Visiting Virginia Beach & Norfolk

Spring in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and coastal Virginia brings a diversity of events as festival season begins on the beach. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend on Virginia Beach at the Shamrock Marathon events. Enjoy springtime music in Emporia with the Meherrin River Arts Council or the rousing sounds of the Virginia International Tattoo Festival. Have a beer at Norfolk’s Virginia Beer Festival. Get going, summer is just around the corner with Big Bands on the Bay, sunset music and dancing beginning May 26th. Put on your dancing shoes and visit the Gazebo at Ocean View Beach Park on Sunday summer evenings.

Southern Virginia’s Meherrin River Arts Council fills the community of Emporia with the sounds of live music this spring. Celebrating 35 years of music, the 2013 Meherrin River Arts Council’s Calendar features four spectacular shows. After the Time Jumpers perform in February, Perpetuum Jazzile takes the stage in March, with April’s performance featuring Herman’s Hermits. Amy Grant closes the season at the Emporia Greensville Performing Arts Center in May. The Arts Center is located at the Greensville Elementary School in Emporia.

In collaboration with the Virginia Arts Festival, the 12th Annual Virginia Beer Festival takes place May 18th and 19th in downtown Norfolk. Held at Town Point Park on the Virginia waterfront, the beer festival offers visitors the opportunity to sample local, regional and world beers. Along with great beer, the 2013 Virginia Beer Festival features great food and live entertainment.

The 2013 Virginia International Tattoo is another Virginia Arts Festival event not to be missed. Held at Norfolk’s Scope Arena, April 25th through 28th, the Virginia International Tattoo features over 850 performers from across the globe. Military, non-military bands, bag pipe, and drum corps thrill audiences with their pipes and drums – drill teams and highland dancers add to the performances.

With a bit of training and the luck ‘o’ the Irish you’ll put the Shamrock Marathon behind you in a hurry for a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Virginia Beach hosts the 2013 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon events, March 16th and 17th. The Anthem 1/2 Marathon, Townebank 8K, and Operation Smile Final Mile make for a full weekend of energy and activity.

Virginia Beach & Norfolk Hotel Map