Weekend (Part I)

Weekend!  

So much to choose from:

InLight Richmond 2012. UkeFest. Carytown Food & Drink Fair.
Holiday Shoppers Fair. Brunswick Stew Festival. Autumn Bottom Brew.
The Pillowman at VRT.

You might be wondering how I unearth this treasure trove of Things To Do each week.
 

     It's partially due to this free local guide of goodness: 


But it's also thanks to colleague Sarah who makes sure I get the low-down on fun things to do in Richmond over the upcoming weekend. 

 October was packed out with festivals. 

November seems rich with pickings too.

From the above list then, I made my choice. 

'Hooold on! A stew festival? A festival comprising entirely of Stew?

(to adopt an Americanism I can never quite take seriously:) I'm down!'

But first things first. Marcia met me Saturday, bright & early to go browsing at the Holiday Shoppers Fair. It's an event hosted by the Science Museum - the various museum shops across Richmond gather to sell their wares, kicking off the Christmas season. 

   So it was that I got to discover a few more museum faces from the area. Right in our district, for example, is the Valentine Richmond History Center. The Library of Virginia had a stall full of children's books & other pretty things. Definitely worth a venue visit some other time. 

    I also found out about Agecroft Hall, a Tudor house which was put up for auction in 1925 to be bought & shipped by a Richmonder.  

Today, Agecroft Hall stands beautifully re-created, in a setting
reminiscent of its original site on Lancashire's Irwell River.

                                                As you do.

But I basically read every children's book I could lay my hands on, learning about the state ('Goodnight Virginia') & the nation's history, constitution ... Even its fight for independence.

Very informative. Plus the paper dress-up doll book allowed me to check my (European) costume history notes off against the American equivalent of the same, which links up somewhat during eras separately named Colonial, Federal & so on. Although the pioneering settlers have a distinct wardrobe entirely of their own. Wild Wild West & all that.

We also encountered a flyer for another November/Christmas festival held up at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden ~ the Dominion GardenFest of Lights. Half a milllion lights. Sounds pretty. I appear to be the reason why this talked-about event might turn into an actual trip this year. More than happy to be that!

Marcia left me in the capable hands of Sarah & Julie-Paint. The Virginia Center for Architecture was not represented at the Fair so we three took a detour en route to Monument. Alas, we were two hours too early for business so we walked the grounds instead. As a 27,000-square-foot Tudor-Revival mansion, it's rather National Trust-y. 

Saving the best to last as usual....

Labyrinthe gates!