Thursday and Friday, Norfolk's arts and culture district will welcome visitors for the ninth Neon Festival. It comes as a streetscape project continues to lead to detours around the neighborhood.
Rachel McCall, Vice President with the Downtown Norfolk Council, says the festival will once again show off new works of art around the district, including a new mural on News 3's property and a project on the vacant Cofer Lot.
“(Painted by) Dathan Kane, a really well-known Hampton Roads artist who only works in black and white. Dathan brought this kind of organic shape to the ground which we’re really excited about," she told News 3.
The Neon Festival is a free celebration of arts in the Neon District, anchored by cultural landmarks like the Norfolk Scope arena, Harrison Opera House and Chrysler Museum of Art.
Thursday, the schedule will largely focus around the art museums new $50 million expansion of its Perry Glass Studio. Then, Friday, the music, food and art tours will be centered a few blocks to the east at The Plot at the corner of Olney and Granby Streets.
The hope is a temporary increase in foot traffic will lead to return visits from those unfamiliar with the district. It comes as Fusion — a mid-rise residential development — begins to welcome its first residents, joining other recent apartments built in the area.
“Neon has needed that shot in the arm for a while," said McCall. "That brings hundreds and hundreds of people to the neighborhood and we really need them here.”
They're needed to support the many locally-owned shops in the neighborhood, from Commune and Cardinal Skate Shop on Granby Street to Cafe Milo on Grace Street.
It's even more critical this year, as the city of Norfolk begins a project to transform Neon's streetscape. Construction will intermittently close streets to vehicle traffic.
For the Neon Festival, McCall says the city is opening up smaller side streets, like Magazine Lane, to encourage people to walk to businesses.
“You can see the progression (in the Neon District) and it’s really impressive and very special to me," she said.
For more information on the Neon Festival, including the schedule, click HERE.
