Richmond, VA Back-To-School Giveaways Near Me: Where to Find Legit Deals
Track Richmond backpack events and Virginia's tax-free weekend to cut back-to-school costs next summer.
Richmond, VA back-to-school giveaways centered on free backpack events and a statewide tax-free weekend. For summer 2026, Richmond Public Schools, Henrico County Police, Wireless Zone stores and a Richmond church offered free supplies, while Virginia exempted qualified school items Aug. 7-9.
Those July-August dates have now passed. Families can use the same event sponsors and the recurring tax-holiday rule to plan earlier next summer.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 28, 2026.
What Richmond families received in summer 2026
Richmond Public Schools ran its 9th annual Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive in August 2026. According to Richmond Public Schools, the drive filled 35,744 backpacks with essential supplies for students, with support from CoStar Group and other sponsors read the RPS Direct update. The bags went to RPS students.
Wireless Zone held its annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway on Sunday, July 26, 2026. According to Wireless Zone, participating stores gave free backpacks with supplies, and select bags held a golden ruler worth $250 toward supplies. The offer allowed one backpack per child while supplies lasted.
Where in-person help was located
Henrico County Police hosted free Stuff the Backpack on Aug. 22, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon.
According to Henrico County government, the event at 7701 E. Parham Road offered donated supplies and on-site haircuts see the county calendar listing. School-aged students needed a parent or guardian present.
New Life Outreach Church at 1005 Turner Road in Richmond runs an annual backpack giveaway. According to New Life Outreach Church, the event provides free backpacks, supplies, food and haircuts while supplies last see the church event page. Distribution is first-come, first-served.
How the sales-tax holiday lowered costs
Virginia held a 3-day sales-tax holiday Aug. 7-9, 2026. According to Virginia Tax, it exempted qualified school supplies costing $20 or less per item and clothing and footwear costing $100 or less per item read the Virginia Tax guidance.
Shoppers paid no state sales tax on qualifying items. Gov. Abigail Spanberger encouraged Virginians to use that weekend for back-to-school shopping.
According to the Office of the Governor of Virginia, the message confirmed the statewide savings applied to Richmond shoppers. The weekend helped families buying pencils, notebooks, shirts, shoes and similar items.
How to prepare for next summer
Supplies were capped. Wireless Zone limited bags to one per child while supplies lasted, and New Life stated registration did not secure a bag or haircut. Families had better odds when they arrived early with children present.
Because the 2026 giveaways have passed, watch the same sources next year. Useful checks include: Check district, county and store pages in early summer for dates and locations.
- Richmond Public Schools announcements for the backpack drive date and pickup rules
- Henrico County calendar for police community events
- Participating Wireless Zone store pages for giveaway hours
- New Life Outreach Church event page for registration and supply terms