2024 Year in Review
Another fantastic year
Celebrating the Beach Life
It’s been another amazing turn around the sun! We’re proud to bring together the people of Virginia Beach and our surrounding communities to enjoy the best the Beach has to offer.
Our Mission
Provide a quality, safe, and diverse mix of events and activities that will:
Enhance family, community, and togetherness
Create a positive economic impact
Showcase VB — our city by the sea!
50th Anniversary
Fifty years of sun, sand, and celebration! Explore how we celebrated our milestone anniversary and the unforgettable moments that make the Neptune Festival a treasured Virginia Beach tradition.
Local Collaborations
Creative Moments
Commemorative Items
2024 Festival Attendance
This year, our community showed up strong. In addition to the impressive number of attendees, 75% of guests visited our events more than 1 day and 61% of guests attended all 3 days. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the beach life while supporting the Virginia Beach community!
405,400
Festival Attendees
Economic Impact
Our Boardwalk Weekend events alone generate a $26.1 million economic impact in Virginia Beach annually.
The City earned approximately $1.35 million in local tax revenues from Neptune Festival attendee spending.
Attendees generated up to 27,003 hotel room nights in Virginia Beach.
The Neptune Festival is proud to reinvest directly into our community by spending more than $2,000,000 with local businesses, service providers, vendors, and suppliers annually.
Magnini, V. (2023). The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of the 2023 Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Institute for Service Research, Virginia Beach, VA.
A Celebration All Year Long
Did you know even before Boardwalk Weekend arrives, we’ve already hosted a wide variety of beachy events?
12,000+
Attendees at early season events
including
29th Annual King Neptune’s Invitational Golf Tournament
Neptune’s 19th Annual Spring Wine Festival
13th Annual Symphony by the Sea Series(featuring six free concerts!)
Neptune’s 9th Annual Coastal Craft Beer Festival
Seniors' Gala
Neptune’s 27th Annual Fall Wine Festival
End of Summer Bay Bash
Boardwalk Weekend
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate with us on the boardwalk, enjoying concerts, sandcastle competitions, art shows, craft fairs, and so much more.
4,518
volunteer hours
20
free concerts
40
hours of live music
Athletic Adventures
Part of what makes Virginia Beach a great place to live and visit is our beautiful weather, sandy beaches, and a shared love of being active in the sunshine.
1,050
Participants in Neptune’s 8K Race
The 2024 8K Race
sold out!
184
Participants in 9 Healthy Haven fitness classes taught by local instructors
30+
boats racing in the Atlantic Regatta
Largest surfing competition
in Virginia!
200+
Surfers riding the waves
320
Competitors in Neptune's Volleyball Tournament
Home to
2024 USA Volleyball Women’s Beach Collegiate Challenge and National Training Development Program
Family Fun Zone
The Neptune Festival truly has something for everyone, with fun and free activities for visitors of all ages!
680
Ornaments painted with Mermaid Factory at Poseidon’s Playground
92
Parade Units in the Grand Parade
18
Vehicles at our newly expanded 2-day touch-a-truck event
Dock Dogs
Full audience all weekend long!
International Sandsculpting Championship
A signature event since its inception, our International Sandsculpting Championship has distinguished itself as the premier event unlike any other, with artists joining us from countries around the world.
33,000
Visitors came through the sandcastle tent
900,000
Pounds of sand were used to construct the sculptures
250
Families learned how to build a sandcastle from a pro
12
Countries represented
32
Sculptors participated
22
Sculptures showcased
Young Collectors Tent
In 2024, we introduced our Young Collectors Tent. Designed to spark a love for the arts, this new initiative gave children aged 6-12 the chance to start their very own art collection.
For just $5, kids chose a professional piece of art to take home, fostering creativity and appreciation for the arts at an early age.
300+
Young collectors that came through the tent
Arts & Culture
We turn the Boardwalk into an open-air gallery, featuring nearly 200 artists from across the country with unique, handmade creations in a variety of styles and mediums!
204
Artists featured in Art & Craft Show
Youth artists from
grades 4-12
225
Artists in Youth Art Show
415
Art submissions in Youth Art Show
Beyond the Boardwalk
We not only pride ourselves on having a positive economic impact on the City of Virginia Beach and all of Hampton Roads, but we also focus on opportunities to extend that benefit to other nonprofits and charitable organizations in our area.
NONPROFIT PARTNER OF THE YEAR
In 2024, we were honored to welcome
Ability Center of Virginia
as our Nonprofit Partner of the Year, furthering our commitment to making a meaningful difference in our community.
Organizations supported
31 local non-profit organizations were given free space on the boardwalk to tell their story and engage event attendees.
Town Center Kiwanis Club of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach Rotary Club staffed the Boardwalk Weekend beer tents. They earned $7,243 from their efforts!
The Governor’s School for the Arts’ involvement in the International Sandsculpting Championship earned their organization $25,000.
An additional $7,500 went to Ability Center of Virginia, EQUI-KIDS, Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum, LIFT Fitness Foundation, and Virginia Beach Police Foundation for their involvement in Neptune Festival events.
Nine Hometown Heroes were honored at Neptune’s Final Toast, featuring keynote speaker NASA Astronaut, Randy Bresnik!
Heroes from Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia Beach Police Department, Virginia Beach Fire Department, Virginia Beach Department of EMS, Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, US Army, US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard were honored at a breakfast by the sea.
Stroll Our Showcase
The Neptune Festival Art and Craft Show & Marketplace is yet another way to celebrate the arts beyond Boardwalk Weekend. With over 200 art booths, 210 food, shopping, and nonprofit vendors, and nearly three miles of smiles, this event is a true standout!
42
Food & drink vendors
89
Marketplace vendors
50%
Virginia-based vendors
2024 Neptune Festival Royal Court
The King and Tritons are chosen by the Neptune Festival committee from nominations solicited from the general public. The selection process weighs criteria such as demonstrated involvement and contribution to the quality of life in Virginia Beach and active participation in the activities of community life. Once chosen, the King and the Royal Court become ambassadors for the City throughout the year.
King Neptune 50
Akhil Jain
Landmark Hotel Group
2024 Tritons
Jim Bibbs
LifeNet Health
Will Driscoll
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Mark Horton
Towne Insurance
Yiorgos Koliopoulos
Williams Mullen
Matt Liebler
Princess Anne Country Club
Alex Mitchum
C&M Industries
Joash Schulman
Town Center Office Suites/VB City Council
Katherine Willis
Cerity Partners
2024 Prince & Princesses
2024 Prince and Princesses represent Bayside, Cape Henry, Catholic, Cox, First Colonial, Kellam, Kempsville, Ocean Lakes, and Princess Anne High Schools.
Imari Bond
Rylee Brooks-Booth
Hattie Belle Carr
Gabrielle DeStefano
Bradley Foster
Berkley Houston
Avery Hunn
Urvi Jain
Andy Jakubowski
Maya Katherman
Piper Richardson
Paige Rooney
Torrence Spreder
2024 Neptune Festival Sponsors
Supreme + Premier Sponsors
Major Sponsors
Leading Sponsors
Official Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
Contributing Sponsors
Friends
Beach Cinema Alehouse
Beach Gallery
Beach Hardware & Paint
Black Tie Beach Shop
CenterWell
Coastal Vet
Gauyaki Yerba Mate
Hampton Roads Transit
iFly
IKEA
Jerry’s Artarama
Jody’s Popcorn
Mermaid Factory
Norfolk International Airport
REW Corporation
Rockafeller’s
Taylor’s Do It Center
Virginia Wesleyan University
Scepter Society
John & Regina Amick
Ed & Debbie Amorosso
Jim Arnhold & Derya Sevisoglu
Jason & Buffy Barefoot
Tom & P.J. Barton
Jamie & Krista Booth
Rob & Renée Broermann
David & Anne Burton
Lonnie & Heather Bush
Steve & Denise Childs
Stacy & Aimée Cummings
Doug & Ellen Ellis
George & Christen Faatz
Taylor & Emily Franklin
Pete & Karen Graham
Akhil & Nita Jain
Brad & Molly Hobbs
Bob & Wendy Howard
Jeremy & Lisa Ingram
Kyle & Mollie Korte
Bill & Laura Lascara
George & Gwen MacDonald
John & Harriet Malbon
Ron & Terri McIntosh
Cheryl McLeskey & Bob McDonnell
George & Kim Melnyk
Will & Laura Morrison
Napolitano Homes
Tony Nero & Karen Royall
Victor Philleo & Laura Jens
Jimmy & Nichole Raynor
Tonie Wallace Sadler & Scott Sadler
Becky & Greg Sawyer
Brian & Kim Schools
Will & Bev Sessoms
Pat & Kim Shuler
Jim & Joan Spore
