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As local residents, it feels like RVA festivals happen every other day, especially in the summer. Whether they’re music festivals in Richmond VA, sports festivals, or cultural festivals, attending and celebrating festivals in Richmond are a big part of being a Richmonder, and many aren’t to be missed. That said, some RVA street festivals get way overcrowded for their venues (looking at you, Carytown Watermelon Festival!), or take place in such a hot time of year that they’re almost impossible to really enjoy (looking at you… again… Carytown Watermelon Festival!). So here’s a list of Richmond festivals that you should make sure not to miss out on this year, including our favorites and ones recommended by other locals over on r/rva.

As a note, even though we’re local, we haven’t personally attended several of these RVA festivals, and we have no good excuse except that we really mean it when we say we can be homebodies 😅 However, we’re planning to make a point of exploring more of these events this year, and will update this post with our personal experiences as we learn more.

The Richmond VA. Folk Festival

Luke and Meagan sitting on the grass at the Richmond Folk Festival, smiling, Luke holding a beer
Richmond Folk Festival main stage and banners

The truth is, we both sat out the Richmond VA. Folk Festival for an embarrassingly long time because – and I quote – “we don’t like folk music.” And I’m pretty sure we heard echoes of rinky-dink banjo music in the back of our minds every time we had that thought.

Finally, after seeing post after post praising the Richmond Folk Festival on the ever-critical r/rva, we gave up and gave in. And boy, Reddit was right! Sprawling out across Brown’s Island and the historic Tredegar complex, this festival draws tens of thousands of attendees every year to hear music from what feels like every culture under the sun. Sure, there’s probably some excellent Appalachian banjo music on one of the many stages, but the last time we went, there was also Celtic fiddling from Cape Breton, Puerto Rican bomba, Ladino traditional singing, Zydeco, New Orleans Black Masking music, Mexican marimba and cumbia, Moroccan chaabi singing, and so many more.

And of course you can find all kinds of festival food, with vendors from all over Richmond – some of whom don’t make appearances anywhere but the RVA Folk Festival – you will absolutely not go hungry (personally, I could have eaten about 5 orders of Ginger Thai dumplings, but that’s just me). And while entry to this RVA festival is completely free, make sure you pop a few bucks in one of the many donation buckets you’ll see floating around each day. This helps keep the festival available and accessible to all.

  • Cost: free to enter (ID required to purchase alcoholic beverage tickets for an extra fee)
  • Best for: music lovers of all configurations; families, couples, solo attendees, friends, you name it.
  • Website: https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/

Richmond VA Greek Festival

Whereas the Folk Festival is a melting pot of cultural vibrancy, we also have more specialized events, like the Richmond VA Greek Festival.Put on by Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in 1976, is a wonderful opportunity to explore Richmond’s Greek community. As u/hedgecore183 says on Reddit, “The Greek Festival usually does a great job of highlighting music and dance from the various regions of Greece on their stage, and used to teach line dancing to the crowd and I loved that.”

Whether you rock up to the Greek Mini-Festival in November, or come through for the whole RVA Greek Festival shebang in June, between the traditional dancing, local vendors, or the lovingly-made Greek food, there’s truly something for everyone (and every stomach) at the RVA Greek Festival. It’s also worth noting that they often offer pre-orders for popular food items, so if you can’t spend a ton of time at the event but are craving some of the best Greek food in Richmond, they’ll have you covered.

Lebanese Food Festival Richmond VA

Along the same lines as the Richmond Greek Festival (and Mini-Festival), you’ll find dancing, music, and – the hint is in the name, right? – food to be at the center of the RVA Lebanese Food Festival. Only slightly newer to the RVA scene at a ~mere~ 38 years running and put on by Saint Anthony Maronite Church, you’ll find this Glen Allen-based festival is full of live performances, and more kibbeh, shawarma, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves than you can shake a stick at. And, like the Greek festival, if you’re craving the food but can’t stay for long, you always have the option of ordering ahead for takeout so you can still get your fix.

2nd Street Festival Richmond VA

Researching this piece was the first time we’d been exposed to much about the RVA 2nd Street Festival, which has for 35 years bought thousands of people to “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,’ according to the event’s website. Over one weekend in October, music, art, and food dominate this corridor of 2nd Street, focusing on the past, present, and future contributions and significance of one of Richmond’s most vibrant and longstanding communities. Listen to the work of music icons in a variety of genres, enjoy local artists and vendors, and even take free historic tours of the Jackson Ward neighborhood.

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According to one user on the Reddit article discussing festivals in Richmond, “I used to go to the 2nd street festival every year. It used to be something I always looked forward to growing up Black in Richmond” (u/atctia). Because this isn’t a perspective we can ever really have firsthand, we’re looking forward to learning and sharing more about this festival and this part of our local community this year.

Arts in the Park Richmond VA

According to their website, Arts in the Park Richmond VA’s “nationally-rated juried art show will be showcasing more than 350 exhibitors from around the country who will be offering their work for sale. Some categories include painting, pottery and ceramics, jewelry, furniture, photography, woodworking, glass, metal, sculpture, textiles, yard-art and more.” Hosted in Byrd Park near the Carillon, this is the perfect festival for anyone who loves supporting artists

Highland Games and Celtic Festival Richmond VA

If you want a veritable highland spectacle, this is your spot. Late every Fall, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the UK as you watch traditional dancing, caber tossing, and clan parades; drink Irish coffee and tasting flights of whisky; and listen to authentic Irish and Scottish music. Basically, it’ll be no surprise that these festivities don’t stop even when the weather gets gray and drizzly – in fact, it’ll just make you feel even more like you’ve crossed the pond! In the past, our favorite musical act has always been Albanach, an incredibly talented Scottish pipe and drum band, but rest assured that you’ll get exposure to all different kinds of music and entertainment from various UK countries.

  • Cost: November 2023 is the first time in 3 years that the festival has been held, so more details to come!
  • Best for: music lovers, history enthusiasts; families, couples, solo attendees, friends
  • Website: http://vacelticfestival.com/

RVA Church Hill Irish Festival

If you’re not down for the late Fall drive to the Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival – or if you just need another hit of Irish in your life – don’t miss the Church Hill Irish Festival that happens right after Saint Patrick’s Day every year. “Church Hill Irish Festival has Irish Bands, Irish Dance performances, Games, Inflatable bounce houses, traditional food, and yes – vendors. The vendors are all Irish themed though. Not some rando trying to sell bath bombs or whatever the next CBD bamboozle is” (u/oocdiddy). While it may not be quite as extravagant and spread out as the Highland Games and Celtic Festival, it still packs a very Irish punch that you’re sure to enjoy.

Asian American Celebration festival

Put on each year by the Asian American Society of Central Virginia, the Asian American Celebration is a time to come together to learn about and appreciate all the different Asian cultures and ethnicities represented in Central Virginia. In a conversation about festivals that are legitimate celebrations of a theme vs. purely occasions for random/unrelated vendors to turn out, Reddit user u/candid-ear-4840 had this to say:

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“Asian American festival is 100% cultural vendors and cultural dance performances. There’s no ‘generic’ vendors whatsoever. Every food vendor is from a specific nationality, and the elaborate cultural dances from local dance companies (mostly kids and teenagers dancing) are gorgeous. Free to enter, you can wander the booths to practice using chopsticks, to get your name written in various Asian languages, to look at the elaborate wedding mannequin displays from different countries, to buy traditional art, etc.” (u/candid-ear-4840)

You’ll find attendees and exhibitors from the Middle East, and from Central and Eastern Asian countries and cultures, and you’re sure to walk away with plenty of good food and a whole wealth of new experiences and information.

  • Cost: free entrance (food and drinks are extra)
  • Best for: foodies, families, couples, solo attendees, friends
  • Website: https://aasocv.org/event/

Dominion River Rock Festival

Dominion RiverRock SUP demo on one of the james river canals
black dog jumping off a platform into the water while chasing a toy

If you love the outdoors and just about any outdoorsy activity, you’ll like RVA’s Dominion River Rock festival. It completely takes over Brown’s Island and the Historic Tredegar area down by the James River, and lets you watch events like competitive kayaking and SUPing, slacklining, fly dogs, bouldering (our personal favorite event!!), and more. Plus there are races for anyone who wants to enroll, as well as a mud run (which we did many years ago and was actually when we took our first ever picture together 💜). And with tons of food trucks and other vendor tents, you’re sure to not go hungry or bored. We’ve attended Dominion River Rock festival almost every year, and have only sat it out if the weather isn’t great. It’s an integral part of Richmond’s outdoor culture, and a can’t-miss event in RVA! We’ve written in more detail about attending Dominion River Rock here.

  • Cost: free entrance (drinks and food are extra)
  • Best for: outdoorsy folks of all sorts – families, couples, solo attendees, friends
  • Website: https://www.riverrockrva.com/

Oktoberfest in Richmond VA

Though we don’t have a famously large or influential German population, the Richmond VA Oktoberfest scene is pretty damn good. We have a bit of variety and aren’t limited to just one party, but there are two top options that you should take the time to check out.

If you want to stay within the city limits, you can hit up St. Benedict’s Oktoberfest party, which truly tries to provide the feeling of wandering through Munich streets with booze, sauerkraut balls, and a few thousand friends. Of course, the drink tickets are a little pricey, and it turns into a bit of a mess as the night goes on, but it truly is a party.

You also have the option of going a little further out to the Richmond International Raceway complex for the Richmond Oktoberfest celebration put on by Gesang-Verein and Deutscher Sportklub. “My dad is a German immigrant and has been with GV since the beginning and I have gone all my life. It’s legit. A bunch of actual Germans put it on” says Redditor u/xTiredSoulx. Another Redditor said “It looks like a legitimate beer hall! They have a live polka band playing and they do dances, a stein hoisting competition, and a few other events throughout the night” (u/DaangaZone).

We’ll be in Munich for Oktoberfest this year, so we’ll be sure to report back on just how well Richmond stacks up!

VCU French Film Festival Richmond

If you’re a cinephile who doesn’t mind subtitles, this is your festival. Founded almost 30 years ago by French professors from Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Richmond, this festival focuses on both entertainment AND education by exposing Richmond filmgoers to not only French-language films, but also the minds behind them. Over the course of 4 days at Richmond’s historic Byrd Theatre, tens of short and feature-length films are screened for audiences, and then followed by Q&A sessions with the directors and actors for each film, often with the help of an interpreter.

  • Cost: Tickets for individual films are $15 each and are only on sale at the Byrd Theatre 1/2 hour before each show, if available. Otherwise, passes are $65 for students and $115 for general admission to multiple films.
  • Best for: families with older kids, couples, solo attendees, friends
  • Website: https://frenchfilmfestival.us/
  • Note that the 2023 French Film Festival has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances

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