Don’t miss this free opportunity to learn about the organizations working to make Richmond, Virginia a more peaceful and equitable city!

This multi-cultural, interfaith, community-focused event seeks to highlight the wonderful diversity of the Richmond community and encourage peaceful coexistence.

This event is FREE and open to the public. We will have music and dance performances happening at various times while you take your time to visit different tables where local nonprofit organizations will display information about their mission and impact.

Peace Festival History

The seeds for the Richmond Peace Festival were planted during a candlelight vigil following the tragic events of 9/11. Muslims wondered what repercussions might befall them as an aftermath to the events of that tragedy. In the dusk of evening, Muslims and others gathered for a candlelight service on the front lawn of the Islamic Center. They were surprised and grateful when a candlelight procession of members from a neighboring church, Bon Air United Methodist Church, joined the vigil. Those in the procession had come to provide comfort and to pray for those lost in the tragedy of 9/11. This was one of many such stories of extraordinary courage and love following 9/11, and it was to grow into Richmond’s “answer” to 9/11.

During the following years, the two houses of worship continued to talk. Then, in the summer of 2004, members of the Bon Air United Methodist Church contacted members of the Islamic Center of Virginia and proposed that they join together along with other faith-based organizations to hold an event which would foster peace in the Richmond area. Other founding sponsors were the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond (ICGR), the Richmond Peace Education Center (RPEC), Midlothian Friends, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Richmond Mennonite Fellowship, the Spiritual Mind Center, and the Asian American Business Assistance Center. Thus, the Festival was “born”.