Inclusivity matters in Richmond. With a proudly diverse population, the multifaceted capital city’s commitment to equality helps make it welcoming to all types of travelers. From a calendar filled with events celebrating the region’s rich multicultural community to city-sponsored initiatives to support Black and LGBTQ communities, this destination embodies the new South by embracing its complicated past alongside progress as it moves into the future.
The Human Rights Campaign has given the city a perfect score on its Municipal Equality Index since 2021, and the highly publicized removal of Confederate monuments in recent years also sent a clear message. Here are some of the people, places, and events that make up the vibrant cultural tapestry locals affectionately call RVA.
Support Black-owned businesses and culture
From Emancipation to the Civil Rights era, Richmond’s Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia shares the stories of African Americans in Virginia and beyond.
Courtesy of Visit Richmond
As the one-time center of the domestic slave trade in North America, it’s estimated that as many as one in four African Americans can trace their roots back to Richmond. The region’s deep-rooted Black history, a very real and sometimes painful aspect of the destination, has led to a well-established and rising Black community fundamental to Richmond’s modern-day identity.
Once called the “Harlem of the South” and “Black Wall Street,” the historic downtown Jackson Ward neighborhood is still the nerve center of the city’s Black cultural scene. Here, the Elegba Folklore Society celebrates African and African American culture in the city through regular cultural events like the Capital City Kwanzaa Festival; Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration; and the Black Book Expo.
This area also includes the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and the historic Hippodrome Theatre. The stage once welcomed the likes of Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, and after a meticulous restoration, it continues to serve the community today. Before or after a show, grab dinner at the nearby soul food spot Mama J’s, renowned for its crispy fried chicken and pineapple-coconut cake.
The Richmond Region has an above-average concentration of Black-owned businesses, including some of the city’s most beloved restaurants. Chef Mike Lindsey is the powerhouse behind Lindsey Food Group, the largest independent restaurant group in town. His portfolio features “new Southern” bistro Lillie Pearl; its sister with global influences, Farm + Oak; and the event venue Red Bird Social, to name a few. Local wine lovers trust the expertise of Lance Lemon and Kristen Gardner Beal, who run a wine delivery operation called RichWine along with Penny’s Wine Shop, which stocks mainly low-intervention natural wine.
In addition to food and wine, some noteworthy Black-owned businesses include health and beauty shop Adiva Naturals; the Book Bar focused on increasing literacy in urban areas while spotlighting BIPOC authors and characters; and BareSOUL Yoga and the Well Collective, whose mission is making space for the Black community. Follow BLK RVA, a free travel guide celebrating local Black culture, to stay on top of what’s happening in the city.
Sample a world of flavors in the local restaurant scene
Perly’s brings modern Jewish cuisine to downtown Richmond with classic deli sandwiches and a legendary brunch.
Courtesy of Visit Richmond
Richmond’s restaurant scene is one of the best places to explore the city’s diversity. Here, you’ll find everything from Texas-style barbecue at ZZQ and Southern soul food at Croaker’s Spot to authentic international cuisine like Indian at Lehja, Ethiopian at Nile, Salvadoran at El Pope, Cuban at Kuba Kuba, and Vietnamese at Pho Tay Do.
Perly’s is a local favorite for Jewish fare, while JewFro is an inspired mash-up of Jewish and African food. In Church Hill, Metzger churns out German-inspired classics like pork schnitzel and Hasenpfeffer. Stella’s in the West End is a local favorite for modern Greek dishes such as flaming saganaki and juicy keftedes.
Annual events like the RVA Latino Festival, the Lebanese Food Festival, the Armenian Food Festival, and the Richmond Greek Festival are also ideal opportunities to savor the cuisine of the city’s multicultural community.
Accessibility for all
Richmond attractions like the Science Museum of Virginia are trained and certified on disability inclusion.
Courtesy of Visit Richmond
Richmond is becoming increasingly accessible to people of all abilities, from the city’s public transportation offerings to special accessibility certification training for local businesses. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Kings Dominion, and the Virginia Holocaust Museum are just a few of the attractions with the official VisitAble seal showing they’ve been trained and certified on disability inclusion.
For families with kids, Park365 is an expansive playground designed to accommodate people of all abilities, and the Children’s Museum of Richmond hosts free monthly events for children with disabilities. The Virginia Repertory Theatre offers sensory-friendly performances for families, and the Science Museum of Virginia, in partnership with the Autism Society of Central Virginia, provides free sensory backpacks for visitors, including sunglasses, fidget toys, and noise-canceling headphones.
Out and proud in RVA
VA Pridefest, Virginia’s largest Pride Festival
Courtesy of Visit Richmond
LGBTQ visitors and allies will find a safe and welcoming place in Richmond, which has many organizations, businesses, and events focused on fostering a more inclusive community. OutRVA is the city’s tourism department’s official program promoting LGBTQ tourism and sponsors VA Pridefest, Virginia’s largest Pride festival.
In the Scott’s Addition neighborhood, the nonprofit Richmond Triangle Players promotes queer artistry with programming rooted in the LGBTQ experience. Also in the performing arts sphere is the Richmond Men’s Chorus, a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses.
Some gay-friendly hubs include Godfrey’s, famous for its rowdy drag brunch, and Babes of Carytown, which boasts a lively volleyball court. On Sundays, popular burger spot Cobra Cabana runs a special on “Gay Fil-A” chicken sandwiches, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Side By Side, a nonprofit supporting Virginia’s LGBTQ youth. The sandwiches usually sell out early, a testament to their tastiness—and to the people of Richmond’s tendency to show up for the causes they believe in.
