Norfolk officials outline busy spring–summer events calendar, emphasize tourism growth

Deputy City Manager Levoris Pace and tourism and arts partners told the Norfolk City Council at a May work session that the city will host a packed spring and summer lineup of festivals, concerts and park programming aimed at growing tourism and activating neighborhoods.

The presentation, led by Sarah Hughes, vice president for marketing and communications for Visit Norfolk, and Rob Cross, executive director of the Virginia Arts Festival, described recent attendance and revenue figures and previewed upcoming events including the Virginia Wine Festival, Bayou Bon Vivants, Harborfest, Juneteenth Norfolk, a Fourth of July schedule, Latino Festival, Symphony in the Park, and a multi-week Arts Festival program centered at Perry Pavilion and Chrysler Hall.

Why it matters: City leaders said tourism drives local spending and tax revenue and fuels cultural and economic activity across neighborhoods. Presenters said coordinating a citywide umbrella “summer” campaign and refreshing Ocean View programming are part of a strategy to broaden audiences and tie smaller neighborhood events to larger festivals.

Hughes said Visit Norfolk tracks the economic impact of tourism and presented summary metrics: "we have $1,400,000,000 in expenditures" annually on lodging, food and beverage, transportation, recreation and retail, producing about "$68,200,000 in tax revenue" and an estimated per-household tax savings of $1,364, the presentation said. She reported an average citywide hotel occupancy of 64.7% this fiscal year, downtown occupancy a little over 72%, and about $110,000,000 in hotel revenue so far this fiscal year. Hughes also said Visit Norfolk had recorded 67,000 definite room nights booked this year with an anticipated additional 31,000 by the end of summer and that meeting and convention bookings accounted for tens of thousands of room nights on the books.

Rob Cross described recent Arts Festival activity, including sold‑out performances and school outreach tied to the Virginia International Tattoo, and previewed headline performances later in the season. "We just came off of a big weekend," Cross said, adding that ticket buyers for the Tattoo came from dozens of states and several foreign countries and that education and outreach—workshops, master classes and school matinees—were a central element of the festival's work.

Ted Berruti of Festivence reviewed Town Point Park and Ocean View plans, saying organizers were testing themed nights, more family-friendly programming, movie nights and a possible shuttle pilot to bring downtown visitors to Ocean View events. The presentation said Ocean View programming will expand from three to seven events this year, including Motown, reggae and family-themed nights and a fall farmer’s market.

Council members raised operational questions and ideas: Councilman McGee and others recommended a shuttle pilot to move festival attendees from downtown to Ocean View; Councilman Johnson asked staff to return with a firm reopening date for Barrack (a park facility) and details about outreach in neighborhood parks; other members urged continued use of smaller events as “connectors” that bring activity outside the downtown core.

Presenters said partnerships with Cruise Norfolk, Downtown Norfolk Council and other local organizations were driving website traffic and bookings; Hughes noted Carnival cruise schedules and a cruise‑arrival page as a top traffic driver and said Visit Norfolk had added a 48‑hour events column to encourage pre‑cruise visits.

The session closed with staff offering to follow up on shuttle feasibility, Barrack reopening timing and additional neighborhood programming details.