12 July 2023

August 2023 Event Guide

Don’t miss out on Norfolk’s hottest events this August. The city is filled with free concerts along the water, colorful festivals, tours and more!

Tides Games

Ongoing
Harbor Park

Take the family out to the ball game! Harbor Park is home to the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Check their website for the latest updates on the players, games and fun at Harbor Park.

Claudia Bueno: Echoes of the Heart

Ongoing
Hermitage Museum and Gardens

The Hermitage Museum is featuring internationally recognized artist Claudia Bueno for a three-month solo exhibition. Born in Venezuela, Bueno creates stunning, interactive worlds that call forth our most intimate, foundational emotions and gives them seemingly limitless space in which to fully bloom.  Metaphor and biology are forever married in works of sound, light, circuits, motors, wind and film.  

Heather Beardsley: Strange Plants

Ongoing
Chrysler Museum of Art

The varied locations have a personal connection to Beardsley as they chronicle the many places her art practice has taken her from Chicago, Vienna, Kyiv, Budapest, Beijing, Tallinn, and Hampton Roads. With postcards and textiles found in local flea markets across Europe, Beardsley juxtaposes structures with encroaching fauna, using embroidery to challenge the pejorative confines of “decorative art” or “craft”. 

Sunsets on the River

August 3, 17
Hermitage Museum and Gardens

Gates open at 5:30 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m. Relax on the shoreline and enjoy live music from Roberta Lea and Band (Aug. 3) and Allen Huddson and the Halfmoons (Aug. 17). Enjoy drinks from their bar featuring craft beer and wine and grab a bite from various local food trucks! Admission to the museum and their current exhibition is included with your tickets.

Friday Nights in Ocean View

Image courtesy Norfolk Festevents, Ltd.

Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25
Ocean View Beach Park

Summer brings the return of exciting Friday night events at Ocean View Beach Park on the Chesapeake Bay.  These events bring a diverse schedule of themed parties and family fun and movie nights that provide a great way to start your summertime weekends off right with live music, children’s activities, food, beverages and more!

Hot Country Nights

Aug. 5, 19
Waterside District

Enjoy the hot summer nights with live music on the Blue Moon Taphouse outdoor stage, cold drinks, and waterside patio seating. Performers include Granger Smith (Aug. 5) and Buckshot (Aug. 19).

Gospel Mid-day Cruise

Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26
City Cruises Norfolk

Enjoy live entertainment, an all-you-can-eat buffet and good fellowship featuring performances by Chris Evans.

Big Bands on the Bay Summer Concert Series

Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27
Ocean View Beach Park

Big Bands on the Bay ends the weekend with a sunset celebration on the Chesapeake Bay. Welcome the stars every Sunday night from 7–9 p.m. Guests are invited down to the Gazebo at Ocean View Beach Park for live Big Band music and dancing.

Big Blue 5K

Aug. 12
Old Dominion University

 Go Big Blue! The 9th running of the Big Blue 5K presented by Bon Secours takes participants on a 5K tour of the Old Dominion University campus and finishes on the 50 yard line on Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Participants are invited to celebrate their race at the Post Race Tailgate Party!

40th Annual Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival

August 18–19
Town Point Park

Image courtesy of Norfolk Festevents, Ltd.

Hampton Roads’ longest-running outdoor jazz festival returns for two nights along the Downtown Norfolk waterfront. On a warm summer evening, chill to the legendary sounds of top national smooth jazz and R&B recording artists. This popular festival features a variety of seating and ticket options. Fine foods and beverages will be available for purchase, plus a festival marketplace with crafts, retail items and more. Performers this year include Kim Waters and Kayla Waters, Keiko Matsui, Gerald Albright, Kandace Springs, Jazz Funk Soul and Dave Koz.

Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body

Through Aug. 20
Chrysler Museum of Art

Layers of luminous, jewel-colored paper pulse with life behind cut black-paper portraits made by Barbara Earl Thomas. These new works by the celebrated artist, writer, and thinker meditate on the visual experience of the body within a physical and metaphorical world of light and shadow. Based on real people, the portraits “elevate to the magnificent” her family, friends, and neighbors, as well as cultural icons of the African American literary landscape.

Nauticus after Dark: Endless Summer

Aug. 24
Nauticus

Grab your friends and start your weekend early with Nauticus After Dark, an evening event series exclusively for adults 21+. Nauticus After Dark: Endless Summer will offer after-hours exploration of Nauticus and help you enjoy these last few weeks of summer! Guests will also enjoy tasty, themed cocktails and bites, engaging activities, karaoke and more!

Fortune Feimster

Aug. 25
Harrison Opera House

You can catch stand-up comedian, writer and actor Fortune Feimster on the radio, on screens both big and small and touring her stand-up across the nation. 

You May Also Like

Here Comes ‘25: Ring in the New Year in Norfolk  

As the sun sets on 2024, we’re looking ahead to all the great…
Learn More

Wine Experiences in Norfolk, Prince William and Richmond

If you haven't yet experienced Virginia's viticulture, you're…
Learn More

Student Outdoor and Eco Adventures

Today’s students are environmentally conscious and deliberately mindful about their impact on our…
Learn More

Tours of Norfolk

When visiting a city for the first time (or revisiting after some time has passed), it’s important to familiarize yourself with the…
Learn More
14 June 2023

June 2023 Events Guide

Summer is just beginning, and Norfolk has a great lineup of June events to heat things up! From Tides games, waterfront festivals and live music to fun fitness events, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and about in Norfolk.

Tides Baseball Games

Ongoing
Harbor Park

The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. As an affiliate team of the Baltimore Orioles, the Norfolk Tides play at Harbor Park on the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk.

June
June 1: Business Special Matinee
June 2: Grayson Rodriguez Bobblehead Giveaway
June 3: Fireworks
June 4: Copa de la Diversion
June 13: Bark in the Park
June 14: Pride Night
June 15: Business Special Matinee
June 16: Boy Scout Night
June 17: Fireworks
June 18: Father’s Day Pre-Game Catch on the Field
June 28: Turn Back the Clock Night
June 29: Business Special Matinee
June 30: Negro League Tribute Night

Big Bands On the bay

Ongoing
Ocean View Beach Park

Enjoy living music in Ocean View throughout the summer! Welcome the stars every Sunday night from 7–9 p.m. Guests are invited down to the Gazebo at Ocean View Beach Park for live Big Band music and dancing. Get up and dance or sit back and relax as you enjoy these incredible summer events!

June Night market

June 1, 2023
Waterside District

Join Waterside District every first Thursday for the Night Market, a small business shopping event. Every month, they’ll feature local artists and vendors to support small businesses! Thursday nights at Blue Moon also include Girls’ Night Out specials!

Live music at Perry Pavilion

June 1, 3, 7, 8, 9
Perry Pavillion

Valerie June performing at Perry Pavilion June 7

The Virginia Arts Festival continues its extraordinary line-up! Head over to the Perry Pavillion, located at the corner of Charlotte and Bank street, across the street from the Jay and Clay Barr Education Center for can’t-miss live performances. Enjoy music by American Aquarium (June 1), Rhythm Project Showcase (June 3), Valerie June—pictured—(June 7), Over the Rhine (June 8) and Bria Skonberg (June 9).

Sunsets on the River

June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Hermitage Museum & Gardens

Sunsets on the River returns for its 13th summer with more fun for the whole family! Relax on the shoreline and enjoy live music from across the musical spectrum including top 40, bluegrass, funk, R&B, swing, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, and more; interactive activities for all guests from community artists + organizations, drinks from the bar featuring craft beer and wine available for purchase; dinner from a variety of local food trucks, including some new favorites; plus
the immersive art exhibition, Echoes of the Heart beginning June 9.

Inaugural Mermaid Series Swim & Mermaid Festival

June 3
Ocean View Beach Park

Ocean View Sports presents the inaugural Mermaid Series Run, Swim and Mermaid Festival! After the 5K and 1-Mile Sand Run/Walk on May 6, the second installment of the series will be on Saturday, June 3, 202, at Ocean View Beach Park in the heart of Ocean View! Register for the 1- and 2-mile open water swim or 1-mile open water relay swim with teams of four, and stay afterward for the inaugural Mermaid Festival celebrating our Norfolk mermaid with a costume contest, photos with mermaids and mermen, lots of fun activities for the merkids, vendors and more!

Jesus Christ Superstar

Through June 4
Chrysler Hall

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, a new mesmerizing production of the iconic musical phenomenon returns to the stage. With lyrics and music by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and “Superstar.”

Norfolk Harborfest

June 9–11
Town Point Park, Downtown Norfolk Waterfront

@coopdeville_, Instagram

America’s largest, longest-running, free maritime festival, the iconic Norfolk Harborfest enters its 47th year. For three memorable days along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, Harborfest celebrates all of the elements that make Norfolk and Hampton Roads a historic maritime and naval community. On both land and sea, thrilling activities and live music take center stage, including the annual Parade of Sail featuring international tall ships, one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast, a mesmerizing drone show, interactive family games and activities, Navy exhibits and demonstrations, artisan foods and beverages, national and regional live entertainment and much more.

Summer is here and it’s time to get out and enjoy the sunshine! Grab your friends and family and head over to O’Connor Brewing Co. for a day full of live music, food trucks, and craft beer. You can find more information on our event calendar

Juneteenth in the Park

June 17
Town Point Park

Join in the fun of Juneteenth this year! This free event is open to the public and designed to promote and support as we celebrate Juneteenth! See more Juneteenth events.

Celebrate Father’s Day

June 19
Norfolk, VA

Show Dad a fun time with Father’s Day fun throughout the city! Spend time with Dad at a beach, brewery or baseball game. Journey on a historic cruise, hit the golf course, catch a fish, or kayak along the Lafayette River. We’ve got the perfect ideas for a day with Dad.

Pridefest

June 24
Town point park

This much-anticipated annual event celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, providing the opportunity to unify through celebrations of inclusion and equality. Norfolk has the distinct honor of being the location for the only Pride Boat Parade in the country! The parade celebrates our connections with the 300-year-old maritime history of our port cities. Town Point Park, nestled along the riverbanks of the Elizabeth River, provides a unique setting for boaters to be part of this event. See more Pride events.

See even more events here!

You May Also Like

Here Comes ‘25: Ring in the New Year in Norfolk  

As the sun sets on 2024, we’re looking ahead to all the great…
Learn More

Wine Experiences in Norfolk, Prince William and Richmond

If you haven't yet experienced Virginia's viticulture, you're…
Learn More

Student Outdoor and Eco Adventures

Today’s students are environmentally conscious and deliberately mindful about their impact on our…
Learn More

Tours of Norfolk

When visiting a city for the first time (or revisiting after some time has passed), it’s important to familiarize yourself with the…
Learn More