It’s 7 pm on a sweltering, early summer Friday evening. The streets of Shockoe Bottom are snarled with traffic. It’s going to be a busy night in Richmond’s dining and entertainment district.

This past March, Richmond’s beloved VCU Rams basketball team became a nationwide sensation during their improbable (at least to those outside of Richmond) run to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Since then, Shaka Smart, the Rams’ Ivy League-flouting coach, has become a bona-fide media darling. But with all the coverage the national outlets have been getting of our local legend, we haven’t heard much about Coach Smart’s experiences here in Richmond.

Richmond is a city that foodies and oenophiles alike can certainly be proud of. From downtown to Short Pump, South Side to North Side, Richmond boasts a plethora of restaurants and eateries that rival those of known foodie havens such as New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Combining Richmond’s fabulous dining scene with romance old and new is the perfect recipe for a delicious date night.

Ah, winter, when the crisp, fresh feeling of fall begrudgingly gives way to the shorter and colder days we all curse under our breath. Thankfully, that transitional phase means one thing–basketball is right around the corner. With the undeniable promise of a fresh start, a bevy of local schools are hoping that the 2011 season is the year they make an NCAA tournament run. River City Magazine set our sights on the teams, coaches and players that might just make it happen.

Fall brings cooler temperatures, the return of football and kids heading back to school. It also brings a spate of festivals, ranging from old-fashioned fairs to apple picking, wine tasting and celebrating the arts. Here’s a sampling of some of the best the region has to offer.