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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When does First Fridays take place?

Are the participating venues only open during First Fridays?

Where can I find information or a map about First Fridays?

Will there be a wait to get into some of the participating sites?

What about drinking, fireworks, and animals?
Can I set up a table and vend at First Friday?

When does the First Fridays Art Walk take place?
First Fridays Art Walk in Richmond, VA takes place monthly, rain or shine, on the first Friday of each month (unless moved due to a holiday conflict.) The participating venues are open various hours, and while the majority of sites are open between 6pm-10pm, visitors will find restaurants open around 5pm and some of the galleries open until midnight. Please see the individual venue listings for complete details and hours.

Are the participating venues only open during First Fridays?
No! While you may experience “one-night-only” events at times, all of the spaces open during the Art Walk are open for business during the day and/or by appointment. Check the individual listings for regular operating hours, but you can be guaranteed that the shops and galleries are open for business throughout the week and on weekends, the restaurants are serving up delicious meals for lunch and dinner and special occasions too, cultural organizations are producing theatrical performances or mounting exhibitions every month, and the finest of hotels are waiting to treat you to luxurious stay. Downtown offers a vibrant mix and culture and business every day of the week.

Where can I find information or a map about First Fridays?
You can find a map on our website or you can find one inside our seasonal guides produced through the very generous support of our Print Media Sponsor – Style Weekly. The Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer and can be found inside issues of Style Weekly as well as at the participating venues, around town, and at the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitors Center located at 3rd & Marshall Streets.

Can I set up a table and vend at First Fridays?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with the permission or permitting that allows you to be a sidewalk vendor in the City of Richmond. You must contact the City of Richmond Department of Finance to apply for a Vendors/Peddlers License, and for the “Central Business District” of which First Fridays falls, please contact 804.646.6928 to obtain a “Vendor Package” that will provide you with complete details. The cost of obtaining a Vendors License is a one-time fee of $225, plus insurance. You will be ticketed otherwise!

Details can be obtained online at:

http://www.richmondgov.com/departments/finance/vendor.aspx

Steps to Acquiring A Sidewalk Vendors License (from the City of Richmond's website)

Obtain commercial "liability insurance" for vending, minimum coverage of $300,000. The city of Richmond must be named as co-insured.

A Federal tax identification number is required if you are not using your social security number and can be obtained from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - (866)816-2065.

Filing of Certificate of Assumed Name & Partnerships contact John Marshall Court Building (Clerk of the Circuit Court) (804)646-6530.

A Health permit is required if selling food. Contact the City of Richmond Health Department at 400 E. Cary St. (804)205-3500.

Dairy products contact Virginia Department of Agriculture (804)786-1452.
The cost of the license is $225.00, plus $50.00 for each additional stand/cart. Vendor’s license covers one calendar year January 1st to December 31st.

Please bring all required documentation to Department of Finance, Division of Tax Enforcement 900 E. Broad St. Rm 102.

After purchasing a license you will receive a plate (to be displayed on your cart/stand) while vending. The city of Richmond requires that vendor(s) must have an official photo identification on their person at all times. The badge shall include a photograph of the vendor, business name, first and last name of employee.
Renewal period - January 1st to March 1st

All vendor/peddler(s) must have current documentation of insurance, health certificate and no delinquent taxes.

To obtain a complete copy of the City Code regarding vending rules and regulations call (804)646-7000 or email Ask Finance.

Please note that all proposed physical locations in the "Central Business District" must be approved by the Department of Finance Division of Tax Enforcement prior to licensing.

 

What about drinking, fireworks, and animals?
If it's unlawful to do it in public, it's unlawful to do it at First Fridays and you may be ticketed!

Richmond does not have open container laws, so you cannot drink outside, so please finish any alcoholic drinks inside the establishment where you purchased it, and don't bring containers/flasks of alcohol with you. Visitors and venues must abide by laws of the State Dept of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

DO NOT BRING FIREWORKS OF ANY KIND TO FIRST FRIDAYS! Fireworks are illegal in Virginia and NOT welcomed at First Fridays.

As dictated by City of Richmond code, animals (dogs) are allowed on leashes and must be cleaned up after.

Will there be a wait to get into some of the participating sites?
It’s a great problem to have to be so popular! But unfortunately the increased attendance at First Fridays means an increase in visitors inside many of the buildings, and capacity overages at times. Recent building and fire safety enforcement by the City of Richmond now requires participating business owners and organizations to enforce their certificates of occupancy (CO), which at times will mean a limit on entrance and may cause a short wait to get in.

Everyone appreciates the public’s enthusiasm for First Fridays and for your patience in dealing with these recent turn of events. We encourage visitors to come out earlier when it’s not as busy and if you do experience a wait to please return! Survival of our local businesses and organizations depends on community support and we need everyone’s support more so than ever!

What’s the history of First Fridays and who coordinates it?
Curated Culture is the organization behind-the-scenes of First Fridays and whose mission is to inspire economic and community development in the Richmond Region by expanding public awareness of and exposure to the arts and culture.

Curated Culture has one staff member and a volunteer board, and looks to the participating First Fridays venues as an imperative advisory body. Curated Culture’s goals are to improve appreciation of arts and culture; maintain and develop quality arts initiatives like First Fridays; promote arts and culture as economic and tourism drivers for the Richmond Region; serve as an advocate for the arts and for the many diverse organizations and businesses that participate in First Fridays; serve as liaison to the community and media on behalf of First Fridays and act as marketing arm of the program; maintain and build relationships with various stakeholders to further these objectives.

Based on events in many other cities across the country, the “Art Walk” concept was introduced in 2000 by the staff of Artspace (Manchester gallery formerly located downtown) and supported by the board and membership in an effort to formalize the art openings that were taking place at the few galleries then located along Broad Street and to help revitalize a once down and out part of Downtown. The “First Fridays On & Off Broad” volunteer steering committee was organized thereafter while Artspace served as lead organization and fiscal agent. In December 2002 a vote was taken to move oversight of First Fridays to a new structure since the project was too larger for the individual galleries to manage. Serving as steering committee chair, Christina Newton moved forward with founding Curated Culture in March 2003 and continues to serve as its staff today.

The First Fridays Art Walk 2009-2010 - 9th – Season now includes over 30 diverse venues including art galleries, cultural organizations, restaurants, shops, and accommodations that are located along Historic Broad Street and sprinkled in Historic Jackson and Monroe Wards.

Can Curated Culture help me find a place to show my artwork?
We wish we could help support every artist in this way, but we do not curate the exhibitions on view. We leave this important work to our colleagues that manage the many diverse local galleries, and since each gallery has its own vision and submission policy, we recommend visiting them in order to find which ones best fit your style and interests and then contact them directly for their submission policy. Of course, we recommend doing this during times other than First Fridays.
Curated Culture can help support the Region’s many diverse and talented artists of all genres by offering inclusion in our NEW Artist Registry featured on our widely-used website. For only $25 annually, you receive your name, medium, representative image, and link to your website, plus the opportunity to reach the thousands of viewers of our website!

Does the City of Richmond run or support First Fridays?
No, First Fridays is a Curated Culture program. Through sponsorships, donations, and annual fees from the participating venues, we are able to facilitate this free program for the community. We also provide an ample mix of marketing opportunities for the participating venues, including this website, seasonal guides, rack cards, radio credits, and social media. We also provide public and media relations for the event and participating venues and serve as liaison with the community-at-large.

We do appreciate the City of Richmond's help in providing for the event through the services of the Richmond Police Department. We are also grateful to our generous sponsor Venture Richmond for providing services of their Downtown Ambassador and Clean & Safe programs. By working together with these and our many community partners, we continue to find new ways to make Downtown all that it can be!
*How can I support First Fridays Art Walk?
Become a member or sponsor today! Simply download the Membership Application and mail it in or email us. For as little as $10 a year, you can help keep First Fridays alive and support the efforts of Curated Culture - our organization that works behind-the-scenes of the Art Walk. With the help of our amazing sponsors, volunteers, and partnering venues, we can sure stretch a dollar, but it takes the community’s support to really survive.

So whether you're a Downtown business owner, a Richmond based artist, a company looking for more exposure, or someone who just loves attending First Fridays, we have a membership type just for you. Help to make our community a more creative and vibrant place to live, work, and visit by becoming a Member Today!

Sponsorships are available in a variety of levels, starting as low as $400 for a monthly sponsorship, and benefits can be tailored to fit the needs of the individual or group.


I’m thinking about opening a business in the City. What do I do?
We recommend reviewing the City of Richmond’s website and in particular, reviewing the “Grand Opening” link for details on opening a business in the City of Richmond at: http://www.richmondgov.com/departments/communityDev/index.aspx

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