Latest Virginia Beach happenings

A Virginia Beach summer vacation offers so much variety, one visit is never enough.

Easy access to Virginia Beach makes it the perfect place to return time and again to soak up the summer sun, ease into fall and sample all things new.

ARTS

Virginia MOCA opens a pair of exhibits, launches a mobile app

Now on display through the end of the year, Collector’s Edition and Open (C)all 2023: Curious Collections highlight the art and passion of collectors. The collected works of local art enthusiasts are on display at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). It is complemented by a custom playlist of nearly 50 audio tracks, compiled by a local record store. Listen to it here.

Preview the new exhibits through a digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, a free arts and culture mobile app that showcases a global network of 200+ museums and cultural institutions. Virginia MOCA is the commonwealth’s first to be made available on the platform.

The buzz on artisan bee hotels
As a certified Bee City USA, Virginia Beach recognizes the importance of all native pollinators. One way it supports the population is this summer’s installation of artisan bee hotels that provide shelter for solitary carpenter bees to lay their eggs. The temporary log designs are combined with elements of traditional local architecture.

Community collaboration Mural Festival
Overlapping with the Beyond Van Gogh interactive exhibit on display until Sept. 2, the 6^th Annual Mural Festival returns to the ViBe Creative District August 18 – 27. A community paint-by-number design engages festivalgoers in the live painting process. Also new for 2023 is a You Are Not Alone Mural collaboration to help spread the message of mental health awareness.

“Military Mapping Maidens” exhibit and “Tinker Belle” aircraft
You’ve likely heard of “Rosie the Riveter,” and the Military Aviation Museum proudly introduces 224 more young women who served the Army Map Service during World War II. Learn about the “3M” girls who researched and drew more than 40,000 maps of all kinds in support of the Allied war effort.

Joining the museum’s display fleet, the “Tinker Belle” is a giant Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando airplane that has been lovingly restored to wartime configuration and flying condition.

Virginia Legends Live! performance series
Virginia Beach history comes to life through a collection of live performances on Atlantic Avenue. Nightly 30- and 60-minute theatrical spotlights continue through the summer season including “Wreck of the Dictator,” “Aviators and Afterburners: A Virginia Beach Airpower Legacy,” “Contraband,” “Valor: The Story of U.S. Navy SEALs and Little Creek,” and “1619: When Destinies Collide.” The outdoor evening shows are free.

“Beasts, Bugs and Botanicals” exhibit
Sculptor Barbara Kobylinska is a native of Poland who resides in Virginia Beach. Her original collection of oversized, colorful birds, bugs and flowers adorn the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts’ exhibit space. The ceramic and mixed media collection is on display in the mezzanine lobby through the end of the year.

ATTRACTIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Inaugural Chartway Virginia Beach 10-Miler 

A new end-of-summer road race features up to 7,500 runners along a fast and flat course, ideal for participants of all athletic abilities, that delivers a scenic and waterfront tour of the Oceanfront. The Sept. 2 – 3 holiday weekend also includes a 5K distance option and is produced by the team behind the Virginia Beach Wicked 10K race weekend (Oct. 27 – 28).

Virginia Aquarium set to open “Amazing Pollinators” exhibit
Complementing the city’s Bee City USA certification, the Virginia Aquarium will host a special gallery exhibit to showcase the interconnected world of pollinator species with humans. Set to open in September, entrance to the exhibit is included with aquarium admission.

HOTELS & TRANSPORTATION

The Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Newly-opened, The Moxy at Virginia Beach’s seven stories are outfitted in playful animated style including hammock chairs and double bunk beds, vibrant social spaces and an outdoor pool with a sofa resting on the water line. The oceanfront property features 134 rooms.

Your phone is your ticket to board the VB Wave Trolley
The popular VB Wave trolley offered by Hampton Roads Transit now offers mobile ticketing for its vintage, open-air shuttle system. Download the Journey app HERE.

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