The Carytown Merchants Association canceled its Golden Ticket Hunt after nearly 20 businesses withdrew from the promotion, Axios Richmond reported. The event, organized with the Byrd Theatre, had been scheduled ahead of the theater's Sept. 20 screening of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
How the promotion was supposed to work
Businesses were set to place golden tickets in chocolate bars around Carytown beginning Thursday. Axios listed Dog Krazy, Sugar & Twine, Beasties, For the Love of Chocolate, Alternatives Boutique and Plan 9 Music among the participating businesses before the withdrawals.
Why merchants pulled out
The withdrawals followed criticism of the Byrd's decision to screen all eight Harry Potter films. Critics cited author J.K. Rowling's comments about transgender people, according to Axios. Shelf Life Books owner Chris McDaniel told the outlet that his store withdrew in solidarity with Richmond's trans community; the shop employs transgender people and sells books by trans authors. Other businesses cited current events in explaining their decisions, Axios reported.
Who organizes the Carytown promotion?
The Carytown Merchants Association describes the area as a shopping, dining and entertainment district centered on small, locally owned businesses and the historic Byrd Theatre. According to the association's membership page, it is made up of volunteers who own or manage businesses in the neighborhood. The Byrd Theatre Foundation is a nonprofit organization: ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer identifies it as a 501(c)(3) whose tax exemption was issued in June 2002. The Byrd Theatre also says its foundation is seeking a general contractor for an upcoming rehabilitation project.
Byrd executive director Ben Cronly told Axios that screening the films was not intended to endorse Rowling's views. He said the theater's distribution arrangements keep any royalties paid to Rowling or others separate from the Byrd's agreements with distributors. Axios reported that the theater's donations and ticket sales had not yet been affected, while noting that the impact could emerge later.
The dispute extends beyond the film series
The dispute also involves the Richmond International Film Festival. Axios reported that a boycott campaign has criticized the festival's presentation of Affirmation Generation, its screening of Unraveling UNRWA and sponsorship from the Israeli Embassy. A 2023 protest statement about Affirmation Generation was signed by more than 20 local businesses and organizations, including Diversity Richmond, Virginia Pride and Seven Hills Family Medicine, according to Style Weekly. The festival did not immediately respond to Axios's request for comment, the outlet reported.
The broader attendance picture
The cancellation comes as arts organizations continue to navigate changes in how audiences participate. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, just under half of U.S. adults attended in-person arts events during the period covered by its 2022 research, a significant drop from 2017. The agency also reported that 82% of respondents watched or listened to arts activities through digital media between 2021 and 2022.
The Byrd is a 1,200-seat nonprofit movie palace that opened in Carytown on Christmas Eve in 1928, according to the Byrd Theatre Foundation.
