With the Richmond Folk Festival set to go off tomorrow evening, it looks like most area race organizers decided to avoid scheduling events on this weekend.

Don’t forget when you’re at the Richmond Folk Festival that this is out there calling your name. Credit: Phil Riggan

But that’s not entirely true: If you’re itching for a Saturday morning burn, you could head out to Innsbrook Pavilion in Glen Allen where the 8th annual Step Up for Down Syndrome 5K and Family Festival will begin at 8:30 a.m. Chip timing is available, and take note ultra competitive types: The top 3 overall male and female winners will receive $100, $75 & $50 gift cards, respectively, from Road Runner running Store! All age group winners will receive $25 gift cards. Most importantly, all proceeds benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond.

For those seeking family fun, here’s a cool option. Maymont is putting on their first Family Campout: Spooky Spectacular. Parents and kids ages four and up can “meet some spooky creatures as we celebrate “Owl”-oween! Take a lantern-lit hike as the moon rises, make s’mores, and enjoy stories around the campfire. In the morning, enjoy a continental breakfast and another hike.” Online registration has closed, so call Maymont (804-358-7166, ext. 324) to register.

And while we might be missing an outdoors event or two in the RO calendar, it looks to be a light weekend. But that could be a good thing. The weather should be nice. The river will be warm still and the trails dry. Some friends of ours from Colorado are coming back to Richmond for a visit. They lived here for years, and every time they come back they rave about the outdoor options we have. We’ve talked about heading down to Pocahontas SP to bike, or maybe doing a big loop hike around the James via the downtown trails. We’ll probably ride our bikes, almost entirely off road from the Nickel Bridge area to the Folk Fest at least once day. In other words, it’ll be a classic RVA weekend.

Get out there and enjoy!