In celebration of National Immigrant Heritage Month, the City of Richmond's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement, in partnership with Henrico County's Multicultural Engagement Division and ReEstablish Richmond, proudly invite residents from across the region to attend the Multicultural Festival 2026.

This free event will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Richmond Raceway Expo Hall 1 (600 E. Laburnum Ave, Richmond, VA 23222), located in Henrico County. 

Led by the City of Richmond and made possible through strong regional partnerships, the Multicultural Festival reflects a shared commitment to creating welcoming communities where all residents feel valued, connected, and empowered to participate fully in civic life. Immigrants and refugees play an important role in shaping the Richmond region. They contribute to our local economy, enrich our cultural life, strengthen neighborhoods, open businesses, and help make our communities more vibrant and connected.

According to the US Census American Community Survey, foreign-born residents currently make up roughly 14% of Henrico County's population and nearly 9% of Richmond’s population, driving the region’s cultural evolution, population growth, and economic vitality.

While anchoring our celebration of National Immigrant Heritage Month, the Multicultural Festival reflects a broader regional vision. The event honors the full spectrum of cultural heritage defining Greater Richmond—bridging the traditions of indigenous populations and longtime residents with those of our newest neighbors. In this spirit of interconnectedness, the festival also recognizes World Refugee Day (June 20), celebrating the profound courage, resilience, and contributions of refugees who have rebuilt their lives and strengthened our region. 

"The face of Richmond has changed over the last twenty years, and we have seen immigrants become a much bigger part of our story,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “We want to ensure they feel welcomed, because it is important not only for their lives, but for the identity of our city. It has been remarkable to witness this growth and the emergence of so many new immigrant voices. It is because of their presence, resilience, and the opportunities so many of our immigrant neighbors pursue that we are a much more vibrant city."

“The Multicultural Festival presents a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, neighbor to neighbor, to celebrate the cultural richness of our region,” Henrico Board of Supervisors Chair Roscoe D. Cooper III said. “We know that our youth, families and communities are stronger, healthier and happier when everyone feels welcomed, connected and encouraged to fully engage in civic life. Whether you’re a longtime resident of our region or a newcomer, the festival offers the perfect backdrop to enhance our appreciation of each other’s experiences while also recognizing our shared humanity.”

ReEstablish Richmond plays a significant role in mobilizing volunteers for the event this year:

“What makes this festival so special is that while the Richmond region has a ton of cultural events, rarely can you come to one spot and experience the true breadth of diversity that is our multicultural community,” says Will Cumbia, Outreach and Volunteer Manager of ReEstablish Richmond.  “Where else can you nibble on empanadas while chatting with folks at the Sudanese display with a Chinese choir serenading you from the stage? This festival is for everyone--a unique display of mutual hospitality. We want longtime Richmonders to show up, connect, and celebrate their newcomer neighbors, inviting one another into a deeper experience of being here at home.”

The Multicultural Festival serves as the grand finale for National Immigrant Month, bringing people together for a day packed with community spirit, connection, and culture. Attendees can look forward to a dynamic lineup of activities, including authentic food, vibrant music, live performances and dances, arts, crafts, local vendors and community resources.  

The event is made possible through the generous support of corporate and community sponsors, including Dominion Energy, Sheetz, Virginia Housing, Virginia Humanities, Super Radiator Coils, Dyer Immigration Law Group, and Ultra Radio Richmond. 

For more information about the Multicultural Festival, including vendors and itinerary visit: Multicultural Festival 2026 — ReEstablish Richmond 

About the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement 

The City of Richmond's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement works to build a more welcoming, inclusive, and connected city by strengthening relationships between immigrant and refugee communities and local government. Through language access, community engagement, education, resource navigation, and strategic partnerships, OIRE helps ensure all residents can access services, participate in civic life, and thrive in Richmond.

About the Henrico Multicultural Engagement Division

As part of the Henrico County Outreach and Engagement Agency, the Multicultural Engagement Division works to build trusted relationships, create opportunities for engagement, and foster belonging among Henrico's diverse cultural, immigrant, refugee, LGBTQIA+, and all ability communities. This work supports the agency's broader mission of enriching the lives of those who live, work, and play in Henrico through community engagement, education, resources, and equitable access to opportunities.

About ReEstablish Richmond                                                         

ReEstablish Richmond helps refugees and immigrants integrate into the Greater Richmond area by offering essential tools like English classes, driver’s education, and navigation of local services. Functioning as a regional resource hub, the organization drives regional collaboration by partnering with local service providers, volunteers, and stakeholders—such as the International Rescue Committee and Sacred Heart Center—to build a unified network of support across Henrico, Chesterfield and the City of Richmond.

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is providing customers with an update regarding billing and payment processing issues that have occurred following the launch of its new customer service systems on May 26, 2026.

The new systems, implemented after a multi-year planning, development and implementation effort, successfully achieved several major milestones, including the accurate conversion of customer account data and the successful deployment of core system functionality. Since launch, however, DPU has identified issues involving third-party billing and payment processing vendors that have affected some customer accounts.

As soon as these issues were identified, DPU began working closely with its vendors to investigate and resolve them as quickly as possible. While many issues have already been addressed, DPU continues to work diligently to ensure all remaining concerns are resolved and customers receive accurate account information.

To help customers better understand the issues and find answers to common questions, DPU has published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource that provides detailed information about payment posting delays, late fees, account balances and other related topics.

Customers can view the Payment Processing FAQs here.

DPU appreciates the patience and understanding of its customers as these issues are addressed and remains committed to delivering reliable, responsive customer service.

About The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities
The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater, stormwater and streetlight services to more than 500,000 customers in the Richmond metropolitan area. DPU is committed to safety, reliability and innovation in delivering essential utility services that support the city’s residents, businesses and environment.

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Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond is launching “People’s Day: We’re Here to Help,” in partnership with the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. The new series is designed to provide residents with direct, in person access to City leadership, customer service teams, and resource support across multiple departments.

Each People’s Day will focus on a key community priority. Future sessions will include senior needs, youth services and tax payments.

The first People’s Day focuses primarily on utility services and will offer residents one on one assistance, the opportunity to speak directly with the city’s executive leadership including the CAO, DCAOs, DPU leadership and other senior leaders, while providing space to raise other customer service concerns across the City, including payment support service.

People’s Day: We’re Here to Help 
Tuesday, June 23 
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
City Hall

Wednesday, June 24 
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. 
Southside Community Services Center

Residents are welcome to bring any concern or service question, not just utility related issues. Registration is encouraged to help with staffing preparation but is not required. Residents can register here.

Why People’s Day Is Launching Now 
The City of Richmond is currently implementing several major technology upgrades across departments to improve service long term. While these improvements are important, nothing replaces in person customer service. People’s Day exists to ensure residents always have a direct line to help when they need it.

These improvements include DPU’s recent transition to an upgraded customer information system, designed to improve accuracy, reliability and access for residents.

During the DPU system transition, some customers experienced delays in payment posting. The issue was quickly identified and the City has taken several steps to support customers during the update, including:

• Temporarily suspending utility disconnections 
• Pausing flow restrictor installations 
• Automatically removing related late fees 
• Ensuring confirmed payments are applied without requiring customers to resubmit

“At DPU, our priority is our customers,” said Scott Morris, Senior Director of the Department of Public Utilities. “As we identify technical glitches with our new systems, our teams work around the clock to fix them. We appreciate residents’ patience, and we remain committed to transparency, responsiveness and doing right by our community.”

“City Hall and all City service sites are, and always will be, the people’s house. People’s Day reflects the City’s commitment to the Mayor’s directive to create a thriving city hall that is accessible and resident centered,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “This is the first of many opportunities for us to meet people where they are and provide the responsive service our community deserves. It’s also good operational practice: hearing directly from residents helps us strengthen our systems, improve coordination and continuously deliver better results.”

Looking Ahead  
The City will continue to host People’s Day events throughout the year, each tailored to a different community need. Details on future dates and focus areas will be shared in advance of each event. 

Residents with questions about their utility account may contact DPU Customer Service at 804 646 4646, dpucustserv@rva.gov or visit rva.gov/public-utilities.

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Disconnections and flow restrictor installations suspended to protect customers during resolution

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is aware that some recent utility payments are not currently reflected in customer account balances due to a payment processing issue. DPU is actively working with this payment processor to identify and resolve any remaining payment posting delays as quickly as possible.

To ensure customers are not negatively impacted while this issue is being resolved, DPU is temporarily suspending utility service disconnections and flow restrictor installations. Additionally, any late fees resulting from delayed payment postings will be removed.

Customers who have already submitted a payment and received confirmation that it was processed should not submit a duplicate payment. Those payments will be reflected in next month’s bill.

DPU appreciates customers’ patience and understanding as work continues to resolve the issue. Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available.

Customers with questions about their utility account may contact DPU Customer Service at 804-646-4646 or visit rva.gov/public-utilities.

Recent actions highlight commitment to higher quality, more responsive, and more transparent City operations.  

The City of Richmond recently announced a series of achievements that reflect the Administration’s commitment to good governance, operational excellence, and continuous quality improvement. Recent progress across public safety, housing, labor relations, and government accountability highlights how internal teams, guided by Mayor Danny Avula’s leadership and direction, are driving stronger, more responsive, and more transparent City operations.    

Accountability and Performance. This week, the Office of the City Auditor (OCA) noted the Administration’s progress, underscoring the City’s commitment to accountability and continuous improvement. OCA closed or removed 38 recommendations, including 34 in key operational areas such as bad debt reconciliation, purchase use, warehousing, and duplicate payment controls. Across the fiscal year, 10 departments closed 65 recommendations, reflecting meaningful performance improvements across the government. 

Customer Support During DPU System Updates.  Following the launch of DPU’s upgraded customer information systems, some customers experienced delays and disruptions that were promptly addressed and resolved. The department is continuing to monitor system performance closely and make the necessary post‑implementation adjustments to realize optimal efficiency. 

To ensure residents have clear avenues to share feedback and receive assistance, DPU Senior Director Scott Morris and Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II will host two customer engagement events inviting community members to hear directly from them, speak directly with customer service staff, receive support, and learn more about financial assistance resources.  Sessions will be held Tuesday, June 23, from 12–2 p.m. at City Hall, and Wednesday, June 24, from 5–7 p.m. at the Southside Community Services Center.  

Strengthening the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) – City of Richmond Partnership. With a focus on strengthening public safety through effective governance, the Administration is partnering with Council to reform the partnership between the city’s Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR) and the Richmond Ambulance Authority.  The unanimously approved ordinance will ensure that medically trained RAA staff handle medical only calls from the outset, improving accuracy and speeding up care for residents. 

Collective Bargaining. The City is advancing an amendment to its collective bargaining agreement that clarifies negotiation processes and reinforces productive labor management collaboration. By promoting consistency and transparency in workforce policies, Richmond continues to demonstrate its commitment to fair, reliable, and accountable governance. 

Commerce Road. Good governance guides the City’s approach to housing. New legislation for the Commerce Road corridor will enable a significant expansion of affordable housing units, strengthening long-term housing options for families and supporting equitable growth across Richmond. 

Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The City completed work to ensure that all funds designated for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund were correctly calculated and aligned with the budget process, supporting continued investment in housing access and stability for residents.   

“Whether it’s our historic audit results, improving emergency services, moving collective bargaining efforts forward, or continued investment in transformative public housing, the administration is making significant improvements for Richmonders,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II.