Virginia Beach Proudly Hosts the East Coast She Crab Soup Classic, Historic Garden Week, VIP Spring Fashion Show, Town Fair at Town Center, Hunt Club Farm Easter Egg Hunt and First Friday ViBe in April

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 31, 2015) – The weather is warming up and spring is in the air, which means it’s the perfect time to put on your sunglasses, roll down the windows and head to the beach. This month in Virginia Beach travelers can enjoy a unique soup tasting festival, spring fashionistas strutting on the runway, family fun on the farm and more.

HISTORICALLY BEACHY

Spring brings the area’s historic gardens to peak bloom and seasonal staples back to the dining table. Travelers can sample the best of one of the region’s most iconic dishes during the 7th Annual East Coast She Crab Soup Classic (April 11), held at 24th Street Park at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. More than a dozen local restaurants will serve their individual recipes for this delicacy while vying for People’s Choice Awards, determined by the ballots of those attending this tasting festival. Critic’s Choice Award winners will be chosen by a panel of leading regional cuisine experts. Savor some of the area’s finest soup and cast your vote. Winners will be announced at the end of the event, receiving plaques and bragging rights for the year. Later in the month, the statewide Historic Garden Week (April 22) shows off Virginia’s unforgettable historic gardens at the peak of their springtime color. Virginia Beach visitors can tour gardens at five private homes along the Virginia Beach oceanfront and six historic properties, including the Adam Thoroughgood House, Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, Ferry Plantation House and others.  The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will also host oyster garden and bird-watching tours at their new Brock Environmental Center, Virginia’s “greenest” building, where they will also discuss their oyster restoration initiatives.

OUT ON THE TOWN

The Virginia Beach Town Center, which has welcomed five new stores in the past six months, is hosting several spring events to help visitors dress to impress for the season. To celebrate its new retailer additions, Town Center is hosting a VIP Spring Fashion Show (April 11), during which everyone is considered a VIP and invited to experience the red carpet, photographs and even a champagne-toast finale. Participating retailers include Anthropologie, Free People, lululemon athletica, Destination Maternity and many more. Stop by the following weekend for an Earth Day-themed Town Fair at Town Center (April 17), featuring more than 30 local artisans and merchants selling their handmade art, jewelry, goods and fair-trade merchandise.

SEASONAL FESTIVITIES

Join the family fun at Hunt Club Farm’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt (April 4-5), featuring the Easter Bunny, farm tour hayrides, petting farm admission, inflatable rides – including a castle bounce and slide, bounce moonwalks, giant obstacle course and more – costume characters and live music. During Easter weekend, the farm will also host other festive activities, such as carnival games, face painting, pony rides and festive photos with bunnies, chicks and ducklings!

CUPCAKES & CREATIVITY

Visit Virginia Beach’s emerging “Creative District” the first Friday of each month for First Friday ViBe, when the district’s businesses, restaurants and galleries extend their hours and host special events with music, food and live entertainment. April brings a Cupcake Crawl in celebration of ViBe’s first anniversary. Visitors can bike from the boardwalk or take a sugar-filled stroll through the participating shops between 22nd Street and 17th Street near the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Can you think of a better way to spend a spring vacation than relaxing on one of three distinct and sandy beaches? To learn more about Virginia Beach, plan a stay or request a complimentary vacation guide, contact the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau by calling 1-800-VA-BEACH or going to www.visitvirginiabeach.com.