Elise Steele.jpg

Elise Steele

Newsletter Editor

Elise moved to Richmond on a whim after graduating from college in 2021, and she’s loved the city ever since. When she’s not crafting the next RICtoday newsletter, she’s probably spending time outside, shopping local thrift stores, reading (as a proud library book borrower), or making a trip to Lamplighter for a Thai Coffee + Slayer Bagel.

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A blue sky with dozens of kites; people at the bottom of the frame hold kite strings and tilt their heads up toward the sky.
Events
Plan Ahead: Don’t miss these events happening in Richmond
Bookmark this page to your favorites tab so you can quickly return and find the top events happening each month in Richmond.
March 27, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
Poet Mary Oliver sits on a chair; she holds a dog in her arms and looks in its direction; the dog has multiple spots on its back, ears, and over one eye.
Culture
VCU professor to premiere documentary about poet Mary Oliver
Attend the Richmond premiere of “Saved by the Beauty of the World” at the 32nd James River Film Festival.
March 24, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A girl blows bubbles in the direction of a yellow labrador dog wearing a green bandana around its neck.
Culture
Find a volunteer gig in Richmond based on your personality type
What kind of volunteer are you? Find out, and see what upcoming local opportunity suits your style.
March 23, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_rainwater_harvesting_MARCH
Real Estate
Learn how to harvest rainwater + get a starter kit in Richmond
Help conserve water and lower your bills with a rainwater harvesting system in your backyard.
March 19, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_hummingbird_MARCH
Travel and Outdoors
Catch a glimpse of migrating hummingbirds in Richmond
The birds are coming back through our area, and we rounded up the best spots to see them around town.
March 19, 2026
 · 
Patrick Sidwell
RIC_lafayette tavern_FEB
Food
Restaurant roundup: New and coming soon to Richmond
Try out these new places and see what to look forward to in the River City’s restaurant scene.
March 18, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
The Pink Cadillac Diner building with cars parked in front and a background of trees and a blue sky with clouds.
Travel and Outdoors
Underrated day trips from the Richmond area
Eager to get on the road, but don’t want to travel too far? Adventure out to these driveable destinations, and check out our bonus recommendations for weekend stays.
March 18, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
The VCU men's basketball team posing on a basketball court with the A10 Championship title.
Sports
🏀 VCU Rams + UR Spiders join the NCAA Tournament
Root for these RVA teams heading to the “Big Dance.”
March 16, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A graphic from Style Weekly; The background is aqua blue, and a central text bubble shows "Best of Richmond 2026" in pink bubble-letter text; text wrapping around the central text repeats "Readers' Poll" and displays "Style Weekly" in the top right; A zig-zag bubble at the top left of the central text features a pink background and yellow border; yellow text in the bubble says "Vote Now March 9-31"
Culture
Vote for RICtoday in Best of Richmond 2026 poll
RICtoday has been nominated in Style Weekly’s annual Best of Richmond poll, and you can cast your votes now through the end of March.
March 13, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_veiled_mirror_small_biz_MARCH
Small Business
Local love: RICtoday’s guide to reader-recommended small businesses
Put your money where your community is and help us create a guide to small businesses by submitting your favorite local spots and sharing this page with a friend.
March 12, 2026
 · 
Staff
RIC_winter_MARCH
City
Breaking down the city’s 2026 winter storm report
Crunch the numbers with us, and see what areas of improvement the city noted following Richmond’s double-header winter storms.
March 11, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A grassy area of colorful wildflowers.
Travel and Outdoors
How to turn your Richmond yard into a mini wildlife haven
Help beautify your neighborhood, and become part of a nationwide habit network.
March 10, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A dock in Woodstock, Virginia.
Travel and Outdoors
Northern Virginia day trips to add to your bucket list
Looking to escape Northern Virginia without going far? Here are eight day trips to go on throughout the year.
March 9, 2026
 · 
Ava Wojnowski
A hand-painted emblem represents Legend Brewing Company's "My Faire Lady" beer. The painting is in the shape of an oval with two overlaid gold and navy blue banners below the bottom rim of the oval; the first, outer layer of the oval includes the text, "My Faire Lady" and a wreath of greenery; the interier oval includes encompassing greenery over a red background on the top section and a green background on the bottom section; a white unicorn, central to the emblem, rears its front legs upward, and a woman wearing a navy blue dress with red and gold accent + a gold hood sits atop the unicorn, weilding an upward sword.
Events
RVA Ren Faire + Legend Brewing Co. collab on specialty beer + release party
“My Faire Lady” debuts this weekend. Learn about the beer, the party, and the inspiration behind the beer’s hand-painted symbol.
March 3, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A pink pillow with a needlepoint-made patch that reads, "Ask me about my needlepoint."
Culture
Where to find needlepoint supplies around Richmond, VA
Needlepoint is one of the hottest “anolog” hobbies right now. Find our where to find supplies and meet other stitchers.
March 2, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A collection of sticky notes and pieces of colorful paper pined to a map, laid out on a table; the notes have writing on them.
City
Help shape RVA’s future with these three feedback opportunities
We found three online surveys to help you share feedback on budgeting, parks, and public safety.
February 25, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_varina_library_FEB
Culture
Library speed dating: Varina Area Library
Fall in love with your local libraries in and around Richmond.
February 23, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
An exhibit from The Valentine Museum of the lunch counter from Richmond sit-ins
History
Honoring the legacy of the Richmond 34
In February 1960, 34 Virginia Union Students were arrested for a sit-in protest — a pivotal moment in Richmond’s Civil Rights Movement.
February 20, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_repair_cafe_FEB
Culture
Q+A: Repair Café RVA shares its most sentimental mend
“A thing is so much more than a thing when it connects you to a person” — Local Repair Café founder Jenny Kobayashi Malone shares a heartfelt memory.
February 17, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A pool table underneath a purple-hued light in the back of Fuzzy Cactus; the table stands on a black and white checkered floor; in the background are various decorations, a table with two chairs, pool sticks, and a jukebox.
Culture
10+ places to play pool in Richmond
Whether you’re a novice or a pool shark, there’s a table for you in the River City
February 12, 2026
 · 
David Lefkowitz
Two people sitting at a table, one looking at a clock; the person is wearing a blue T-shirt and blue vest with glasses resting up on the brow line.
Culture
Q+A : One Year of Repair Café RVA
Rounding the corner on Repair Café RVA’s first anniversary, we chat with organizer Jenny Kobayashi Malone about community impact, milestone repairs, and future goals.
February 10, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_brandcenter_grads_FEB
Business
VCU Brandcenter alums land big-name Super Bowl commercial
Learn how these two Brandcenter students catapulted from graduation to the Super Bowl, and get an early look at the ad they helped create.
February 4, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
A Google Street View screenshot of the exterior facade of Penny Lane Pub.
Culture
Film documentary to spotlight Penny Lane Pub owner in Richmond, VA
“Big Scouse” will look into the living legacy of Terry O’Neill, the man who founded Penny Lane in downtown Richmond.
February 3, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
Monks with the Walk for Peace walking through Richmond, VA.
Walk for Peace reaches 100-day milestone in Richmond, VA
The Venerable Monks of the Dhammacetiya passed through Richmond for the Walk of Peace on Sunday, Feb. 1, and Monday, Feb. 2.
February 2, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RICtoday_ICAVPMMediaCenter_Podcast
Culture
Listen Local: 20+ podcasts in Richmond
Whether you’re interested in local news, music, sports, or wellness, there’s a River City podcast for you.
January 29, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
Rows of blue folding seats in the stands of CarMax Park; Each seat has a sign that says "Richmond Flying Squirrels / Sold"
Sports
Flying Squirrels to host ticket lottery for Opening Night
Baseball fans and anyone curious about the new stadium have until Friday, Feb. 27, to enter a randomized ticket lottery for Opening Night at CarMax Park.
January 27, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
An orange tabby cat looking into the camera.
Culture
Charleston pets: Our reigning cats
We asked readers to send us photos of their Charleston-resident pets. And they delivered.
January 27, 2026
 · 
Patrick Sidwell
RIC_real_estate_JAN
Real Estate
1960s time-capsule sells in Northside, RVA
Take a brief tour through 1960s nostalgia.
January 24, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
Two individuals holding snow shovels at Richmond ToolBank,; Individuals stand in front of industrial shelves holding additional snow shovels, and between a shopping cart carrying more snow shovels.
City
Richmond ToolBank lends free snow shovels to locals
Local nonprofit Richmond TookBank has pooled its resources together to help equip Richmonders for the winter-weather weekend.
January 22, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
RIC_VMFA_Expansion_JAN
City
A closer look at VMFA’s $261M expansion
With new project renderings, Richmonders can better understand what VMFA’s upcoming expansion will look like.
January 21, 2026
 · 
Elise Steele
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