Winter Wildlife Festival 2020

The next Virginia Beach Winter Wildlife Festival will be held January 24-26, 2020. Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Winter Wildlife Festival.

Three days of guided outdoor field trips offer the chance to see wintering coastal birds and wildlife, including ducks, seabirds, owls, whales, seals, winter songbirds, and more.

Winter Wildlife Festival weekend includes a free keynote reception with renowned birding consultant, Sharon "Birdchick" Stiteler, as well as wildlife excursions, walk-up workshops, an exhibit hall, and children's activities.

Since 1997, Sharon ‘Birdchick’ Stiteler has traveled the world as a field trip leader, birding consultant, humorous keynote speaker, bird field technician, bird bander and writer.

She is the author of the books “Disapproving Rabbits”; “City Birds/Country Birds” and “1,001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know.” Birdchick is #32 in the Geek A Week Trading Card set and works as a National Park Ranger for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Birdchick is a regular on television and radio broadcasts including “Outdoor News Radio”; “All Things Considered”; and the ”NBC Nightly News” where she answers bird questions.

The Winter Wildlife Festival headquarters is located at the Princess Anne Recreation Center, however activity locations vary. For information on the excursions, workshops and other activities, as well as to register, visit VBgov.com/winterwildlife.

source: City of Virginia Beach

Virginia Arts Festival 2018

2018 marks the Virginia Arts Festival’s 22nd season. This year's Virginia Arts Festival will feature Bernstein at 100 Tributes, Classic Ballet and Contemporary Dance, A Mozart Celebration, lively theater, and music from classical to jazz to pop.

On opening weekend, the Virginia Arts Festival will participate in a worldwide celebration of the music of Leonard Bernstein.

Friday, April 13 at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, and Saturday, April 14 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is joined by the Virginia Chorale and Todd Rosenlieb Dance in performances of some of Bernstein’s most exciting works.

The audience is taken on a breathtaking ride through the joyful celebration of the Chichester Psalms, the darkly intricate beauty of the Serenade, featuring Grammy-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie, the transporting Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and the knife-edge jazz of Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, written for Benny Goodman and performed here by award-winning clarinetist Jon Manasse.

Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director JoAnn Falletta will conduct the celebration; Falletta studied under Bernstein while at Juilliard.

Bernstein on Broadway, Saturday, May 12 at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, will bring together award-winning Broadway music director Rob Fisher with Broadway stars and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorale to celebrate Bernstein’s unforgettable musicals including Candide, West Side Story, On the Town, Wonderful Town, and more.

source: Virginia Arts Festival

Related Information

Tidewater Virginia Events

Things To Do in Hampton Roads Virginia - Christmas 2016

This post includes things to do in Hampton Roads Virginia during the Christmas and winter holiday season.

This list includes events around Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and other communities in the 757 area.


Chesapeake

Jingle Ball
Chesapeake Conference Center
700 Conference Center Drive
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.chesapeakeconference.com
December 2, 2016 (6:00 pm)

Christmas Palooza Craft Show
Chesapeake Conference Center
700 Conference Center Drive
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.chesapeakeconference.com
December 4-5, 2016

Holiday Brass Concert - Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Chesapeake Conference Center
700 Conference Center Drive
Chesapeake, VA 23320
www.chesapeakeconference.com
December 14, 2016 (7 pm - 9 pm, doors open at 6:00 pm)


Hampton

Holiday and Kwanzaa Marketplace
Friday, December 2, 2016 (Friday 10 am -7 pm, Saturday 1-4 pm)
Hampton University Museum
11 Frissell Ave
Hampton, VA 23669


Norfolk

Outdoor Ice Skating
MacArthur Center Outdoor Ice Rink
Monticello Avenue and Freemason Street
Downtown Norfolk VA
November 2016 - January 16, 2017

Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Hurrah Players
TCC Roper Performing Arts Center
Granby Street
Norfolk VA
December 10, 2016 (7 pm)

Dickens Christmas Towne
Norfolk VA
November - December 31, 2016

Garden of Lights
Norfolk Botanical Garden
November 24 - December 31, 2016 (5:30 pm - 10:00 pm nightly)

2016 Town Point Park Holiday Market and Holiday Yule Log Bon Fire
Town Point Park
Norfolk VA
December 3, 2016 (12:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.)

Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Wells Theatre
110 East Tazewell Street
Norfolk VA
December 7 - December 24, 2016

Virginia Symphony Orchestra - Chorus Holiday Pops
Chrysler Hall
215 Saint Pauls Boulevard
Norfolk VA
December 10, 2016 (8:00 p.m.)

ELF The Musical
Chrysler Hall
215 Saint Pauls Boulevard
Norfolk VA
December 16-18, 2016 (8:00 p.m.)

Handel's Messiah
Harrison Opera House
160 West Virginia Beach Boulevard
Norfolk VA
December 17, 2016 (8:00 p.m.)


Newport News

Newport News Celebration in Lights
Newport News Park
Ft. Eustis Blvd. and Jefferson Ave.
Newport News, VA
November 24, 2016 through January 1, 2017 (5:30 - 10:00 p.m)

Hollydazzle - 2016
City Center at Oyster Point
Newport News VA
Saturday, December 3, (4-8 pm)

Holiday Frost Celebration
Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center
2410 Wickham Ave
Friday, December 9, 2016 (4-7 pm)

Twas the Night Before Christmas - Virginia Repertory Theater
Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center
2410 Wickham Ave
Newport News, VA
Saturday, December 10, 2016 (1 pm)

Oh Where, Oh Where is My Christmas Tree? - K'bana Blaq and Friends
Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center
2410 Wickham Ave
Newport News, VA
Saturday, December 17, 2016 (7 pm)


Portsmouth

Portsmouth Winter Wonderland
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
Portsmouth VA
December 2016


Suffolk

5th Annual Artisan Gift Fair at the Pavilion
Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion
524 North Main Street
December 3, 2016 (10 am-5 pm)

Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society Candlelight Tour
Sights and Sounds of Christmas
757.539.2781
www.SuffolkHistory.org
December 3-4, 2016 (3 pm-7 pm)

Suffolk Holiday Parade
Downtown Suffolk
757.514.7267
www.suffolkva.us/parks
December 10, 2016 (7 pm)


Virginia Beach

A Christmas Carol - ​Virginia Musical Theatre
​Sandler Center
201 Market St.
Virginia Beach, VA
December 2-4, 2016

Virginia Beach Holiday Parade
Atlantic Avenue between 15th and 25th streets
Virginia Beach, VA
Dec. 3, 2016 (5:30 pm)

Sleigh Bells Ring Out - The Mavericks
​Sandler Center
201 Market St.
Virginia Beach, VA
December 7, 2016

Virginia Beach Farmers Market Craft Show
and Breakfast with Santa
Virginia Beach Farmers Market
3640 Dam Neck Rd.
Virginia Beach, VA
December 7, 2016 (10 am – 4 pm)
 
Holidays around the World
Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library
4100 Virginia Beach Blvd.
December 10, 2016 (11 am – 3 pm)
 
The Nutcracker - Ballet Virginia International
​Sandler Center
201 Market St.
Virginia Beach, VA
December 16-18, 2016

34th Annual Messiah Sing Along​
Sandler Center
201 Market St.
December 23, 2016

2016 East Coast She Crab Soup Classic

Restaurants and chefs from around Hampton Roads will gather to compete for the title of “Best She Crab Soup” at the East Coast She Crab Soup Classic April 9 at the 24th Street Park along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Guests are invited to sample an entry from each of 22 competing restaurants.  Based on tastings, there are two categories for best recipe winners; People’s Choice Awards and Critic’s Choice Awards.

For more information, visit beachstreetusa.com

source: City of Virginia Beach

2015 Neptune’s Art and Craft Show - Virginia Beach

Due to severe weather for the weekend, Neptune Festival planners had to cancel or relocate several events.

Neptune’s Art and Craft Show is moving to the Virginia Beach Convention Center (1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451).

Over 240 artists from around the country are expected to participate. The show will be free and open to the public.

King Neptune XVII and the royal court will be at the Art and Craft Show on Saturday, September 26 at 11 am.

Neptune’s Art and Craft Show hours will be Friday 12 pm – 7 pm, Saturday 10am – 7 pm, Sunday, 10 am – 6pm.

For additional information call the Festival Office at 757-498-0215 or visit www.facebook.com/NeptuneFestival.

Mount Trashmore Park Community Yard Sale

Mount Trashmore Park Community Yard Sale
Saturday, September 19
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mount Trashmore Park
310 Edwin Drive, Virginia Beach

A community yard sale will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach. The Mount Trashmore Park community yard sale will include free admission and parking, used furniture, clothing, tools, and more from more than 75 sellers all in one spot.

source: City of Virginia Beach

Virginia Blue Wave Beaches

Again this year, two local beaches were included in the Clean Beaches Coalition list of clean beaches. Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach and Tom's Cove Beach, at Assateague Island National Seashore made the list.

The Clean Beaches Coalition annual list of Blue Wave beaches recognizes clean, healthy and environmentally well managed beaches.

Lynhaven River April Cleanup

Lynnhaven River April Cleanup
Saturday, April 12, 9- Noon
1045 Lynnhaven Parkway
Virginia Beach, VA

The next Lynnhaven River Now (LRNow) river cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 12th.  This will be the organization's first water based cleanup of the season.

Particpants will meet at the Green Lodge Moose Run at 1045 Lynnhaven Parkway.  Kayaks and canoes will launch behind the building and paddlers will clean up trash along the nearby tributaries.  Call 757-962-5398 or email Dana@LRNow.org for more information or to sign up.

Access to a canoe or kayak is required. There may be extra seats, or openings for a couple of people to do a land-based cleanup. Cleanups are held the second Saturday of each month throughout the year. LRNow encourages businesses to help by sponsoring Lynnhaven River cleanups.

source: LRNow

Lynhaven River Citizen Oyster Gardeners Program

Growing oysters can help improve the Lynnhaven River. To become an oyster gardener, LRNOw offers a Taylor Float workshop where participants can build their own float and get all the equipment needed. Alternatively, gardeners can purchase an assembled float with all the equipment from LRNow for $100.

Participants also need to attend a New Citizen Oyster Gardener Workshop where they will learn about caring for oysters over the next year.  Pre-registration is required for both the Tayor Float workshop and the New Citizen Gardener Workshop.

Oyster Gardening Events:
Taylor Float Workshop

Thursday, July 26, 6-7:30 PM, at the LRNow office at 1608 Pleasure House Road, Suite 108.  Cost for all supplies is $75.
To register call 757-962-5398 or email kris@lrnow.org



New Oyster Citizen Gardeners Workshop

Thursday, August 2, 6-7:30 PM at the Great Neck Rescue Squad on Bayne Drive
Thursday, September 6, 6-7:30 PM at Virginia Wesleyan College
Cost:  $30 for your bag of 1000 baby oysters
Pre-registration required with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at www.cbf.org/virginiaoysters or call 757-622-1964.



The Oyster Gardening Project is offered in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. More information about oyster gardening can be found at www.LRNow.org/need-oyster-growers or by calling 757-962-5398.

source: LRNow

The Lynnhaven, Restoring a Legend Book

“The Lynnhaven, Restoring a Legend,” a full-color book of essays, paintings and photographs about the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was recently published by the conservation organization, Lynnhaven River Now.

The river is home to the famed Lynnhaven oysters and was explored in 1607 by the first English settlers in the New World.  For 10 years, Lynnhaven River Now has been working to clean up pollution in the river and bring back the beloved oysters.

The hard cover coffee table book is a reflection of the group’s efforts and successes and of the community’s love for the river.

Forty people, who share the way the river has shaped and enriched their lives, wrote the essays.  Their essays range from childhood remembrances to present day accounts of kayaking on the river, from the hard work of river clean-ups to the pleasure of eating Lynnhaven oysters once again.

Many color photographs are of ospreys, egrets, herons and other wildlife along the river.  Paintings reflect the scenic beauty of the small, but significant body of water in Virginia Beach.

A Lynnhaven River art and photography exhibit, “The Art of Saving a River,” will be on display Oct. 6 through Dec. 31 at Towne Pavilion Center II, 600 22nd Street in Virginia Beach.  Hosted by The Runnymede Corporation, the exhibit features many of the photographs and art in the book and more.

Books are $50 and are available in the Lynnhaven River Now office at 757-962-5398 or email kris@lynnhaven2007.com for more information or to order a copy in the mail for a $5 handling fee.

Neptune Festival - Boardwalk Weekend - Neptune Art and Craft Show

The Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach includes a sandcastle competition, athletic competitions, art and crafts show, Neptune Grand Parade, and other activities.

The festival peaks on Boardwalk Weekend, beginning the last Friday of September. The 2011 dates for Boardwalk Weekend are September 30 - October 2.

One of the most popular components of the festival is the Neptune Art and Craft Show. The venue features artists, craft displays, food vendors and other specialties. The show is held along Virginia Beach boardwalk.

Friday Night Hoedowns at Virginia Beach Farmers Market

For 2011, Friday Night Hoedowns will be held every Friday night through October 30 at 7 pm at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market, located at 3640 Dam Neck Road in Virginia Beach. Friday Night Hoedowns are held rain or shine unless storms contain lightning.

Beach Music Weekend in Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach's next music festival will be Beach Music Weekend, held Thursday, May 12 through Sunday, May 15. The four day event will be right on the beach at 30th Street.

Top East Coast beach music bands will perform on the oceanfront in a nostalgic salute to the “good old days” of cool cars and hot tunes.

A three-day series of free concerts is presented on a stage built right on the beach at 30th Street. Shows will be held on Thursday and Friday with a full day of entertainment on Saturday and more daytime concerts on Sunday. With the exception of a ticketed show on Thursday, all performances are free to the public.

Scheduled to perform for 2011 are:
The Band of Oz
The Embers
Coolin' Out
The Showmen
The Tams
Bill Deal's Original Rhondels
Main Event
Craig Woodard

For more information please visit www.beachstreetusa.com

Virginia Beach Bayside History Day Bike Tour

Biking enthusiasts can enjoy their sport while celebrating Virginia Beach history during the Bayside History Day Bike Tour. The event will be held on Saturday, May 21st, 2011 from 9 am – 2:30 pm.

Lynnhaven River NOW and the Tidewater Bicycle Association are co-sponsoring a guided tour by bicycle of historic homes, farms and churches along the Lynnhaven River in conjunction with the City of Virginia Beach Bayside Heritage Day celebration. Famous landmarks will include Ferry Plantation House, the Thoroughgood House, Church Point wayside and the Old Donation Church.

This is a family-paced ride along an 11 mile loop starting and ending at the Bayside Public Library. The ride includes five stops at historic points along the way. A lunch and drink will be provided. Helmets and bicycles are required. Cost is $20 and includes lunch, drinks and any entrance fees. Pre-registration is required. 

 Participants can park at the BB&T next to Bayside Library and meet in the parking lot of the Bayside Public Library, 936 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach. The tour itinerary is subject to change.

To register, please contact Lynnhaven River NOW at 757-962-5398 or visit www.LRNow.org .

Atlantic Coast Kite Festival

The Atlantic Coast Kite Festival will be held on 4/30/2011 in the17th Street Park in Virginia Beach. Admission is free.

During this popular event, kite fliers of all skill levels are invited to take part in the Atlantic Coast Kite Festival’s Best Kite Contest. Also popular are kite building workshops led by Archie Stewart of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

American Kite Association members from throughout the East Coast will provide kite demonstrations, kite routines, and giant kite flights. Kite vendors are also available on site, selling various kinds of kites. 

7th Annual Virginia Beach Cherry Blossom Festival

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation invites the public to celebrate Virginia Beach’s international sisterhood with Miyazaki City, Japan, at the 7th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, April 2 at Red Wing Park (1398 General Booth Blvd) in Virginia Beach from 11 am - 3 pm.

This event will offer the rich culture and beauty of Japanese music, martial arts, creative activities by A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, and various demonstrations. Councilman James L. Wood will give the official welcome. The festival is sponsored by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation, the Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach, the Japan Education Culture Center Inc., and supported by the Virginia Beach Koto Society, Old Dominion University Martial Arts program and Virginia Beach City Public Schools Japanese programs and clubs.

Featured performances will celebrate all City of Virginia Beach's Sister Cities, including songs from Sons of Norway (representing Sister City Moss, Norway) and key entertainment from the Kempsville Middle School Band representing Sister City North Down County, Ireland.

+++ ADMISSION IS FREE +++

Food and beverage are available for purchase. Patrons are welcome to bring a blanket or lawn chair for the performances. In the event of inclement weather conditions, the event will be postponed until Sunday, April 3 at the same time and place.

***DISASTER RELIEF***

Because of the City of Virginia Beach’s sister city relationship with Miyazaki City this year's event will honor the survivors and victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan and will be dedicated to the thousands who perished.

The Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, along with Japan Education Culture Center Inc., also a (c)(3) charitable organization, will be conducting a fundraising campaign for relief efforts for the survivors of this disaster. This fundraiser is also being coordinated with the sister cities groups and volunteer organizations in Miyazaki. Due to the urgency and immediacy of the crisis, only financial donations will be accepted.

If you are unable to attend the Cherry Blossom festivities, but would still like to send a donation, you may make checks payable to: Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach and note on the check “Humanitarian Fund for Japan’s Natural Disaster.”

Donations may be sent to:

Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach
City Hall, Municipal Center
2401 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, Virginia   23456-9005

All donations collected will get to the victims for their basic necessities in Sendai city, and nearby towns and villages, through their municipal government offices in Japan.***

Modeled after the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., the Virginia Beach Cherry Blossom Festival held at Red Wing Park celebrates the goodwill friendship between Japan and the United States, marked by the 100 Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees which were all donated as part of the Miyazaki Garden expansion plan and planted by the Japan Educational Cultural Center and the Miyazaki Sister City Committee in 2005.

The City of Virginia Beach and Miyazaki City have benefitted from many fruitful grass-roots exchanges since the early 1980s. For the last 18 years, Miyazaki and Virginia Beach enjoyed exchanges in the promotion and development of community volunteerism. In 2007, Miyazaki’s eco-park Hagino Dai and Mount Trashmore Park officially becoming “Sister Parks.” In addition, through our Sister Cities relationship, Tallwood Elementary and Miyazaki Minami Elementary School became “Sister Schools.”

For more information about the 7th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, call Debbie Vick at 385-2992 (TTY: 757-711 Virginia Relay), e-mail fun@VBgov.com or visit www.VBgov.com/specialevents.

source: Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation

Riptides Square Dance Club Open House Dance in Virginia Beach

Are you looking for something fun to do?

The Riptides Square Dance Club will be hosting an Open House Dance on February 4, 2011, at Bayside Presbyterian Church, in Virginia Beach. No Square Dancing experience is necessary and there is no charge for this event.

Crown Record recording artist and Square Dance Caller, Matt Worley, will instruct the new dancers on the steps and experienced dancers will be on hand to help guide the way.  The evening will also feature demos of regular club level square dancing by the more experienced dancers.  Dancing is open to everyone from 10 to 100, and the fun starts at 7:30PM.  Need a partner?  Single dancers are also welcome.

Bayside Presbyterian Church is located at 1400 Ewell Rd., Virginia Beach, VA.  (at the corner of Ewell Rd. and Independence Blvd.)  The Riptides Square and Round Dance Club is a non-profit club that was formed in Virginia Beach in 1963.  2011 will be the club's 48th year of hosting dances in Virginia Beach.

For more information on the Open House, or the Riptides, contact Dave Hinde at 757 461-7222, visit http://fun.greatdances.net, or visit Facebook (search for Open House, or search for Riptides).

Lynnhaven River NOW Oyster Shell Collection

Saving oyster and clam shells to be used for reef restoration is a great way for citizens of the Hampton Roads - Tidewater area to help rebuild the oyster population in the Lynnhaven River.

Two locations are available to drop off shells:

- The east parking lot of the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center on General Booth Boulevard

 - In front of the Lynnhaven River NOW office at 1608 Pleasure House Road, Suite 108.

Lynnhaven River NOW is also available to collect shells from events and fundraisers. Please call the organization in advance and to obtain baskets for the shells and schedule a pick up after events.

Virginia Beach Old Fashioned Craft Bazaar

The 32nd Annual Santa's Stocking Old Fashioned Craft Bazaar will be held at Kempsville Recreation Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Over 100 crafters will be selling their wares from stocking stuffers to painted artwork and everything in between! Items are priced for any budget.

Shop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6 and 20, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7 and 21. Each weekend event is totally unique with different craft exhibitors.

Hampton Roads-Tidewater Virginia News Portal

The next phase of a Hampton Roads-Tidewater Virginia information site has been completed. www.tidewater-virginia.net features articles, news, events, photo galleries, a business directory, online store, and more.

A representative explained the project, saying "Our research shows a strong interest in the Hampton Roads region by online audiences. The project seeks to provide audiences with a one stop resource for visitors, residents, and small businesses of the region."

Small business owners have a variety of free services available on the site. Basic features include press release and article submissions, as well as standard listings in the site's directory. In addition to basic free tools, the site offers paid advertising and an array of other promotional tools.

Features also available for non-profit organizations. The directory has categories for civic groups, charities, government agencies, and other non-profit organizations. Another feature of the site is an online store which includes a collection of books, maps, art, gifts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts, and other apparel.

According to the site owner, "Our goal was to provide an easy to use resource that brings together vacationers, local residents, business owners and organizations; the site now offers those tools."

www.tidewater-virginia.net serves the Tidewater - Hampton Roads communities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Chesapeake, Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk.