Category Archives: Main Street library

What’s Happening in November at the Main Library!

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First of all, some news about a lawsuit that involves the Main Street Library, which is Oregon Hill’s official City library (don’t forget that at one time, Grace Arents built the Free Library on S. Cherry)…

The Richmonder online newspaper has an article about injuries and lawsuits… “A jury ordered Richmond to pay $2M to a man who fell after a library railing broke. Now the city’s insurer is suing Richmond.”

In brighter news…a lot of stuff happening as the weather turns cooler…

Events taking place at Richmond Public Library’s Main Library (101 E. Franklin St.) during the month of November 2026!

FIRST FRIDAY & FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE

Friday, November 6th, all evening!

First Friday Gallery Opening event and the Book Sale will be happening at the same time! Join the Friends of Richmond Public Library for their Fall Book Sale. Bring a bag and pick up some great deals on books, CDs, DVDs, and more.

The Fall Book Sale Hours are as follows:

Friday, Nov. 6, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (Members Only)
Friday, Nov. 6, 12:00-8:00 PM
Saturday, Nov. 7, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:00-4:00 PM
Proceeds from the Book Sale benefit Richmond Public Library programming. Visit https://rvalibraryfriends.org/ to learn more about the Friends or to sign up to become a member.

FALL CONCERT SERIES: ALAN BILLER X SARA BOUCHARD

Saturday, November 7th from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Sara Bouchard is a multidisciplinary artist and composer who uses sound, installation, works on paper, performance and creative coding to interweave song, history and the landscape. She is currently based in Richmond, VA, where she teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

Guitarist Alan Biller has lived and performed in NYC, Montreal, Washington DC, and Richmond, VA as part of their lively jazz scenes. He has performed worldwide with the Capital Focus Jazz Band, playing at the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee, and the Ascona Jazz Festival in Ascona, Switzerland. He also spent several months performing on Carnival Cruise Lines and lived to tell about it. He has studied with such famous (and infamous) jazz greats as Bruce Arnold, Mordy Ferber, Ron McClure, Frank Kimbrough, and George Garzone. He received his BMus from NYU. With his solo project Wolf In Wool, he tries to make his guitar sound like anything but a guitar, with varying levels of success.

EXPLORING ADOPTION, IDENTITY & BELONGING DURING NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

Mondays in November at 1:00 PM

Educational sessions with experts from C2Adopt that helps the public understand the realities of foster care, waiting children, kinship care, and the need for permanent families for Virginia’s children. This session includes exploring myth vs. fact; how to become a foster or adoptive parent; spotlight on older youth and sibling groups; and other ways to support even if parenting is not for you.

Week 1 — Understanding Foster Care, Kinship Care & Adoption Today

Week 2 — “Whose Story Is It?” — Identity, Records & the Lifelong Impact of Adoption

Week 3 — Talking About Adoption with Children: Building Healthy Family Narratives

Week 4 — Adoption Through the Lifespan: Voices of Experience

DR. HILARY LEVINSON ON TRANSLATION

Sunday, November 8th, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Dr. Hilary Levinson will give a talk discussing scholarly and creative approaches to translation, including some specific strategies and methods. The talk will also offer a broad overview of the contemporary landscape of translated work, with reference to some important recent published books in the literary scene.

REPAIR CAFE RVA

Sunday, November 15th from 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Repair Cafe RVA is a place to bring your favorite broken thing. We’ll be repairing appliances, bikes, electronics, furniture, jewelry, textiles, toys, and more! Arrive early, as sign up is first-come, first-served. Repair Cafe volunteers will get you signed in and connect you with the right person for your repair! Repair Cafe RVA is a local chapter of an international non-profit organization based in the Netherlands.

YARN YIPPEE!

Wednesday, November 18th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

For individuals working on personal projects to come together, socialize, and learn from each other. Some beginner supplies available, first come first serve.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FRAUD

Thursday, November 19th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Please join us for a fraud protection presentation hosted by AARP. The presentation will be geared towards seniors (but all are welcome) and it will review commons scams and fraud attempts online and over the phone. Attendees will learn to spot scams as well as what resources they have if they have fallen victim to fraud. There will be time at the end of the lecture for a Q&A session.

ORAL HISTORY TRAINING WORKSHOP

Saturday, November 21st from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of oral history collection and preservation. Attendees will learn interview techniques, ethical considerations, recording best practices, and strategies for preserving family and community stories using accessible tools and technology. Participants will leave with practical skills for documenting local history and preserving personal narratives for future generations.

RICHMOND FREE PRESS LEGACY CELEBRATION

Sunday, November 22nd from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

A multi-faceted celebration of the Richmond Free Press’s 34 year run as an independent, Black-owned newspaper focused on local issues and the African-American community in Richmond. The archives of the newspaper and papers of Raymond Boone Sr. (Editor, Co-Founder) were donated to the Richmond Public Library by the Boones in April 2026 to ensure that future generations have access to the valuable historical information they contain. This event will feature a conversation with Jean Patterson Boone, recognition of longtime RFP staff, exhibits/samples from the collection, and an opportunity for people to search for their stories in the RFP.

‘The Wolf House’ Saturday Morning

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Nowhere Cinema will present ‘The Wolf House’ at the Richmond Main Library this Saturday at 11 am.

From Wikipedia:
‘The Wolf House’ is a 2018 Chilean adult animated horror film directed by Cristobal León & Joaquín Cociña and written by León, Cociña and Alejandra Moffat. Inspired by the actual case of Colonia Dignidad, The Wolf House is presented as a fairy-tale themed animated propaganda film produced by the leader of the sect in order to indoctrinate its followers. The film uses elements of avant-garde cinema, dark fantasy, psychological drama, surrealism, and supernatural horror. It had its world premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in the Forum section on February 22, 2018.

Main Library’s Summer Concert Series: Adam Hopkins, Scott Clark, and Rinatt Montoya This Saturday

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Adam Hopkins

From Richmond Public Library website:

Local jazz legends Adam Hopkins, Scott Clark, and Rinatt Montoya will perform improvised solo sets this Saturday at the Main Library. Hopkins is a bass player with a rare combination of contact and power. He can go yard or back up the middle. His utility player approach has enabled him to work with Tomeka Reid, Henry Threadgill, and a host of heavy hitters. Clark is a drummer who paints the corners. His patient, deliberate approach keeps the listener off balance, unable to guess what’s coming next. Rinatt Montoya is a guitarist in the mold of Frisell and Frith, combining precession technique with glitchy madness. He is a lockdown closer with elite swing and miss stuff. Experience Richmond’s unique independent spirit inside of your favorite local library!

Date:
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Time:
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location:
Gellman Room – Main Library

Mia Zabelka + ELKA BONG At Richmond Public Library Saturday At 2 pm

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Violinist, sound artist, and composer Mia Zabelka is visiting from Austria:

Saturday, April 18 starting at 2pm:
– Downtown Richmond Public Library: Performing with Elka Bong and CillaVee at 2:00 PM as part of their 2026 Spring Tour.
doors 1:30p music 2:00p
2:00p Mia Zabelka, CillaVee
2:20p Al Margolis, Walter Wright
2:40p Mia Zabelka, Al Margolis, Walter Wright, Cilla Vee

From announcement:

Mia Zabelka will be joined by duo ELKA BONG for an immersive afternoon of experimental sound art!

Saturday’s show is led by Austrian violinist, vocalist, and composer Mia Zabelka, whose radically open practice operates at the intersection of improvisation, composition, performance, and electroacoustic sound art. For this special tour date, Zabelka is joined by the U.S.-based experimental sound art duo ELKA BONG (Al Margolis and Walter Wright), whose deep listening-based approach complements and expands her gestural, embodied sonic language.

Working with acoustic and electric violin, voice, electronics, found objects, and noise-based materials, Zabelka’s method of automatic playing bypasses conscious control, allowing sound to emerge from reflex, memory, and physical impulse. In dialogue with ELKA BONG’s attention to texture, space, silence, and sonic micro-events, the performance unfolds as a constantly shifting environment in which composed structures and open-ended improvisation coexist.

RVA Environmental Film Festival Continues…

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The RVA Environmental Film Festival, which has a long history here, and has been mentioned here many times in the past, continues tonight at the Main Library, Oregon Hill’s branch.

Wednesday, February 25, 6:00 PM – “The Street Project”
Main Library – Richmond Public Library
“The Street Project” will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from local organizations who seek to make the streets safer for anyone not in a car, including pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation users.

More upcoming…

Thursday, February 26, 6:00 PM “The Cigarette Surfboard”
University of Richmond, Jepson Hall, Room 118
Hosted by University of Richmond Office of Sustainability
There is a reception with the filmmaker, Ben Judkins, and a Q&A following the film!
Yes – it is about a surfboard made of discarded cigarettes and the activism around that.

Friday, February 27, 5:30 PM – “Common Ground”
ICA/ VCUarts hosted by VCUarts Cinema program.
This film highlights how regenerative farming practices can heal the soil, improve health, and stabilize the economy, while also addressing issues of racism in the food industry.

Saturday, February 28, 2:30 PM- “Teach Me to Be Wild”
The Robins Nature Center – Maymont
A beautiful and touching film about an animal sanctuary and a therapeutic program for ‘at-risk’ youth.
(Free – ticket to Robins Nature Center not required)

Tuesday, March 3, 5:30 PM- “The Little Things that Run the World”
@LaPrade Library hosted by Chesterfield County Public Library
Through striking visuals and authoritative voices, “The Little Things That Run the World” uncovers the essential role insects play in sustaining life on earth.

Stay tuned for the festival’s grand finale, March 7th! (See www.rvaeff.org)

In addition, the MountainFilm On Tour is a great little traveling film festival that is coming to the Ashland Theater this Saturday Night. And, though it is not free admission like the RVAEFF, it is also highly recommended.

October Festivities

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October is a busy month for Oregon Hill…

October 10-12, is the Richmond Folk Festival.

From the website blurb:

The Richmond Folk Festival is one of Virginia’s largest events, drawing visitors from all over the country to downtown Richmond’s historic riverfront. The Festival is a FREE three-day event that got its start as the National Council for the Traditional Arts’ National Folk Festival, held in Richmond from 2005-2007. The Richmond Folk Festival features performing groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions on six stages.

But also, Richmond Zine Fest, a two-day event.
From website…

On day one, Friday October 10th from 12 PM – 5 PM (note: this is has been changed since the printing of the poster) is ONLY programming aka workshops, presentations, dialogues, and opportunities to learn something new. The programs are held in the basement of the library.
Day two is Saturday, October 11th from 10 AM – 4:30 PM, and this is the big vendor day that is recognizably “zine fest” to the average attendee. We take over multiple spaces on the first floor and the basement levels of the library with exhibitors that have produced zines for purchase and/or trade. Please see our section on zine fest etiquette for tips about how to engage with tablers and what is inappropriate.
Masks are required for all participants in Richmond Zine Fest.

Don’t forget that for Richmond Public Schools, October 13 is Divison-wide Professional Learning Day (Student Holiday) and October 20 is Diwali holiday and RPS are closed.

“An Evening With David Byrne – Who is the Sky tour” is at the Altria Theater on October 14th.

There is supposed to be another No Kings protest march on October 18th but details are hazy at this time. Maybe a march to or from Monroe Park.

Dylan Gossett and The Westward Tour w/ Drayton Farley and Buffalo Traffic Jam are playing Brown’s Island on Oct. 18.

Tedeschi Trucks Band and Little Feat are playing the corporate amphitheater on Oct. 21.

Neighborhood block party:

And, Friday, October 31st.. the 20th anniversary edition of the All the Saints Theater Company Halloween Parade through Oregon Hill.

Richmond At The Movies This Thursday

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This past April 1st there was an OregonHill.net post that mentioned movie and television productions in Oregon Hill.
Now there is an upcoming event that is celebrating Richmond in the movies.

Called “Richmond on Film: A City in the Spotlight”, it takes place this Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Library (Oregon Hill’s public library), in its Gellman Room.

The link: https://rvalibrary.libcal.com/event/13636608?hs=a

The blurb:

Richmond has been a backdrop for a variety of films, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent projects. Join us for a screening event where we’ll showcase clips from films shot in Richmond, as well as a feature set and filmed here. Explore how our city is portrayed on screen and the difference between films set in Richmond vs. those filmed here.

We’ll also introduce you to our Digital Archive, where we invite YOU to contribute your own photos and videos of Richmond, capturing the real-life scenes that reflect our city’s authentic history. Whether you’re a film lover, history buff, or local resident, this event is a chance to celebrate Richmond’s cinematic legacy and help preserve its true story for future generations.

Also, check out other events happening at ‘The Main’ this summer!
https://rvalibrary.org/events/