2nd Street Festival

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The 2nd Street Festival will return this fall to celebrate its 36th anniversary, Saturday-Sunday, October 5-6! The festival celebrates the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood in Downtown Richmond, VA. This FREE event is produced by Venture Richmond Events.

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Each year thousands visit historic Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of Richmond's African American community and was known as “the Harlem of the South.” Today, Jackson Ward continues to be a thriving neighborhood and community. The 2nd Street Festival is an annual celebration over two days that features three stages of live musical entertainment along with a Kidz Zone, popular food vendors, a marketplace and Artists Row to shop, and the Richmond Metropolitan Antique Car Club.

(Subject to change)

Saturday, October 5

11:40 – 12:30pm: Tuesday Verses

1:00 – 1:30pm: Richmond Urban Dance Company

1:50 – 2:40pm: Glennroy & Company

3:00 – 3:50pm: Kemel Patton - The Line Dance King of RVA

4:20 - 5:20pm: Soul Unlimited Band

5:50 - 7:00pm: Arrested Development

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Sunday, October 6

1:00 – 1:30pm: Rev D. Kay Logan & Nu Beginning Exp Ministry

2:00 – 2:30pm: Mervin Mayo

3:00 – 4:00pm: Aliyah The DJ

4:20 - 4:35pm: Style to Empower with Dr. Bert

5:00– 6:00pm: Desirée Roots

Saturday, October 5

12:00 - 1:00pm: Michelle Lightfoot & The Crescendo School of Music

1:30 - 2:30pm: Curv Appeal

3:00 - 4:15pm: Chan Hall Quartet

4:45 - 6:00pm: Nathan Mitchell

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Sunday, October 6 – Women Take the Stage!

1:00 - 1:45pm: Kia Bennett Duo

2:15 - 3:00pm: Lucy Kilpatrick Quartet

3:30 -4:30pm: Marsha Meekins & Company

5:00 - 6:00pm: “Lady E” Duchess of the Blues & Her Blues Synsation Band

Saturday, October 5

11:50 - 12:00pm: Welcome - Historic Jackson Ward Association; Lift Every Voice and Sing- Milani Hopkins

12:15 - 12:45pm: RU

1:15 – 2:15pm: Kadencia

2:45 - 3:45pm: Sweet Potatoes Music

4:00 - 5:00pm: Line Dancing with Rhonda

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Sunday, October 6

1:30 - 1:45pm: Style to Empower with Dr. Bert

2:15 - 2:45pm: 40+ Double Dutch Club - Richmond, VA Subclub

3:00 - 4:00pm: Rick Elliott

4:30 - 5:30pm: Ban Caribe

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PLEASE NOTE: We encourage people to bring their own chairs to best enjoy the shows at each stage.

Saturday’s Headliner, Arrested Development

The multi-platinum, Grammy Award Winning Group, Arrested Development delivers an onstage energy that everyone wants to be a part of! Having received numerous accolades, including the first ever Hip-Hop artist to receive the “best new artist” Grammy, (a distinction it still maintains today in that category), the group is best known as pioneers of conscious rap. Arrested Development received a Grammy award for “best rap single” for their anthemic prayer-like hit song, Tennessee, a song that has gone on to be named as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in the Top 100 Greatest Songs of the 90’s by VH1.

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With the success of the single Mr. Wendal, Arrested Development brought the issue of homelessness to the forefront. The group donated half of the royalty earnings from Mr. Wendal to the National Coalition of the Homeless. They were also asked to write a song for Spike Lee’s movie about minister and human rights activist, Malcom X. The movie, “X,” went on to become one of Spike Lee’s most highly acclaimed works. The Arrested Development song, Revolution, would forever be associated with the movie.

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Rolling Stone magazine named Arrested Development Band of The Year in 1992, while VH-1 named them one of the greatest Hip-Hop artists of all time. In 2019, the band was honored at the Black Music Honors Awards and in 2000, Arrested Development reemerged with a new lineup and a new album. For the last thirty years, they have performed sold-out concerts in every part of the world.

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Sunday’s Closing Performance, Desirée Roots

Desirée Roots is revered for her powerful yet controlled, lush voice with its 3 ½ octave range. Her ability to sing nearly every genre including Jazz, Gospel, classical and opera has made her one of the area’s most sought-after vocalists. In 2004, Desirée was awarded the Theresa Pollack Prize for Excellence in the Arts. She has performed throughout the East Coast with orchestras, regional jazz bands and as leader of her own ensembles.

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Desirée Roots has been the opening act for internationally renowned artists including Brian McKnight, Gerald Albright and B. B. King. As an actor, she has received numerous accolades and awards for her talents. Her leading role credits include Aldonza in Man of La Mancha; Effie in Dreamgirls, Sofia in The Color Purple and Caroline in Caroline, or Change for which she won the RTCC Award for ”Best Actress in a Musical” (2015). Since being bitten by the theater bug at the age of thirteen, Desiree has starred in over thirty productions in the Richmond Region.

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Her debut CD, Don’t Ever Stop Dreaming, released in 2015, showcases the range of her talent with an eclectic mix of jazz favorites and contemporary popular hits. Desirée’s passion has been working for the Richmond arts community.

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Featured Jazz Stage Artists, Nathan Mitchell and “Lady E” Duchess

The Joe Kennedy Jr. Jazz Stage, sponsored by Walmart, features Nathan Mitchell on Saturday, October 5 at 4:45pm. Back by popular demand, this Grammy nominated, #1 Billboard, 3x NAACP Image Award winning keyboardist is excited to be back home. Mitchell, a fan favorite, has spent half of his life in Virginia. He was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden in 2023 and has been a featured performer at Jazz Festivals all over the globe.

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Closing the Jazz Stage on Sunday is “Lady E” Duchess of the Blues and Her Blues Synsation Band. “Lady E” is known for her audience participation performances. She knows how to get a crowd excited and up on their feet. She will perform on Sunday, October 6 at 5:00pm.

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Richmond's Singing Police Officer, Mervin Mayo

The longtime Richmond Police Department officer, school resource officer and Richmond native, known often as “the Gospel Cop,” appeared in July’s episodes of “America’s Got Talent” on NBC. Mervin Mayo “has been uploading music videos to his YouTube channel for 15 years, each typically garnering around 30 views. But in 2020, Mayo’s videos started gaining traction. “The remake of Marvin Sapp’s ‘The Best in Me’ got shared by some celebrities, I think, and it blew up,” he says. “The next morning, it had like 2 or 3 million views.” Subsequent videos met with similar success. “And then it just kept going.” (Richmond Magazine, The Gospel Officer, Pearl Lee, May 8, 2024.) Mervin Mayo is performing on the Main Stage on Sunday, October 6 at 2:00pm.

Official Festival Poster Artist, Amiri Richardson-Keys

The 2024 official poster was commissioned to Amiri Richardson-Keys, an artist based in Richmond who celebrates and elevates the profound beauty, resilience and strength of the African American community with a particular focus on Black women, children and the essence of the Black family. Official posters and t-shirts will be available to purchase at the Venture Richmond tent on 2nd Street during the festival.

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Radio One 2nd Street MIX Weekend

Back again for another year, 2nd Street Festival partner Radio One’s “2nd Street MIX'' weekend will get you ready for the festival by bringing you mixes from DJ King Tutt, DJ Drake, and DJ Lonnie B! Tune into 99.3/105.7 KISS FM on Saturday, October 5 from 4:00pm-midnight and Sunday, October 6 from noon-7:00pm.

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FREE Walking Tours, guided by Gary Flowers

Venture Richmond Events will provide FREE guided walking tours led by Gary Flowers who has a four-generation family connection to Historic Jackson Ward. "Educating the public to the place Historic Jackson Ward holds in commerce, education, and dismantling racial segregation in the United States of America is critically important to me,” Mr. Flowers said. Tour groups meet on the sidewalk at the Maggie Walker National Historic Site, 2nd & E. Leigh Street, and leave at 3:00pm on Saturday and at 3:00pm on Sunday. 60-minute tours.

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Kidz Zone, produced by the Children’s Museum and Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

The Children’s Museum and Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia are once again producing the much-loved Kidz Zone. Some of the fun activities planned include a community art project, historical quilting, storytelling with guest readers, bag hat creations as well as a physical activity area with a variety of yard games. Balloons By Extreme will be on site for some balloon twisting fun too. The Kidz Zone is located in the parking lot between Clay and Leigh Street off of 2nd Street.

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Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site will hold a free open house during the festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-6 from 2-4:00pm. Outside in front of the house on E. Leigh Street, the National Park Service will also have a kid's piggy bank craft and hand out free banking books!

2024 Festival Merchandise

2nd Street Festival t-shirts, hats, tote bags, water bottles and official posters are for sale at the Venture Richmond tent on 2nd Street between Clay and Marshall Streets.

• Festival merchandise is for sale on Saturday from 11:30am - 7:00pm, and on Sunday from 12:00pm - 6:00pm.
• Merchandise is available until it is sold out.

Artist Row Vendors

• Art By Amiri (featured artist & poster designer)
• The Art of Abdul Badi
• Andrew Nichols Art
• Liberated Flow, LLC
• From The Core Art Studio
• Kelly U Fine Art

2nd Street Festival Hours

• Saturday, October 5 from 11:30am - 7:00pm
• Sunday, October 6 from 12:00pm - 6:00pm

2nd Street Festival Location

In the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood, within an eight-block area along N. 2nd Street between E. Broad and E. Jackson Streets in Downtown Richmond.

• For ride share: 124 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Admission

The 2nd Street Festival is a FREE event. Food, drink and merchandise are available for sale.

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No Pets

DO NOT BRING PETS (other than service animals) to the festival. We expect large crowds and your pets will be more comfortable at home.

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What Can I Bring With Me?

• Items that are permitted include, but are not limited to:
• FOLDING CHAIRS ARE RECOMMENDED – we ask that you bring your own portable chair to comfortably enjoy the live music.
• Ponchos and small, personal umbrellas are permitted in the case of rain.

What Can I Not Bring With Me?

• Items that are not permitted include, but are not limited to:
• No pets (official service animals are permitted)
• No coolers, or large backpacks
• No alcohol
• No bottles/glass containers
• No illegal substances, illicit goods, fireworks, weapons, guns, knives or laser pointers will be permitted at the event and violators will be held accountable and prosecuted by state and federal law.
• No flying objects (drones, kites, Frisbees, footballs, etc.)
• No riding bikes or scooters through the festival site

Downtown Richmond Parking

• There is no dedicated event parking, but around the festival site there are surface parking lots and available on-street parking, specifically on the south side of E. Broad Street between Foushee Street and N. 5th Street. There is also a parking deck at 5th and Marshall Streets behind the Richmond Marriott.
• We advise festival attendees to use the GRTC Pulse bus service which has a stop at 2nd and E. Broad Streets.
• Rideshare services are also advised. Best drop off address for rideshare is: 124 E. Broad St., Richmond, 23219
• Be sure to check out our Downtown Richmond Transportation Guide to determine the best way to get to the event and around the city of Richmond during the 2nd Street Festival!

In the Event of Rain

The 2nd Street Festival will go on, rain or shine.

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Emergency Services/First Aid

Emergency service centers are available at the festival.

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Restrooms

Portable restrooms are located throughout the festival. Free hand sanitizer will be available at these locations.

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Your Presence Is Your Permission

Special photographers and videographers have been hired by festival organizers to document the event. Some images may be used in later promotional materials. Your presence at the event is seen as your permission for such promotional use by the nonprofit organizers.

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2nd Street Festival Road Closures

Friday, October 5, 9 AM

• 2nd Street from Broad to Leigh Streets
• Clay Street from 1st to 3rd Street
• Marshall Street from 1st to 3rd Street

Saturday, October 6, 6 AM

• 2nd Street from Leigh to Jackson Street
• Leigh Street from 1st to 3rd Street
• 1st Street from Jackson to Broad
• Leigh Street will close at St. James Street
• Marshall Street will close at Adams Street

Road closures will remain in effect until Sunday, October 6, 11 PM.

Please email us for information on all 2025 sponsorship opportunities.