Welcome to our guide to Virginia Beach's Bay side. There are 6 miles of Chesapeake Bay waterfront in the city of Virginia Beach, extending from the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base to First Landing State Park. If you're looking for information on the Atlantic side of the city, we suggest the Virginia Beach oceanfront site.
First Landing State Park is an oasis of cypress forest, spanish moss, and 17 miles of woodland trails in the midst of a resort city. The park gets its name from the fact that the Susan Constant landed here weeks before finally settling at Jamestown. 2,770 acres hold swamps, dunes, cabins, campgrounds, a boat ramp, indoor aquariums, and a large variety of wildlife. The main entrance and visitor center are on Shore Drive.
The Lynnhaven boat ramp and beach facility features 4 concrete boat launch lanes with associated temporary mooring areas, canoe/kayak launch area, boat trailer parking spaces, restrooms with shower and foot rinse areas, changing areas, car parking for beach access, an information kiosk, vending machines and a walkway (under the Lesner Bridge) to the Ocean Park Beach Area on the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is both a tourist attraction and an important transportation link. The 17-mile complex of bridges and tunnels connects the bayside of Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. "Go to sea in your car" on this engineering marvel.
The Adam Thoroughgood House is a historic house museum on the western branch of the Lynnhaven River. Built in the late 17th century, this little brick house recalls the English cottage architecture of the period. Herb and flower gardens. Open 6 days a week for guided tours.
The Lynnhaven House is located on five acres of land near the Lynnhaven River which includes a small woods and gardens of herbs, vegetables, flax, cotton, peanuts, and tobacco. Household skills crafts that produced the early lifestyle are still practiced here. Docents in 18th century attire provide tours of the furnished home.
The City of Virginia Beach has a Bayside History Trail map that makes it easy to visit the historic sites. Tour the "legacy on the Lynnhaven".
Great Neck Park is a 70-acre park with baseball fields, large group shelters, family picnic tables and grills, three playgrounds, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, walking trails, and restrooms. Balls, horseshoes and bats may be checked out of the park office with a driver's license or other form of identification. A gazebo located at the end of a scenic walkway overlooks the Lynnhaven River.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater brings big-name musical acts to the city. It has a total capacity of 20,000 ... 7,500 reserved seats under the pavilion roof and room for 12,500 on the "festival lawn". Under cover or under the stars on the lawn, it's a good place to hear a concert.
The Mariners are Virginia Beach's professional soccer team. The play at the Sportsplex in the southern part of the city.
Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center. All suites resort hotel with 295 bayview rooms on the sandy beaches of the Chesapeake Bay. Traveler Reviews and Rate Comparison
April 18 -- Cruisin' Virginia Beach Car Show. The Cruisin’ Virginia Beach Car Show turns the boardwalk into a local version of “Route 66” with cars and trucks from yesterday and today competing for trophies and cash prizes at this one-day event.
April 25 - 26 - Gospelfest Virginia Beach. Urban contemporary gospel music will take center stage at the first annual Gospelfest Virginia Beach, to be held at the 17th Street Park! This event will feature an electrifying two days filled with the inspiring sounds of Southern gospel, gospel hip hop, and praise music. More info.
May 2 -- Atlantic Coast Kite Festival. The 17th Street area of the Virginia Beach oceanfront plays host to a full day of kite-flying. Kite demonstrations to music (including kite ballets, sports kite flying, and dual and quad line kites) are held throughout the day on the beach. Kite building workshops (held for a nominal charge) are led by an out-of-town kite education professional.
May 8 - 10 -- Caribbean Music Festival. The Virginia Beach boardwalk will be grooving to Caribbean rhythms during this weekend of music featuring steel drum bands, pan virtuosos, food, games and a parade.
May 14 - 17 -- Beach Music Weekend. Beach Music Weekend blends the best of the “oldies” with dancing under the stars in a jam-packed blast to the past! Settle into the sand as the top Beach Music bands from up and down the East Coast descend on the Virginia Beach oceanfront in a nostalgic salute to the “good old days” of cool cars and hot tunes. More Info.
May 22 - 24 -- Great American Backyard BBQ. The Great American Backyard BBQ is an unabashed “Star-Spangled” salute to good music and great food! Live country and blues music on three outdoor stages includes regional blues acts and “up-and-coming” country music artists to entertain thousands of residents and visitors to the Virginia Beach resort. More Info.
May 30 -- East Coast She Crab Soup Classic. The First East Coast She Crab Soup Classic is an open competition among restaurants. This event focuses on seafood, which is the most identifiable cuisine in Virginia Beach and a staple of area menus for decades. Based on tastings, there will be two categories for best recipe winners, with three places in each. One category will be decided by a panel of Hampton Roads food critics and the other – “The Peoples Choice” – by the general public. More info.
June 5 - 6 -- Latin Fest. For two days, Virginia Beach celebrates the sights, sounds, and smells of the Latin experience. Based on a popular Latin festival in Miami, the Virginia Beach version retains the key ingredients of good food, family participation, and first-rate Latin music. National performers electrify the diverse audience with high-energy tunes that move the crowd to dance under the stars. More info.
June 18 21 -- Virginia Beach Board Walk Art Show. The Boardwalk Art Show & Festival is one of the oldest and best outdoor fine art shows on the Eastern Seaboard. Produced by the Contemporary Art Center, it is ranked as one of the top 15 fine art shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine. This four-day festival features fine art, great shopping, and live entertainment for the entire family. More info.
June 26 - 28 -- Sandstock - A Blast From The Past. “Sandstock” – a Beach-inspired variation on “Woodstock” – pays homage to the music of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s that “rocked our world!” National and local tribute artists who run the gamut from performers like Led Zeppelin to Sly and the Family Stone to Sha-Na-Na will crank out hit after hit on multiple stages at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. More info.
July 4 -- Stars and Stripes Explosion. Inspiring concerts, rock performances, tribute bands, fireworks, and more will be featured at this annual Hampton Roads “family tradition” held on Independence Day! More info.
July 11 -- Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge. The “Crab is King” at one of the wackiest and craziest events to hit the Virginia Beach oceanfront! Hermit crabs by the hundreds are brought to race on a special 8-foot track on the beach. All are competing in the Crustacean 500 for the coveted “Order of the Mercury Claw” trophy. Heats are run throughout the day until the semi-finals and then the championships are held before a crowd on the beach and boardwalk. More Info.
July 25 - Chalk the Walk ArtExplosion and 17th Street Art Festival. Chalk the Walk ARTsplosion is a two-faceted event that encompasses a competition where participants of all ages draw 4 by 4 chalk drawings on the boardwalk, and the art festival in the park comprised of 25-50 artists displaying and selling paintings, jewelry, sculpture, and photography. More Info.
August 27 - 30 -- East Coast Surfing Championships. More than 100 of the world's top professional surfers, male and female, and an estimated 300 amateur surfers will travel to Virginia Beach to "ride the curl" at the Oceanfront and compete for combined cash prizes of $40,000. More info.
Sept 4 - 6 -- American Music Festival. 40 concerts explode across 10 stages at the Virginia Beach oceanfront with music that celebrates every genre and style! It’s a non-stop three-day party featuring some of the biggest names in the recordingindustry. More info.
September 6 - Rock and Roll Half Marathon. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon starts at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, runs through the scenic Virginia Beach oceanfront and finishes on the spectacular oceanfront boardwalk. Participants will be treated to 14 stages along the 13.1-mile course, featuring 20 local bands as well as 16 local high school cheerleading squads spaced approximately every mile. More info.
September 11 - 13 - Blues at the Beach. Celebrating one of the most cherished musical genres of all time, Blues at the Beach features three days of free concerts on an outdoor stage. Local, regional, and nationally-recognized Blues acts share the stage for a riveting and heartfelt tribute to the sights, sounds, and soul of the American experience. More Info.
September 18 - 19 - Festa Italiana. A little bit of Italy comes to the Virginia Beach oceanfront for two days of pasta, Italian wine and beer, world-class entertainment, and family-friendly activities like grape stomping! With seating for 400 under a giant, decorated tent, people from all walks of life join for a two-day celebration of everything Italian! More Info.
September 26 - 28 -- Neptune Festival. A boisterous and beloved sendoff to summer, the Neptune Festival offers everything from a world-class sandcastle competition to numerous athletic competitions and the famous Neptune Grand Parade. Over 275 artisans will line the boardwalk for the Neptune Art and Craft Show interspersed with a veritable smorgasbord of food vendors dishing out delectable delights guaranteed to please any palette. More info.
October 7 - 8 -- October Brewfest. The Chicken Dance and Polka are the latest dance crazes at the Oktober Brewfest, when Munich’s Oktoberfest relocates to the Virginia Beach oceanfront for two days of fun and frolic! Everyone loves great German food, and it’s in no short supply as the 24th Street Park transforms into a German bier garden right before your eyes. Wine and beer, pretzels, and pizza are served alongside knockwurst, bratwurst, and sausage and peppers. More info.
November 20 - January 3 -- Holiday Lights at the Beach. Festive fish, jumping dolphins, frolicking porpoises – all in bright, colored lights against the clear night-time sky, are the stars of McDonald’s Holiday Lights at the Beach, a nautical and holiday-themed light display at the Virginia Beach oceanfront! They are joined by Santa, elves, and a 40-foot tall Christmas tree erected on the beach and in the beautiful parks along the Virginia Beach boardwalk. It’s the only time of the year that cars get to drive right on the boardwalk! For over 30 blocks, almost 40,000 vehicles a year make the trek through this holiday wonderland. More info.
December 5 -- Holiday Parade at the Beach. Officially ushering in the holiday season at the resort, this parade affords local businesses, schools, and organizations the opportunity to support the community and celebrate the season with thousands of parade-goers. Marching bands, lighted floats, equestrian units, fire trucks, performing dance groups, motorcycles, and more join forces to present a dazzling and entertaining night of fun for all ages! More Info.
