(From left): Megan Nolde, board chair of Gallery5, Lauren Vincelli, Richmond Moon Market and Mushroom Mania, Pizzalore; Ashley Ray, Emergent Social Solutions; Amanda Robinson, founder Gallery5 and Virago Alley; Liz Kincaid, CEO of RVA Hospitality and president of the Arts District Business Alliance; Larkin Garbee, Lucky Duck Properties; Ash Moore of Gallery5 and Virago Alley. Photo by Scott Elmquist. Courtesy of Style Weekly.
Join The Richmond Moon Market, Gallery5, and the Richmond Arts District Business Alliance for a pickle festival like no other!
November 6th - 8th at Gallery5
Do you live in praise of the pickle?
We invite artists, makers, fermenters, and devoted pickle enthusiasts to pay homage to one of humanity’s most enduring, perplexing, and delicious phenomena: the pickle!
We’re celebrating the pickle in all its forms and inviting submissions for both 2-D and 3-D artwork and our Best Pickles in Richmond jarred-pickle competition.
THE ART OF THE PICKLE: EXHIBITION
Born of preservation and transformed by time, the pickle is at once food, process, object, tradition, memory, and cultural artifact. It can be crisp or soft, sour or sweet, humble or magnificent. It lives in jars, on plates, in family recipes, at county fairs, and in the curious space between the everyday and the extraordinary.
BEST PICKLES IN RICHMOND COMPETITION
Bring us your finest homemade, shelf-stable pickles in a sealed jar for a good old-fashioned state-fair-style competition. The competition will be juried by the official Richmond Pickle Party Festival Committee, with two main categories: Best Pickled Cucumber & Best of Everything Else!
Photo by Scott Elmquist. Courtesy of Style Weekly.
“Pickling connects us to history, craftsmanship, and the joy of creating and sharing something ourselves. We saw it as a wonderfully weird way to bring people together, draw attention to downtown Richmond and Jackson Ward, inspire local businesses to dream up pickle-themed specials, and celebrate the creativity of our community through food and art.”
EVENTS SCHEDULE
Gallery5
Courtesy of Unsplash.
First Friday | Nov. 6, 5-11 p.m.
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We invite artists, makers, fermenters, and devoted pickle enthusiasts to pay homage to one of humanity’s most enduring, perplexing, and delicious phenomena: the pickle.
Join us for the opening reception of “THE ART OF THE PICKLE: EXHIBITON” from 5—11 p.m. during First Friday!
Artists are invited to submit their best pickles or 2D and 3D pickle-inspired artwork for the Richmond Pickle Party until Oct. 17, 2026.
Submissions have closed for this event.
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Fermenters and devoted pickle enthusiasts to pay homage to the pickle by competing for The Best Pickles in Richmond!
Picklers are competing in two categories: Best Pickled Cucumber and Best of Everything Else, which may include any type of pickled produce (eg: carrots, onions, beans, okra, garlic). In addition to the main category awards, we’ll be handing out special awards for standout pickles that include Most Creative, Sweetest, Spiciest, and Most Unexpected.
Fermenters are invited to submit their finest shelf-stable pickles for the Richmond Pickle Party until Oct. 17, 2026.
Submissions have closed for this event.
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DJ Ease - Richmond’s favorite DJ curating hip-hop, Pop, Rock, and RnB classics
WRIR 97.3FM DJs - Local selectors from YOUR community radio station WRIR 97.3FM, Eclectic style and indie hits.
Fields On Fire - local folk musicians playing gospel and old time
Buckville Hootenanny’s Pickle Rock Opera - A six-piece "good-time music" experience for the young and old, playing their pickle rock opera, funk, pop and originals.
Dogwood Brothers - Seven piece band playing classic country, Americana and outstanding originals.
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Food trucks participating in the Richmond Moon Market on First Friday include:
Visit rvapickleparty.com for more information!
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Fabulous local vendors participating for First Friday include:
Visit rvapickleparty.com for more information!
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Richmond Pickle Party Parade & Conga Line led by Athanor Dance Collective begins at 7 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to dress up in their best pickle looks for the occasion!
The parade begins a block away at GWARbar!
Visit rvapickleparty.com for more information!
Saturday | Nov. 7
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Calling all the pickle people! Bring a jar of your favorite pickles, yours or sourced, to share with the community. This is your moment to show off your most cherished fermented and brined foods. We will also be trying the pickles submitted to the Best Pickles in Richmond competition!
This event will include a Bloody Mary special that we invite you to dress up with pickles from the potluck.
Drop-in any time from 11 a.m.—2 p.m.!
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Hot Lava - indie pop/weird pop
Serqet - Anarcho goth space rock
Future Mantis - Doomwave power duo
$10.
Sunday | Nov. 8
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Local artists, musicians, and performers come together to celebrate the extraordinary, mysterious, and delicious pickle!
There will be drag, music, comedy, art, a bloody mary bar, and more!
Courtesy of Unsplash.
Virago Alley
200 W. Marshall St, 2nd floor
First Friday | Nov. 6, 5-11 p.m.
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Beloved Ren Faire favorite Captain P. Ickles will be slinging salty dill-lights outside during the First Friday block party!
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Showcasing the Herbalist Guild with @rvaherbalistalliance by providing an interactive table featuring the medicinal benefits and historical uses of the plants that make up pickling spice!
They’ll also have some herbal pickles and pickle jelly available for sale.
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Entice your taste buds at Virago Alley’s pop up spiked lemonade stand featuring Belle Isle’s Pickled Moonshine!
Special thanks to Belle Isle for sponsoring this dill-icious event!
Around the Arts District & Jackson Ward
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1708 | 319 W Broad St.
ADA | 228 W Broad St.
Anne's Visual Art Studio Gallery | 208 W Broad St.
Black Iris | 321 W Broad St.
Candela Photographic Arts | 214 W Broad St.
Foyer | 16 W Broad St.
Glass Eye Studios | 215 W Clay St.
Quirk Gallery | 207 W Broad St.
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Bars and restaurants participating in the RVA Pickle Party by offering specials are:
Bar Solita - also offering Pickle Pizza!
The Black Olive Pizzeria - also offering Pickle Pizza!
Contact the establishments for more information!
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Glass Eye has transformed from spooky studio to fermenter and cannery to bring you the biggest pickle jar you've ever seen in celebration of November First Friday.
Come get your photo taken in our pickle jar and leave with a commemorative post card!
Fri., Nov. 6, 5 - 9 p.m.
Glass Eye Studios -
Moving Mountains Tatoo will be offering pickle flash all weekend at a discounted price, and they’ll also pickle your own ideas as well!
Appointments and walk-ins are welcome!All Weekend, Nov. 6 - 8, 1 - 8 p.m.
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Pink Mat Pilates welcomes all those who cherish the relish to join a pickle-themed Mat or Reformer class!
AVAILABLE CLASSES
Fri., Nov. 6 | 5 p.m. & 6 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 | 11 a.m.
Sun., Nov. 8 | 11 a.m. -
Did you know Jackson Ward was once home to pickle royalty? Laugh and learn about Ellen Kidd, suffragette and founder of Pin Money Pickles, as improvisers use delicious details from her personal life to inspire scenes. Juicy!
Sat., Nov. 7th | 9-10:30 p.m.
Coalition Theater -
Join Gabrielle Cerberville AKA Chaotic Forager on Sunday, November 8 at Bar Solita on 123 W Broad St for two oustanding demos & tastings:
Cooking and Preserving Mushrooms | 11 a.m.
Demo and Tasting - Limited Seating
The Art of Making Vinegar | 2 p.m.
Demo and Tasting - Limited SeatingVisit rvapickleparty.com for more information!
Courtesy of Unsplash.
And so many more! New events are being added every day so stay up to date with
the Richmond Moon Market at
rvapickleparty.com.
Thank you to our sponsor!
