It is so hot today and they have no free water stations! Also its much smaller than in prior years…read more They also have less quality venders this years. No gelati celecti, no savory grain, no alchemy coffee. BUT I was excited to get the bacon batter gator bites but they didn't taste like bacon and they only give you 3 bites. Dont get me wrong they were delicious i just thought i should get a 4th piece. Also they open at noon. Why? I want them to open at 11am when its slightly cooler.

If bacon is your preferred meat of choice well this is the festival for you. There was no shortage…read moreof pork embellished dishes at this event. From traditional dishes of bacon cheeseburgers and ribs to unique treats of bacon infused drinks and desserts, there was something for everyone. The set up of the event could have been better. All the popular stands and dishes were all on a narrow hill towards the back of the festival. If you wanted a funnel cake garnished in bacon or a mountain of butterfly fries drenched in cheese and bacon the wait was as long as P. Diddy's child support payments but it was worth the wait and the calories. There was an open field which could have been utilized more. This more than likely avoided though due to the temperature being on fleek, reaching almost 100 degrees that day. Most stands were attempting to be under some sort of shade or trees, which caused the congestion of people in some areas of the event. Despite the heat and crowd the festival was filled with delightful sounds and smells. From the bands jamming and covering recent radio favorites to the decadent bacon creations, the festival was highly enjoyable. A stylish hat and cool spot in the shade is a must to attend this fatty festival. I will definitely attend this event again next year. Let's just pray for cooler temperatures to go alongside our bacon!

I really enjoyed this festival. Two big tents on Brown's Island were filled with beer, beer and…read moremore beer. There were microbreweries from all over the United States, lots of Belgian beers, German breweries, Scotland breweries and more. Your $40 ticket gets you a tasting cup and all the two-ounce beers you can drink. There was also a VIP ticket ($75) that got you access to an extra tent with snacks and a free T-shirt. I didn't think the added benefits were worth the cost. There were two sessions, one from 12-4 and one from 6-10. I went for the afternoon session. What I liked: it was surprisingly un-crowded. There was a very good ratio of breweries to people and I hardly ever had to wait in line. We arrived a few minutes before the event started and were very impress with the organization. While we waited people came by to check our IDs, give us armbands and programs so when it was time we could walk right on in. Some beers were poured by volunteers, but a lot were poured by actual employees of the breweries who could give educated information about what you were tasting and the brewery. I was also pretty pleased with the food selection. While many events like this just have fair food like nachos and funnel cakes, there were local restaurants with booths set up here. I chowed down on a spring roll and some tasty Asian chicken from Ginger Thai. India K'raja had a booth too. Some of my favorites were: 21st Amendment Brewery Brew Free! or Die IPA, Bluegrass Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Stout, Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale and Williams Brothers Brewing Co. Joker IPA. I was also happy to see some local breweries like Legend, St. George, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Starr Hill and Blue Mountain Brewery. Some standard beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Newcastle and Bud Light Wheat were also being poured, which was kind of weird, but the more the merrier. My only complaint: all the beers were divided under two tents and it got HOT under them. I wish there were some fans or something to keep the air moving. It wasn't a huge deal, though, we just stepped outside when we needed to cool off. I'll definitely return to this event next year.

The best beer festival Richmond has hosted yet. Represented were some of the heavy hitters like…read moreBoston Beer, Dogfish Head, Chimay, and Sierra Nevada; local breweries like Legend, Star Hill, St. George, and Blue Mountain; and a wide variety of beers from around the world. We attended the second session (6-10pm) and enjoyed the cooler temps. The crowds weren't bad at all and I never had to wait more than a minute to try a sample. Some of the more interesting beers I had included the Von Steenberge Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale and the Dogfish Head Forte, a raspberry beer with a 18.5% alcohol content. This wasn't as big as the versions down in Carolina but I hope it was well attended enough in its first year for them to bring it back next year!

I had an incredible time at the Chesterfield County Fair last night! I went with my fiancé and a…read morefriend. We decided to do an engagement photoshoot at the fair for some unique photos. They allowed me to bring in my camera, but know that you can only bring in clear bags or small purses. Entry for adults was $12. We went on a Wednesday around 8pm. On weeknights they are open until 11pm. I had really low expectations and was pleasantly surprised, this fair was amazing! We stayed until closing. We caught the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack show which was a bit cheesy, but still fun. We then caught an incredible circus show with acrobats, stuntmen, and more. We were in awe after their performances. We got a lot of fun photos on the rides and at one of the games. We had fun riding the merry go round and the ferris wheel. In between rides we got a really yummy fried cheesecake. We played my favorite fair game, the water race. Everyone who worked the fair was extremely kind. It was such a nostalgic and fun evening. We closed our evening with some hot dogs and fried oreos. The fair is great fun for all ages! Like most fairs and carnivals, do know that it can get expensive with games, rides, and food, but it's a blast. Their is free parking right across the street from the main entrance. There were women and men restrooms in indoor spaces. They even had fair prize winners on display in certain rooms. I loved this fair and can't wait to go again next year.

As long as I've lived in Richmond, I can't believe this was my first time to the CCF…read more Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. Primarily because it's so small! Not a lot of rides. Not a lot of vendors. Not a lot of games. Not a lot of food options. Long, slow lines to get in. We two adults and three kids managed to have a fun time regardless. I liked the butterfly exhibit. Appreciated the clean bathrooms in the exhibit area. Convenient parking at L.C. Bird right across the street. If you're going to ride rides, find your wristband for half price ($12.50) online or... we got ours at a bank. It'll still cost you $10 (adults) to just get in. Doubtful I go again, but it does seem like a fun place to be if you live nearby. It felt like a small, community event.

Super fun! I hope it returns next year; I'll come with a bigger appetite.read more

This was a lot of fun. The music was great.. It could be heard all the way down on the other end,…read moreand it made you want to dance in the street! there were really good food trucks there, and the crowd was big but not over powering. I really liked the location of this event because it was easy to get to and find a park. The one thing that I didn't care for was it was advertised as a free event, with all these things for kids but all the great things for kids required a bunch of tickets. (Thumbs down!!!) clearly the theme of the day was pumpkin because every food booth/truck had some sort of pumpkin flavored food item on the menu. The only thing I ate was a pumpkin pecan cupcake from Ukrops/Martins and let me tell you... It was dee-licious!!! I will be looking for those in martins for sure. I stopped at the crave-tini booth and got a mini-manicure for my daughter. She loved it... But she messed up 5 nails at the movin mania booth when she was jumping rope. There goes that $5 mani! We also stopped by a baptist church booth that had free halloween arts and crafts making pipe cleaner spiders and bat pencil toppers. We painted a face on a gord that supported refugees in the area. Overall.. This event was great, and a lot of fun. Honorable mention... We stopped by the yelp booth, checked in and got a prize by throwing darts at a board. Who doesnt love to throw darts, great event !

The first time I tried to attend the Church Hill Irish Festival, a few years ago, I walked in and…read morewalked out. It was so packed I couldn't breathe. This year I was able to handle the crowds a touch better but not by much. They really need to expand their footprint to make for a nicer festival experience. The festival happenings -- bands, drinks, food, etc. -- are all great fun. It'd just be nice to have perhaps some more seating and shade options. I feel like if they even just expanded two or three blocks, it'd be way better.

A fun annual event in churchill. The last time my husband and I went was about 2 years ago, but…read morethis was the first place I tried a "Mrs. Yoder's Donut". That was when I realized the meaning of a True Love's first bite. haha Unfortunately, Mrs. Yoder's was not at this event this year (or at least on the Saturday I showed up - haha). Beer selection is great as always - I was the DD so I partied hard first and then spent the rest of the time sobering up. As always, my husband and I order a beef Proper Pie "sandwich" to split, and then we finished the rest of the late afternoon with some Alamo BBQ! Both were delicious and the place was very crowded. Def be sure to wash your feet when you get home...mine was filthy and I wore some flip flops. There are a whole lot of other food trucks around the area and lots of local shops to shop if you're walking around. I tend to come for the social gathering with friends and (of course) the food!!! haha P.S. - a VERY helpful tip. Since it's soooo crowded here, I ended up wearing a fedora, because whenever my husband and I would lose each other, I would actually just hop up and down. He would then be able to find me. Just a suggestion - haha.

It was super hot. Even in a tent…read more Price: Free admission but food and drink were a little bit expensive for the small portion. Water $2. Lechon $7. Rumpia $2. Cake $4. Halo halo $6. Taste: Delicious! Lechon(roasted pig) was simply good. Tender and juicy. The skin was crispy and flavorful. Halo halo(sweet bean, carnation milk, pudding, boiled banana, shaved ice, etc...) was good too. That was my first fantastic experience I've not done in Philippine somehow. Vender: Clothes, soap, info, etc... No Yelp this year... Historical Church tour: I didn't try but must be good. They kept saying, 'AC is there.' From 2:00 and 4:00pm. Show: Dance shows were fun. I'm not sure why they had some opera shows tho. Too loud. I wished they had a break time to enjoy talking with friends. Parking: Free.

Welcome to a taste of the Philippines right in Richmond' s backyard. The Filipino Fest was a…read moregreat way to get a flavor of the Filipino culture with a sampling of the cultures food, music, dancing, and great people. They had a tent with food to include favorites like turon, pancit, lumpia, & empanadas. Grab a meal ticket, check off what you'd like, take it up to the both and pay, then wait and they'll hand you your order. They do take square & card payments. They have tropical drinks: halo*halo, mango puree, & cantaloupe drink with fresh pieces inside. They had a Hawaiian shaved ice truck and a soda & water tent. They had a desert tent which I didn't visit there. The eating area was large with covered tents and also in the wooded area nearby. They had plenty of craft vendors, history tent, tourism tents, & best of all a Yelp tent make sure to meet the event rep take a pic, & get a free food voucher to use the event day! I Had a great time Mabuhay!

This is the second time that we have come to this event. It is a great time. Family friendly and…read moreplenty to drink. Held at the Pocahontas State Park amphitheater. There are about 20 different craft beer breweries present. As well as a bud light truck. There is only 1 place to eat this year. Last time there were 3 different places. I guess food trucks didn't want to come. There has been a jump house both times we came. Bring a chair if you want to have a seat. If not there is seating real close to the band. It can get loud down there.

As a Yelper, I like to dabble in the events here and there to explore more of the great RVA. So I…read morestumbled upon the contest, and boom! I won free tickets to the Beer Expo! At first, I was not quite sure what I was going to expect, but it turned out to be more fun than I thought! I greatly appreciate the laid back feel to it and how you can enjoy your friends' company without being boggled down by all the vendors. The benefit of going to the event actually came in handy couple of days ago when my friends and I were looking for some refreshing summer drinks. So I used my great knowledge from the event and recommended some drinks for people to try out. My homies loved it and I feel they were grateful that I attended :) Also, I feel that I am now able to go and try variety of breweries throughout VA and beyond!

Cool experience.... Surrounded by beer connoisseurs!! Definitely something to bring friends out to…read morefor a good time. Be prepared to drink your life away. Parking wasn't difficult and location was pretty easy to navigate.