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June 30, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
As we continue to settle into our new location at 600 22nd Street, it is hard to believe we are already closing out June and are heading straight into one of our busiest segments of summer - the July 4th holiday. I hope everyone is enjoying the sights and sounds of the season so far. It is very exciting to travel the City and see our guests and residents eagerly experiencing all that our coastal city has to offer! Read about several upcoming events and happenings you won’t want to miss in this week’s newsletter. Thank you for all you do to make our destination a special place that families choose to visit again and again. Here’s to a great summer!
Independence Day in Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach is the place to be this July 4th as we celebrate our country’s independence! We are excited to share information about some fun ways to enjoy entertainment and fireworks displays over the holiday.
The Stars & Stripes Celebration will offer multiple live music performances on Oceanfront Park stages (17th St., 24th St. & 31st Streets). This “star-spangled” salute to our great country ends with a spectacular display of fireworks over the Atlantic Ocean. Scheduled live entertainment offers something for everyone. Oceanfront performances begin at 7 p.m., with fireworks launching at 9:30 p.m. at 24th Street and the Boardwalk. The performances for the evening are: Chester B’s Motown Review at 17th Street Park, the Tidewater Winds Concert Band at 24th Street Park (beginning at 7:30 p.m.) and Right On Band at 31st Street Park.
Those traveling to the Resort area are advised to plan to arrive early and expect heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, vehicles traveling eastbound on I-264 may be redirected westbound at Parks Avenue. The eastbound exit at South Birdneck Road and the westbound exit at First Colonial Road will likely be closed. Routes to the resort area that will remain open include Shore Drive and Laskin Road. This traffic diversion may be in place until around 11:30 p.m. The City has partnered with WAZE to provide real-time traffic updates. For information about where to park, visit www.vbgov.com/parking or download one of our apps, including Passport Parking and VB Connect. These and other apps are available for free from Google Play or the Apple Store.
For inland revelers, the July 4th Celebration at Mount Trashmore near Town Center will offer food trucks, live music and a dazzling fireworks display which will be visible for miles. The event begins at 8 p.m. and the fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. For more information about these July 4th celebrations, click here.
Holiday parking restrictions for the Residential Parking Permit Program Area at the Oceanfront start July 2 at 8 p.m. and end July 6 at 6 a.m. The City’s “Permit Parking Only” restrictions will be enforced 24 hours daily during this time. Please make sure all residential and employee permits have been updated to avoid a citation. Vehicles found in violation may be towed at the owner’s expense. Only neighborhood residents and approved business employee parkers can park here during these restricted hours. For more information, please call 3-1-1.
Just in time for the holiday, a new bathroom and shower facility is expected to open at the 20th Street connector park by July 4. Check it out!
CVB Sales Activity & News - Scott Warren recently returned from Niagara Falls where he conducted 26 appointments with representatives from the Military Reunion Network. The team hosted several clients last weekend in hopes of securing future business for the City. Jamie Rawls had sales calls in Richmond earlier this week. Dee Mittman was in Georgia for the Meeting Planning International’s annual Phoenix Awards and brought home the 2023 Supplier of the Year Award. The CVB Marketing Team is hard at work this week filming our new campaign commercial with our agency partners, Miles Partnership. This spot, set to launch after Labor Day, will showcase the beauty of every corner of our destination and feature both local and professional talent. We look forward to sharing the completed work in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience Opens July 6 - Congratulations to the Virginia Arts Festival on the opening of this amazing exhibit we are proud to host in our Convention Center. Imagine being completely immersed in more than 300 of the greatest works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh. Now imagine experiencing all of this art liberated from its two-dimensional limitations into a three-dimensional experience that exhilarates every sense and brings to life one of the most influential artists the world has known. It’s all part of Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, produced by Paquin Entertainment Group, which has sold over 5 million tickets globally making it one of the most popular current traveling exhibitions. The sensory extravaganza will be set up in Exhibit Hall D of the Convention Center. Cinematic Van Gogh exhibitions have crossed the ocean from European cities to North America in recent years and met with great critical acclaim, with sold-out audiences in every market. Don't miss this! Click here for tickets and more information.
Beach Blanket Cinema Offers A Unique Night Under the Stars - Try something new - see a movie under the stars this season! Grab your favorite people, a few beach blankets and some treats and head to the beach at 29th St. each Thursday through August for free family movie night. Open to the public, the shows start at 8:30 p.m. each week. For movie titles and more information, click here.
Dive into a World of Imagination with Sun-maid at the Virginia Aquarium - Sun-Maid, the iconic and innovative dried fruit and snacks brand, is teaming up with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, inviting guests to dive into a world of imagination during Sun-Maid Sundays this July. The Aquarium is “raisin” the guest experience with science on-the-go stations, a Guest Quest scavenger hunt, and raisin-themed activities for all ages! From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday in July, Sun-Maid and the Virginia Aquarium will host this enhanced experience that is included with general admission. Various activities will take place complete with prizes, imaginative learning and delicious snacking as curated by the Aquarium and Sun-Maid. The full press release provides additional information and can be found here.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
To view the Resort area nightly entertainment schedule, click here. For Town Center events and activities, please click here.
My team and I are committed to you and our industry and are here to help. Please let me know how we can assist.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
Hotel Occupancy for the week of June 11-17: According to Smith Travel Research, Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of June 11 – June 17 was down -1.2% year-over-year at 77.8% occupancy and -4.6% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was down -0.6% at $206.14 for the week and down -0.6% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was down -1.9% at $160.35 and down -5.2% for the running 28-day trend. In comparison to the month of June 2019, we have a decrease in occupancy of -5.12% but counter this with an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 19.51% and 13.71% respectively.
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