FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sharon Bassard
Event Manager
Venture Richmond
Tel: 804.788.6466
Fax: 804.788.6477
sbassard@venturerichmond.com
www.venturerichmond.com
27th Year for Street Festival Celebrating
Historic Jackson Ward
October 3-4, 2015
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Co-Headliners are Con Funk Shun and James “Saxsmo” Gates
Historic Marker to be unveiled, Oct. 2
RICHMOND, VA – The 2nd Street Festival, presented by Altria and Dominion, returns for
the 27th year, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 3-4, to celebrate the rich culture of the historic
Jackson Ward neighborhood. The FREE event is produced by Venture Richmond.
This year, the Festival features headliners Con Funk Shun on Saturday, and James
“Saxsmo” Gates, to close out the festival on Sunday.
As always, the 2nd Street Festival takes place the first full weekend in October. Over the
years it has grown to be one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest street festivals. Nearly 40,000
people 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.” The festival features four stages of musical entertainment, along
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with food vendors, a marketplace, a Kidz Zone programmed by the Children’s Museum
of Richmond, and Artists Row featuring Festival Poster designer David Marion, Liberated
Flow; Kelvin Henderson, Fruits of the Spirit; Abdul Badi, Art of Abdul-Badi; and Greg
Paige, Paige Portraits.
Featured Poster Artist
The “featured” artist for 2015 is Richmond based artist David Marion Green. David
Marion Green was born in South Carolina in 1982. At an early age he found his artistic
gift and developed a passion for creating. As a graduate of Hampton University, with a
Bachelors degree in Architecture, he always found time to continue following his
passion and practicing his craft. Using oil as his medium of choice he has specialized in
figurative art and portraiture for nearly a decade. He has exhibited in galleries and
museums in New York, Chicago, South Carolina, and Virginia and is on his way to
becoming a nationally recognized artist.
Historical Marker to be Unveiled
Venture Richmond applied for a historical marker to be placed on 2nd Street in honor of
the Miller/Eggleston Hotel, and the marker was approved by the Virginia Department of
Historic Resources, and will be unveiled on Friday, Oct. 2, 5 p.m., at the former site
of the hotel at 2nd and Leigh Streets. The hotel opened in 1904 and was demolished in
2009. The hotel hosted regional and national black luminaries, celebrities, tourists, and
leaders including Booker T. Washington. Built by William “Buck” Miller, Miller’s Hotel
was one of a handful in Richmond to offer black customers fine accommodations, a
rarity in the segregated South. Its success reflected the entrepreneurial and
professional efforts of the residents of Jackson Ward, widely considered “The Birthplace
of Black Capitalism.” Under subsequent owner Neverett Eggleston, the renamed
Eggleston Hotel was a hotspot beginning in 1943, hosting such entertainers as Louis
Armstrong, Count Basie, and Redd Fox. Speakers for the unveiling include Mayor
Dwight C. Jones, 2nd District Councilman Charles Samuels, Neverette Eggleston, Sr.,
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Ben Anderson, National Park Service and a representative from the Commonwealth of
Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources.
CON FUNK SHUN
CON FUNK SHUN was one of the most popular R&B & funk bands of the 1970s and
1980s, with numerous hit records including "Ffun", a Billboard magazine "#1 With A
Bullet" Top Soul Single. As recently as 2013, their 11 Mercury Records albums, along
with Greatest Hits, and Best Of Con Funk Shun albums continue to be remastered and
released digitally. Additionally, their back-beats have been repeatedly sampled by later
artists in Hip Hop, R&B, and rap. Most recently, "Honey Wild", from their 1980 Spirit of
Love album was sampled by Lil Wayne for his CD Tha Carter III - Deluxe Edition and
Jason Mraz has performed "Ffun" on numerous occasions during his live performances
as well.
James “Saxsmo” Gates
Three-time Grammy nominee, James “Saxsmo” Gates, is one of Richmond’s premier
musicians, and is truly electric on stage. He recently released his latest recording,
“Gates Wide Open,” with many of his best friends such as Fred Wesley, Freddie Fox,
and Walter Easley in late 2014. Gates was nominated twice for the 2013 Grammy
Awards for Best Arranger and Best Soloist, and was also nominated in 2009 for a
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year. As a saxophonist,
Saxsmo has a flaming passion that is evident in every note played. He graduated from
Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School in 1978, and attended Virginia State
University and alter transferred to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he
received his undergraduate degree. He received his Master’s in Jazz Studies from
North Carolina Central University in 2011, and today is the Director/Coordinator of the
Dr. Billy Taylor Jazz Studies Program at VSU.
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2nd Street Festival 2015 Stage Schedule
(Subject to change)
Waverly R Crawley Main Stage ( 2nd & Marshall Streets)
Saturday, October 3rd
11:30am – 12:15am
12:30pm – 12:45pm
1:10pm – 1:40pm
2:00pm – 2:20pm
3:00pm – 4:15pm
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Stan Scott Trio
VA Repretory Theatre
Presentation – Desiree Roots
Grace & Company Fashion Show
Radio One – Richmond
J Baxter & The Sauce Band
Con Funk Shun
Sunday, October 4th
1:00pm – 1:30pm
2:00pm – 3:00pm
3:30pm – 4:30pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm
J-Unity
Tribute with Desiree Roots
Future Prospect
James “Saxsmo” Gates
Joe Kennedy Jr. Jazz Stage (3rd & Clay Streets)
Saturday, October 3rd
12:00pm – 12:50pm
1:10pm – 2:00pm
2:20pm – 3:10pm
3:30pm – 4:30pm
4:50pm – 6:00pm
Butterbean Jazz Quartet
Curv Appeal
Victor Haskin’s Skein
Carlton Blount Trio
James “Saxsmo” Gates Quartet
Sunday, October 4th
1:00pm – 1:50pm
2:10pm – 3:10pm
3:30pm – 4:30pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Quintessential Jazz
Jazz in the Spirit Ensemble
Cloud 9
Debo Dabney & The Happy Band
Nina’s Bistro Stage (1st & Clay Streets)
Saturday, October 3rd
11:30pm – 12:45pm
1:15pm – 1:45pm
2:15pm – 3:30pm
4:00pm – 5:30pm
Evolution Band
Astounding Divas/Youth Creative
Dance Academy
United States Army TRADOC
Brass Band
Visions
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Sunday, October 4th
1:30pm – 2:00pm
Evangelist Cheryl Beaver &
the Family of Praise
Butcher Brown
DJ Tree
Grace & Company Fashion Show
2:20pm – 3:15pm
3:45pm – 4:45pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Eggleston Hotel Community Stage (2nd & Leigh Streets)
Saturday, October 3rd
12:00pm – 1:00pm
1:30pm – 2:00pm
2:30pm – 3:00pm
3:30pm – 4:00pm
4:30pm – 5:15pm
DJ Kibby
Ezibu Muntu African Dancers
Carlos “The Line Dance Prince”
City Dance Theatre
Sisterly Grace Dance & Modeling
Sunday, October 4th
1:30pm – 2:00pm
2:30pm – 3:00pm
Music
3:30pm – 3:40pm
Cora Harvey Armstrong & Family
Sixth Mt. Zion Baptist Church
& Movement Ministries
VSU Alumni Theatre Ensemble
presents “For Colored Girls”
D & G Line Dancing
4:15pm – 5:00pm
Venture Richmond, 200 S. Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219
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This FREE event is produced and managed by Venture Richmond. Venture Richmond is a non-profit
organization which engages business and community leaders in partnering with the City of Richmond to
enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing,
promotion, advocacy, and events. Venture Richmond also produces Easter on Parade, Friday Cheers,
TEDxRVA, and the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with the Richmond Sportsbackers to produce
Dominion Riverrock. For more information visit www.venturerichmond.com.