VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach could soon see the return of its beloved strawberry festival, but its location may be a little different.
On Tuesday, the Virginia Beach City Council voted to formally recognize "The Artery" as an official district that includes several businesses along the easternmost portion of Laskin Road—from just east of Birdneck Road to Atlantic Avenue.
The district, which has been around for a few years, was founded by Jesse Wykle, of Aloha Snacks.
Watch previous coverage: Pungo Strawberry Festival has been cancelled for the 5th year in a row. Here's why
Several restaurants and businesses make up the district.
Wykle told News 3's Jay Greene he plans to make the Artery a destination with its own identity, much like Norfolk's Neon District or the Beach's ViBe District that can be a venue for events.
"We're gonna throw great parties on Laskin road, and it's going to benefit local charities," he said. "We're going to raise money for charity, and we're going to support people in need."
Watch previous coverage: Historic Pungo Strawberry Fest cancelled, residents & businesses say that's 'a bummer'
Wykle also wants to resurrect the Pungo Strawberry Festival, which has been canceled for the last five years.
He's planning for an event in 2025.
"There's going to be a lot of strawberry vendors. We're going to do a beer collab with smart mouth pilot house," Wykle said. "We'll have bakers, we'll have vendors, we'll have bands, and we'll also have road closures along with open containers. We're going to call it a sip-and-stroll."
He said he wants the district to get a facelift with new bike racks and updated light posts.
Watch previous coverage: 2023 Pungo Strawberry Festival canceled, organizers say
Wykle told Greene that organizers are still trying to nail down an exact date for the strawberry festival.
"We want to make sure that we're not taking away from anything that's happening on a certain date in Norfolk or Virginia Beach," he said. "There's always going to be some fun stuff. And we want to be able to work with any city official to make these, these opportunities are accessible."
As far as a name for the festival, Wykle believes it should honor the event's past and present.
