Nightlife

Richmond is no New York or London, so you won't be attending internationally recognized theaters and music halls. Nevertheless, you might be able to catch visiting productions and artists at several venues. The city has its own ballet company and theater groups, and pierced-set bands rock Shockoe Bottom.

Current entertainment schedules can be found in the Thursday "Weekend" section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (www.timesdispatch.com), the city's daily newspaper. The free tabloid Style Weekly (www.styleweekly.com) has details on theater, concerts, dance performances, and other happenings. It's widely available at the visitor centers and in hotel lobbies.

Major Concert Halls & All-Purpose Auditoriums

Although it was closed for renovations during my recent visit, the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts, 600 E. Grace St., at 6th Street (tel. 804/782-3900; www.vapaf.com), should soon again host national touring companies for dance, orchestra, and theater performances. The Richmond Ballet, the Virginia Opera, and the Richmond Symphony usually perform here as well.

Next to the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the Richmond Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St. (tel. 804/780-4970; www.richmondcoliseum.net), hosts everything from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to rock concerts. It's the largest indoor entertainment facility in Virginia and seats about 12,000. Major sporting events -- wrestling, ice hockey, and basketball -- are also scheduled here.

In the summer months, Richmond goes outdoors to Dogwood Dell Festival of the Arts in Byrd Park, at Boulevard and Idlewild Avenue (tel. 804/646-3355), for free music and drama under the stars in this tiered grassy amphitheater. Bring the family, spread a blanket, and enjoy a picnic.

Fun Freebies -- A non-profit organization called City Celebrations (tel. 804/788-6466; www.citycelebrations.org) keeps Richmond hopping with a series of free outdoor concerts, beer blasts, and street festivals from May through September. Regular freebies include a "Midweek Mojo" Wednesday evenings on the Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk, Thursday night outdoor movies on the riverfront, and Friday Cheers on Brown's Island.

The Performing Arts

You can catch family plays and musicals at Theatre IV, 114 W. Broad St. (tel. 804/344-8040; www.theatreiv.org), which stages family-oriented performances in the Empire Theater, at Broad and Jefferson streets.

The Richmond Ballet (tel. 804/359-0906; www.richmondballet.com), the official State Ballet of Virginia, performs from mid-October to May. Their productions run the gamut from classical to modern, from The Nutcracker to commissioned world premieres. The ballet, the Virginia Opera (tel. 804/643-6004; www.vaopera.org), and the Richmond Symphony (tel. 804/788-1212; www.richmondsymphony.com) all perform in the Carpenter Center for Performing Arts.

Tickets for most events are available through Ticketmaster (tel. 804/262-8003; www.ticketmaster.com).

The Club & Music Scene

Shockoe Bottom is the city's funky nightlife district, although the usual weekend revelers are more likely to have pierced eyebrows than packed wallets. It occupies the square block beginning with the 17th Street Farmer's Market going east along East Main and East Franklin streets to 18th Street. Its joints attract the "let's see your ID" crowd, and they go up and down in popularity, so those I visited recently may not be in vogue when you get here. If you can find a parking space, you can see for yourself what's going on by bar-hopping around Shockoe Bottom's busy block (but do not wander off onto deserted streets). Note: Many Shockoe Bottom establishments are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Up Cary Street in the more affluent (and well-behaved) Shockoe Slip, several restaurants and pubs have live music, including the Tobacco Company, 1201 E. Cary St. (tel. 804/782-9555), which has acoustic jazz upstairs Tuesday through Saturday and dancing downstairs Wednesday through Saturday from 8pm to 1am.