‘Everyone’s very happy to be a part of it’
Boardwalk Art Show teams up with Atlantic Avenue businesses
VIRGINIA BEACH — One of the Oceanfront’s most successful and longest-standing events is returning this weekend after postponing earlier this year due to the pandemic. The Boardwalk Art Show will be held Friday through Sunday, and the show’s organizers are touting a new twist to boost Oceanfront businesses.
“Now that we’re in October, we’re hoping to stimulate the economy,” said Brad Tuggle, director of audience engagement for the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, which produces the event.
A free scavenger hunt on Atlantic Avenue will be held where eventgoers can collect clues to receive prizes including Boardwalk Art Show commemorative posters and shirts and museum memberships. Scavenger hunt sheets will be available at the show’s information tent between 27th and 28th streets on the Boardwalk.
For 64 years, the Boardwalk Art Show was held at the start of summer when the beach was bustling with tourists. In 2019, it had a $15 million economic impact on the city.
With this year’s show rescheduled for the middle of fall, it has the potential to give a boost to small businesses in the resort area that have slowed down after a busy season.
“Everybody’s very happy to be a part of it,” said Stacy Kotarides, a member of the Atlantic Avenue Association, a group of about 70 community members, businesses and civic leagues that promote positive experiences at the Oceanfront.
The association has held fall festivals in the past to try to drum up business during a slow period.
To drive more traffic to restaurants, food vendors will not be part of the art show’s offerings as in years past, Tuggle said. The show space will be more condensed on the Boardwalk with artists’ tents set up between 24th and 31st streets. It will feature 160 artists this year, down from the more than 200 who typically participate.
Tuggle said he’s not sure if fewer artists applied to be in the show because of the pandemic or the fall date. Depending on how it goes, it could be scheduled again in the fall next year or return to summer, he said.
Several Oceanfront eateries will offer special discounts over the weekend, and the ViBe Creative District, a few blocks west of the Boardwalk, is also coordinating events with the Boardwalk Art Show.
Teen artists will be painting pillars on 19th Street this weekend, and a pumpkin painting activity will be held Saturday morning at the Old Beach Farmers Market in the ViBe.
“If people are coming and going from the Oceanfront, they may catch some live painting,” said Kate Pittman, director of the district.
On Sunday afternoon, the district will host “Vodktoberfest,” featuring spirits from Chesapeake Bay Distillery and live bands in the ViBe park.
“From the beach all the way up to the convention center, there’s something going on ... that celebrates the arts,” Pittman said.