Photo and Design by The Cheats Movement

Photo by Cheats

Normally I have a lot of trouble singling out where to be in RVA; there is just too much going on in the boroughs to name one event. But this weekend is different because Dominion Riverrock is in town. If you’ve never been…I suggest you take the trip to Brown’s Island and bring your camera. River Rocks is a photographers dream. Last year, I was introduced to the slack line (pictured above), taking photos of that competition alone is worth the trip. But there is more – tons of extreme sport competitions, food, and live music. Galactic killed the stage last year…this year it’s the reggae legends Toots and the Maytals headlining the free concert Saturday night. River Rocks starts Friday and runs through Sunday. And I just go word that my family Photosynthesizers will be hitting the stage Sunday. It’s clearly where to be this weekend.

“I told em….didn’t I tell em…Those young boys ain’t got nothing on me. I’m old school.” Those were the words coming from the victorious point guard who’d just hit the game winning jumper to the dismay of his younger, high school age, opponents. His King’s Speech seemed to be directed to anyone who would listen, pretty much a general declaration of victory. Lucky for him, there was a fairly large audience for him to preach to.

On the outside of the basketball court, a line of African American senior citizens played music and sold Gatorade to the ballers. There was another set of sounds coming from the tennis courts,”Good stop….play up…..coming behind,” those where the songs coming from the bike polo players who were dominating the once tennis courts now bike polo arena.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Jackson Ward shooting a music video from the group HaBits. And while I thought I had a good understanding of Jackson Ward and Abner Clay Park, I’ve been absolutely floored by the positive energy, diversity and harmony that seems to happen every Sunday in Abner Clay.

It’s not just the basketball players – playing some of the best pick-up games in the city. It’s not just the bike polo players, with skills I could only dream to own. What impressed me is the balance of the Ward….the balance of old and new, hipster and hoops, old Ward merging with the change of gentrification. It’s not lost on me that Abner Clay sets across the street from the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. I’m  sure some of the older gentleman on the side of the court knew the Ward as a far different place. A place where the community thrived with Black Owned Business and legendary entertainment centers and hotels. They see a different Ward now – is just the latest in a long line of examples of change. It’s not lost on me that the Jackson Ward Neighborhood Association doesn’t necessarily want the bike polo players there (this according to some of the local players) and that it has little or nothing to do with history. Bike polo seems to be new version of skateboarding. Until it gets accepted there will certainly be detractors.

However, in face of those who may not want them there – they are there. Every Sunday afternoon building a new community of harmony and diversity. Centered around sports and backed with music and a grill, Jackson Ward is a special place. And it seems to be getting better one day at a time.

So What is the Wheel of Kindenss? Well, a person spins the wheel and it lands on a color. You then receive the color of the balloon selected. You can either play with the balloon or pop it. When your balloon pops – there is a message or “Kindness task” inside. You then have to complete the task. Awesome right.

Feast RVA IndieGoGo Campaign from Johnny Hugel on Vimeo.

The thing about press in general – like everything else in 2013 – it is really about momentum: one day you’re hot – the next day you are not. I understand that Style Weekly or any other “press” type situation may not be there next week let alone next year but that doesn’t mean that the city stops moving forward. The goal is to take in good press – in the spirit that it’s meant to be – and use it to push forward. So the blog moves forward – the grind moves forward – the family moves forward – we are already working on what’s next. To every person that reads the blog and supports what’s happening on the blog and around the city — all I can say is Thank you & of course #WESEEIT!

Anthony Bourdain at the Landmark Theater in RVA last night.