It's that time of year - the Dominion Energy Christmas Parade is back. The annual festive event will take place this Saturday, and several street closures and no-parking zones will be in effect.

The parade will begin at 10:15 a.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia and proceed east on Broad Street toward North 10th Street. More than 100,000 spectators from across Virginia are expected to attend, according to parade organizers.

To accommodate this event:

• No Parking zones along the route will go into effect at 3 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, and remain in place until 2 p.m. 

• Road closures will begin at 6 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, and will reopen at 2 p.m.

For towing inquiries, please contact Seibert's Towing at (804) 233-5757.

The Richmond Police Department encourages attendees to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.

Richmond, VA - Ahead of inclement weather conditions, all City of Richmond buildings will be closed on Friday, Dec. 5. Some City services will be available virtually. 

Residents should visit go.rva.gov/winter-weather for the latest updates and follow the City of Richmond's social media channels for updates on City operations. For more information on weather conditions, please monitor reliable sources such as the National Weather Service.  

Inclement Weather Shelters 

To protect and shelter Richmond's most vulnerable residents, the City's Inclement Weather Shelter, located at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue and operated by the Salvation Army, will continue operations based on the weather.  

Richmond Ready Alerts 

Residents are encouraged to sign up for Richmond Ready Alerts to receive critical emergency and weather alerts from the City of Richmond. Residents can text 'RVAREADY' to 888-777 to receive a sign-up link or visit rva.gov/richmondreadyalerts to learn more.

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The city of Richmond's Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response sustains citizen trust by providing reliable emergency preparedness management and communications services in a timely and efficient manner. DECPR is designated as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Richmond's E-911 telephone system and is charged with the appropriate routing of all E-911 and non-emergency calls for service. The department is also responsible for the coordination of all emergency radio and telephone communications for public safety agencies in the City of Richmond.

La Ciudad de Richmond cerrará ante el mal tiempo

Richmond, VA - En preparación ante las condiciones meteorológicas adversas pronosticadas, todas las oficinas e instalaciones de la ciudad de Richmond estarán cerradas el viernes 5 de diciembre. Algunos servicios municipales estarán disponibles de forma virtual.

Los habitantes deben visitar go.rva.gov/winter-weather para ver las últimas actualizaciones y seguir los canales de redes sociales de la Ciudad de Richmond para mantenerse informados sobre las operaciones municipales. Para más información sobre las condiciones meteorológicas, por favor consulte fuentes fiables como el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.

Refugios para el mal tiempo

Para proteger y albergar a los residentes más vulnerables de Richmond, el refugio de la ciudad para el mal tiempo, ubicado en el 1900 de Chamberlayne Avenue y administrado por Salvation Army, continuará operando debido a las condiciones climáticas.

Alertas de Richmond Ready

Animamos a los richmondeses a inscribirse en el sistema de alertas Richmond Ready para recibir avisos críticos durante emergencias y alertas meteorológicas de la Ciudad de Richmond. Los habitantes pueden enviar el mensaje 'RVAREADY' al número 888-777 para recibir un enlace de inscripción o visitar rva.gov/richmondreadyalerts para obtener más información.

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El Departamento de Comunicaciones, Preparación y Respuesta ante Emergencias (DECPR, por sus siglas en inglés) de la Ciudad de Richmond mantiene la confianza ciudadana proporcionando servicios fiables de gestión y comunicaciones de emergencia de manera oportuna y eficiente. DECPR está designado como el Punto de Respuesta de Seguridad Pública (PSAP) para el sistema telefónico E-911 de la ciudad de Richmond y está encargado de la dirección adecuada de todas las llamadas E-911 y no urgentes de servicio. El departamento también es responsable de la coordinación de todas las comunicaciones de emergencia por radio y teléfono para las agencias de seguridad pública en la ciudad de Richmond.

The City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities today announced the scale back of RVA Illuminates, scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2025 due to forecasted weather conditions that present safety concerns for attendees, performers, and event staff.

Parks and Recreation will still move forward with the official holiday lighting moment at Kanawha Plaza, which can be seen on WRIC 8 beginning at 5:45 pm. Community members are encouraged to tune in as we continue the tradition of welcoming the holiday season together, even if from home. Given the current forecast, the City has determined it is necessary to cancel the scheduled performances. 

“We know RVA Illuminates is a cherished tradition for families across our city, and this decision was not made lightly,” said Chris Frelke, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “Our top priority is always the safety of Richmond residents, visitors, and staff. We’re grateful for the community’s understanding and look forward to celebrating the season in safer conditions.”

For more information about the department, follow PRCF on Facebook, X, and Instagram or visit our website at www.rva.gov/parks-recreation. 

I love Brown’s Island. In 25 years of living in the city, I have spent a lot of memorable moments here. It's where I bring my kids regularly. My son is a kayak instructor for Passages and spent many summers here on the river by Brown’s Island. It's where I bring friends and out of town family when they're visiting Richmond. Every week, people ask me what I love about Richmond, and I say that the T. Potterfield Bridge is my favorite thing in this city. This place holds a lot of importance and value, and to see what is about to happen here is incredibly encouraging.  

One of the things that I did coming into this job was build our strategy around 7 pillars. One of those pillars is being a city that tells our stories. I often take the opportunity, when we're doing something new or when we're cutting a ribbon, to look back and to talk about the history of a place. Brown's Island is named after its first settler, Elijah Brown, who acquired the land back in 1826. During the Civil War, this island was home to something called the Confederate States Laboratory. This is where women and children worked to produce the ammunition and other military supplies for the Confederate cause. It's a reminder of the fact that this island, like so many other aspects of our city, has a history that's really complicated and sometimes painful to parts of our community. Every chapter of Richmond’s story, even the hard ones, informs who we are now, and who we are becoming together.
We are a city that tells its stories, and we learn from them, and in doing so, we move towards healing. We double down on our commitment to being an inclusive city and to creating meaningful opportunity for every Richmonder, especially those who have been historically marginalized.  

As the years progressed, Brown’s Island continued to evolve.
In 1894, the Richmond Union Passenger Railway built a coal power plant on the island. In 1899, Dominion Virginia Power operated a hydroelectric plant that ran off the Haxall Canal, which led to the construction of the Brown’s Island Dam. Then, in the late 20th century, the Albemarle Paper Company, now Newmarket Corporation, operated a paper mill here.
There's been a lot happening in this space. In 1987, in an act of civic generosity that changed the course of Richmond’s riverfront, Newmarket gifted the land to the city of Richmond. That has led to the Brown’s Island that we know today, a park that is preserved and that has given us the opportunity to share this incredible space and these beautiful views with everyone. 
 

Today we continue in that spirit of civic generosity and public private partnership, where the city and our private community come together. Thank you to all who helped to make today happen.