VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A series of small performing art pop-ups are coming to Virginia Beach as part of a new series, #VBArts on Tour.
The Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department is piloting the new series with scheduled pop-up live performance music events from local artists.
Organizers say the street-performer style ‘tour’ will put artists in neighborhoods, community markets, parks, and outside of key venues.
They say this is a way to help the community reengage with live performances, support their favorite local artists, and bring small-scale, convenient concerts to all corners of the city.
“The performing arts have a profound impact on our local economy,” said Hillary Plate, Cultural Programming and Grants Coordinator with the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department. “From ticket sales, to restaurant business, to set-builders, crew members, and more, the performing arts are a job and revenue generator. It’s important to help restart that engine. Having a consistent arts and cultural presence throughout Virginia Beach is an investment in our citizens, and our invitation to fall in love with live performance again. As restrictions have eased, we hope these performances will help jump start our community’s artistic engagement, and we look forward to joining our groups both in small groups and on our stages.”
#VBArts on Tour full schedule:
- June 12 at 2:30 p.m.: Kempes Landing Park Gazebo (524 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464) - Celebrate Philippines Independence Day with music, dance and martial arts! The Philippine Cultural Center of Virginia, Philippine Rondalia Ensemble of Virginia, School of Creative and Performing Arts and Kuntaw Filipino Martial Arts will put on free performances
- June 19 at 9 a.m.: ViBe Creative District Stage (1810 Cypress Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451) - Virginia African American Cultural Centerpresents Raw Beets, Teens with a Purpose Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate Reed Williams and Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador Yunseo Chung, and St. Julien’s Creek Revival with Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association perform during the ViBe Creative District’s weekend markets. Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer will also be on stage to announce his Juneteenth proclamation.
- July 10 at 2:30 p.m.: Zeiders American Dream Theater Balcony (4509 Commerce St., Virginia Beach, VA 23462) and Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Plaza (201 Market St., Virginia Beach, VA 23462) - Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Musical Theatre will perform in small groups to liven up Town Center! Guests are invited to arrive early, as Cultural Affairs will also run a Public Art #SecondSaturday Sketch Crawlstarting at 1 p.m. Guests at the Sketch Crawl will receive free sketching supplies, and will have the opportunity to learn about the public art in the area.
- July 17 from 9 a.m. to noon: ViBe Creative District Stage (1810 Cypress Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451) - Tidewater Arts Outreachand Tidewater Winds perform pop up concerts on the ViBe Creative District Stage during the ViBe weekend markets.
- Early August (date and time TBA): Zeiders American Dream Theater Balcony and Sandler Center Plaza
Additional performances that were canceled due to weather in June will be re-scheduled and announced.
More dates, new locations, and artists to be announced throughout the summer. For more information, click here.
