Historic Richmond Inns

Planning to spend Mother’s Day in the RVA? Here are some best bets for making Mom smile!

Mother’s Day Tea at Maymont

Popular Maymont Mansion will feature a special Mother’s Day Tea this year during its commemoration of the 100^th Anniversary of its Japanese Gardens. At 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 12, guests will enjoy a Japanese tea ceremony on the lawn. Special guest, Toko Yomura will explain the traditions of the tea, and how both the Victorian and Japanese cultures celebrate important occasions with the ritual of taking tea. The $25 fee for non-members, or $20 fee for members includes an afternoon tour of the Mansion.

Mother’s Day Concert at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Lucky moms can spend May 13th at the beautiful Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Enjoy the morning touring the gardens and Garden shop, and plan to have lunch at Bloemendaal House or the Garden Café. A free jazz concert by Glenroy and Company will start at 1:00 PM. Visitors are welcome to and encouraged to bring picnic blankets and chairs (but no baskets or coolers).

Museum District Mother’s Day House & Garden Tour

From 1 – 6 PM on May 13, enjoy the biggest event of the year in the Museum District: the Mother’s Day House & Garden Tour. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event. 8 lovely properties are participating in the popular annual tour.

Mother’s Day Evening Concert at Agecroft Hall

Take Mom to see the Richmond Concert Band at 6:00 PM on May 13 at Agecroft Hall. Bring your lawn chair, blanket and picnic, enjoy the gardens and a lovely evening of free music and fun.

Of course, there is no better way to spend Mother’s Day than as a guest at one of our Historic Richmond Inns. Enjoy luxury accommodations, gourmet breakfasts and legendary Southern Hospitality conveniently located near popular Richmond attractions. Check our website for availability and to make reservations.

The Historic Richmond Inns

If you have an insatiable appetite and plan to be in the RVA next week, you are in luck. Richmond Restaurant Week 2012 begins April 23 and concludes April 29. For just $25.12 you can enjoy delectable, three-course prix fixe dinner menus from many of Richmond’s favorite culinary hot spots, including:

3 Monkey’s Bar & Grill

Acacia Mid-Town

Amici Ristorante

Amour Wine Bistro

Amuse Restaurant

Avenue 805

Aziza’s on Main

Bacchus

Bistro 27

Bistro Bobette

Bonvenu

Charles City Tavern

Chez Foushee

Cous Cous

deLux

The Dining Room at the Berkeley Hotel

Europa Italian Café & Tapas Bar

The Hard Shell

The Hard Shell at Belgrade

Hanover Tavern

Helen’s

Hill Café

Hondos

Julep’s New Southern Cuisine

La Grotta

Lehja

Lulu’s Restaurant

Made in Asia

Mezzanine

Millie’s Diner

Rowland Fine Dining

Sam Miller’s

Secco Wine Bar

Stronghill Dining Company

Tastebud’s American Bistro

Tarrant’s Café

Tobacco Company

Water Grill

Zeus Gallery Café

 

$2.12 from each special menu sold during Richmond Restaurant Week proceeds benefits the Central Virginia Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. Your dining experience not only supports the local economy and small businesses, but helps to eliminate hunger in Richmond. The event occurs twice per year, once in April and again in October. The event was founded by Aline Reitzer, owner of Acacia, and modeled after similar events in large cities. In the past eleven years, Richmond Restaurant Week has raised $130,000 for local food banks, equaling millions of meals for Richmond community members in need.

Pairing a stay at one of our Historic Richmond Inns with Richmond Restaurant Week is the ultimate in vacation experiences for foodies and lovers of outstanding cuisine. Between your three-course dinners, relax in luxury accommodations and enjoy gourmet breakfasts as well as the charm of premier historic properties and the best of pure Southern Hospitality. If you can’t free yourself next week, plan ahead and make your inn reservations now for the October Restaurant Week. You won’t be sorry!

The major battles fought around Richmond 100 years ago this spring and early summer involved 200,000 soldiers and shaped the outcome of the Civil War. Beginning May 9, 2012 and continuing through July 11, the Richmond region will observe a period of special commemoration of these events. Local battlefields, museums and historic sites already offer some of the richest interactive experiences available to Civil War history enthusiasts. During this period, however, the access will be unprecedented, including special tours and sites that are not always open to the public.

Three unique battlefield “landscapes” will be open that are not usually accessible to visitors: Malvern Hill, Gaines’ Mill and Glendale. Rangers will be on hand to offer interpretation about the events at these sites, and special tours highlighting pivotal moments in the battles as well as the emancipation efforts will be offered.

There will be a kickoff celebration held May 9 – 12 including the State’s Sesquicentennial HistoryMobile, a 19^th Century Dance Demonstration, living history scanning events, re-enactments and weapons demonstrations. The 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff will be observed May 12 – 15. This naval battle is considered by historians to be a benchmark in the progress of the Civil War in Virginia. Five US warships were sent up the James River with the instructions to shell Richmond into submission. The first US Marine Medal of Honor recipient fought bravely in this battle, yet the Confederate forces at Fort Drewry defeated the Union offensive, neutralizing the US Naval forces and forcing all future actions against Richmond to occur on land.

These events are just the beginning of the season-long observation of one of the most critical periods of Richmond’s 400-year history. If you are a lover of history or student of the Civil War, you can’t miss this unique opportunity to explore the city from this unique perspective. Make reservations at your favorite Historic Richmond Inn today, and plan to dive into the Sesquicentennial activities while enjoying premium accommodations and southern hospitality!

The Historic Richmond Inns

 

Two legends are coming to Richmond in June, and tickets go on sale in a matter of hours. It’s time to clear your calendar for a morning and choose the best seats, because these performances will sell out quickly.

On June 6, Yanni will play the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage at 7:30 PM. Enjoy his classic instrumental music along with the introduction of hits from his new album “Truth of Touch”. Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow, June 23, 2012.

Idina Menzel’s highly anticipated evening at the Carpenter Theatre is scheduled for June 29 at 8:00 PM. Menzel has recently guest-starred on the smash hit television series, Glee, and is famous for her role as Elphaba in Wicked. This Tony Award-Winning actress is also introducing a new album, Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony. Tickets are in pre-sale right now and will go on sale to the public on Friday, June 23.

Tickets for both performances can be purchased online from the Carpenter Theatre Box Office.

If you are a fan of Yanni or Idina, do not wait. Get your tickets as soon as they are released, then make reservations at your favorite Historic Richmond Inn, many of which are located in close proximity to the theater, making your trip to the Carpenter short and sweet. Enjoy a gourmet breakfast and premium accommodations at all of the Historic Richmond Inns.

The Historic Richmond Inns

Photo Courtesy of DougFrancis

Each year the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden kicks off its celebration of spring with “Orchids Galore”, featuring hundreds of the exotic blooms. Exhibits and seminars are planned through April 22, 2012, to highlight the special features of the orchids, as well as their journey from points all over the globe to their ultimate caretakers and purchasers. The North Wing of the Conservatory will be covered in displays of live orchids; all included in general admission to the Garden.

On Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM, and Saturdays at 10:00 AM, the Garden will host free (with admission) drop-in sessions to learn more about orchids. Themes include conservation, habitat loss, identification, photography, growing, raising and protecting these stunning blooms.

Also on exhibit at the Garden is the collection of Reichenbachia, named for German orchidologist Henrich Gustav Reichenbach. Visitors will enjoy a rare treat as they view “large-scale, 19^th-century chromolithographs” made from hand-painted, life-sized renderings of real orchids. The collection takes visitors back to the days when “plant-hunters” actively raced around the globe searching for new specimens to catalog. The Reichenbachia are on loan by Dr. Arthur Burke, expert orchid grower and presenter of several of the drop-in sessions.

Orchids Galore kicks off the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens springtime celebration: “A Million Blooms”. Garden enthusiasts can time their visit perfectly to see the last days of the orchid exhibits and the first days of Virginia Garden Week which overlap in late April. Nothing can complete a garden-themed visit like a stay at one of the Historic Richmond Inns. Enjoy gourmet breakfast, premium accommodations and world-renowned hospitality between visits to some of Virginia’s most popular horticultural events. Spring in Virginia is nearly here – have you secured your luxury Richmond bed-and-breakfast accommodations yet? Don’t wait!

The Historic Richmond Inns

Looking for a little more “adventure” during your upcoming Richmond visit? Consider yourself an avid fan of local life and history? If you’re an expert on all-things-Richmond or just have a love of good, competitive fun, why not enter the “Richmond Adventure Race”, coming to the RVA April 14, 2012?

The Richmond Adventure Race is billed as “the ultimate test of speed, mental agility and Richmond Region knowledge” by the race organizers. Teams of up to six members will walk their way through a set of clues requiring them to decipher codes and solve puzzles. The race begins at the The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar and the first place team will take home $1700!

Prizes will also be awarded to second and third place contenders, as well as the “Best Dressed” and the “Best Named” teams. If you’ve always suspected you’d be the ideal reality TV show contestant, this is a great way to test your mettle and show just how much you love Richmond, VA.

You must pre-register to participate in the race using the Eventbrite ticketing system. Tickets are $35 per person and the maximum number of team members is six. Check-in begins at 9:00 AM. Plan to check into your favorite Historic Richmond Inn a day or two early and perhaps your innkeeper will share some of his or her favorite Richmond insight and give you that little competitive edge you might need to take home the big prize!

The event is being held in conjunction with the 2012 Civil War and Emancipation Day. There are events planned throughout Richmond that non-contestants will not want to miss. Take advantage of complimentary admission to many museums, including great educational entertainment and even food at many of the locations. The 2011 event met with great success and this year’s day is expected to be even bigger.

Make your reservations and start studying today! The Richmond Adventure Race awaits!

The Historic Richmond Inns

In town this weekend? Visit the MAC Events Virginia Women’s Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on February 18 and 19^th.  This inaugural event will include something for every woman: health advice from leading world experts, fitness, cooking and cake demonstrations, a premium fashion show and bridal fashion show and much more.

The show producers have created the perfect Ladies Day Out. Vendors representing dozens of companies will create a one-stop shop on the expo floor. Whether you’re a professional, a college student, a mom, an avid shopper, on the road to a new you or some combination of those, you’ll experience a weekend of great information and pampering at this show.

Tickets are $10 per person and children 11 and under are admitted free. Doors open today at 11:00 AM and the first presentations begin at noon. Just think, by 4:00 you’ll have the keys to stop incontinence, lose weight, reshape your fat, get the inside line on movies filmed in Virginia, cure the “Mom” Paradox and release yourself from varicose veins. And that’s just day 1!

If you happen to be in the Richmond area this weekend, stop in at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and enjoy the inaugural Women’s Expo. If you missed it this time around, it’s not too early to plan your RVA break next year, complete with a relaxing stay and a gourmet breakfast at one of the Historic Richmond Inns.

The Historic Richmond Inns