August has a wide variety of extra items on the calendar already: Boys Like Girls and Good Charlotte Co-Headline the “Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour”, Shockoe Bottom Walking Tour, Carib Fest @ Brown’s Island, Women’s Roles in Civil War History, Arts in the Alley, and Canal Boats and Cobblestones Walking Tour, MORE…

Boys Like Girls and Good Charlotte Co-Headline the “Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour”
Sunday, August 3
18th Street in Shockoe Bottom, $10 in advance, $20 at the gate, all ages, 12:00-7:00pm
What promises to be one of the hottest tours this summer is coming to Shockoe Bottom! Greater Richmond SCAN presents the “Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour” featuring live music from pop/rock band Boys Like Girls, multi-platinum selling punk/rock band Good Charlotte, and up and coming Metro Station and The Maine. Tickets can be purchased at all Plan 9 Music locations, on line at www.ticketstobuy.com or by calling 804-794-6700. All proceeds go to benefit Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now). For more information call 804-304-6870 or visit www.rvasummer.com or www.threeoneoneproductions.com.

Shockoe Bottom Walking Tour
Sunday, August 3rd
Meet your guide at 17th and Main Streets, $10 ($9 in advance, $5 History Center members), 2:00-4pm
Explore the rich, complex history of Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, as well as its present and future. Now an entertainment and residential district, Shockoe Bottom was once Richmond’s commercial and transportation hub, as well as one of the busiest slave quarters in the country. Explore Main Street Station, the Farmer’s Market, Tobacco Row and current revitalization efforts. Reservations are not required, but to pay in advance, call 804-649-0711 ext. 301.

Carib Fest
Saturday, August 9th
Brown’s Island, $10 admission, children 12 & under are free, Noon-9:00pm
The Caribbean Islands come to Richmond with the live entertainment of the Calypso King of the World The Mighty Sparrow, the Reggae band Ever-G and the Panjammers Steel Orchestra. Come enjoy Caribbean crafts, children’s activities, book sales and authors, vendors and much more! For more information visit www.caribfestonline.com.

Women’s Roles in Civil War History
Saturday, August 9th
The American Civil War Center at Tredegar, $10 or free with paid admission or Center membership, 1:00pm
Women played leading roles during the Civil War as spies, nurses, surgeons, and abolitionists. This 30-minute tour through the Center’s exhibit, In the Cause of Liberty, will explore the lives of eight women who impacted history. Laboring on the Home Front starts at 2:00pm, immediately following, and is Free. National Park Service Ranger Susie Sernaker will discuss the expanding role of women, free blacks and slaves in the Richmond workforce during the Civil War. For more information call 804-780-1865 or visit www.tredegar.org.

Arts in the Alley
Saturday-Sunday, August 23rd-24th
Walnut Alley (between 17th & 18th Streets one block from Main), Free admission, Saturday 8:00am, Sunday 10:30am
Area artists will be giving Shockoe Bottom a facelift and a party to celebrate in June. Arts in the Alley will bring painters, musicians, photographers, dancers and many others. June 28 artists and volunteers from churches and community organizations armed with rakes, gloves and trash bags will descend on Walnut Alley. The group will paint walls, cover graffiti, and remove weeds along with other trash. June 29 the area will be filled with live music, dancing, and an art show in celebration of the new look. Local restaurants will provide food and special activities will be available for children. Already signed up to participate are acoustic rock band Offering, the Leslie Dripps band, a Different Richmond, and Hope Church. For more information call 804-745-7824 or visit www.myspace.com/artsinthealley.

Canal Boats and Cobblestones Walking Tour
Sunday, August 24th
Meet your guide at the James Center Clock Tower at 10th and Cary Streets, $10 fee, $9 in advance, $5 for History Center members, 6-7:30pm
This walking tour focuses on the history, architecture, and preservation efforts of the canal area. Come explore the historic and architectural treasures of Shockoe Slip, and see the work that is being done in the River District along the James River, the Great Basin and Richmond’s canals. For more information call 804-649-0711, option 4.