Explore the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival
For the City of Virginia Beach, the end of September not only means it’s Fall, but it’s also time for The Neptune Festival! Find out here why we are so excited about this special event!
What Is the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival?
This week, starting on Friday, September 24th, and ending on Sunday, September 26th, you and your family can enjoy fantastic activities. The Neptune Festival features something for everyone! It has art, wine tasting, concerts, and sand sculpting mixed in with the grand parade and even beautiful fireworks!
Entering into their 47th year, The Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach is going strong. With hundreds of thousands of attendees, including many Hampton Roads locals, there is plenty to do, see, and participate in for all ages! The festival takes place from 2nd Street all the way up to 36th Street along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Neptune Festival Basics
This is the weekend you don’t want to miss! In fact, this festival has gotten itself onto the Country’s Top 100 Festivals and Top 10 on the East Coast. Not only do we locals love it, but the hotels are filled to the brim along the oceanfront. The vibe is truly remarkable!
Are you an art lover? The Boardwalk Weekend is Neptune Festival’s most popular event, with curated artists, exhibitors, and vendors spread along the boardwalk.
There are plenty of fun events throughout the weekend, from sporting activities including the Neptune 8K, surfing competitions, and of course the famous Art & Craft Show right along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
Neptune Festival Grand Parade
You don’t want to miss Neptune Festival’s Grand Parade on Saturday, September 25th at 11:30 a.m. from 16th – 32nd Streets right along Atlantic Avenue. Our family loves parades, and this one, in particular, is one of our favorites! Since it starts right at 11:30 a.m., we like to ride our bikes a bit earlier to get the perfect spot on the curb to watch the festivities. Half our neighborhood is usually out there with us!
Neptune Festival Princesses and Princes
Besides the marching bands from all around Virginia that parade down Atlantic Ave, it’s fun to see the dance teams with great music skip along. We love to see the big smiles from the Royal Court of King Neptune, Tritons, Princesses, and Princes waving from the float.
Sandcastle Sculpting
We also love to watch the sandcastle competition. If you go down to the boardwalk early in the week, you’ll be able to catch a peek at the artists begin their amazing creations under the tent. And boy, are you blown away by the finished products! Our buckets of sand plopped with shells and seaweed are NOTHING compared to what these sandcastle competitors do.
Map of Neptune Festival Activities
Locals tip: Save this map of the locations and events onto your phone – and plan your Neptune Festival adventure around it! Sunscreen everyone’s faces and make sure you have your water bottles filled up. A stroller or a backpack is a good idea for your little ones.
What are your favorite parts of the Neptune Festival? Are you participating in any of the competitions? Be sure to take lots of photos when you go, and share them with friends and family on FamilyApp!
