2023 Year in Review
Another fantastic year
Celebrating the Beach Life
It’s been another amazing turn around the sun! We’re proud to bring together the people of Virginia Beach and our surrounding communities to enjoy the best the Beach has to offer.
Our Mission
Provide a quality, safe and diverse mix of events and activities that will:
Enhance family values and togetherness
Create a positive economic impact
Showcase VB — our city by the sea!
2023 Festival Attendance
In 2023, our community showed up strong. In addition to the impressive number of attendees, 75% of guests visited our events more than 1 day and 61% of guests attended all 3 days! Thank you for joining us to celebrate the beach life while supporting the Virginia Beach community!
405,400
Festival Attendees
Economic Impact
Our Boardwalk Weekend events alone generated a $26.1 million economic impact in Virginia Beach.
The City earned approximately $1.35 million in local tax revenues from Neptune Festival attendee spending.
Attendees generated up to 27,003 hotel room nights in Virginia Beach.
The Neptune Festival is proud to reinvest directly into our community by spending more than $2,000,000 with local businesses, service providers, vendors, and suppliers annually.
Magnini, V. (2023). The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of the 2023 Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Institute for Service Research, Virginia Beach, VA.
A Celebration All Year Long
Did you know even before Boardwalk Weekend arrives, we’ve already hosted a wide variety of beachy events?
11,000+
Attendees at early season events
including
28th Annual King Neptune’sInvitational Golf Tournament
Neptune’s 18th AnnualSpring Wine Festival
12th Annual Symphony by the Sea Series(featuring six free concerts!)
Neptune’s 7th AnnualCoastal Craft Beer Festival
Seniors' Gala
Neptune’s 26th AnnualFall Wine Festival
End of Summer Bay Bash
Neptune Festival Grand Parade
The Grand Parade has been a staple of the Neptune Festival ever since its inception. Showcasing King Neptune, local schools, bands, and other community partners, this is a show you can’t miss.
100,000
people lined the parade route
21,000
beads handed out at the parade
Neptune’s 8K Race
Our race is one of the area’s oldest and most beloved. Our beginner-friendly race offers ocean views and a flat course.
4,583
miles run
3,884
MILES TRAVELED BY FURTHEST RACE PARTICIPANT
(From The Netherlands!)
Boardwalk Weekend
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate with us on the boardwalk, enjoying concerts, sandcastle competitions, art shows, craft fairs and so much more.
5,000+
volunteer hours
19
free concerts
40
hours of live music
International Sandsculpting Championship
A signature event since its inception, our International Sandsculpting Championship has distinguished itself as the premier event unlike any other, with artists joining us from countries around the world.
35,000
Visitors came through the sandcastle tent
900,000
Pounds of sand were used to construct the sculptures
250
Families learned how to build a sandcastle from a pro
15
Countries represented
32
Sculptors participated
22
Sculptures featured
Stroll Our Showcase
This year’s Neptune Festival Art and Craft Show and Marketplace featured more than 200 artists, 225 vendors and almost 3 miles of smiles! Recognized in the Top 25 out of 200 Fine Art & Design Shows in the country for the past 10 years by Sunshine Artist Magazine, this event definitely stands out in the crowd!
200
Art & Craft Show Participants
485
youth art show submissions
225
Boardwalk Marketplace vendors
Poseidon’s Playground
The Neptune Festival truly has something for everyone, with fun and free activities for visitors of all ages!
636
Ornaments Painted with the Mermaid Factory
30
Hours of face painting and fairy hair
13
Vehicles featured at touch-a-truck
295
Pupper participants in Dock Dogs
Athletic Adventures
Part of what makes Virginia Beach a great place to live and visit is our beautiful weather, sandy beaches and a shared love of being active in the sunshine.
258
Volleyball Participants
150
Surfers riding the waves
9
Healthy haven fitness classes taught by local instructors
35
boats racing in the Atlantic Regatta
Beyond the Boardwalk
We not only pride ourselves on having a positive economic impact on the City of Virginia Beach and greater Hampton Roads region, but we also focus on opportunities to extend that benefit to other non-profits and charitable organizations in our area.
A million dollar investment
The Neptune Festival is proud to reinvest directly into our community by spending more than
$2,000,000
with local businesses, service providers, vendors, and suppliers annually.
Organizations supported
41 local non-profit organizations were given free space on the boardwalk to tell their story and engage event attendees.
Town Center Kiwanis Club of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach Rotary Club staffed the Boardwalk Weekend beer tents. They earned $11,271 from their efforts!
The Governor’s School for the Arts’ involvement in the International Sandsculpting Championship earned their organization $24,678.
An additional $6,050 went to Toby’s Dream Foundation, EQUI-KIDS, Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum, and LIFT Fitness Foundation for their involvement in Neptune Festival events.
Eight Hometown Heroes were honored at Neptune’s Final Toast, featuring Coach Frank Beamer! Representatives from Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia Beach Police Department, Virginia Beach Fire Department, Virginia Beach Department of EMS, Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard were honored at a breakfast by the sea.
2023 Neptune Festival Royal Court
The King and Tritons are chosen by the Neptune Festival committee from nominations solicited from the general public. The selection process weighs criteria such as demonstrated involvement and contribution to the quality of life in Virginia Beach and active participation in the activities of community life. Once chosen, the King and the Royal Court become ambassadors for the City throughout the year.
2023 Tritons
Regina Amick
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Gregory Amorosso
Priority Automotive
Daniel Barton
Beach Dental Center
Michael Berlucchi
Virginia Beach City Council, Chrysler Museum of Art
George Faatz
Southern Company Gas
Christopher Pierson
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
Skyler Thomas
Freedom Outdoors
Jesse Wykle
Aloha Snacks
2023 Princesses
Princess Megan Allman
Princess Anna Lee Barton
Princess Carey Boone
Princess Sanya Chandiramani
Princess Cate Dixon
Princess Emerson Eaves
Princess Madeline Hobbs
Princess Kaia Jackson
Princess Laci Macan
Princess Katie Sager
Princess Jordyn Schelby
Princess Reese Thompson
Princess Marissa Williams
2023 Neptune Festival Sponsors
Thank you to all our Neptune Festival sponsors and donors. Without your continued support, none of this would be possible!
Supreme + Premier Sponsors
Major Sponsors
Leading Sponsors
Official Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
Contributing Sponsors
Friends
Bay Disposal
Bennett’s Creek Nursery
Black Tie Beach Shop
Buzz Franchise Brands
Cox Media
Guayaki Yerba Mate
iFly
Il Giardino Ristorante
Jerry’s Artarama
Mermaid Factory
REW Corporation
Rockafeller’s Restaurant
Rudee Tours
Sun Belt Rentals
TFC Recycling
White’s Old Mill Nursery & Garden Center
Scepter Society
Jason and Buffy Barefoot
David and Anne Burton
Lonnie and Heather Bush
Stephen and Denise Childs
Stacy and Aimee Cummings
Douglas and Ellen Ellis
Peter and Karen Graham
Brad and Molly Hobbs
Jeremy and Lisa Ingram
Akhil and Nita Jain
Kyle and Mollie Korte
William and Laura Lascara
John and Pat Litz
George and Gwen MacDonald
John and Harriet Malbon
Jeff and Debbie Marks
George and Kim Melnyk
William and Laura Morrison
Napolitano Homes
Victor Philleo and Laura Jens
Becky and Gregory Sawyer
Brian and Kimberly Schools
William and Bev Sessoms
Pat and Kim Shuler
James and Joan Spore
