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Something in the Water brings crowds back to beach
Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water made a splashy comeback to Virginia Beach from April 28-30, although wind and rain delayed the music festival’s start, and lightning and a tornado watch canceled the entire last day. Organizers promised attendees a one-third refund for tickets, which sold for $125 to $600. Williams, a Virginia Beach native, […]
Richmond City Council approves Diamond District
Richmond City Council voted unanimously May 8 to approve the $2.44 billion Diamond District project, which includes a replacement for the aging stadium that’s home to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team. The Diamond District’s first phase, expected to cost $627.6 million, includes a 9,000-capacity, $90 million-plus baseball stadium and a hotel with at […]
Caesars Danville opens temporary casino
Virginia’s third casino opened its doors Monday in Danville to hundreds of guests lined up to take a look inside Caesars Virginia’s 40,000-square-foot temporary casino. While the $650 million permanent resort, which is expected to open in late 2024, is being constructed next door, the temporary facility will offer guests eight sportsbook betting kiosks; 740 […]
Richmond City Council approves Diamond District
Richmond City Council members voted unanimously Monday to approve the $2.44 billion Diamond District mixed-use development, which aims to include a replacement for the 38-year-old stadium of the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team by the end of 2025. Councilors also approved an ordinance to convey 61 acres of city-owned land to the Richmond Economic […]
Rain and wind delay Something in the Water’s start
Rain and high winds delayed the start of Pharrell Williams’ Virginia Beach music festival Something in the Water by about four hours Friday, leaving fans and businesses waiting for the weather to clear. Scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. Friday, the festival was delayed until 5 p.m. Instead of being filled with throngs of music […]
Old Town Business league to upgrade or dissolve
Carla Clarke credits Old Town Business (OTB) league with arranging events that bring new faces into Today’s Cargo, the jewelry and gift shop she co-owns on Alexandria’s King Street. “It’s bringing new people through your door,” says Clarke. The 40-year-old nonprofit business league champions Old Town’s business community through events like an annual cookie crawl. [&hel[...]
Va. tourism pitch hits Saks Fifth Ave. windows
New Yorkers and Manhattan visitors will spot an intriguing sight at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship department store — two windows featuring a Virginia tourism campaign. Virginia Tourism Corp., United Airlines and Saks partnered to highlight three high-end resorts in Virginia — the Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club in Virginia Beach, Keswick Hall in […]
Fed Fifth District economy shrinks slightly
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) has contracted slightly since March, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is based on anecdotal information about economic conditions g[...]
Chesterfield hires first sports/visitation/entertainment exec
Chesterfield County has hired J.C. Poma as its first executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment, with a focus on growing sports tourism, the county announced Friday. Currently the vice president of community relations for regional marketing organization Richmond Region Tourism, Poma will start his new position with Chesterfield on May 1. “While the county […]
Squirrels president is worried over ballpark timeline
The Richmond Flying Squirrels are worried that a new stadium may not be ready by April 2025 as needed to meet new Major League Baseball regulations, according to the Minor League Baseball team’s president and managing partner, Lou DiBella. In a statement Tuesday, DiBella said that there has been “very little progress” from the city […]
Norfolk airport hotel is ‘desperately needed’
An influx of 200-seat airplanes is bringing record numbers of passengers into Norfolk International Airport, leading officials to fast-track infrastructure upgrades and pursue construction of an airport hotel. There is high demand for on-site lodging, especially among airline crews and travelers taking early morning flights, who often stay at downtown Norfolk hotels, says Norfolk Airport […[...]
Shoring up
Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown are all significant parts of the nation’s foundation, and historic tourism drove the region’s economy during the 20th century. But Colonial Williamsburg hasn’t been enough to keep big crowds coming to the area consistently in the 21st century, even before the pandemic. Visitation dropped from 960,000 in 1999 to 534,000 in […]
