NORFOLK, Va. — Patriotic Festival organizers have transformed Waterside Drive in Norfolk as you’ve never seen it before.
Crews shut down the waterfront roadway to make way for a massive stage right in the middle, with I-264 as a backdrop.
It’s a first for the City of Norfolk, with country music stars Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen taking the stage this weekend.
“It kind of has a Nashville feel to it, like we are on Broadway,” said organizer Andy Stephenson. “We are super pumped to be a part of this and to do something that the region hasn’t seen before, and to have big artists right here on the street.”
Festival board member Andy Stephenson said they expect big crowds.
“Capacity out here is going to be about 12,000 folks,” Stephenson said.
Organizers moved the event to Norfolk from Virginia Beach, citing the need for indoor space. While the location changed, Stephenson said the festival’s purpose remains the same.
“A great celebration of our men and women in uniform, the nation’s cloth that gives us our freedom and allows us to even have celebrations like this,” Stephenson said.
On Saturday and Sunday, starting at 11 a.m., there are free activities in Town Point Park to showcase our armed forces.
“We are going to have all different kinds of military expos and demonstrations,” Stephenson said. “It’s a great family event. There are going to be food trucks.”
Stephenson said he’s excited to have the Patriotic Festival back in Hampton Roads.
“I am hopeful this is going to be another plug, another feather in our regional cap that we are able to do, to bring more concerts, to bring more folks, to bring more entertainment to the great city of Norfolk,” Stephenson said.
A note for drivers, there are several road closures due to the festival this weekend:
- Waterside Drive between St. Paul's Boulevard and W. Main Street will close Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. and reopen Monday, May 30 by 2 p.m.
- Commercial Place between Waterside Drive and E. Main Street will close Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. and reopen Monday, May 30 by 9 a.m.
- Atlantic Street between Waterside Drive and E. Main Street will be open to local traffic only from Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. and to Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. Access will only be from Main Street. It will close on Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. and reopen Monday, May 30 by 9 a.m.
- Martin's Lane between Waterside Drive and E. Main Street will be open to local traffic only from Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. to Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. Access will only be from Main Street. It will close on Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. and reopen on Monday, May 30 by 9 a.m.
- Under Police control, Main Street, primarily between Granby Street and Atlantic Street, will be closed intermittently from Noon on Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30 at 2 a.m.