Thursday, July 22
Crestwood Presbyterian Church is hosting special training event led by Reverend Chris Walker on the topic of “Creating A Culture of Welcome” on Thursday, July 22 from 7-9 p.m. at the Crestwood Presbyterian Church, West Campus, 1200 Charter Colony Parkway Midlothian, Va. 23114. Being a welcoming congregation is critical to church and Kingdom growth.  For a person to be attracted to a congregation of God’s people they must sense that congregation’s desire to join with them in ministry and service to Christ.  For this to occur, they must feel welcomed and sense the heart of the congregation. Chris Walker, a missionary to Panama has developed a ministry which he calls Evangelism Coach.  It is Chris’ desire to inspire and train the people of God in both the understanding of evangelism and practices that “Connect Lives To Christ’s Love.” All are welcome to attend this free event. Register online at http://www.crestwoodchurch.org

Friday, July 23
Families of all ages may visit the Virginia Historical Society, located at 428 North Boulevard, Richmond, for an educator-led tour of the award-winning The Story of Virginia: An American Experience exhibition. Learn about Virginia’s 16,000-year history and explore how the Commonwealth has changed and evolved over its centuries of existence. This tour takes place from 3 – 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, or to register for any of the children’s educational programming, please contact Caroline Legros at (804) 342-9652 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

ArtWorks Studios & Galleries 4th Fridays from 7 – 10 p.m. is free and open to the public; Please join us for five new art shows featuring: International Great Impressionism by Jinsheng Song; the Best Seat in the House by Guy Raymond;  Word Play by Gail Butler; Paintings by Lonnie Howard and Meditative Landscapes by Janet Visser. Also, July All Media Show: The All Media Art Show gallery talk and awards presentation is at 7:30 p.m. And music is by Melissa Cartwright. More details are at http://www.artworksrichmond.com. Contact: (804)291-1400 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Saturday, July 24
Jammin’ on the James: Free Summer Concert Series at Wilton House Museum,  215 S. Wilton Rd. Richmond from 6 – 8 p.m. featuring The Jeff Decker Band.  Bring a picnic dinner and your favorite lawn chair for family-friendly music on our grass terrace overlooking the James River.  Enjoy walk-through tours of Wilton.  Kids will be entertained by face-painting and games while parents revel in the sounds of the live melodies. Free admission.  Donations encouraged.  Rain or shine.  Seating is on a first-come basis.  Call (804)282-5936 ext.4 for more information.

In celebration of the Friends’ 40th Anniversary Friends of the Chesterfield County Public Libraries – Bon Air, Central, Chester, Clover Hill, Enon, Ettrick-Matoaca, LaPrade, Meadowdale and Midlothian – we will hold a 4-hour book sale, Saturday, July 24, 10 am to 2 pm in their respective libraries.  Hardback books will sell for $2; Paperbacks $1.  We have books for children, young adults and adults, plus books on tape, CDs, DVDs and Cassettes.  Some items may vary from library to library.  Memberships available:  $10 individual, $25 family.  Join & Save!

Take a guided walking tour of Mid-Lothian Mines Park Saturday, July 24, and learn more about the coal mining and railroad history of Chesterfield County. The tour will be from 11 a.m. until noon. Visit the site where coal was first commercially mined in North America and discover the impact that coal mining had on the region. Reservations are required. The tour is $8 per person. For more information, or to register, call (804)751-4946. Midlothian Mines Park is at 13301 N. Woolridge Rd.

Sunday, July 25
The 7th Annual Music For Massey presents Chris Isaak in concert at the Snag-a-job Pavilion at Innsbrook.  Special guests will include Marc Broussard and The Waybacks.  Gates open at 3pm and the music starts at 4pm.  General Admission advance tickets are $25, and gold Circle advance tickets are $50.  Patron Sponsorships are available for $300 and include 2 Gold Circle tickets to the event, pre-show VIP reception & VIP viewing lounge.  All proceeds will benefit the VCU Massey Cancer Center, one of the country’s top cancer research facilities located right here in Richmond.  For more information, call 804-828-1451 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  Presented in part by Connor’s Heroes and Napier Realtors.

Monday, July 26
The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia launches “Tavern Talk,” its new fundraising program at Howlett’s Restaurant & Tavern in Chester on Monday, July 26, featuring former Virginia Governor George Allen. Howlett’s, a family-owned business, is located at 3530 Festival Park Plaza, Chester, Va. 23831.  Reservations are required; please call (804) 930-1034. Howlett’s is located at 3530 Festival Park Plaza, Chester, Va. 23831.  A percentage of that day’s food sales will benefit the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.

Saturday, July 31
Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival kicks-off at 9 a.m. at Rocketts Landing, located at 5000 Old Osbourne Tnpk., Richmond. Dragon boats are 40-foot human-powered canoes decorated with ornate Chinese dragon heads. Led by the rhythmic beat of a drum, teams consisting of 20 synchronized paddlers, one drummer, and one steersperson race the canoes 500 meters down the river. Social groups and businesses alike embrace the sport of dragon boating because it builds camaraderie and a sense of “team” through participation in the sport. Registration: $1,000-$1,700 per boat. For more information, visit sportsbackers.org or call (804) 285-9495.

The Richmond Road Runners Club presents the second annual Pony Pasture 5K. This race starts at 7:30 am and is run from Pony Pasture Rapids Park on Riverside Drive. The course is an out and back on scenic Riverside Drive. This race is for both walkers and runners. First prize (male and female is a $150 dinner certificate to Ruth Chris Steak House, 2nd is a $100 certificate to Maggiano’s and third is $75 to Pescados. The masters winners will get $100 certificate to Aziza’s on Main. There are special awards for the oldest and youngest runners. There will be many other random prizes. All runners get a t-shirt. This race benefits the Richmond Road Runners Club Scholarship fund. Each year the Club awards two $2000 scholarships to graduating seniors from the Richmond Metro area. This year’s awards will be made after the race. Registration is $15. All runners get a t-shirt. There is a free ½ mile kids run. More information and to register at http://www.rrrc.org. Questions: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Monday, Aug. 9
Mended Little Hearts of Central Virginia will host their 5th annual Golf Tournament on August 9, 2010, sponsored by University of Virginia Children’s Hospital and Fetal Program. The proceeds received from this tournament will allow Mended Little Hearts to provide care packages, support groups meetings and social events to families in Central Virginia who have children with Heart Defects (CHD). The tournament is Captain’s choice, with a shotgun start, and will take place on Monday, Aug 9th at the Stonehenge Country Club in Midlothian, commencing at 1pm. Registration begins at 12pm and is $100 per player or $400 per foursome, and includes a dinner, beverages, range fees and cart.
Hole sponsorship opportunities are still available, and are a wonderful way to promote your company while supporting a worthy cause. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or visit http://www.mlhrichmond.org/golf.htm to register or sponsor this worthwhile event.

Saturday, Aug. 21
The Manchester High School reunion is open to all alumni, faculty, and staff and their adult guests. For $35 per person, enjoy a meal catered by PQ’s BBQ and music by a DJ and alumni musicians. This event is being held at the Oasis Sports Complex in western Chesterfield County and is being hosted by members of the classes of 1969-1971. For details, call Steve Lowery at (804) 275-0738 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Jammin’ on the James: Free Summer Concert Series at Wilton House Museum,  215 S. Wilton Rd. Richmond from 6 – 8 p.m. featuring The Jeff Decker Band.  Bring a picnic dinner and your favorite lawn chair for family-friendly music on our grass terrace overlooking the James River.  Enjoy walk-through tours of Wilton.  Kids will be entertained by face-painting and games while parents revel in the sounds of the live melodies. Free admission.  Donations encouraged.  Rain or shine.  Seating is on a first-come basis.  Call (804)282-5936 ext.4 for more information.

Monday, Sept. 13
The Bon Air Rotary Club of Richmond, Virginia is holding its 17th Annual Memorial Charity Golf Tournament on Monday at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club in Richmond. The tournament includes lunch, dinner and a cash bar, along with a raffle and silent auction.  All proceeds from the event will benefit local charities: The Alexander Kalata Memorial Fund, The Bon Air Elementary PTA and the Jim Mims Foundation.  Approximately 135 golfers and volunteers to attend this fundraising event. For more information on participating in the tournament or providing a sponsorship, call (804) 379-0239 or (804) 513-0616.

Thursday, Sept. 16
The NAMI-CVA monthly meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Weinstein JCC, 5403 Monument Ave. Dr. Ananda Pandurangi, Chairman In-patient Psychiatry, VCU Medical Center, will address the subject of “Update of Schizophrenia Treatment Options.”  The meeting is free and open to the public. For further information call (804) 285-1749.

Sunday, Oct. 3
6th Annual Woodland Vineyard Harvest Party — Celebrate the finish of the harvest with Woodland Vineyard, located at 15501 Genito Rd., Midlothian. Learn about the fermentation process, taste our fermenting wines, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and our “famous” wine ice-cream. Children welcome. $5/person, $8/family. Noon -5pm. For more information on the winery, visit http://www.woodlandvineyard.com

Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010
Grab your family, friends and co-workers as we walk down Monument Avenue for Step Out Richmond – Diabetes. Check in time 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. start at Monument Avenue at Monroe Park, Richmond. Form a team or register as an individual walker. The money you raise will help fund education for patients and their families, advocacy and research designed to find a cure for this potentially life threatening disease. You will also have the opportunity to visit our Wellness Village, play in our Kid Zone & enjoy some lively entertainment in Monroe Park. For more information and registration, please visit our website at diabetes.org/stepoutrichmond.

ONGOING

July 1 through Sept. 6
“WITH EVERY SEASON:  KEEPING COOL IN VIRGINIA”  Tour Wilton House Museum, located at 215 S. Wilton Rd., and discover how colonial Virginians lived without the modern conveniences of air conditioning, refrigeration, window screens, bug spray, shorts, and sandals! Learn how people lived during the hot summer months over 200 years ago; what they wore; how they ate; and how different it was from modern-life today. The first floor of the museum has been set for “Summer Establishment” and is a sight to behold.  Admission Fee.  For more information call (804)282-5936 ext. 4 or visit our website at http://www.wiltonhousemuseum.org. Wilton House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Last tour of the day begins 3:45 p.m.

July 26-July 30
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is conducting a middle school basketball camp Monday, July 26 through Friday, July 30.  The camp will be at Bon Air Baptist Church at 2531 Buford Rd.  The camp is for rising or current middle school students in the sixth, seventh or eighth grades.  The cost per camper is $125 and includes: camp clinics, a Bible, T-shirt, and Awards Dinner on Friday night. Contact FCA at (804) 221-1291 for questions and to register.  More information on the local FCA is available at FCAVACAP.org
August 9 ~ 13
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Colonial Kids’ Camp at Wilton House Museum Fee: $200; Grades rising 3 through rising 5. What was it like to be a kid in 18th century colonial Virginia?  Come spend 5 days with us to find out!  Tour Wilton House Museum and Historic St. John’s Church to see how you would have dressed, played, and lived in colonial Virginia.  Learn to decorate a floor cloth, make a wig, and have fun like you were an 18th century Virginian! Advanced reservations are required.  Please call (804)282-5936 ext. 4 or visit our website http://www.wiltonhousemuseum.org for more information.

Ahoy Mates!! It’s time to register for Bethia United Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School—High Seas Expedition. We’re setting sail Aug.9-Aug. 13, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. daily. Register on http://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/bethia. Space is limited! Bethia UMC is located at 10700 Winterpock Rd., Chesterfield. (804) 739-3459.

Mondays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Games, cards and coffee from 10 a.m. 1 p.m. for adults 50 and older, will be at Huguenot Road Baptist Church, 10525 W. Huguenot Rd. in Richmond. Join fellow game enthusiasts to play tabletop and card games such as pinochle, canasta, bridge and dominoes.

First and Third Tuesdays
Breast Cancer Support Group
Sponsored by the Bon Secours Cancer Institute; Meetings will be held the first and third Tuesday of every month at St. Francis Medical Center’s Cancer Institute Resource Library, 14051 St. Francis Boulevard, Midlothian, Virginia, 23114; For more information, call (804) 594-3130.