VIRGINIA BEACH NEPTUNE FESTIVAL
Sun, Sand, Shellebrate
50 Years of Celebrating the Beach Life
Since our founding in 1974, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival has grown from one to more than 40 events hosted annually, bringing together the people of Virginia Beach and beyond to Celebrate the Beach Life.
We were excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2024 and are even more excited about what’s still to come! No matter your taste, we have something to offer.
Our goal: to bring the fun for everyone!
Our Mission
Provide a quality, safe, and diverse mix of events and activities that will:
Promote family, community, and togetherness
Create a positive economic impact
Showcase VB — our city by the sea!
A Celebration All Year Long
In addition to our annual schedule of events, we leaned into this milestone with a ton of fun opportunities to celebrate
including
We were proud to partner with Tarnished Truth Distillery, Back Bay Brewing, New Realm Brewing, and Lolly’s Creamery for one-of-a-kind collaborations.
A mural was painted at the oceanfront in honor of the Neptune Festival, and a community art project was displayed during Boardwalk Weekend to celebrate our Festival partners.
All former Neptune Festival Princes and Princesses were invited back to the beach for a weekend full of fun at the Festival.
What’s a celebration without some swag? From vintage t-shirts, exclusive merch, and a coffee table book, we were ready to mark the occasion!
Local Collaborations
TARNISHED TRUTH DISTILLERY
Visitors at the Historic Cavalier Hotel were able to taste King Neptune’s Discretion – A Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled and bottled on the Atlantic in collaboration with Tarnished Truth Distillery.
BACK BAY BREWING x NEW REALM BREWING
Two of Virginia Beach’s favorite local breweries teamed up to create a limited-edition collaborative beer – Sandsculpted Summer is a Golden Ale brewed with peach and lemon for that perfect summer vibe. This celebratory beer was found at: New Realm Brewing, Back Bay Beach House, and Back Bay Farmhouse. Cans even appeared at Total Wine and select Harris Teeter locations in Virginia Beach!
LOLLY’S CREAMERY
Three cheers for ice cream! On July 26, 2024, Lolly’s introduced Neptune’s Nutella Crunch, a brand new flavor that blends Nutella Ice Cream, Oreo Crunch, and Marshmallow Swirl for a delicious treat that can be enjoyed year round at all Lolly’s locations.
50th Anniversary Commemorative Mural
In honor of the Neptune Festival’s 50th Anniversary, we took our annual Commemorative Poster program one step further, by commissioning a mural at the oceanfront! This beautiful work of art, located at 405 30th Street in Virginia Beach, will be an enduring testament to the Neptune Festival and this city that we love.
The Artist
After a two-round application process, Devon Miller was selected as the Neptune Festival muralist. Devon is a lifelong artist and native of Virginia Beach. She has lived here for 30 years, attending the Neptune Festival for most of her life. She even participated in the Neptune Festival Youth Art Show when she was in high school!
A graduate of JMU, Devon first worked as a corporate and freelance designer for 10 years. She now teaches art at First Colonial High School and loves working with her students to explore creatively. The art she is most proud of has been for organizations close to home like Samaritan House and Virginia Beach City Public Schools and is now so honored to be working with the Neptune Festival – her most exciting project yet!
The Artwork
“My ‘Celebration of Beach Life’ design is a mash up of a few different things that come to mind when I think of the Neptune Festival. I’ve represented the International Sandsculpting Championship through the large sandcastle, the wine festival is featured with the clinking glasses, and the Art & Craft Show is shown through the painting hands and collage/craft-inspired cloud placement. I’ve also pulled some music notes throughout the skyline to give a feeling of celebration, giving a nod to the live music during Boardwalk Weekend and the Symphony by the Sea Concert Series. I wanted to find a way to take my concept a step further beyond just “beach”…. this is where the hands come in. The people, volunteers, musicians, artists, attendees, and everyone that plays a part in making the Neptune Festival happen are just as important as the festivities themselves – so the hands are my way of representing the people who bring it all together.”
Rounds of Applause
Rounds of Applause was a Community Art Project to highlight Festival partners. 50 local schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations were asked to interpret our tagline “Celebrating the Beach Life” on a 3-foot round of wood that was displayed during Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend. See below for a full list of partners and where their artwork was displayed!
Plaza Middle School
WT Cooke Elementary School
Corporate Landing Middle School
7th Street – Governor’s School for the Arts
7th Street – Hampton Roads Transit
7th Street – VB Parks & Rec
7th Street – Virginia Musical Theatre
7th Street – WPL
8th Street – W.T. Cooke Elementary School
8th Street – Seatack Elem: Achievable Dream
9th Street – 17th St Surf Shop
10th Street – Eastern Surfing Association
11th Street – Cape Henry Collegiate
12th Street – Bayside High School
13th Street – Corporate Landing Elem School
14th Street – Corporate Landing Middle School
15th Street – John B. Dey Elementary School
16th Street – Old Donation Gifted Visual Arts
17th Street – Plaza Middle School
18th Street – Renaissance Academy (Middle)
19th Street – Salem High School
19th Street – Operation Smile
19th Street – Ability Center of Virginia
19th Street – Eliza Hope Foundation
19th Street – NAMI Coastal Virginia
19th Street – Special Olympics
19th Street – Volunteer Hampton Roads
20th Street – CHKD – Child Life
20th Street – VB Dept of Cultural Affairs
20th Street – VB Lifeguard Association
20th Street – VB Sheriff’s Office
20th Street – Scouting America
20th Street – Westminster Canterbury
20th Street – Tidewater Community College
21st Street – Tallwood High School
21st Street – WRV
21st Street – J&A Racing
21st Street – Mermaid Factory
21st Street – ViBe Creative District
21st Street – Sandler Center Foundation
21st Street – Jungle Golf
21st Street – Navy League Hampton Roads
22nd Street – Point O’ View Elementary
23rd Street – Pembroke Meadows Elementary
24th Street – VB Surf & Rescue Museum
25th Street – Catholic High School
26th Street – Perry Glass Studio
26th Street – Chrysler Museum
27th Street – Princess Anne Elem School
28th Street – Tallwood High School
29th Street – Chesapeake Bay Academy
30th Street – Red Orange Studio
31st Street – North End Run Club
Prince and Princess Reunion
For all those who were once a Neptune Festival Prince, Princess, or Mermaid, a festive reunion took place over Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend!
Reunion Weekend activities included:
- Cocktail Reception in the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel
- Concert Meet-ups in 24th and 31st Street Parks
- Sandsculpting Gallery Viewing Opportunities
- Cheer Station and Group Volunteer Opportunities at Neptune’s 8k Race
- Special Viewing and Participation Opportunities at the Grand Parade on Saturday morning
- Social Gathering at Ocean Eddie’s on Saturday evening
Commemorative Items
What would our 50th be without some special gear? We brought back our favorite vintage t-shirts, exclusive merch, and a coffee table book!
Our 2024 Commemorative Poster is a reconfiguration of our 50th Anniversary Commemorative Mural. We are so excited to offer a version of the mural formatted just for prints, created by artist Devon Miller with watercolor pencils.
A beautiful coffee table book was released in September 2024! Filled with vintage photos detailing the history of the Neptune Festival, the story behind the famous Neptune Statue on 31st Street in Virginia Beach, and so much more. This book will delight Neptune Festival fanatics and newcomers alike.
Books were available for purchase in person during Boardwalk Weekend and are available online to order now!
We took a deep dive into our t-shirt history to uncover a few gems. T-Shirts and other merchandise was available for purchase during Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
50th Anniversary Celebration Sponsors
Several Neptune Festival sponsors stepped up their support in honor of our golden anniversary. Without their continued support, none of this would be possible!
50th Anniversary Celebration Sponsors
