RICHMOND, Va. — The RVA East End Festival announced it will return for its eighth celebration on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the 17th Street Market, 100 N. 17th St. in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom.
Performers will include the full Richmond Symphony orchestra, Richmond-area professional musicians and Richmond Public Schools student artists. The complete lineup will be announced soon.
The free, family-friendly festival will feature food from local vendors, exhibit booths and a children's play area.
Proceeds will support music and cultural arts programs at Richmond Public Schools.
"Arts in schools are incredibly important. We need to make sure that students have the opportunity to experience the arts to learn beyond just core classroom learning. All those things complement the learning process, and arts and music are a huge part of what makes life beautiful, what makes our community beautiful, and we need to start exposing kids to that when they're young," said Richmond Mayor Danny Avula.
"Creativity is such an important part of childhood, but also it's an important part of being an adult and a productive citizen and so anything we can do to help our kids foster that creativity is a huge win," said Jason Kamras, superintendent of Richmond Public Schools.
Since 2016, the festival has raised thousands of dollars supporting music, visual arts and performing arts programs for East End Richmond Public Schools communities: Martin Luther King Jr. Preschool, Chimborazo Elementary, Woodville Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Henry L. Marsh Elementary, Bellevue Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Armstrong High School and Franklin Military Academy.
Previous festival proceeds have funded musical instrument repairs, dance studio creation and replacement of performance attire and visual art supplies through the RPS Education Foundation.
"This celebration of artistic excellence in music education and the cultural arts is made possible through support from the community and the generous investment of many sponsors," said Cynthia I. Newbille, Richmond City Council president. "Our students deserve the best resources for music and the arts, and proceeds from the RVA East End Festival are dedicated for that purpose."
Bon Secours, a partner since 2016, has donated more than $650,000 supporting the festival and the Richmond Symphony, which noted the festival highlights the power of music and community.
"The East End Festival is a great example of fulfilling that mission, and we are proud and honored to be a partner in their work and in supporting music education in our city," said Lacey Huszcza, Richmond Symphony president and CEO.
For more information on the RVA East End Festival.
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