RICHMOND, Va. — An upcoming renaissance fair-like event aims to empower women — and everyone — to express themselves and feel confident in their identities.
Warriors in Bloom will be held on August 2, taking over Agecroft Hall and Gardens with over 50 merchants, live music from various genres, storytelling troupes recounting myths and legends dedicated to historic women, historical martial arts live demonstrations, calligraphy, traditional weaving and herbalism, live improv roleplaying, a puppet theater, a reverse witch trial, and much more.
“We are trying to bring to life characters that may have gotten lost in history and use this event to empower our community. It’s going to be a pretty large event. There are activities all across the board,” said event creator Amanda Robinson.
It’s not just a Ren Faire — it’s the combined efforts of Virago Alley’s founder Amanda Robinson, Vice President Bizhan Khodabandeh, and board member Ash Moore to attempt to build a larger community and inspire younger generations to embrace their identities by highlighting historic women figures and martial arts, and by creating a platform for diverse creative assets.
“Warriors in Bloom is about empowerment," Robinson said. "It’s not just a Ren Faire-styled event. It’s about highlighting historic figures and legendary females from history.”
The event's focus is around redefining and modernizing the word "virago," which, according to Merriam-Webster, originally translates to "female warrior" from Latin — until later centuries when it was shifted to having a negative connotation — meaning a heroic woman of great stature, strength, and courage like Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, and the Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley. Warriors in Bloom’s goal is to bring this term into the modern age, ground it to its original meaning, and polish it for future generations.
“It’s like a window into the history of your ancestors, and it’s exciting to see so many people that are local that are starving for something like this to happen, they want to participate, they want to be involved,” Khodabandeh said.
Amanda Robinson also plans to build a brick-and-mortar facility called "Virago Alley," a dedicated place for the community and historic martial arts such as fencing, sword fighting, and archery, equipped with its own indoor archery range and various artisan workshops.
“Encouraging individuals to be themselves, it’s all really a great opportunity to bring the family out and see some work that's happening from artists in your community, while also just kind of dressing up, having fun, and trying to get through the summer heat together," Moore said.
The event also serves as a fundraiser for the upcoming 2026 Richmond Renaissance Faire, which is expected to attract up to 20,000 visitors.
Warriors in Bloom will take place at Agecroft Hall and Gardens, 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond on August 2, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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