1, Film Festivals!
For those unaware, Richmond and Central Virginia’s film industry is on radar right now, with films like Lincoln and AMC’s Turn shooting on the historic soil. But Richmond’s love for filmmakers is no new addition.
We boast some fantastic attractions for film lovers, but one of the best is the Richmond International Film Festival, which takesplace every year in February. Submissions are cheap and open to the public. You can also go see the films for about a week long stretch that include shorts, features and documentaries.
If movies are your thing, check out the French Film Festival and the James River Film Festival, respectively. Both offer ways for students to get involved on the cheap.
2. Richmond Folk Fest
Another free festival! The Richmond Folk Festival has — yes, you guessed it — lots of folk music. It also has film screenings, delicious food and a seemingly endless supply of craft beer. Basically paradise, right?
It’s spread out a bit through historic downtown Richmond, going right up to the riverfront and out onto Brown’s Island. Not only is it a great place to see live local music, eat local food, and be outside during one of the most beautiful seasons Richmond has to offer, it’s also a great opportunity to walk around and explore the historic parts of Richmond, off of VCU‘s campus.
Even if folk music isn’t your thing, I urge you to go anyway. Nine times out of ten, you will be pleasantly surprised. Aside from other slightly different styles of music, you can really make the festival as much or as little about the music as you want. Go for the scenery if that’s more up your alley.
3. Easter Parade
Richmond is no stranger to southern tradition. We take pride in our eclectic mix of southern charm and northern “aggression”. But Easter Weekend is all charm along the impeccable Memorial Drive, mere steps from campus. So next April, instead of catching the bus back home, tell the family to come visit you instead.
If you’re like me, raised in a mid-western suburb, this may be your first experience with a true southern tradition. People stream out of church and onto Memorial Drive right where it cuts Franklin off, and the street is shut down, setting up a long block of food, games, big hats and lots of happy dogs.
It’s about a half-day activity, depending on your tolerance-level for crowds, but it’s definitely worth the experience. My family and I made a tradition out of it every year and it’s one of my fondest memories from those years.
4. Welcome Week
Wishing you could have some time at school before things really get going? Come for Welcome Week. It’s exactly what it sounds like — a week of orienting activities, parties, events and getting situated. A lot of this week is hanging out in dorm rooms, walking the streets of Richmond and visiting your classrooms for the first time, but this week offers a lot more than that.
The university comes out full-force in the fall, starting August 16th this past year, with extended gym hours, community movie screenings, small events like “A Free Night of Pool” as well as bigger ones like visiting DJs and Hypnotists. Don’t wear yourself out too much during the day, though – you’ll want to explore your first encounters with Richmond’s nightlife in the evenings.
5. Focused Inquiry
This is one of those things that is always a mixed bag with incoming freshmen — but I promise it can be great. VCU makes every student, regardless of their major, take a course called “Focused Inquiry” during their first year. The course is on par with a Freshman English 101 course, mixed with a little bit of sociology, speech, and debate. It’s a relatively new program that seeks to challenge the analyzing skills of students.It will push you to creatively approach your assignments as well as real-life hurdles. It’s really quite a cool curriculum.
You will write lots of argumentative papers, lots of stories; basically, you will just write a lot. You will make presentations and maybe a video or two. But it won’t be anything like your high school English course. It will give you fundamental skills to fall back on throughout your experiences at VCU – and beyond.
Will Engebretson graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014 with a B.A. in Film Production and minors in Business and Media Studies. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles as a camera assistant. Get more from Will on Instagram (@willengebretson).