go on Whether you’re a Virginia Beach local or a recurring guest, you’re likely already familiar with the phenomenal weekend-long festivities that abound during the annual Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend, which this year celebrates its 48th anniversary and includes the acclaimed International Sandsculpting Championship. Yet, The Neptune Festival offers much more than Virginia’s largest annual special event – seriously!
The Neptune Festival, a private non-profit organization, has been celebrating Virginia Beach since 1974, hosting more than 40 family-friendly events in our coastal city every year! From free concerts and beachfront wine tastings to athletic competitions and an art show, The Neptune Festival’s series of events keep us celebrating all things VB all year long. And of course, all of these events take place just footsteps from the Atlantic Ocean at Neptune Park – as King Neptune himself watches over the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
So, mark your calendars and grab your tickets now! Take it from us: you won’t want to miss out on any of this classic coastal fun.
17th Annual Spring Wine Festival
31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Saturday, May 14
Crowded beachside festival with tents, vendors, and visitors near a sandy beach and ocean under a bright blue sky.
Taste wines from around the world without ever leaving the beach during the Annual Spring Wine Festival, which features tastings of more than 70 wines from eight countries. Each tasting ticket includes unlimited tastings, with your own commemorative wine glass. Cheers to that! Enjoy live music just footsteps away from the Atlantic Ocean, and savor food from local food trucks (available for purchase on-site). Tickets are now available online but are expected to sell out quickly!
Symphony by the Sea Concert Series
31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Select Thursdays, July – September
Outdoor concert under a large, white canopy at dusk, with an audience seated on grass. The sky is purple and pink, with city buildings in the background.
Presented by The Breeden Company, Neptune Festival’s Symphony by the Sea Concert Series returns for its 11th season of free concerts with a schedule of delightful musical performances. Open to the public, these performances are well-attended, so plan your visit accordingly – or indulge in a VIP Membership for season-long perks. All of the concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 14: Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, July 28: Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, Aug. 11: Symphonicity
Thursday, Aug. 18: Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, Aug. 25: Symphonicity
Thursday, Sept. 8: Virginia Symphony Orchestra
7th Annual Coastal Craft Beer Festival
31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
August 27
A hand holding a jar of orange beverage with a logo. In the background, people and a large statue of a muscular figure are visible. Sunlit outdoor setting.
Calling all craft beer lovers! Celebrate and sample national, regional and local craft brews during the annual Coastal Craft Beer Festival, featuring more than 60 beers from 30 breweries, food trucks, live music and more. Tickets include unlimited tastings and a commemorative beer-tasting glass and will go on sale on June 1 and are expected to sell out – so hop to it!
Neptune’s Surfing Classic
2nd Street at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
September (Exact Date TBD)
Surfer in red shirt rides a wave near a sandy beach with city buildings in the background.
Co-hosted by the Eastern Surfing Association, this beloved event sees new and experienced surfers alike take to the ocean in an ultimate surfing showdown at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Whether you’re participating or just taking in the incredible sights and sounds of this quintessential event on the water, you’re sure to have an invigorating experience. Registration details and more information will soon be available online.
25th Annual Fall Wine Festival
31st Street Park at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
September 10-11
People enjoying a wine-tasting event outdoors, with a person pouring wine into glasses.
Join Virginia’s leading vineyards for an unforgettable weekend of wine, food and live entertainment at the annual Fall Wine Festival. Taste more than 60 wines and learn from the purveyors bringing them to life – and purchase the ones you like by the bottle or the case. Your tasting ticket includes entry to the event and a commemorative wine glass. Tickets, including reserved tables, go on sale online on July 1 and are expected to sell out.
48th Annual Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend
6th – 36th Streets at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Sept. 30 – Oct. 2
Aerial view of a long row of white tents aligned parallel to a sandy beach, with tall buildings and a busy street nearby. People walk along the tents.
The grand culmination of The Neptune Festival series of events, Boardwalk Weekend – now in its 48th year – brings together an array of family-friendly festivities for one unforgettable weekend on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Enjoy free concerts daily at festival stages scattered along 30 blocks of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and featuring more than 20 local, regional and national recording artists. Browse the works of more than 200 artisans at the Art & Craft Show, or marvel at the magnificent sand sculptures displayed at the International Sandsculpting Championship. Weekend events also include races, a volleyball tournament, a parade, a regatta, a Youth Art Show, a Family Fun Zone and so much more. So, take your pick! Featured events include:
Valeria has cultivated her passion for storytelling throughout a 15-year communications career that has granted her the opportunity to find, write and tell stories on behalf of a variety of brands, including destinations across the country.
A native of Buenos Aires and raised in Miami Beach, Valeria has called Virginia Beach home since 2014. At first unsure of what she’d find here, she quickly grew fond of our coastal city’s laidback style and learned that everything she thought she knew about seafood and farm-fresh ingredients wasn’t enough. Over the past seven years, she has had a front-row seat to seeing some of her favorite restaurants emerge, alongside a collective of local artisans who have provided VB with its distinctly vibrant vibe. A lover of food culture, some of Valeria’s go-to spots include Commune, Esoteric, The Atlantic on Pacific, May’s Parlor and Jorgio’s (leave it to the native Argentine to find herself a taste of home).
When she’s not savoring the local dining scene, Valeria can be found chasing sunsets over the Chesapeake Bay, writing, reading, cooking, traveling, listening to live music and taking in the outdoors with her husband and golden retriever – First Landing State Park is one of their most beloved spots!
As a communications consultant, Valeria helps clients unearth, craft and share their stories. Learn more about Valeria’s work – and read her musings on food, travel and more – at ThePalmTreeType.com.
