Photo Courtesy of the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival/Photo By Jessica Shea Photography
52nd Annual Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend, Sept. 25-27, 2026
The Virginia Beach Neptune Festival is a favorite annual festival held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront that draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from all over the globe. Marking its 52nd anniversary in 2026, this multi-day festival is one the whole family will love. The festival’s featured events range from the International Sandsculpting Championship to the Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show to Neptune Festival Grand Parade, just to list a few. Start making plans and book your hotel stay today!
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Each year, the Neptune Festival takes over the Oceanfront, covering more than 30 blocks of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, and hosting an extraordinary celebration of Virginia Beach’s extraordinary beach culture. Below are some highlights of what to look forward to at this year’s festival.
Friday, Sept. 25, 2026
12:00-11:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026
10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Stretching from 1st Street to 35th Street along the boardwalk, the multi-day Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend is family friendly with fun activities for everybody. Overflowing with exciting experiences, this festival is the perfect excuse for a beach getaway weekend to the beautiful resort city, Virginia Beach.
Throughout the event weekend, experience an array of daily live musical performances at multiple stages, including both 31st Street Park and 24th Street Park. Click here to view the impressive entertainment lineup.
A can’t miss, the International Sandsculpting Championship, located between 7th and 8th Streets, is a highly regarded anchor event of Boardwalk Weekend. While this is a ticketed event, it is well worth the admission fee to view the remarkable sculptures created by talented sculptors from all around the globe.
The Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show is another popular event of the festival. Discover artistic creations by more than 200 artisans at this premier show lining the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
Poseidon’s Playground, a fun kids zone with games and artsy activities (plus more!), and Touch-A-Truck are particularly popular event highlights for children attending Boardwalk Weekend.
Below is a full list of Boardwalk Weekend’s featured events, a number of which are free.
Dock Dogs
Hometown Heroes Reception
International Sandsculpting Championship
Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show
Neptune Festival Grand Parade
Neptune’s Healthy Haven
Neptune’s Surfing Classic
Neptune’s Volleyball Tournament
Neptune’s 8K Race
Neptune’s Atlantic Regatta
Poseidon’s Playground
Touch-A-Truck
Youth Art Show
Start making plans and join the fun at this year’s Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend!