Celebrating a new American- Arielle Lawson Drackey, 6, waits with family members for her father, Late Lawson Drackey of Fredericksburg, as he takes the oath of citizenship during a July 4 naturalization ceremony at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

New citizens- At the podium, Judge Roger L. Gregory, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, talks to 96 immigrants and their family members during the Fourth of July naturalization ceremony where they officially became U.S. citizens. The ceremony was held outside the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the Boulevard.

New citizens- Judge Roger L. Gregory, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, talks to 96 immigrants and their family members during the Fourth of July naturalization ceremony where they officially became U.S. citizens. The ceremony was held outside the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the Boulevard. Richmond resident Beato Hernandez, 33, a native of Mexico, poses for a photo with Judge Gregory after the ceremony.

New citizens- Judge Roger L. Gregory, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, talks to 96 immigrants and their family members during the Fourth of July naturalization ceremony where they officially became U.S. citizens. The ceremony was held outside the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the Boulevard. Above left, Henrico County resident Hanan Mohamed, 26, a native of Sudan, takes the citizenship oath with people from more than 40 countries.

CITYSCAPE-Slices of life and scenes in Richmond- For 86 years, the Carillon has been a towering landmark in Byrd Park, with bronze bells at the top ringing out music at community events. The 25-story, state-owned building that opened in 1932 as a enduring memorial to the 3,000 Virginians who died in World War I, is now closed for repairs. Workers are undertaking the task of repairing the ravages of time and weather, replacing the elevator, upgrading the fire alarm, air conditioning, heating, electrical and plumbing systems and bringing the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The state Department of General Services is overseeing the work, which is expected to finish in time for the Nov. 11 ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict known as the “war to end all wars.”

CITYSCAPE-Slices of life and scenes in Richmond- For 86 years, the Carillon has been a towering landmark in Byrd Park, with bronze bells at the top ringing out music at community events. The 25-story, state-owned building that opened in 1932 as a enduring memorial to the 3,000 Virginians who died in World War I, is now closed for repairs. Workers are undertaking the task of repairing the ravages of time and weather, replacing the elevator, upgrading the fire alarm, air conditioning, heating, electrical and plumbing systems and bringing the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The state Department of General Services is overseeing the work, which is expected to finish in time for the Nov. 11 ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict known as the “war to end all wars.”

‘Origami in the Garden’ at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Dîner en Blanc Richmond 2018/ About 1,200 people enjoy the pop-up Dîner en Blanc event last Saturday at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the Boulevard. Participants, who dress in white, must bring their own table, chairs and food to a designated point, where they are transported to a secret location for dinner and music. The event began about 30 years ago in France and is held annually in cities across the globe. This was the second such event held in Richmond.

Dîner en Blanc Richmond 2018/ About 1,200 people enjoy the pop-up Dîner en Blanc event last Saturday at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on the Boulevard. Participants, who dress in white, must bring their own table, chairs and food to a designated point, where they are transported to a secret location for dinner and music. The event began about 30 years ago in France and is held annually in cities across the globe. This was the second such event held in Richmond.

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS The full choir of St. John Baptist Church lifts its voice to mark the North Side church’s 150th anniversary. The June 16 event in the sanctuary at 4317 North Ave. featured a reunion of past and present members of the music ministry, according to Dr. Janet K. Copeland, the church’s minister of music.

Followers pool together for convention-Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses gather at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Downtown for last weekend’s convention. Religious followers from Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Washington and Delaware have been attending the series of three-day conventions in Richmond that will run each weekend through Aug. 5. The theme: “Be Courageous!”