You will find this sculpture on Brown's Island near the foot of the bridge over the Haxall Canal at…read morethe of 7th Street. It is the work of Paul DiPasquale. The statue stands about 9 and a half feet tall and is made of bronze. It pays tribute to black boatman that operated on the James River. It depicts a man pulling an oar with both hands, while looking over his shoulder. The piece was dedicated in 1993 and is a replica of an original piece that was stolen, shot full of holes and vandalized in 1989. The original one was made of fiberglass and had over 400 bullet holes in it after it was found. The case was never solved. I like that the boat that the man is on is an actual boat with the back cut out and is made of cypress and oak. It is a very unique sculpture and I really like it. The detail put into the sculpture is off the charts. It is definitely a must see. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

The Headman Statue on Brown's Island depicts a 19th century James River boatman -- also known as a…read moreheadman -- and commemorates the early contributions of African-Americans to commerce in Richmond. Boatmen were essential to Richmond's canal system, which provided faster transport of raw materials and finished goods around the falls of the James. The statue is 14 feet high with a 23-foot "sweep" or oar. The bronze version was unveiled in November 1993. [Review 11801 overall, 1583 of 2019.]

LOVED the Festival of India! This is my first year attending, and I had the best time. I love…read moreseeing all the sarees and salwar kameez, the sparkling gems and intricate embroidery. The opulent and glimmering jewelry, I could look for hours! Watching the little girls dance is always a treat, but the star of the show is the food, of course! I've had butter chicken and biryani before so I really wanted to try something new. FIrst I had a kachori. This is basically a puffy paratha stuffed with lentils and seasoning. Then they fry it up (so it gets puffy) and poke a huge hole in the middle. They pour three different kinds of chutney in there... One is like raita (green chutney), then tamarind chutney, then cilantro chutney. Then, they top it with some diced red onions. You go shake some more spices on top and dig in. IT WAS AMAZING. Seriously, I want another one now just thinking about it. I love samosas, so I had several of those, a good chicken curry with rice and salad and a kati roll, which is like a wrap stuffed with coconut chicken and onions. I stuffed myself full of food and floated home on cloud 9. This is authentic, tasty Indian food and a fun experience. Appeal to your adventurous side and give it a whirl!

This was so fun! I was invited by a friend. We went on Saturday. It was at the convention center…read more There were so many booths of food! The options were great. I'm no Indian food expert, but I do have a few faves that I always get. I used this as an opportunity to try new things and I loved what I had. My bf is a novice at Indian food and he loved everything he tried. There was lots of vendors for shopping as well. Overall, I'm glad I went.

Starting in the 1800s, the area near what is now Richmond's Rothesay neighborhood was occupied by a…read morelarge number of granite quarries. As they closed and were allowed to fill with water, they became popular recreation spots. Back in 1931, a Richmond man named Jimmie Scott purchased four forested acres in Rothesay including the Philadelphia Quarry. Local legend holds that the quarry provided the stone used to build Philadelphia's expansive New Public Building, now known as City Hall, thereby earning its name. The next year, Scott opened The Philadelphia Quarry Club, a private swimming hole. The $50 yearly membership fee was out of reach for most Richmonders, especially at the height of the Depression. At first, the club leadership struggled to even build a permanent bath house. But despite financial difficulties, occasional algae blooms, toe-nibbling fish, and battles against the local nonpoisonous snake population, the exclusive and secretive club has survived to this day and now has more than 400 members. ‍‍

Owned by J. G. Pemberton, Saguaro Hill is a little piece of Arizona right here in Richmond!~…read more Anyone who has driven by this place has probably wondered what it is... apparently the back story is that after retiring a local Richmond citizen has actually set out to recreate a desert locale with his property. Having only seen it from the street I can't comment on the inside, but it's worth driving visitors by to gawk... there are a million kinds of cactii visible from the street and it looks like a theme park of sorts... I read up on it at the link below... This is definitely one of the quirkier aspects of Richmond, worth a drive by and maybe a tour if you can get one... http://books.google.com/books?id=-Uc5yO1eLe0C&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=saguaro+hill+pemberton&source=bl&ots=lOZk9N_9iB&sig=03moZ025xBeKjIUUX_IP7hzsfz4&hl=en&ei=TgoVTNauK8P7lwezxumPDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=saguaro%20hill%20pemberton&f=false

This is a neat distraction that catches your eye while driving down the road. It looks like a…read moreranch that is in a desert...cacti and everything! Fun to see.

BBQ, Sun, Music, Beer and its FREE to get it!! Hogtober Fest got it right!…read more This year for me there was a surprise in P&T Kitchen. You also had Halligan's, Buzz & Ned, Mosaic Food Truck, Extra Billy's and Alamo BBQ. For me the winner in 2013 will be Alamo BBQ (won it last two years). The fest also had a wine tent and very good beer selection to go along with the food options. My one advice is only buy 1 set of tasting tickets. Give everyone a go and use your money to get a real meal directly from the best (we chose Alamo BBQ). Overall great local neighborhood festival. Its a must go.

Hogtober 2014--Though it was a great turnout, the super long lines made this event pretty…read morefrustrating for a lot of people, including my group. I know the vendors were doing their best and I really felt bad for how overwhelmed they were! Coming super hungry wasn't the best idea either, so we decided to leave while waiting in our first line to go down the road to the Alamo. With no line and their full menu, we were very happy with our decision.

This is located off of the Richmond Canal. It is home to two of the most awesome sculptures that I…read morehave ever seen, Freedom and The Headsman. There is also the The Mill Sculpture there too. There is metered street parking available within a reasonable walking distance and it is open from sunrise to sunset. This park has a ton of green space which makes it more than suitable for special events, concerts and festivals. Some events held here include Earth Day Festival, Friday Cheers concert series, and the Richmond Folk Festival. There was a rock festival going on while I was there that charged admission. The island is named after Elijah Brown, the lands first settler, who acquired the land in 1826. A later owner named Neilson tried to rename the island as Neilson's Island, but it did not last. This park offers 6 acres of pretty much wide open space and is well maintained. It is really not a destination spot though, outside of special events. It is still a nice place to visit if you are in the area and the sculptures are must sees.

Been here plenty of times for concerts and I love it. Parking sucks but it is what it is in a city…read more Finally took a walk around the actual trails and it's absolutely beautiful. Def somewhere to go for beautiful sights and plenty of things to see

Carytown is one of the most charming areas in RVA! There's parking scattered throughout the…read moredifferent shops and along the streets. Wall murals cover any free wall space & the business are diverse! Highly recommend checking this area of Richmond out. Plan to spend a few hours strolling the streets, taking in the art, browsing the many unique stores, grabbing a cupcake & taking in the sights!

This is a unique area with modern shops, and restaurants mixed in with nostalgia. The area was safe…read moreand very well patrolled by local police. Fortunately, I read about parking issues before I arrived. I parked on a street adjacent to the main street that housed the many restaurants and shops. The area was very easy to navigate and it was a nice walk even on a hot August day!

We've gone several years and look forward to it every year. It's a small festival in a neighborhood…read moresetting and the crowd is pretty chill, so it's great for families. The food is fantastic - especially if you're an oyster fanatic (like me). They have Rappahannock oysters served raw, steamed, fried, and in oyster po' boys. There are brats, fries, hushpuppies, and a hot dog kids meal (for those who don't partake). Speaking of kids, there's a fenced area with bounce houses and slides so my kids spent most of the day wearing themselves out which works out great for me. There's also a bike valet area, so a good number of people ride there, check their bike in, and avoid having to find parking. There's a good variety of craft beer, macro beer, wine, and water/sodas - so pretty much something for everyone. The music varies - usually they have bluegrass early in the day, then it gets more rock and roll later on.

This year, the Oystoberfest was held in the Historic Ginter Park on the grounds of an Episcopal…read morechurch. There was ample parking in a parking area of another church don the street, street parking availability (although there was some terrible street parking going on, nose to nose instead of nose to tail.. ), and more parking across the street. Sidewalks made it easoer for people to walk over, families came together, friends met up. Admission is free but a siggested $2.00 was given to the food bank's fund. I went and got 20 tickets, a dollar a piece. I immediately went to the oyster tent and ordered a dozen steamed oysters. Succulent and fresh, it was perfection as it melted in my mouth. Children played in leaf piles and moon bounces, there were beer tents throughout, a love music crew who looked pretty young but were rockin' out the crowd like a boss. Another good thing coming to many festivals recently is the ability use your credit card to purchase either items or tickets. This festival also provided bike valet!! Inside a huge tent, ample ample tables and chairs set up for people to sit and eat and more tables and chairs under the sun. A lot of people brought their pets. Joy and laughter, much eating and definitely full bellies made this event a 5 star event! Can't wait fo next year!