What to Do In Richmond, VA – Halloween Weekend (10/30/09 – 11/1/09

One of the coolest things to happen in Richmond is Gallery 5′s Carnival of 5 Fires.  Few places in our fair city put the time and effort that Gallery 5 does – a pull-out-all-the-stops, spare-no-effort type of event that will bombard you with visual, musical, and performance art and put you into a total sensory overload.  In a good way, of course.

This year, the folks at Gallery 5 are giving Richmond a weekend to remember.  There are events Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday evening, and each one promises to be the party of the year.  How does that work?  I’m not exactly sure, but I’m planning to check it out.

Friday night October 30 at 7PM kicks off the weekend with the Dark Queen’s Boudoir:  A Burlesque Variety Show.  Tickets are $12 and the show features performances by some of Richmond’s premium burlesque performers.  Here is G5′s description of the event:

“For hundreds of years, The Dark Queen has been collecting her favorite pets – living dolls of mystery and vice.  For one night, you are invited into her den to see her collection of Southern Gothic Oddities.  Be warned… her enchanted creatures are more intoxicating then the opium dens she often frequents.  In honor of All Hallow’s Eve, The Queen has granted permission to the citizens of Richmond to attend her yearly festival of lascivious beauty.  Come sit at her table, feast on her bounty, and fall in love with the dark arts….”

Saturday night is a good and proper (if by proper you mean spooky, exciting and sexy – which of course I do) Halloween party.  Tickets are $10, unless you wear a costume, in which case they’re $8.  And why wouldn’t you wear a costume?  What are you, 80?  My grandma’s 83 and she wears a costume.  Get in the spirit, dang it.  G5 Fire will be out in the street to greet you – and if you’ve never seen that you have GOT to.  People who have an amazing command and control of fire.  You’ll want to learn to twirl and breathe fire.  Don’t try it at home…

Saturday’s (10/31/09 – Halloween, ya’ll) performances include Lonesome Liz’s Mojo Sideshow, HotDamns, and so much more.  You can get your cards read by someone who knows how to read ‘em, and in addition, there is going to be some amazing art on display.  But that’s Gallery 5 all the time.

Sunday, November 1 at 7PM brings you to the end of your Halloween weekend and the Gumbo & Ghosts Dinner Theater and Seance.  Talk to your departed loved ones, plus with the ghosts who are in residence at Gallery 5.  See some great theater art, and listen to some great music while you wind down in the spookiest way possible.

I know I normally give you some options on what to do in Richmond for the weekends, but I honestly can’t find anything near as cool as this that is happening, so this is all you get from me.

Check with me next week to see what’s what in Richmond, VA for the weekend of November 6, 2009.

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Gallery 5 – Why Haven’t You Been There Yet?

In Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood, Gallery 5 sits and waits to host their next phase of artistic and social revolution – in a good way, of course.

Home to such events as Disrobed, an art exhibition wherein nude bodies are the pieces of art, and The Carnival of 5 Fires, a sensual and sensory-overloading true Carnival-type experience, you might not know what Gallery 5 is really all about.  Sure, they’re about fire-breathing, tattooed performers and funky local music, but they are also serving a much higher calling in the world of art and social consciousness in Richmond.

First off, they saved Steamer Company No. 5 from demolition.  A gorgeous building in one of Richmond’s oldest neighborhoods, Gallery 5 saved this landmark and as they put it, “an important piece of our city’s history.”  And that was just the beginning.  Gallery 5 is trying to change Richmond in ways that challenge complacency toward social injustice and promote creativity in every form.

Take, for instance, Repressed.  An exhibit featuring both local artists and not-so local artists, Repressed exhibits artwork with a socially conscious message.  Not for the squeamish or faint of heart, but an absolute must-see for both the quality of the art and the intensity and clarity of the message.

Also consider the existence of the Lucent Phoenix Resource Center – Gallery 5’s open “forum for social change and awareness”.  This center exists to promote and encourage the non-profit community by providing a space and resources for concerned citizens and non-profit workers and supporters to work, learn, and host events related to their cause.

Few, if any, Richmond organizations can compare with Gallery 5 in regards to social awareness, commitment to the community and to social change, and to emerging and established artists of all types.  Gallery 5 is not only set to change Richmond, they’re set to change the world.

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.