Local Ways Celebrate Father's Day in RVA

I'm always on the hunt for family friendly activities that cater to my family's particular interests, especially on Mother's Day and Father's Day. Luckily, Richmond has so many kid friendly parks, trails and restaurants that are the perfect places to celebrate special events and holidays.

While I have rounded up some "West End Dad" approved-adventures around Richmond, I also have a guide specifically on RVA's restaurants that let you dine and play. These are our go-to picks when we want to have a fun, family meal out. Check out that guide here! I hope you find the perfect way to celebrate Father's Day with your family!

*For more things to do with kids around RVA and VA, follow @thewestendmom on Instagram!

Here are fun things to do around Richmond, Virginia to celebrate dad!

1. Ashland, Virginia: Located less than 30 minutes from Richmond, Ashland provides a quaint atmosphere with lots for families to see & explore. It’s a Virginia Main Street Community, and the highlight for everyone is the trains! With the tracks going right through town, you are guaranteed to see a cargo or passenger train! Over 60 trains come through the town in 24 hours & there is usually at least one per an hour. ⁣ 

We like walking North Ashland's Railside Park. We eat at The Iron Horse almost every time we visit, and Canteen has live music on Saturdays from 1-3 and Sundays from 12-2.

You could also visit Ashland's public pool to stay cool! Check here for my full guide on Carter Park Pool.

*Check here for my full review.

2. Hardywood at West Creek: We love everything about the West Creek location - the atmosphere, the green space, and the food trucks! Hardywood West Creek has 24 acres next to the peaceful Tuckahoe Creek, and the outdoor space has a lawn, a large concrete patio, a natural play area with swings, a see saw and hammocks, plus there are two regulation-sized bocce courts! You don't need reservations to visit, but you can reserve a tent, burly fire pit, or gazebo. This is the first brewery we visited with a baby & this is also where we held my husband's most recent birthday.

Hardywood West Creek is hosting Keg N’ Oyster Fest on Father’s Day this year, and this is a family-friendly event. It's from 12-6pm on Sunday, June 16. They will have fresh shucked oysters from Rappahannock Oyster Co. and live music from 1-4pm from Jangling Reinharts.

3. Goochland Drive In Theatre: Did you know RVA has a drive-in movie theater? Goochland Drive-In is located in Hadensville about 30 minutes outside Short Pump, Virginia. It's an easy trip on 64!

Open since 2009, Goochland Drive-In has been showing the newest blockbuster movies, classics movies on Retro Nights, and double features on Fridays and Saturdays in a family-friendly environment.  Tickets cost between $18-$30 per vehicle, making it an affordable family outing in RVA.

The Snack Bar has budget-friendly food and drink options, and there's plenty of space for children to run around and play. I really love this theater for Richmond families because it is not as expensive as a trip to modern movie theaters, and the environment is so unique - completely different from all the other movie theaters around Richmond, Virginia.

The movies showing this weekend are:

Friday Night and Saturday Night: The main screen has a double feature of Inside Out 2 and The Garfield Movie ($29 per Vehicle, gates open 6:15, showtime @ 8:35)

Sunday Night (Father's Day): The main screen has a single feature of Inside Out 2 ($25 per vehicle, gates open 6:15, showtime @ 8:35)

*Check here for my full review of Goochland Drive In Theatre. Check here for more videos of the drive in!

4. Play Putt Putt: There are a bunch of kid-friendly putt putt courses around Richmond. Here are four we like to visit with our kids.

Swaders Sports Park: This sports park has everything! Swader's has outside attractions like 2 professionally designed 18-hole mini golf courses, a driving range, batting cages & 2 go kart tracks. It also has 70+ arcade games, duckpin bowling, and 5,800 square feet of laser tag with obstacles on multi levels. The highlight for younger kids is the Kid Zone - an indoor play area with obstacles, slides & more. Swaders Sports Park also host birthday parties!

Location: Prince George County, Virginia

*Check here for my full review.

Windy Hill Golf & Sports Complex: Located on 180 acres in Chesterfield County, Windy Hill has a driving range, batting cages, 2 putt putt courses, go karts, a regulation 9-hole golf course & a lighted Par 3 course. There is a snack bar & patio with lawn games. @windyhill also has PGA Junior League team for kids 4-17 years old! 

Location: Chesterfield County, Midlothian

Patterson Golf Park: This local golf park has been family operated for over 30 years. You can visit the driving range or play the putt putt course. It’s even a great place to host birthday parties We like this spot because everything is outside, it has 2 putt putt courses with an animal theme, and the costumer service. 

Location: Henrico County, Far West End

Nearby: It’s less than 5 minutes from Hardywood at West Creek & it’s 10 minutes from Tuckahoe Creek Park.

(image descriptions: these pictures are at Swader's Sports Park. You can putt putt, play inside or ride go karts)

5. Point of Rocks Park: Located in Chesterfield, this park is 176 acres with a lot of history. The grounds of the park were used during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, and there are remnants of these battles & historical markers around the park. Point of Rocks Park has two main areas: an upper area & a lower area. The upper area has athletic fields, picnic areas, a large playground with two play sets and swings. The lower area has a play space, 2.7 miles of trails (paved & hard pack), and a floating boardwalk over tidal marsh! This is a free, family adventure, too.

We love the paved insect trail down to the natural play area. It has insects painted along the walk, and my littles really enjoyed hunting for them on our walk.

Saucy's Bar.B.Q, one of our favorite BBQ restaurants, is less than 8 minutes away from the park. Saucy's is closed on Sunday, so make sure to check this one out on Saturday.

6. The Potterfield Bridge: We have been enjoying this walk since our son was just a baby! I like The Potterfield Bridge because it isn't as loud as the pedestrian bridge to get to Belle Isle, and you still get the beautiful views of the river, the city, and train tracks. Parking is relatively easy, too. You can park by Tredegar Iron Works or on the southside of the bridge near the SunTrust building. The trail is mostly flat, but there are a few inclines. You can walk your dog, ride bikes & scooters, and rock climb all along this trail! There are porta potties by Brown's Island. This is a free family adventure, too.

We love to add on a visit to Legends Brewery on nice days. It's about a mile walk, and it takes us between 30-40 minutes to walk with the kids.

*Check here for my full review.

7. Uptown Alley: Located in Midlothian, the family-friendly bowling alley offers so much more than bowling! Besides the 38 bowling lanes, Uptown Alley Richmond has a restaurant & sports theater, an arcade, billiards and virtual reality arena. They offer daily specials so you could create a family date on a budget or go all out! Uptown Alley Richmond also hosts birthday parties & school events.

*Check here for my full review.

*Staying at home on Father's Day? Here are some ways to make Father's Day special at home!

1. Tazza To Go: This is one of our favorite places to order a complete meal. You can order a BBQ Kit, a Taco Kit, salads, entrees, desserts & cocktails. All items come chilled; you just have to heat them up. They are closed on Sunday, so make sure you order for pick up on Saturday.

2. Triple Crossing Brewery: Triple Crossing is continuing its delivery service for orders of $50 or more. There is a $5 delivery fee for each order. You can place your order 24 hours a day on line, and delivery is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Their pizza is fantastic, too!

3. Saucy's Bar.B.Q: Saucy's is the best BBQ we've had, and it's even rated by Southern Living Magazine! Anytime we are in the area, we stop to eat or grab takeout. It has two locations: Hopewell and Petersburg. It's closed on Sunday, so make sure you visit on Saturday!

4. Shyndigz: Shyndigz's treats are incredibly decadent & made for sharing. Our favorites are Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake, Peanut Butter Pie, and their cookies - but everything is delicious! The Fancy Biscuit, their sister company, has grab & go deli items and charcuterie boards in the market. Both their sweet & savory items available for pickup in their market or by delivery through Chop Chop. You can also place orders in advance. It's closed on Mondays.

5. Ukrop's: I grew up shopping at Ukrop's with my family, so this spot reminds me of almost every celebration. Ukrop's Market Hall is a specialty grocery store, selling only their products. You can get options like breakfast pizzas, classic fried chicken, chicken bites (our fav), potato wedges, and classic pizza. There is also a deck & patio area for eating.

Looking for more fun things to do on Father's Day?Check out my guide on Swimming Beaches less than 2 hours from RVA!

If you're ready for a fun, family-friendly meal, check out my guide to RVA's restaraunts where you can eat and play!

For more things to do with kids around Richmond, follow me on @thewestendmom on Instagram!