Search is On for Top Teen Chef

Teens, do you think you have what it takes to become Richmond’s next Top Teen Chef?  Test your skills in a program sponsored by the Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities on Saturday, December 15, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at T. B. Smith Community Center, located at 2015 Ruffin Road.

   The program will focus on healthy foods, and teens will be encouraged to share their knowledge of food facts as well as demonstrate their culinary skills.

    It’s free to enter, but the program is limited to the first 24 teens to register. For more information and to register, contact Priscilla Wright at (804) 646-1441 or at Priscilla.J.Wright@RichmondGov.com.

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Open House set at Arts and Community Center

The department will hold an open house at its Pine Camp Arts and Community Center on Thursday, December 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

     The public is invited to tour the facility, located at 4901 Old Brook Road, and enjoy a holiday concert by the Richmond Boys Choir in the Pine Camp Theater. This holiday concert will be followed by a performance from the City Dance Theater, the department’s award-winning youth dance troupe.

      The program is free, and refreshments will be served.

      For more information, call (804) 646-3677.

First Tee of Richmond to Close for Holidays

The First Tee of Richmond, located at 400 West School Street, will be closed for an extended period over the upcoming holidays for a thorough cleaning of the facility and inventory maintenance. The facility, which is normally open seven days a week, will be closed from December 24 through January 11.

     First Tee of Richmond is a year-round golf practice facility that includes a driving range with grass tees, covered heated tees, a practice putting and chipping green, a six-hole golf course, and a clubhouse with a pro-shop and snack bar. Normal operating hours during the winter months are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

      The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities uses First Tee to offer a variety of golf programs for youth that teach life skills as well as golf skills.

  

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Department to Host Free Holiday Events

The department will host the following family friendly events for the enjoyment and entertainment of Richmond residents and visitors this holiday season.

     For the adults, the department will hold a free holiday concert featuring Bak N Da Day on Tuesday, December 18, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Randolph Community Center, 1415 Grayland Avenue.

     Bak N Da Day is a popular local group with a repertoire of close to 100 songs spanning the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. These masters of vocal harmony, known as sharp dressers and for their slick routines, cover the popular hits of several musical genres, including Doo-Wop, Motown and Philly Soul. If names like the O’Jays, the Commodores, the Miracles or the Delfonics mean anything to you, then this is a concert that shouldn’t be missed. For more information, call 646-1080.

     On Saturday, December 22, the public is invited to bring their little ones for a free Breakfast with Santa at the department’s Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 East Belt Boulevard. Children and their parents will be served breakfast, and the young ones will have the chance to meet Jolly Old Saint Nick himself. The event is free, but reservations are required and should be made by calling 646-7934 by December 17.

     Those of any age will enjoy the James River Parade of Lights, the annual parade of holiday decorated boats on the James River, sponsored by the James River Advisory Council to be held on Saturday, December 8. The department will host a viewing site at Libby Hill Park on the corner of 28^th and Franklin Streets with entertainment starting at 4:30 p.m. and the parade scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Free Holiday Performance Set for December 9 at Landmark

The department will present its annual holiday gift to the city, its free production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, at the Landmark Theater. 

     The one-act family musical composed by Gian Carlo Minotti was commissioned by NBC and broadcast live for the premiere of Hallmark Hall of Fame on Dec. 24, 1951. A heart-warming holiday classic that will charm both children and adults, it tells the story of the mischievous shepherd boy Amahl and his mother and how their lives are changed forever after meeting three kings.   

     The work is thought by some to be the most frequently produced opera in the world, and this will be the 51^st year that the department has offered this holiday production to the public for free.

     No reservations are required, and seating is based on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Let Richmond's Children Start Your Holiday Season

Catch the holiday spirit with Carols at Noon in the lobby of City Hall beginning Wednesday, December 5. The program, brought to you by Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities in conjunction with Richmond Public Schools, features free lunchtime performances by Richmond school children’s choirs and musical ensembles. The schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday December 5^th - Henderson Middle School Choir (noon); Blackwell Elementary School Recorders (12:20 p.m.); Lucille Brown Middle School Chamber Orchestra (12:40 p.m.)

• Thursday, December 6^th - Albert Hill Middle School Choir (noon); John Marshall High School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Friday, December 7^th - Thomas Jefferson High School & Richmond Community High School Harp Ensembles (noon); Combined Bellevue & Stuart Elementary School Choirs (12:30 p.m.)

• Monday, December 10^th - John B. Cary Elementary School Choir (noon); Clark Springs Elementary School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Tuesday, December 11^th - Binford Middle School Choir (noon); Armstrong High School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Wednesday, December 12^th - Chimborazo Elementary School Choir (noon); Martin Luther King Middle School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Thursday, December 13^th - Huguenot High School Choir (noon); Miles Jones Elementary School Hand Bell Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Friday, December 14^th- George Wythe High School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

• Monday, December 17^th- Franklin Military Middle School Choir (noon); Franklin Military High School Choir (12:30 p.m.)

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