Sushi, Blue Sky, and Spooky Tours
Team Effort, Clean Effort!
On Saturday, September 26, a group of 18 neighbors and friends gathered at Forest Hill Avenue and 48th Street. From there the group set off picking up trash from the street and yards along Forest Hill down to Roanoke Street. After one hour, Forest Hill had been cleaned up and eight large trash bags were filled. Many hands truly do make light work! Thank you to the volunteers and Elena Cupeles Diaz with the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services for making this a success!
Next FHNA Meeting — Tuesday, October 20
(Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, 7-8 PM)
On the third Tuesday of each month we gather for updates from Councilmember Sarah Abubaker and other City representatives. At this month’s meeting we will also hear from the founder of Earthkin Nature School and discuss whether to support connected bike ways in Forest Hill and Woodland Heights. Come join the conversation!
What to do with Fallen Leaves
Residents are responsible for removing leaves from streets and sidewalks to help keep storm drains clear. But when it comes to grassy areas, did you know it can be ecologically beneficial to “leave the leaves” where they fall? Get more info here, plus details on DPW’s Annual Leaf Removal Program.
Final 2027 Music in the Park Performance – Sunday, October 25 (Forest Hill Park, 3-5 PM)
Weather permitting, we will culminate our somewhat soggy 2026 season with The Taters on Sunday afternoon, October 25. They hail from “the heart of Virginia with originals, rarities, and all kinds of unexpected fun.” You will find this description on their website: “The Taters play an eclectic mix of roots rock, pop, country, skiffle & Americana, a sound that’s been compared favorably to a mixture of Everlys, Orbison, Beatles, and Nick Lowe. Writing in Billboard Magazine, critic Gordon Ely described the Taters as ‘determinedly- and gleefully-forging a path with no limits or end in sight. This is music for which you’ve been waiting a long, long time… Without a trace of self-consciousness or pretension, the Taters draw up a formula that can rightly be claimed as their own.’”
One Last Tiny Porch Concert – Sunday, October 18
(Woodland Heights, 4-7 PM)
Six performances, three locations – 807 W 31st Street, 912 W 30th Street, and 909 W 32nd Street. Great music, merch, and food trucks – click here for all the details!
Sushi Time!
Two years after it was announced, Lucky AF has finally opened in The Evelyn on Forest Hill Avenue (just a few doors down from Janet’s Cafe & Bakery). For a description of menu items, photos, and other details, see this article in Axios.
Tree Giveaway -— Saturday, October 24
(Fifth Baptist Church, 1302 Victor Avenue, 9 AM - 1 PM)
The Richmond Tree Stewards will hold their annual Tree Giveaway on Saturday, October 24, and all Forest Hill neighbors are invited!
What: 500 native trees, representing 16 different species
Where: Fifth Baptist Church, in front of the Grace Center, 1302 Victor Avenue
Who: Richmond residents, with a limit of two trees per family for planting in urban yards or gardens
Richmond Invasive Plants
A group of dedicated local volunteers publishes a free monthly newsletter targeting invasive plants in the Richmond area. It offers helpful information for identifying and removing invasives, starting in your own back yard. To subscribe or to ask a question, email richmondinvasiveplants@gmail.com.
2026 Hike For Kids — Saturday, October 24
(Virginia War Memorial, 9-4 PM)
Will you #TakeAHikeForKids on October 24? Join Blue Sky Fund at Hike for Kids and help make the outdoors more accessible for youth in Virginia. Starting at the Virginia War Memorial (621 S Belvidere Street), hikers can choose their own adventure with a 3-mile, 7-mile, or 14-mile loop. Start times will be staggered between 9 AM and 12:30 PM, with a post-hike celebration taking place from 1-4:00 PM.
Registration fees: $45 per adult / $20 per child* (youth ages 3 & under are free; tickets include one free drink and one free meal). Participants can register for the event by clicking this link.
Blue Sky is on a mission to provide transformational experiences for Richmond area youth through outdoor education. Hike for Kids is their largest fundraising event of the year. 2026 Fundraising Goal: $100,000 (Raised $96,000 in 2025).
Come #TakeAHikeForKids!
Bored Kids?
Parents are continually on the hunt for new ways to keep kids learning, moving, growing, and exploring. For a free resource packed with Richmond-area opportunities, click here to view TakeThe Kids Richmond.
Add Your Voice: Road Safety at Jahnke Road / Forest Hill Avenue
A coalition of concerned neighbors has initiated an online petition calling for safer conditions at Jahnke Road and Forest Hill Avenue. The road and sidewalk are badly deteriorated, and families have also reported drivers failing to stop or yield to pedestrians and bicyclists in the crosswalk. The petition asks the city for immediate repairs, an all-day “No Turn on Red” sign, and other measures to make the intersection safer.
This form provides further details and enables you to indicate which actions you support. Please complete it and share the link with others who live nearby, travel through the area, or care about safe streets and school crossings in Richmond.
Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan Adopted
The following is taken from Councilmember Sarah Abubaker’s October 2 email:
At Monday's Council meeting, Council unanimously passed the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan (CHSP). CHSP is multiple years in the making, being developed in 2024 and 2025 before its adoption on Monday in the second half of 2026. While a crucial document on its own, the CHSP has taken on increased importance during the Code Refresh process. Although not directly connected to Code Refresh, it can now serve as an essential guidepost as that process moves forward.
CHSP serves as Richmond's first City-wide comprehensive plan for identifying, evaluating, and protecting our cultural and historic resources. The purpose of a CHSP is to identify, preserve, and promote stewardship of a community's cultural and historic assets, which may include, buildings, structures, places, landscapes, below-ground resources (like archaeological artifacts or cemeteries), or more intangible resources like community ties and oral history. I don't have to tell any of you that Richmond's rich history is a big part of why it is so beloved, and I'm proud that the City has taken this important step.
Richmond's CHSP is 202 pages long and while I think there is nothing better than reading lengthy government documents, I recognize most of you may not have the time to do so. As a worthwhile alternative, you can consider reading this article from Sarah Vogelsong at The Richmonder. As Ms. Vogelsong points out, the CHSP has four main priorities:
Ensure the city has inventoried and is maintaining historically and culturally significant assets it owns, like buildings, parks, and sites
Conduct a citywide architectural and archaeological assessment
Pass local legislation for unauthorized demolitions in areas with a formal Old and Historic District designation
Analyze and evaluate real estate tax assessment and abatement policies that could encourage preservation of important assets
As Ms. Vogelsong further points out, the City has already achieved priority #3 as in January, we passed Ord. 2025-265, which I was proud to co-patron (you can read her article about that ordinance here).
Should you be interested in reading lengthy government documents, you can review the CHSP ordinance, Ord. 2026-208, here and the CHSP webpage here.
Halloween Events at Forest Hill Park — October 17
Friends of Forest Hill Park is hosting two Halloween events this weekend:
Haunted History Tour – October 17 (10 AM - Noon)
Halloween Howl — October 17 (12 - 2 PM)
Visit the Friends of Forest Hill Park Instagram account for details.
Cheer for a Neighbor, Support Our Local School
Did you know that Richmond Kickers goalie, James Sneddon, is a Forest Hill neighbor? Come see him in action this Saturday night and help raise funds for Westover Hills Elementary!
