Beach Events - Festivals

Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend, Virginia Beach

today September 24, 2027


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Updated November 9, 2026. Dates come from the organizers and are checked against their official pages. Always confirm with the organizer before you travel.

The Neptune Festival is Virginia Beach’s biggest party of the year. Boardwalk Weekend fills the Oceanfront from 1st to 35th Street with a juried art and craft show, free concerts at the 24th and 31st Street parks, a Grand Parade, an 8K, a surfing classic and a volleyball tournament. It always starts on the last Friday in September, and 2026 was the 53rd year.

Event facts

Next dates Friday September 24 to Sunday September 26, 2027 (official site)
Last edition September 25 to 27, 2026 (53rd annual)
Where Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 1st to 35th Street, beach and boardwalk
Admission Most events free. Sandsculpting Championship tent $7 (12 and under free with an adult) when open
Heads up In 2026 the International Sandsculpting Championship gallery did not open to the public; the festival said it could not open it safely
Official site neptunefestival.com

Why yacht rock fans go

Free oceanfront concerts at the end of summer, with the boardwalk crowd and a sea breeze. Bring a chair to 24th Street Park and you have a beach music night that costs nothing.

Plan your visit

  • Book Oceanfront hotels early; the last weekend of September is one of the busiest in Virginia Beach.
  • Check the festival’s site the week before for whether the sandsculpting tent will open.

Official links and social media

More beach festivals

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