10 *Surprising* Things to Do in Richmond, Virginia

[@LaurenZRay]

Should I do Vlogtober 🎃 - where I vlog more of the Fall activities in Richmond & Virginia?😍👇

[@musicbyLUKAS]

Yes 🗳

[@aarongilliard4045]

yes please lol me and my girlfriend are moving to richmond in a couple months from a small town in md

[@LaurenZRay]

@@aarongilliard4045 ok! I’m excited to show you all the fun Fall vibes here!!😍

[@LaurenZRay]

@@musicbyLUKAS 🔥

[@FastHatTrick]

Yes you should, and do Church Hill once the leaves turn, and Belle Island, and of course Carters Mountain and Colonial Williamsburg's Haunting on DoG Street + Busch Gardens Hallowscream

[@odessah]

when people say "there's nothing to do in richmond," i always say "you just have to look"

[@LaurenZRay]

@@odessah very true!!

[@qualeahbee]

my partner and i are moving to richmond soon and these videos make me so excited to explore!!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@qualeahbee yay!! It’s such a fun place to explore too! Can’t wait to show you all the fun fall things too. 😍

[@bernadette7587]

That picnic looked fantastic! What a location and Jacob makes Vegan look easy!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@bernadette7587 it was so much fun!! Jacob is insanely talented right?!😍

[@aidanfrancis4284]

You're awesome! Travelling for work and staying in Richmond for the next 3 months, looking forward to seeing more content from you to use as my go to guide! I've been watching you for a couple months now in preparation for the trip! Would love to see some sort of "Upcoming Events in Richmond" for the next quarter!!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@aidanfrancis4284 I’ve got tons coming! I’m doing Vlogtober where I’ll upload every day on the events happening in Richmond & VA throughout October. So excited!! Perfect time for you to live here!

[@MatthewLeese]

Thanks! You asked and answered my questions!!!! 😊💛

[@LaurenZRay]

@@MatthewLeese thank YOU Matthew for the support!! Let me know if you ever have any more questions 💚💚

[@bluebird8224]

I love your cover picture for this video - relaxing with a picnic basket! I am watching from the viewpoint of somebody who likes looking at decorating videos. I like that each decorator has their own unique personality and expresses it in their videos. They express their personality in how they shop, what they buy, and how they style it. Showing what YOU like is very therapeutic, I think. And I like seeing what YOU like ! So that is what I LIKE about YOU ! Since you have asked what your viewers like, now I can tell you what “I” like. I like to look at a video from an artistic viewpoint. On a shopping trip, for example, what is artistic? A steering wheel? A busy street? The landscape along the road? The decorator's T-Shirt? A bin full of plastic items? A long shelf of vases? One exquisite English tea cup? From an artistic viewpoint, how fast should you move through an antique mall? Very fast and show a whole aisle? Slowly and show one shelf at a time? Or show one item at a time and create energy by picking it up, turn it around and savor it? Show things you don't like or things you really like? Show things you actually bought or lead the viewer into suspense until showing the actual “haul”? How much should you narrate and how much music should you play? Should you narrate while you are filming or after you edit the video? Should you play soft music while you are narrating? Should you say the obvious in so much detail that a blind person could see it? Or should you just play music and hope the viewer's mind doesn't wander off and check their Facebook page while watching your video? When showing the actual “haul”, should you be standing up or sitting down? What should you be wearing? From an artistic point of view, should you show everything at once or one item at a time? Should you show the item on a table or in the air? Should you show the grouping as you collect it or just one item at a time, never in a group? Should you show items on a white table cloth, or on wood? With a draped portrait background or with the unstaged room in back? Should you show how you styled the items in the same video as the shopping trip and haul, or in a separate video? Or should you show a new decorating video with a theme? Should you show the process of decorating or just the finished product, or some of both? Should you show prepping activities before the actual decorating, such as dusting and painting, or not? Should you show the collection of items used for decorating before starting to decorate or not? Should you narrate the decorating process or not? How much detail should you go into about the item itself and also why you like the item. How much can you say about the techniques of creating the display? Colors, materials, theme, visual qualities of placement such as height, roundness, contrast, matching, etc. Should you show the trial and error of creating the display or rehearse before filming? Should you show a short final tour of the display lickety split? Or should you stage Dutch-like medieval seductive still-life masterpieces and give a romantic tour with soft music and show-motion slides and close-up-magic? Should you use ethnic music to complement the display and give it a vibe, or just neutral background music? Just thinking --- When looking at your video, I was spying Kodak moments for framing, which were too fleeting -- the fruit display at the farmers market was frame-able. The earrings and peach basket. I was looking hard at the architecture at the Virginia House, and the flowers - dozens of Kodak moments there. All the food displays in the restaurants would make awesome still-life shots if staged -- in front of a window, for example. Or just on the table, taken at the right angle. Now for ideas for fall tours -- Since I like decorating and creating vignettes, I would like to see tours of the locally owned antique shops and malls --- not browsing, but searching. Searching for items that YOU like that look like Autumn or October. Stage the shots close-up like a still-life painting, and hold it longer than 2 seconds. These Richmond shops are a gold mine of art which are under-appreciated. Some are magnificently curated like a museum. For me, I would look for orange and black, but not tacky. A lot of Asian items are orange and blue, or golden Fall colors. Look for Fall artwork. Show a lamp that would complement a fall theme. October-fest is in October, so you can run with the German theme - steins, etc. Show the interior decorating of a German or Eastern European restaurant. Tarnished silver can be made to look spooky - just add chrysanthemums. Also black wrought iron - those would look awesome on orange placemats. Don't forget containers and stackers. Baskets and boxes are nice for displaying pumpkins and gourds. Orange books would make nice stackers. Farmhouse style is always a winner for Fall. And don't forget to look for things that are spooky - they probably don't sell well around Mother's Day - skeletons, skulls, Gray's Anatomy, etc. How would YOU like to decorate for Fall if you had the budget? The local shops would LOVE you ! I would like to see what YOU like !!! Thanks for this video - always inspiring ! .

[@miriamortiz3241]

Vlogtober sounds Amazing!! Thank you for sharing your journey!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@miriamortiz3241 thank YOU for watching! I’m so excited to do more uploads & share more! 💚

[@costasworldofmusicmemories5792]

Yes, Lauren . do Vlogtober. so much happening throughout the month. A really nice vlog. Well done. Hope one day we could do a meet up. My wife wants to be a tour guide in Richmond. Any tips? Sending Best Wishes 💚🍏🥬 from Jim, Harriet and Yuki

[@FastHatTrick]

@7:15 .... that Hanover Tomato..................... Can't wait for you to go to the Tomato Festival

[@LaurenZRay]

So good too! haha. I have to go to the Tomato Festival for sure! 🍅

[@aeiou1237]

Awww 🏳️‍🌈 I’m definitely moving here asap I just love the small town vibe in a capital city I think that just speaks volumes for what an amazing place it is.

[@LaurenZRay]

@@aeiou1237 it really does have a small town vibe! And in my opinion people here have such a kind heart. I really love it here 💚

[@eironhendrix]

Its only outside richmond city like henrico area which is where the rva big market is at bryan park otherwise is any normal place lol also people in mechanicsville not aa nice

[@solovegantraveler]

Vlogtober, yes please!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@solovegantraveler yay! Ok!! Can’t wait 😍🍂🎃

[@DanaPrzybocki]

Idk if you have, but if you haven't, you should try Pho Thein Phat 2. It is soooo good and super cute inside!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@DanaPrzybocki thanks for the tip!! 😍

[@ElianaLC]

I’d love for you to do a Vlogtober! I think that’s a great idea. I live here, and half the stuff you’re showing I didn’t even know were here! I’d love to see what I’ve probably missed. I love these videos. I’m glad you love it here! ❤️

[@LaurenZRay]

Yay! Ok, I am in the planning stages right now. If there is anything you'd like me to go do or see, let me know. Can't wait!! And thank you for the kind words 💚

[@-Archer]

Watching your videos on my 70 inch TV makes it 100% interesting. 🔥 Just tried it today.

[@LaurenZRay]

TV is always a great choice for the Vlogs 🤌

[@-Archer]

@@LaurenZRay it's like more realistic vibe with it. 💯

[@eironhendrix]

I live here but dont see it as fun as you 😂 i missed the vegan blockparty 😢 im also plant based make sure you do sugar and twine and the tiny vegan in carytown i love them also idle hands on strawberry st i dont personally love minglewood but they are 100% vegan and pearls bakery has the best vegan/gf cupcakes and veg fest is in the next couple weeks at byrd park! Also ruby scoops has the best vegan ice cream she actually won the ben and jerrys competition 😋

[@LaurenZRay]

@@eironhendrix I’m going to have a stand at Vegfest for vegan club! Make sure to stop by and say hey! Also Oct 10 is our next vegan club hang out from 6-8pm at Bingo Beer. Going to be so fun!! Love all your tips too. Thank you!! 💚

[@eironhendrix]

@@LaurenZRay yayy thank you! Welcome to RVA 🖤

[@openmindedcenterist]

I thought you were going to fall over at that gelato store! LOL Can't wait to try it. And thank you for the Virginia House -- I've wondered how to get invited to events there. Now I know and will join the museum! We are already members of the American Civil War Museum/Tredegar and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts...both are awesome. YES to Vlogtober!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@openmindedcenterist haha it’s that good I almost did fall over 😂😂. Yes I think the VMHC membership is so worth it. Also how do you like the Civil War one? I’ve been eyeing that one for awhile! I’m so excited to do Vlogtober. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see for that!

[@openmindedcenterist]

@@LaurenZRay - The Civil War museum is truly excellent. I don't know how often they rotate their exhibits -- my guess is the one on the main floor is static and the upstairs exhibit changes? I highly recommend you do a vlog on this museum because some of the situations explained in their latest exhibit "The Impending Crisis" is eerily similar to what we're experiencing today. Beware -- the wheel outside squeaks something awful! LOL But the river is directly across the road and there is ample parking. I'd love to see more explanation around the various neighborhoods in town. I am still learning what/where they are... and what makes them unique. p.s. Tried Proper Pie Co today on your recent recommendation and WOW -- everything we got was so good. And it's super convenient (on a nice day) to have that park w/ benches across the street!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@openmindedcenterist I’m working on a neighborhoods video right now! May not come out until November but it’s going to be so good! Also love the civil war museum. Always take visitors from out of town there. Haven’t seen the recent exhibit, def need to! Glad you liked proper pie, Lukas is obsessed with that place!! 😍

[@Daniekz10]

Richmond’s best vlogger ever 🎉🙌🏻

[@LaurenZRay]

@@Daniekz10 haha you’re awesome!! 😜💚

[@sillychat72]

Hey y’all - just moved here and would love suggestions on groups, newsletters, etc that advertise through email and not just instagram. Especially related to dnd, anime, music, outdoorsy things, cooking - if anyone has ideas I’d be grateful! I love that you post these vids on YT and not instagram!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@sillychat72 Hey! Yes, here are great newsletters that I subscribe to for email - Richmond Experience, The Ric Today, and Axios. For Dnd & anime I suggest going into One Eyed Jacques & asking. I also I have a friend in a DND group & I’m asking her now and will get back to you!

[@sillychat72]

@@LaurenZRay Ah thank you! So excited for vlogtober!

[@LaurenZRay]

@@sillychat72 same!! 😍

[@jweezyy2011]

Hey! If you want to do vlogtober, I have an event for you on Monday, October 7th! The Sunrise Movement is putting on a club fair and film screening event at Studio Two Three at 6pm. We’re showing the film Join or Die about the importance of joining organizations and feeling a sense of community. If you’d like to set up a table to recruit people for Vegan Club, that would be awesome!

[@LaurenZRay]

This sounds awesome!! Can you email me details to [e-mail]?

[@-Archer]

1st 🔥

[@LaurenZRay]

YAY!!

[@musicbyLUKAS]

Still thinking about that dinner, Jacob made us at Member Mondays and the Sloppy Mac Wrap at Devil's Lettuce...😍

[@LaurenZRay]

@@musicbyLUKAS such a good time eating delicious food haha. And the gelato OMG

[@mimi-dacherry]

oh honey 70 degrees in virginia can be so hot lol

[@jessfauscette222]

How are any of these surprising? Lol

[@andrelukin6364]

Are there any things to do in Richmond besides food experiences?🫣

[@miaclee]

There are a lot of music and art events here too! I’ve been trying to make a habit of checking the bulletin board at the library for other interesting stuff going on. As far as this video goes RVA is definitely a city that has a lot of little markets with food and crafts for sale which is cute but not like “surprising” to do lmao