Publisher: Richmond Hotels, Things To Do, Events, Restaurants and Visitors Guide

From Hollywood fame to iconic exhibits and more, there are countless new ways to experience the Richmond Region! Check out the latest happenings here, or contact Erin Bagnell for more info and story ideas. HAPPENING NOW NEW downtown festival celebrates music, art and food Sept. 6-7 The Richmond Region will celebrate its distinctive culture with local food vendors and artist displays set to the backdrop of more than 40 bands across four different venues. 2013 is the inaugural year for this event, organized solely by volunteers from the local community. Stay tuned for more details! Beer, bourbon, cider and wine on tap in the Region Richmond is buzzing - literally - as local brewers continue to open up shop around the region, which is fitting for the home of the #1 Great American Beer Bar (CraftBeer.com, 2012)! Beer lovers can get the ultimate craft beer experience by hopping aboard the recently-launched Richmond Brewery Tours. And with a new cidery, winery and bourbon distillery opening in recent months, this buzz is sure to last. History meets Hollywood in the Richmond Region: Walk in the footsteps of Lincoln and Spielberg Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" was filmed entirely in Virginia, at sites in Richmond and Petersburg. The Richmond Region invites visitors to walk in the footsteps of Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and President Lincoln himself, and explore filming locations and favorite sites of the cast and crew. Richmond Region film locations such as the Virginia Capitol and Maymont are offering special Lincoln-themed tours. Hotels are offering Lincoln-themed packages, restaurants are offering Lincoln-themed specials and menu items, and attractions are offering discounts for showing your Lincoln movie ticket stub. Visitors can also follow a self-guided tour of the Lincoln Trail which includes film locations that are open for visitors as well as restaurants, bars and shops that were frequented by the stars. Details about the Lincoln Trail and special deals can be found at VisitRichmondVa.com/Lincoln. New, permanent exhibit NOW OPEN at Science Museum of Virginia Featuring cutting-edge design and technology, Boost! challenges perceptions of health and wellness by encouraging visitors to explore mind, body and lifestyle in a fun and playful way. As the first permanent exhibition to be added in a decade, Boost! kicks off a new and exciting future for the museum. Kings Dominion debuts world's largest Peanuts-themed kids area with Planet Snoopy The world's largest Peanuts-themed children's area is NOW OPEN at Kings Dominion. Planet Snoopy, a multi-million dollar expansion of King's Dominion's former kids zone, will feature 14 acres of 12 new or re-themed attractions, including two live shows, a monorail, and an open-air marketplace based on some of the world's most beloved comic strip characters. Virginia Historical Society explores impact of music with newest exhibit Although separated by one hundred years, music defined both the Civil War and civil rights eras, and it continues to shape our memory of those dramatic periods in our nation's history. Revolutions: Songs of Social Change, open through December 2013, takes visitors on a musical journey to discover how these songs have become woven into our culture. Battle of Gettysburg inspires newest exhibit at Museum of the Confederacy 2013 is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and no event of the American Civil War has been romanticized and documented more than the last great charge by General Longstreet's men on the Battle's third day, historically referred to as "Pickett's Charge." Gettysburg: They Walked Through Blood, open now through September 2014, tells the story of this dramatic event primarily through the display of the battle flags carried by the units of Major General George Pickett's Virginia Division. Thirteen of the fifteen battle flags carried by regiments in Pickett's division were captured in the charge. All but one of the thirteen were given to the Museum of the Confederacy in 1905 when, by resolution of Congress, the United States War Department returned the captured Confederate flags to the southern states. Riverside Outfitters makes the river more accessible with new Brown's Island outpost It's now easier than ever for visitors to experience the fun and excitement of the James River with Riverside Outfitter's urban outpost now open for summer. Rent stand up paddleboards, kayaks, mountain bikes and more for the ultimate outdoor adventure. ON THE HORIZON 9th Annual Richmond Folk Festival slated for Oct. 11-13, 2013 Last year, more than 200,000 people visited downtown Richmond's riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance traditional crafts, storytelling and food. The Richmond Folk Festival has become one of Virginia's largest and most-loved events of the year and has been voted as the best musical festival in Richmond several years running. This FREE three-day festivalfeatures more than 30 performers on seven live music stages, along witha Virginia Folklife demonstration area, children's activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods and more. InLight Richmond set to light up historic Canal Walk Nov. 8 Organized by the 1708 Gallery, InLight Richmond is an annual exhibition of light-based performances, sculpture, large-format projections and interactive projects. This free, public art exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to engage with contemporary art in a community atmosphere. Hollywood Costumes exhibit makes sole east coast appearance at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in November In November 2013, the VMFA welcomes Hollywood Costume, allowing visitors to explore the central role of costume design in cinematic storytelling by bringing together more than 100 of the most iconic movie costumes of this century. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by unforgettable and beloved characters in films such as "The Wizard of Oz," "The Birds," "My Fair Lady," "Superman," "Titanic," "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and "The Dark Knight Rises." VMFA is the only East Coast venue for this exhibition and many of the costumes have never been publicly displayed or seen beyond the secure walls of the studio archives. The exhibit runs through Feb. 17, 2014. ‘Tis the season for tacky lights in the Richmond Region Named one of the Ten Great Places to See Christmas Lights (USA Today, 2012), the Richmond Region's grand illuminations are sure to put visitors in the holiday spirit. Dominion GardenFest of Lights - held nightly from 5-10 p.m., Nov. 29, 2013 - Jan. 13, 2014 (closed Dec. 24 & 25) at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - is a favorite tradition, featuring more than a half million lights, botanical decorations, trains, holiday dinners, family activities and more. And the lights don't stop there. Locals embrace the craze, often competing for a spot on one of the Region's many tacky lights tours routes. Stay tuned for details! Holiday Happenings A Federal Christmas at the John Marshall House - Nov. 30, 2013: Celebrate the holidays with the Marshall family at an open house with themed tours and featured artifacts. Court End Christmas - Dec. 8, 2013: Ten historic downtown sites host a free holiday open house, featuring tours, living history and reenactments, gift shops, children's activities, refreshments, carriage rides, music and special guest appearances. Participating sites for 2013 include the Valentine Richmond History Center and the Wickham House, the John Marshall House, the Virginia State Capitol, the Virginia Executive Mansion, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Monumental Church, the Egyptian Building, the Beers House and St. John's Church. Richmond Ballet's "The Nutcracker" - Dec. 14-23, 2013: Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Stoner Winslett's version of The Nutcracker has been called, "Perfect...In my dream version of America, every state has a Nutcracker this good" (Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times). This grand Richmond tradition returns with live music by the Richmond Symphony. Holiday packages at the historic Jefferson Hotel - 2013 details coming soon. 2014 AND BEYOND Region prepares to host UCI World Road Cycling Championships in 2015 This pinnacle cycling event will bring top cyclists to the Region in a rare opportunity to compete for their country just as they do in the Olympics. From Sept. 19-27, 2015, Richmond will welcome more than 1,500 athletes and 450,000 spectators to this global event, joining the ranks of other world-renowned hosts such as Lisbon, Madrid, Melbourne, Copenhagen and Florence. In preparation for the international event, Richmond will also host the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships May 2-4, 2014. New Outlet mall to open in Hanover County Outlets at Richmond is set to be built just off of I-95 near Bass Pro Shops and should be open in time for next year's holiday shopping season. Stay tuned for details! HOTELS & ACCOMODATIONS NEW hotel coming to downtown Richmond A new, 210-room hotel is coming to downtown Richmond! Located at Cary and 14th Streets, 75 rooms will be Residence Inn rooms, and 135 will be Courtyard by Marriott rooms. Additionally, the development will house exhibit and office space for the First Freedom Center, a nonprofit that promotes religious freedom. Chesterfield hotel purchased, rebranded as DoubleTree Formerly the Holiday Inn Koger center, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond - Midlothian is now open. Just a short drive from downtown Richmond, the newly rebranded hotel offers 237 guest rooms, 26,000 square feet of flexible conference space, two ballrooms, a business center, the latest A/V equipment, professional event planners and acclaimed catering services.