This Saturday (5/12) from 1 to 9 p.m. it’s the Virginia Hops and Barley Festival at Historic Malvern. Your ticket, which costs $15 in advance or $20 at the door (a $35 VIP ticket is also available) gets you unlimited tastings of more than 30 Virginia craft beers. There’ll also be live music all day, food and full beers for purchase for $5 each.

Next Sunday (5/20) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. you’ll have the chance to try some more local beers, along with fare from Richmond’s food carts at the Food Cart Derby. About 20 of Richmond’s best food trucks will be setting up shop at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market. For once, you don’t have to track ‘em down—they’ll all be in one place serving up a variety of cuisines. As if that’s not enough, there’ll also be beers from a dozen local craft breweries for sipping, and live music. For more information, check out Richmond.com’s story about the event.

Start out at Rocketts Landing on Richmond’s James River (there is also a starting point in Williamsburg), register for the length you want to bike (100, 50, or 25 miles, you can also register in person on the day of the ride), and plan for some cycling fun in this non-competitive ride. You’ll bike through Civil War battlefields, as well as farmland that remains relatively unchanged since colonial times. Each route is a loop, so you’ll end where you started. At Rocketts Landing, there’ll be lunch, an expo and a party after the race. Riders get swag, a t-shirt and lunch at the finish.

Arts in the Park takes place this Saturday, 5/5 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 5/6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. During this time, more than 450 artists from across the United States will bring their creations to Byrd Park for your shopping pleasure. There’ll be local jewelry, national paintings, textiles, ceramics, woodwork and more at this juried art show. In addition, there are food vendors so you can snack while you shop.

Admission is free, and you can park nearby or take a shuttle from the City Stadium parking lot. It’s a great way to shop in some of they city’s most beautiful scenery.

If you come to town on Saturday, April 21, you can taste ten of them at the Capital Ale House Downtown Music Hall’s Virginia Cask Festival. Your ticket, $20 in advance and $25 at the door, gets you in to one of two four-hour sessions from noon to 4 p.m. or 6 to 10 p.m. Along with admission, you’ll get a glass to keep and eight two-ounce tastings. If that’s not enough, you can also buy more tastes for $2 each. The Virginia breweries there will include:

Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Richmond-based Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Richmond-based Legend Brewing Company
Mad Fox Brewing Company
O’Connnor Brewing Company
Port City Brewing Company
Starr Hill Brewery
Williamsburg AleWerks
Wild Wolf Brewing Company
St. George Brewing Company

Sounds like  a perfectly hop-filled festival. Cheers!

This super-fun shop-portunity, dubbed by the Craft Mafia as “the BOSS of all craft shows,” will host more than 60 independent crafters from Richmond and across the nation selling all kinds of cool stuff. You’ll find handmade perfume, crazy toys, wall art, clothing, accessories, stationery and more. Take some one-of-a-kind stuff home, then when your friends jealously ask where you got it, brag about how it’s handcrafted and one-of-a-kind.

While you’re in the Manchester area, also make sure you sidle over to Artspace, the spacious gallery located inside Plant Zero that’s open from 12 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, as well as to ArtWorks, right next door, which is open from 12 to 6 p.m. and boasts artists’ studios and five galleries you’re welcome to wander through.

Happy shopping!

There’ll be eight bands playing, including De La Soul, Yo La Tango, Dum Dum Girls and Shabazz Palaces. There’ll also be food and libations for sale, and you’re welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets so you can camp out and enjoy the  tunes all day. Regular admission tickets cost $35, and VIP tickets, which include preferred parking, a T-shirt and access to a VIP lounge, cost $100. The event will be held rain or shine.

Plan your weekend at The Grace Manor Inn now. We’ll give you a delicious three-course gourmet breakfast to prepare you for the day and help you plan the rest of your weekend in town.

Starting in April, seven food trucks will be setting up in the parking lot of the Virginia Historical Society and serving up myriad cuisine for your eating pleasure on Tuesdays and Fridays between 6 and 9 p.m. Boka Truck will be there with globally influenced fusion takos—think shrimp n’ grits, pork belly, or duck confit served in corn tortillas. There’ll also be gourmet sandwiches and paninis from Sustenance Food Truck and Dressed & Pressed. Habanero’s will be there with authentic Mexican fare. Plus, Crossroads truck will be mixing up coffee drinks and other libations, and Mister Softee will have ice cream for dessert. It’s a great way to sample culinary creations from one or several of these talented cooks while you’re in town.

To find out more, check out the Richmond Food Truck Court Facebook page.

Shamrock the Block 2012, Saturday, March 17, 12 to 6 p.m.
This free St. Patrick’s Day celebration takes place in Richmond’s historic Shockoe Bottom. There’s plenty of fair food, live music all day, green beer and even children’s activities. It’s a fun way to spend a day outside in Richmond. Click here to see the band lineup.

St. Patrick’s Day Party, Capital Ale House All locations, March 17
Richmond-based beer bar and restaurant are hosting festivities on St. Patrick’s Day. Live music begins at 4 p.m. at the downtown location and at 2:30 p.m. at Innsbrook. Both will have ten Scottish and Irish beers on tap, along with more in the bottle, and Irish food and desserts all day long.

12th Annual St. Pat’s Street Party, Sine Irish Pub, March 17
Don some green and head to Sine for a lively all-day-long St. Patrick’s celebration that starts at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and runs until close. This celebration gets full fast and gets crazy as the night wears on, so if you’re interested, go early. There’ll be live music all day, as well as a DJ spinning tunes in a tent out back.

Church Hill Irish Festival, March 24 and 25
This is a must-visit for closing out the St. Patrick’s fun. For a $2 donation that goes to area charities and to preserve St. Patrick’s Church, you get access to a day of music, Irish dancing, children’s activities, thirty Irish craft booths, Irish food, plenty of Guinness, and more.

If you’re looking to celebrate and skip the driving, we at the Grace Manor Inn can help you find transportation to and from your lovely room.