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Va. Beach gives Something in the Water 5-day deadline over contract breach
After receiving a brief reprieve, the clock is ticking for organizers for Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water music festival. Organizers were given five days to make significant progress in meeting Virginia Beach‘s requirements for a lineup of performers and a start to ticket sales, city officials decided Tuesday. If organizers do not meet the […]
Something in the Water gets extension from Va. Beach
Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water festival got a bit of a break Tuesday from Virginia Beach City Council members, who agreed to give the Virginia Beach-born music and fashion maven more time to fulfill an overdue part of the festival’s contract with the city. City Council voted 8-2 Tuesday to indefinitely defer an earlier […]
Outlook unclear for Something in the Water festival with Va. Beach vote set
The Virginia Beach City Council is set to consider an agenda item next week that could lead to the cancellation of the April 26-27 Something in the Water music festival, if organizers don’t provide the city with a full list of announced artists within days of the Jan. 7 vote. Under an agreement signed by […]
Southwest tourism spending climbs
Visitor spending in Southwest Virginia reached $766 million in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022, according to data from the Virginia Tourism Corp. The region also saw a 29% increase from 2019, a rise that puts it well above that of the state as a whole, which saw a 15% increase in tourism revenue from […]
Historic Triangle gears up for America’s 250th birthday bash
Inside Richmond’s historic St. John’s Church in November 2024, a film crew and actors recreated the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention and the enduring speech of Patrick Henry that still evoke chills nearly 250 years later: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” This […]
Hundreds pack into Caesars Virginia on opening day
Hundreds of people descended upon Danville‘s Main Street Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the $800 million Caesars Virginia, the third permanent casino to open in the state. Caesars didn’t shortchange on spectacle for the first day. A faux Roman legionary struggled to climb out of a Rolls-Royce to join Vegas-style showgirls and others for […]
Permanent Hard Rock Bristol casino opens
The bright lights of Bristol shine considerably brighter now following the opening of Virginia‘s second full-fledged casino. Thursday heralded the grand opening of the $515 million-plus Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, Virginia’s first hotel/casino combo. Symphonies of sounds, from music to slot machines, indicated the site’s time for business had arrived. “This brand is [[...]
Omni Homestead GM receives lifetime achievement award
The American Hotel & Lodging Association presented Mark Spadoni, managing director of The Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County, with the association’s General Manager Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 28. The association honored Spadoni in San Antonio at its second annual The Hospitality Show conference, cosponsored by Questex’s Hotel Management brand. “I am deeply honored [&hel[...]
Opening doors
The Hard Rock entertainment, gaming, and hospitality brand is solidifying its place in Bristol on Nov. 14 with the formal opening of its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, a $515 million resort and casino. The company has had a presence in the city for the last two years via a temporary casino facility, but […]
Meeting of the minds
Inclusive narratives, a post-pandemic restaurant industry and artificial intelligence are just a few of the topics that will feature in this year’s VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit, an annual gathering of tourism professionals from across the state and beyond. Scheduled Nov. 13-15, the 2024 VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit will take place at Hot Springs’ The Omni […]
Gordon Ramsay to open restaurant at Caesars Virginia
Cantankerous celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans to open a restaurant called Ramsay’s Kitchen at the $750 million Caesars Virginia casino in Danville by the end of 2024, the casino resort announced Tuesday. “Caesars Virginia sets the standard for approachable luxury, and I’m so proud to open my first [Virginia] restaurant here inside this beautiful resort,” […]
Allianz named title sponsor of Richmond amphitheater
Allianz Partners will be the naming sponsor for Richmond’s forthcoming 7,500-capacity, $30 million outdoor amphitheater, the global insurer announced Tuesday. The Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, a project led by Charlottesville’s Red Light Ventures and Live Nation, is expected to open next year in time for the summer concert season, according to the announcement. The amphitheater [[...]
