Don’t be scared of a few April showers. There are lots of ways to spend some sunny days outside this month!

Dominion Family Easter at Maymont
Saturday, April 4, 2015
10am-3pm
Maymont Carriage House Lawn

Enjoy one of Richmond’s favorite Easter traditions with egg hunts, crafts, games, live entertainment including Power UP!, School of Rock, Jonathan Austin and  Virginia Repertory Theatre.  Kids can enjoy a ziplines, a rock climbing wall, carriage rides, egg hunt and puppet shows and more. FREE to attend although many activities will require tickets.

Legend Brewing Company’s 21st Anniversary Party
Saturday, April 11th
2pm – 9pm
Pub and Brewery -321 W 7th St, Richmond, Virginia 23224
This event is open to the public and is family friendly. Legend will have live music playing all day, a food buffet, activities for children, and of course, a varied selection of Legend beers.Admission for 21 and up is $20 which includes a commemorative anniversary cup, two beer tickets, and live music and entertainment. Ages 12-20 and designated drivers pay $8 and kids under 12 are FREE. Additional beer tickets and a food tickets are available for purchase.

22nd Earth Day Festival
Saturday, April 18
at 11:00am – 5:00pm

Great Shiplock Park on Shockoe Bottom’s riverfront on Saturday, April 18 for live music, local fare, children’s activities, and the chance to meet hundreds of earth-friendly artists, farmers, and organizations.

Chalk Up The Town
Saturday, April 18
1:00pm – 4:00pm
This annual event is great for the whole family, friends, afternoon date or just because you feel like strolling and drawing. Chalk Up The Town is a FREE event and open to everyone! Just find any chalk tent, pick up your bag of colors and add your artistic flair to the mile of style.

RVA Earth Day
Saturday, April 18
12:00pm – 7:00pm

Style Weekly is proud to bring you the city’s favorite celebration of earth day, were local artists, bands, chefs, food trucks, breweries, environmentalists and vendors gather to celebrate mother earth. Learn about locally available sustainable products and services. Arts, crafts and kids activities.

Gold Festival on Broad 
Sunday, April 19, 2015
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Gold’s Gym Plaza at West Tower between Homeview Drive & West End Drive

The Gold Festival on Broad is a day filled with family fun!  The event will take place inside the Gold’s Gym parking lot between Homeview Drive and West End Drive.  In addition to providing a fun, festive event, the Gold Festival on Broad provides a turnkey fundraising opportunity for local community organizations. Exclusive areas within the festival for specially-themed activities, and vendors, such as the educational classes, fitness expo, and the community corner. FREE.

Woofstock Festival
Saturday, April 25, 2015
10:00am – 2:00pm.

Gates will open at 10:00am for the festival. There will be music all day and plenty of fun for the dogs, including games, agility courses and contests. The whole family will also be able to enjoy the kids games, vendor area, and our dog adoption area, which will include animal rescue groups from across the metro Richmond area.

 Get the mid-week update from Richmondmom by signing up for our newsletter. You’ll get an up-to-date look at kid and family friendly events, free things to do, activities and more in the Richmond, Virginia area.  You’ll also read stories, get school and playgroup information, dinner ideas, shopping, camp information, volunteering and a whole lot more. Sign up for our newsletter here and find us on Facebook.

Fest: Richmond Earth Day Festival
Time: 11am – 5pm
Place: 17th Street Farmers Market
Parking: See street parking map
5 Attractions (there’s a lot more):

• 5k Race Without a Trace
• Children’s area with hands-on art activities
• Peak Experiences
• Fresh local produce, honey, & spices
• Lots of great education like recycling, garden help, nature education and composting demos.

Food:
Richmond Food truck Favs like Boka Truck, Goatocado, Soul Ice and King of Pops

For Grown-ups:
Hardywood craft beer and Tap 26 wines

Bonus: Unveiling of the recyclable “LOVE” sign that hopes to break a world record.

And another…

Fest: RVA Earth Day
Time: 11am-7pmPlace: Manchester -Mayo Island
Parking: Lot parking map
5 Attractions (there’s a lot more):

• Kids Art & Activities
• Petting farm from Wandering Cow Farm
• Yoga demonstrations from Project Yoga
• Artist, Jewelers, Craftsmen and Local Retailers
• Recycled Art Workshops and more with Art Works

Food: 20+ local chefs and food trucks

For Grown-ups:
All of the 9 local Richmond’s craft breweries and some of Virginia’s favorite wineries

Bonus: a kite “mini-festival” with kite making and kite flying.  World of Mirth will be on-site for kite purchases.

So… what’s your pick?
Where will you be hanging out this Saturday?

Strolling the Saturday Farmer’s market is a tradition for many Richmond families and if you haven’t yet claimed the market as part of your weekly routine here are ten reasons to check it out this year:

1. It’s a FREE morning out: The farmer’s market experience is for everyone. It doesn’t cost a thing to get in, you can stroll at your leisure in a lively and family-friendly atmosphere, with loads of interesting things to see and talk about with your kids. Fresh air, sunshine, good company. It’s fun for the whole family!

2. It’s an opportunity to learn about and engage with your local food chain: Do you want to know more about where your food comes from and how is it grown or raised? Support your family farms, your community, and protect the environment while you’re at it by buying fresh food from local businesses that value sustainable farming practices. Your family farmer can answer all your questions about their products, and they often have tips and tricks (even recipes!) to share for ways to keep and prepare the food you buy. If you’re looking for pastured, forested, or grass-fed animal products the Farmer’s market will become your one stop shop—I have yet to find a better selection all in one place.

3. Enjoy food tastings and samples: On any given day you and your kids may be be able to sample: yogurt, chocolate milk, pickles, fresh in-season veggies, charcuterie, goat cheese, cookies and other baked goods. It’s nice to be able to try before you buy, plus, you are sure to find something you really like!

4. Check out the food trucks: Grab a hot breakfast, coffee, or a box of sourdough doughnuts from one of many vendors and colorful food trucks. Take it to go or eat as you shop.

5. Bump into your neighbors, make some new friends: The market is a great place to rub elbows with your neighborhood friends and get to know the vendors and their products in a personal way.

6. Get up close and personal with the animals: Speaking of friends, don’t forget the two- and four-legged variety. The farmer’s market is pet-friendly so you will find dogs of all kinds on parade, and most Saturdays you can also see animals from the farm: a sheep, a calf, or a coop of chickens, and last week two baby goats with their mama—my own two kids were smitten.

7. Peruse local artisan and handmade gifts: Browse an incredible selection of goods from local artists and crafters of all kinds. In the market you can find artisan jewelry, candles, pottery, t-shirts, yarn, soaps, paintings, photography, artwork, upcycled goods and more!

To find your nearest market, check out the Richmond Farmer’s Market Guide.

Curious about what’s in Season in Virginia right now? See this Produce Calendar.

Photo Credit: Eivind Hauger

Have you ever celebrated Arbor Day with your kids?  Arbor Day is rooted in history and many nations observe a day of caring and planting trees, although the date varies according to planting season.  Arbor Day is Friday, April 25^th this year, so why not give it a try?

We had 5 cute little saplings to plant for our project.  Since our house is nestled in the woods, we didn’t have much room for trees to grow.  So we took a field trip over to a friend’s house who has space for trees to flourish.

As it turns out, my first grader had an assignment that week to measure using non-standard measurement.  A non-standard unit of measurement is using something that is consistent in size, such as a standard popsicle stick (all popsicle sticks measure the same length), whereas something like a banana would be too variable to use as a measurement tool because some bananas are large and some are small.  So, we turned it into an educational activity on several levels.

My son chose survey flags as his unit of non-standard measurement.  First, he walked the area and estimated how many flags he needed to leave between plantings.

Next, he measured exactly how many feet the saplings would be apart, using the survey flags.

Next, we guessed how long our item of non-standard measurement (the survey flag) was and then we measured it for comparison.

Next, my boys took turns digging holes. (ah-hem, next time we will pick a spot that is a little further away from an already established tree!)

The next step was exciting – and we planted our trees.

And finally, we watered them so they would grow nice and strong.

Overall it was a fun activity.  It was a great opportunity for our family to get out and enjoy nature and it was also helpful to our environment. For more information on Arbor Day, caring for and planting trees, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Kick off Earth Day right! Join us for light breakfast fare with items from some of our favorite local vendors as we discuss the environmental impact and importance of shopping, eating and living local.

Earth Day Global Sounds

Westhampton Green (Rain Location: TBA)

Andrew McGraw, director

Join the University of Richmond in celebrating traditional music and dance from around the world. This free, family-friendly concert features Japanese, Indonesian, West African, Indian, and Brazilian music and dance performances by local and visiting music ensembles. Audiences will be given an opportunity after the concert to see and interact with the instruments, including the gamelan and drums.