Today – Saturday, October 4th

Threads Fall & Winter Children’s Consignment Sale.  Canterbury Shopping Center, 10616 Patterson Ave., Richmond, VA 23238 (Corner of Patterson & Pump).
Thursday, September 25 • Volunteer Presale & Consignor Presale
Friday, September 26 • 9am-7pm • Public Shopping
Saturday, September 27 • 9am-4pm • Public Shopping
Sunday, September 28 • 11am-4pm • Public Shopping
Monday, September 29th – Friday, October 3rd • Weekday Public Shopping
Saturday, October 4th  50% Off Sale   9am-4pm • Public Shopping

Today – Sunday. October 5th

2014 State Fair.  The Meadow Event Park, 13111 Dawn Blvd, Doswell, VA 23047.

Today – October 12th

Butterflies Live!  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Butterflies LIVE! is an indoor exhibit in the Conservatory geared for all ages. Get up close and personal as hundreds of tropical butterflies feed, flutter and take flight all around you. Explore their origins, preferred habitats and lifecycles. Free with garden admission.

Monday, September 29th

Garden Art Studio.  1pm-3pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Work alongside staff artist, Katelyn Coyle, in the colorful Garden Art Studio located beside the Hidden Tunnel. Drop-in and unfold your creative energy. Use provided materials to collaborate, explore and reflect on your own Garden experience.  Free with Garden admission.

A Charge for Freedom: Battle of New Market Heights.  6:30 & 11am.  Four Mile Creek.  For ages 12+. Tours of New Market Heights Battlefield in conjunction with Richmond National Battlefield on the 150th anniversary of the battle. A ‘real time’ tour starts at 6:30 a.m. and a later tour starts at 11 a.m. Parking will be located at the paved lot across the street from the Dairy Queen. This walking
tour will trek over rugged terrain with long periods of standing and walking expected.  Information: 652‐3411.  Free.

Henrico Concert Band Fall Concert.  7:30 pm.  Henrico Theatre.  For all ages. The Henrico Concert Band presents a wide variety of music for your listening pleasure – Broadway, Ragtime, John Philip Sousa, inspirational music, and more! Reservations are
required. Information: 501‐5859.  Free.

Tuesday, September 30th

Young @ Art: I Am an Artist.  11am-Noon.  Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Art Education Center.  For Ages 2 ½ – 5.  Explore the meaning of artistic expression while creating imaginative masterpieces inspired by artwork in the galleries.  Fee.

MathScience Innovation Center Open House.  3:30pm – 6:30pm.  2401 Hartman Street, Richmond, VA 23223.   Explore the Center and see firsthand what the MSiC provides to the region’s children and educators. Meet the educators behind the scenes. Learn more about classroom, Center and virtual lessons that reinforce SOLs and introduce emerging content and technologies. Discover our Saturday and Summer programs, conferences and classes for students, teachers, and parents. Experience the aquarium, the Fractal Room, the Challenger Learning Center, the Spider Room, our new Innovation Station and more.  RSVP online.  Free.

Thursdays, October 2nd thru December 4th 2014

A Fresh Start For Single Mothers And Their Children.  Thursday Evenings From 6:00pm -8:00pm.   Velocity Church, 3300 Church Road, Henrico, Virginia 23233.  Other locations are available.  Attention Single Mothers!  A Fresh Start Is Designed To Accept, Support and Empower Single Mothers In Their Daily Lives.   Some topics covered:  Managing Your Budget, Health and Wellness / Stress Management, Effective Employment & Interviewing Strategies, Domestic Violence Awareness/ Child Protection, Parenting On Your Own / Keeping Family Traditions, Car Care Essentials, Beauty Out Of Ashes and much more.  Dinner And Childcare / Youth / Teen Mentoring.  All Are Provided At No Cost.  Weekly meetings consist of dinner for mothers/dinner and snacks for kids, informational guest speaker and small group discussion time, fellowship and fun!  Free Goodies and prizes for the moms to take home each week!!  Visit the website for registration information.  For questions contact info@whatsnextfreshstart.org.

Friday, October 3rd

First Friday Sampler.  5:30pm-8pm.  Visual Arts Center of Richmond.  Try your hand at different art samplers.  Budget and kid-friendly, but some  minimum age requirements.  Fee.

Special Night for Special Needs.  5:30pm – 7:30pm.  CMoR Central.  An evening especially for children 10 years old and younger who have special needs and their families.  Enjoy museum exploration, adapted materials, special activities, and reduced number of visitors on this special night. Children will have access and learning opportunities, but most importantly they’ll have fun!  Admission is Free.

Kids Fun Night. 6pm-8pm.  All Fired Up.  Kids ages 6 to 12 can paint some pottery, create an owl with wet clay, and enjoy games and pizza at any area location. Preregister.  Fee.

Parents Night Out. 6:30pm – 10pm.  Parents can grab dinner, see a movie, or do some shopping. The kids will be happy too with an evening of jumping, games, dinner and a movie. Repeats each week. Register: 804-550-7867.

Friday, October 3rd & Saturday, October 4th

Ghostbusters (PG).  7pm on the 3rd, and 2pm & 7pm on the 4th.  Henrico Theatre in Highland Springs.  Cinema Classics for all ages. Tickets are only $1 per person and can be purchased at the door. Information: 328-4491.

Friday, October 3rd – Sunday, October 5th

LEGO KidsFest.  Greater Richmond Convention Center.  LEGO KidsFest brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building and experiences together in one activity- and entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests.  Fee.

Saturday, October 4th

RAMOM’s “Everything for Kids” Yard Sale.  8am-11am.  Chickahominy Middle School.

James River Rambler Train Ride.  Additional dates.  Fee.

Free Flu Shot Clinic. 9am–1pm. St. Francis Watkins Center, 601 Watkins Centre Parkway, Midlothian.  Stay flu-free with free flu shots for children and adults and fun activities for the whole family.  Visit the website for full details and time saving paperwork.

Kids Clothing & Costume Exchange.  9am-Noon.  The Art Factory and Party Place, Brandermill Market Square, 4818 Market Square Lane Midlothian, VA 23112.   A great opportunity for families to sell or trade gently used kids clothing or costumes with other parents. In lieu of a participation fee, bring a new, unused toy donations for local families in need this holiday season.  Sign up to participate, please email ArtFactoryVA@gmail.com. For more information, please visit our website.

How to Build an EMS Truck.  9am-Noon. Local Home Depot Stores. FREE hands-on workshops designed for children ages 5 – 12 offered at all Home Depot stores. Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement. Register online. Free.

Richmond NF Walk.  Pole Green Park, Mechanicsville.  A fun, community event with lots of children’s activities, live music, costumed characters, free food, a raffle and a kids fun run.  There will be appearances by Mrs. Virginia & Mrs. Galaxy, Rodney the Ram, Richmond Raiders Cheerleaders and Amy Lacey from Channel 8 News will emcee the event.  Virginia Chapter of the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Gallmeyer Farms Fall Festival.  10am until 5pm.  The Pumpkin Patch, 4506 Millers Lane, Richmond 23231. (Please note this is not the same farm where The Strawberry Fields Festival is celebrated).

Creative Art Class.  10am-11:30am.  ArtWorks.  Students age 6 to 13 will have a monster mash with rock monsters, masks, and also enjoy drumming and movement. The goal is to bridge the artistic spectrum and create a complete creative experience for children to fully express themselves through their art. Class continues October 11. Register: 804-291-1400.

Touch A Truck.  10am-3pm.  Richmond International Raceway (RIR) Main Gate,  600 East Laburnum Avenue Richmond, Virginia.  The Junior League of Richmond’s 9th Annual Touch a Truck is a unique and interactive event that allows children to see, touch, and safely explore their favorite big trucks and heavy machinery, as well as to meet the personnel who protect, serve, and build the Richmond community. The types of vehicles include – construction, landscaping emergency, utility, transportation, delivery and some unique ones!  The event also features crafts, games and food trucks.  Rain or Shine.  Fee.

Reptile Roundup.  11am.  Maymont Nature Center.  Fee.

Eppington Heritage Day.  11am-4pm.  Eppington Plantation, 14201 Eppes Falls Road.  Spend the day experiencing Colonial history at Eppington. Eppington is a circa 1765 plantation named after the Eppes family, whose members were major landowners and built the estate. Tours of the house, which is rarely open to the public, will be offered. Activities include children’s games, period music and dancing, storytelling, craft demonstrations, carriage rides and living history. Discover what life was like in Chesterfield during the 18th century. Free.

Behind the Scenes.  1pm.  Maymont Nature Center.  Fee.

Romp n’ Roll Mechanicsville Kids Night Out.  6pm-9pm.  6300 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville VA 23111.  Every kid deserves a special night out…and so do you! Parents get an evening to themselves while the children get to run and play with our energetic instructors and enjoy a pizza party dinner at Romp n’ Roll! No need to be a member; register by calling 804-730-2060. ($20 for one child, $35 for two children, $40 for three children; no discounts apply, children must be siblings to qualify for pricing)

Saturday, October 4th through Sunday, October 5th

Girls in Science Camp In: E-textiles.  6:30pm to 9:00am.  Science Museum of Virginia. Middle school girls join forces with professional women scientists to develop soft circuits and create their own wearable technology!  Call 804.864.1400 to make a reservation. $10.

2nd Street Festival.   11:30am-7pm on Saturday and noon-6pm on Sunday. Each year thousands of people come to Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward to hear live music on four stages, enjoy children’s activities, taste delicious food, shop in the marketplace, dance in the streets and renew old friendships. Free admission.

Apple Harvest Celebration.    EVERY Saturday and Sunday in October.   Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trail, Charlottesville, VA.  Music, food, hayrides, wine tastings, pumpkins, apple picking, apple butter, apple cider, apple cider donuts, apple pie, and all things apple. The orchard hours will be extended first three weekends—8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 5th

Open Studio Sundays.  1pm-4pm.  Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Art Education Center.  Go by the studios anytime between Noon and 4 pm to enjoy “make-it, take-it” art activities inspired by objects from the VMFA collection. A new art project offered every month, with assistance from VMFA volunteers! (For groups of eight or more children, please email megan.liles@vmfa.museum.)  Free, no registration required.

Celebrate Thomas the Train Day. 2pm-4pm,  Confederate Hills Recreation Center.   For ages 2-6 with an adult. All aboard! Head over to Confederate Hills to celebrate trains! Don’t miss the finger puppets craft station, riding the Fun Time train, train races on the lawn, Play-Doh train designs, and cookie decorating (while supplies last). Bring your friends and come out for train loads of fun! Information: 737-2859.  Free.

AquaTots Open House.  3pm-6pm.  1205 Carmia Way, Richmond, 23235.  Moon bounces, face painting, cotton candy and popcorn, free swims, sweet frogs, the fire department and more.  Free.