DAY 1 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Experience Richmond through engaging conversations and immersive experiences led by historians, artists, and local leaders. Explore the intersections of history, healing, and humanity while discovering the people, places, and stories that continue to shape Richmond.
9:30–10:00 AM | Morning Coffee + Connect
Begin the day over coffee and conversation before our opening Featured Conversation.
10:00–11:30 AM | Featured Conversation
Behind the Declaration of Liberation
Go behind the Declaration of Liberation with the leaders who helped bring it to life.
Together, panelists will explore history, healing, and humanity while reflecting on civic trust, human connection, creativity, and our shared responsibility for shaping what comes next.
Featuring:
Ashley Williams Hillman
Dr. Ram Bhagat
Gary Flowers
Janine Bell
12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch
Enjoy lunch from local food vendors before heading into the afternoon experiences.
1:30–4:30 PM | Curated Richmond Experiences
See Richmond through a different lens.
Choose from three immersive experiences that bring the city's history, art, people, and evolving story to life. Led by local historians, artists, and leaders, each experience offers an opportunity to learn, reflect, and experience Richmond beyond the surface.
Select one experience during registration. Space is limited for each experience.
EXPERIENCE 1
Uncovering Richmond History Trolley Tour
Led by Gary Flowers | Presented by ICON Commercial
Travel through Downtown Richmond and Jackson Ward while exploring stories of Black history, entrepreneurship, resilience, civil rights, property, and progress.
Led by Richmond historian Gary Flowers, this guided trolley experience connects the people and places of Richmond's past with the city we see today.
EXPERIENCE 2
Mending Walls Experience
Led by Hamilton Glass
Experience Richmond through public art, place, and storytelling.
Led by artist Hamilton Glass, this experience explores Mending Walls murals and the stories behind them—inviting participants to consider how art can create dialogue, deepen understanding, and support healing across differences.
EXPERIENCE 3
Expanding Freedom at the Shockoe Institute
Explore Richmond's history through the Expanding Freedom exhibition at the Shockoe Institute.
This immersive experience invites participants to examine the histories that shaped Richmond while considering how truth, memory, and place can inform how we move forward.
6:00–9:00 PM | THE WELL FEST SOCIAL
Hosted in partnership with No. 303
Close the day with an evening of conversation, music, food, and celebration.
The Well Fest Social brings together artists, entrepreneurs, educators, civic leaders, residents, and visitors for one of the weekend's signature gatherings.
Hosted by Kelli Lemon
Featured Conversation: What Do We Create?
A conversation exploring creativity, place, possibility, and the role we each play in shaping what comes next.
The Evening Includes:
🎧 Music by DJ Zairis
🍽️ Curated food + beverages
🤝 Conversation + connection
🎁 The Richmond Collection Raffle, benefiting The Well Collective's youth leadership, education, and engagement initiatives
DAY 2 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
8:30–10:30 AM | Rooftop Wellness Experience
Location: Dominion Energy Headquarters Rooftop Greenspace
Close The Well Fest overlooking the Richmond skyline.
The Rooftop Wellness Experience offers a restorative morning of movement, reflection, and connection—creating space to slow down, restore, and consider what we carry forward from the weekend.
Experience Includes
☕ Tea by The Te' Spot
🧘 Guided movement with Sam Reed
🍹 Fresh juices from The Beet Box
🌿 Guided reflection overlooking Downtown Richmond
Every Ticket Makes an Impact
Proceeds from The Well Fest directly support The Well Collective's youth leadership, adult education, restorative leadership development, and engagement initiatives.
Join us September 3–5 as we gather to celebrate Richmond, deepen connections, and imagine what's possible when we invest in people and place.