a FREE TOTE.    Vitals: thebrunchmarket.com   Richmond Love Letter Our talented photog Kate Magee's images are a love letter to our city - and now you can bring them home. Shop our prints and other Here. collaborations online! SHOP NOW

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One weekly email. Three must-do ideas. Infinite potential. View this email in your browser VOL. 69 / RIPPLE EFFECT One pebble. Thousands of ripples. Just something to think about this week when you’re out there exploring this place we call home. Every action we take, even the small ones, can send ripples throughout Richmond. Read on for three happenings that are fun, simple, and for a good cause.  Let’s go …   Shiver in the River RVA’s coolest winter festival goes down this Saturday benefiting Keep Virginia Beautiful. This annual shindig offers up a chance to lend a hand during a community cleanup, participate in a 5K walk/run, or jump into the chilly James – or do all three!  Cleanup starts at 10 am at Historic Tredegar (last year, 500+ people gathered well over a ton of trash), followed by a brisk walk/run through the James River Park at noon, and the big river jump for those hardy souls (costumes highly encouraged) at 1:30 pm. Plus, there’s a Winter Festival throughout the day with three bands, food trucks, and plenty of beer.   Now in its fifth year, Shiver in the River supports efforts by Keep Virginia Beautiful to spiffy up our natural environment while getting folks more involved in litter prevention, recycling, and waste reduction.   Vitals: shiverintheriver.com  RACC Open House   Richmond is #TeamTommie. Show your support of the Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) shelter today, Friday, and Saturday during a series of Open House events honoring Tommie, the beloved pit bull that passed away earlier this month. Richmonders are encouraged to celebrate Tommie’s life and to see firsthand how gifts from around the world are supporting the work of RACC on a daily basis.  For those looking to give an animal in need a forever home, come ready to adopt. Dewey (pictured), a shy little pit bull who could use a friend, is one of 3,000+ animals that RACC helps each year. Walk through the kennel this weekend and say “hi” to Dewey and the other animals at the only open admission public shelter in Richmond.   Perk: For those who do bring home a new pet, River City Roll, a boutique bowling alley in Scott’s Addition, is offering free bowling.   Vitals: facebook.com/richmond.animal.care.and.control  Fried Chicken Beer Dinner Wait – fried chicken, beer, and a good cause?! Count us in! Mean Bird and Väsen Brewing are hosting a beer dinner featuring family-style fried chicken paired with craft beer and benefiting Beyond Boundaries, a local nonprofit that specializes in guiding people with and without disabilities on outdoor adventures. This collab is part of an ongoing series of beer dinners at Väsen designed to support local nonprofits.  Beyond Boundaries was selected as the beneficiary of this month's beer dinner due its efforts to offer individuals of all ability levels, no matter their physical, cognitive or economic situation, the opportunity to experience outdoor activities with the surrounding community. Mean Bird is planning a special menu for Monday, February 25, including their famous fried chicken (with AR’s Ames Hot Southern Honey), turnip greens, pork and leek terrine, kilt turnip salad, and more.    Perk: Check out @here.weekly on Instagram and tag a friend to join you for a chance to score two free tickets.    Vitals: facebook.com/vasenbrewing   RichmondPaul SpicerFebruary 21, 2019 Newer Older Richmond, VA, 23220, United States hi@hereweekly.com Hours Copyright © Here. Weekly Photos by Kate Magee   |  Website by Skirven & Croft