Virginia Barber School graduate DeAndre Delaware, left, and current student Brooke Viele gave free back-to-school haircuts to participants at the We Care Community Festival on Saturday at Hotchkiss Field in Richmond’s North Side. The Annual We Care Festival celebrates all that is good in Richmond by promoting wellness, education, community awareness and resident empowerment.

The 17th annual We Care Community Festival took place Saturday inside and out at Hotchkiss Field in Richmond’s North Side. The festival, which promotes wellness and education, featured residential empowerment and community awareness sessions, vendors, back-to-school advice and supplies provided by Richmond Public Schools.

Jason Muckle of Shalom Farms prepares samples of soy ginger cucumbers.

Tyrone Sherman, a professional reptile handler with Pixotics, poses above with one of his Albino pythons.

On April 26, Virginia Commonwealth University opened the College of Humanities and Sciences’ new 168,000-square-foot STEM building. The six-floor building, located at the site of the former Franklin Street Gym at 817 W. Franklin St., will expand lab, classroom and office space for the College of Humanities and Sciences. Nearly 60% of VCU undergraduate students are enrolled in the college, which is home to 17 departments, two schools and three programs. The STEM building will feature 32 teaching labs; the Math Exchange, an innovative facility for math instruction; a Science Hub, a dedicated space for student/faculty interaction, study groups and specialized support for STEM classes; two 250-seat, team-based learning classrooms; computer labs; and large- and small-capacity flexible classrooms. It will feature instructional wet and dry labs and classrooms for teaching STEM subjects. The $125 million building was designed by Ballinger and Quinn Evans Architects and constructed by Hourigan.

Bee meets daisies in Downtown.

The Latin and funk band Los Malcriados performs at the inaugural 804 Day event at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in Shockoe Bottom on Aug. 4.

Local R&B, soul and lyrical rap artist Googsz, below, entertains at the celebration in Shockoe Bottom. The event jumpstarted Richmond Music Week.

Thousands of enthusiastic jazz and music fans descended on Richmond Saturday and Sunday to hear the sultry sounds of Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway and Coco Jones during the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival at Maymont Park. Amid temperatures in the high 90s, fans also took in Kirk Whalum, MAJOR. and others at the popular annual gathering which celebrated its 11th year. The heat and humidity failed to dampen the festivities, which included food, vendors and plenty of fun and laughter among new and old friends.

Chaka Khan

Kirk Whalum

MAJOR

Lalah Hathaway

Coco Jones