NORFOLK, Va. — The 9th annual Neon Festival sets the stage as an electrifying art experience. Norfolk's arts and culture district welcomed thousands of visitors for the festival. It comes as a streetscape project continues to lead to detours around the neighborhood.
Many people enjoyed creative art from local artists in Hampton Roads. The Neon Festival attracts thousands of people to the neon district in Norfolk.
"Neon fest, woooooh! We just got here and having fun. The interactive art, the music that we can hear right behind us," one Hampton Roads family said while enjoying the Neon Festival.
Watch: New art, new buildings to highlight this year's Norfolk Neon Festival as district weathers construction
The Neon Festival is a two day festival in Norfolk’s Neon district filled with art and free fun.
Even News 3 taking part in the creative art showcase with this new mural on the station's garage.
"We expect around 7,000," Rachel McCall with the Downtown Norfolk Council said.
Businesses in the Neon district seeing an economic boost from the festival.
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"Whenever we’ve got an event here like Neon Festival, it’s a huge boom for business for night time. Having the buzz around this part of town is huge because we don’t really get that all that often," Willson Craigie, the owner of Commune said.
Commune, a restaurant on Granby dedicated half of its space to art.
"It’s a collection of artist from all over the area putting there talents on display," Craigie said.
The owner of Commonwealth Tattoo Gallery on Granby painted a portrait in front of his shop.
He plans to sell during the Neon festival.
"I’ve been painting my entire life," Craigie said.
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He says he typically sees more business with the neon festival here than he would typically do.
"Our numbers go up exponentially as the event happens," Craigie said.
Just across the street at the Scope Arena another crowd in town with the Norfolk Admirals having their first game of the season.
"We’re coming out to watch the Norfolk admirals. It's the first game of the season. We gotta have a win," the sports spectator said.
Back at the Neon Festival, kids showing off their street art.
