Thunder on the Bay, Sept. 17-18, 2010

Thunder on the Bay American Indian Festival is a unique 400th Anniversary event Sept. 17-18, 2010 at Buckroe Beach Park in Hampton, Virginia.

The inter-tribal pow-wow will feature top dancers, drummers, and vendors from across the United States and Canada. The event will kick off with a concert and fireworks show on Friday night.

The pow-wow will be held Saturday and will feature children's activities, the Virginia Archeological Society Mobile Museum, and world renowned fancy dancer Waya Dimalanta. Authentic American Indian cuisine including fry bread will be available for purchase.

Bring your blanket or lawn chair. Free Admission and Parking. Rain or Shine.

Event Schedule:

Friday, September 17, 2010
5:30-7:00pm - Children's Activities including Pow-Wow Dance Lessons,
Regalia "fashion show", and instrument demonstration
7:00-7:30 - Red Crooked Sky Pow-wow dancers will perform
7:30-9:00 - Flute concert with NAMMY award-winner Jeff Ball and His Band
9:15pm - Fireworks off Buckroe Beach Pier!!!

Saturday, September 18, 2010
11am-8pm (Grand Entry at noon) - Pow-wow
Join in the friendship dance, veterans will be honored during the
Veteran's Honor Dance, and much more!
Children's activities and face painting will also be available.

For more information, visit Hampton's 400th website.

Free concert at Fort Monroe Saturday night

Wow, free concert and fireworks on the Bay at Fort Monroe!

Fort Monroe invites you to attend "An Evening with Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds" with special guest Slapwater

Saturday, August 21, 2010
Fort Monroe's Walker Air Field
Gates Open at 5pm
Free Admission and Open to the Public

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds Gates open at 5 p.m. Aug. 21 at Walker Airfield, Fort Monroe. The opening act, Slapwater, begins at 5:30 p.m., and the main show begins at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Fireworks will follow. No pets, coolers, backpacks, outside food or beverages are allowed. Chairs and blankets encouraged. A valid picture ID is required to enter the installation. For more information, call (757) 788-3151.

Hampton Cup Regatta Aug. 13-15

The 84th Annual Hampton Cup Regatta starts tonight (Aug. 13, 2010) with the Bash on the Bridge.

Click here for the full line-up of events: Hampton Cup Regatta.

Watch a preview on WVEC TV

Hampton Bay Days line-up announced

The 28^th Annual Hampton Bay Days returns to downtown Hampton Sept. 10-12, 2010. An estimated 200,000 attendees are expected, so make your slip reservations early!! In addition to Hampton Public Piers, Hampton has half a dozen marinas that accept visiting boaters. Click here for contact information.

The free event is headlined by The Fabulous Thunderbirds, George Clinton & Parliament, and special guest appearance by renowned marine artist Wyland. The Godspeed replica from Jamestown Settlement will be sailing into Hampton Harbor! For a full line-up of events, go to www.baydays.com

Special Football Weekend at Hampton Public Piers

Hampton Blackbeard Festival & 400th Anniversary

You still have one more day to enjoy the Blackbeard Pirate Festival and 400^th anniversary celebration at the Hampton Waterfront! Today, Sunday, July 11, noon to 6 pm with pirate ships invading Hampton harbor at 12:45.

Full schedule:

Here's a slide show of yesterday's battle in which Edward Teach, the Pirate Blackbeard, was killed in battle with Colonial troops:

Hampton Maritime Center

Boaters visiting downtown Hampton now have a new place to call home. The Hampton Maritime Center (formerly the Cousteau Society) is located in the iconic octogonal building right at the waterfront, in a design based on an historic Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse.

Inside boaters will find free WiFi, weather broadcast 24 hours day, a book exchange, Hampton hats and T-shirts for sale and hot coffee.

You can drop off your laundry for cleaning, ship UPS or Fed-ex, reserve a rental car, borrow a bicycle to go exploring, or book a Hampton Harbor Tour.

Don't forget to pick up a welcome bag filled with maps, brochures and other goodies, to help you explore this great historic city, celebrating its 400th anniversary this year.

Great American Dock Party photos

Hampton's first-ever Great American Dock Party was a fun weekend June 4-6, 2010 on the Hampton river with fun on the water, a rousing corn hole tournament and live music by local talent Phoebus Rio! Check in with Hampton Public Piers for more fun events.

Southall Marina boaters clean the bay!

Cheers to Southhall Landings Marina boaters who cleaned up the Long Creek Waterway and shoreline! On June 5 a team of four dinghy crews collected over 200 pounds of trash from the marshes, beaches and shorelines.

Bluewater Rendezvous

The 2^nd Annual Bluewater Rendezvous in Hampton takes place June 25-27, 2010.

Cruise from Bluewater Yachting Center in Hampton to Bay Creek Marina on the bayside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Last year's inaugural Bluewater Rendezvous was definitely a highlight of the summer wth 40 boats! This year upwards of 50 boats are expected. Good friends and good times. Just boating and relaxing, with maybe a cocktail or two!

The rendezvous is open to everyone, not just Bluewater customers. The cost is $50 per boat for two people ($25 for additional person), which includes four tickets to all of the events, including three cocktail parties and a registration gift. Obviously, this is more than a good deal!

There will also be a boat christening brigade on Sunday morning for anyone that bought a boat in the last year, regardless of where your boat came from.

Hurry! Register by June 2 by calling Chris Hall Jr. at 757-723-0793.

Here’s the plan:

Friday, June 25 6 pm: cocktail party at Bluewater Pool Deck

Saturday, June 26, 11 am: depart for Bay Creek Marina

5 pm Cocktail party on the dock at Bay Creek

Sunday, June 27, noon: depart Bay Creek for Sunset Beach Tiki Bar

Boater Cook-out at Southall Landings Marina

Southall Landings Marina and the Southall Yacht Club will co -host a cook-out for their boaters on Saturday, May 22 from 4-7pm.

-There will be hot dogs, chili, bake beans, chips and sodas.

-The yacht Club with have desserts for all.

-The yacht club will also have beer and wine (what color wine goes with hot dogs anyway!?) for $1 donations

-There will be a bounce house/ water slide for the kids and corn hole toss games for all.

Festivities will be held at the parking circle near the marina office, 333 Mainsail Drive, Hampton. Call 757-850-9929 for more information.

Hampton Boat Tax is Rejected

Hampton marinas can be relieved the proposed property tax on recreational boats was turned down by the city council. Many believe the lack of a boat tax makes Hampton a desirable city to dock year-round, thereby helping the local economy of this historic port city, poised to celebrate its 400th anniversary.

Read the full news story.

Downtown Hampton Marketplace begins May 22

For many boaters, the challenge of finding fresh produce within walking distance of a marina can be a challenge.

But not so in downtown Hampton, where the Downtown Hampton Market Place will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning May 22 through Sept. 4.

The market features a variety of fruits and vegetables from regional farmers, as well as seafood, homemade baked goods and other Virginia specialties. Enjoy live music, local artistry, cooking demonstrations, and wine and beer tastings as well. Children can enjoy activities and ride the Historic Hampton Carousel.

Admission is free; $4 charge for children’s rides and activities. Call 727-0900 for information.

Note: No market on July 10 due to the Hampton Blackbeard Pirate Festival and 400th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

Great American Dock Party June 4-6

Hampton’s first-ever Great American Dock Party is bringing boating fun to the Hampton Public Piers the weekend of June 4-6.

There are only a few slips left that weekend, according to dockmaster Greg Harrison, but once they’re full, boaters can utilize the free anchorage. There's also the nearby Bluewater Yachting Center.

“Hopefully the Dock Party will take off and become an annual event,” Harrison said.

There will be a cook-off, corn hole and limbo contests with prizes for the winners. The local band Phoebus Rio is the headline act, performing a concert Saturday night at 7 pm. The concert is open to the non-boating public, so if you’re in downtown Hampton stop in and check out this fun, high-energy band.

The cost for the entire weekend is $3 per foot for Friday and Saturday nights, and includes water and electricity. Make your slip reservations soon by contacting Greg Harrison, Dockmaster at 727-1276 or email him at greg@downtownhampton.com

Schedule:

Friday, 7 pm: Second Annual Hampton Public Piers Cook-off

Saturday, 5 pm Corn Hole Tournament & Limbo Contest (win great prizes!)

7 pm: “Phoebus Rio” Live!

About Phoebus Rio:

“Recipient of the 2009 MEONA award for Best Americana Band. Six versatile and talented musicians on fiddle, mandolin, accordion, washboard, harp, guitar, upright bass and drums. We play an unusual mix of all genres that gets people up on their feet and singing along!”

Bluewater Yachts Video

Craig Messick, yard manager at Bluewater Yachts, talks about this boating icon on the Hampton River.

Hampton Landing Day April 25

Come witness how Virginia’s first permanent settlers arrived in the new world: by boat in what would become Hampton, Virginia.

That’s right, the Jamestown settlers stopped in Hampton on their way up the James River, and were invited ashore by Native Americans.

The scene is commemorated and re-enacted annually at Strawberry Banks. Come watch on Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m. as Captain Christopher Newport and his men row the shallop ashore and are greeted by the Native Americans.

The event, part of the year-long celebration of Hampton's 400th anniversary, will include opening remarks by Mayor Ward, musical performances, a reading of the original account and a re-enactment. It will culminate with light refreshments and a “meet and greet” with the re-enactors.

“…They saw the captain lay his hand on his heart.
Upon that they laid down their bows and arros and
Came very boldly to us, making signs to come ashore
To their town, which is called Kecoughtan.”

Mapquest to 30 Strawberry Banks, Hampton, VA

International Children's Festival April 17

The International Children's Festival will bring 30 countries to Hampton's Mill Point Park on Saturday, April 17 from 10 am to 5 pm.

It's one thing to read about the peoples and cultures of far-away lands, it's another to hear the pounding of Djembe drums or taste exotic dishes from Turkey and Japan.


Here are just some of the highlights:

-A costumed Parade of Nations
-Dragon Head Dance
-Strolling classical guitarists Jim & Sylvia Kalal
-Happy Dutchmen "Oompa Band"
-Toni Crowder as the "Opera Clown"
-Animals from around the world by Busch Gardens Animal Ambassadors
-Native folk dancers
-Entertainment on three stages.

To help children further stimulate real travel and enhance their worldwide journey, Passports to Adventure are available FREE this year courtesy of Busch Gardens. As the children visit each country, they will have their visas stamped to confirm their interaction with the organizers of each booth. If they visit every country at the festival, the child will then be entered into a special "World Traveler" prize drawing, with winners receiving a family four-pack to Busch Gardens.


Participating countries includes those of the Caribbean Islands, Brazil, Colombia, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan Republic of China, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Korea, France, England, Philippines, Panama, Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Germany, Panama, Scotland, Spain, South Africa and the USA including Native Americans.

Admission to the festival is free and ample parking is available throughout downtown.

For more information, call 757-727-8311 or visit online.

Crew Listing Party Saturday at Marker 20

Want to crew on a racing sailboat? Marker 20 in downtown Hampton is the place to be this Saturday (4/3/10) starting at 5 p.m. for SpinSheet Magazine’s Annual Crew Listing Party for the Southern Bay.

They call it matchmaking at its best, but with a twist!

“Potential racing skippers scour the scene, looking for potential crew members for their boats, while potential crew members strut their stuff looking for the best party and boat to crew on.”

You can also sign-up for the magazine's online crew listing service.

Local sailing clubs and organizations will be on hand to provide information on their sail training events, racing schedules, and membership opportunities. It's like an open house for sailing clubs!

Open to all ages.

Tidewater Boat Show this weekend!

Panorama of the Tidewater Boat Show opening day:



There's still time to get over to the Tidewater Boat Show at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, packed with dealers ready to do business offering discounts and rebates on all kinds of beautiful boats. Hours are:

Saturday (3/27): 10 am to 8 pm
and Sunday (3/28): 11 am to 5 pm

There are also booths with valuable information for boaters including safety information from the US Coast Guard and Boater Education.







Stop by Salt Ponds Marina display and the Hampton booth to meet folks from the Hampton Public Piers and Downtown Hampton!

Buckroe Fishing Pier to Open

The Buckroe Beach Fishing Pier is about to open next weekend (March 27) for the 2010 season, a sure sign of spring!

The pier, a Hampton tradition for generations, was destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. The new 709-foot pier opened in 2009 with much fanfare. It has restrooms, snack bar and bait shop, two shelters and fish cleaning stations.

The pier is open 24 hours every day, through the end of December.

All required fishing licensing has been purchased by the pier, but if you do have a current Virginia Salt Water Fishing License, you will receive $2 off the adult admission, $10 off the monthly pass and $25 off of the yearly pass.


Here’s the fishing tournament schedule for this year (fees are in addition to the pier admission fee):

Cobia Tournament - $25/person
Ongoing – 12 a.m. Saturday, May 29 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 29

Flounder Tournament - $15/person
Ongoing – 12 a.m. Saturday, May 29 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 29

(The Cobia and Flounder tournaments run simultaneously)

Striper Tournament - $20/person
Runs 7 a.m. Friday, Nov. 26 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28

Kids Fishing Night
1st and 3rd Wednesdays in June, July and August, 6-9 p.m.
Ages 12 and under get in half price and there will be give-aways, fishing tips and demonstrations.


Admission fees:

Adult $8, senior (62-plus) $6, children (10 and under) $6, non-fishing visitors with fishermen $4, sightseeing adults $1, sightseeing child .50, monthly pass $60, seasonal pass (April –October) $250

For more info and tournament registration, call 757-727-1486, email or visit online.

Watch a video of the pier’s grand opening in May 2009

Hampton’s 400th Anniversary Exhibit Openings

Our waterfront city is gearing up for a spectacular year of celebrations for its 400^th anniversary. In preparation, Hampton museums have scheduled some special exhibits to honor the anniversary and illuminate Hampton’s unique place in American history.

Feb. 28 through Nov. 27, 2010
“The City of Hampton Through the Lens of Reuben V. Burrell and James Van Der Zee”

Hampton University Museum

March 1 through Aug. 15, 2010:

"South King: Hampton's Waterfront Through the Ages"

Hampton History Museum

Features the waterfront of Hampton along South King Street as it has changed over the past 400 years. Drawings and photographs portray the different moods and looks of this area, while artifacts from archaeological excavations and from the still-existing ship chandlery and seafood businesses there, will provide multiple foci of information and stories about the oldest continuous English settlement in North America.

April 3 through May 16, 2010
“A Place Very Pleasant to Inhabit”

Charles H. Taylor Arts Center

This exhibition will present 400 years of Hampton’s art, from its earliest settlement through five centuries up until today. Over 150 artworks in all media and from all periods by many artists who have lived, worked, and been inspired by Hampton will be featured.

Sept. 15 through March 17, 2011
A special exhibit honoring Hampton's premiere photographers, C. Ethelbert and W. E. "Happy" Cheyne will be on display.
Hampton History Museum

Tidewater Boat Show coming to Hampton March 26-28

These days everyone is looking for ways to save money and boaters are no exception. Organizers of the 6th Annual Tidewater Boat Show say it’s all about one word this year: “SALE.”

The dealers are pricing boats to sell, with no reasonable offer refused, says Dave Body of Affinity Events, producer of the show coming to the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA March 26-28.

“The dealers will handle the financing for you, and we are seeing some signs that the banks are starting to cooperate. Trade-ins will be considered. If you are considering buying a boat, this is the time,” Body said.

Another ‘sale’ is the cost of admission itself. New this year are on-line ticket sales, with a savings of $3 off the adult ticket price of $7. Children 16 and under are free.

All types and sizes of boats will be on display: runabouts, saltwater fishing boats, ski boats, pontoon boats, deck boats and jet boats.

In addition, there will be exhibits of boat lifts, floating docks, marine electronics, water sports and safety equipment. Experts will be able to answer questions about a variety of topics: marinas, financing, insurance, boat maintenance and repair and boating safety.

And if you don’t see it all in one day, go to the Show Office and ask for a free return pass to come back!

Show Hours
Friday (3/26): Noon to 8 pm
Saturday (3/27): 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday (3/28): 11 am to 5 pm

Dealers include:
Lynnhaven Marine, Norfolk Marine, Bill's Marine, Centerville Waterway Marine, Master Marine of Williamsburg, Nautical Marine, Ed's Marine and Chesdin Boat Sales.

For tickets and more information, go to tidewaterboatshow.com

Hampton Clean Marinas

Several Hampton marinas are certified in the Virginia Clean Marina program. In fact, Hampton Public Piers was the very first in the state to sign up and pledge environmentally sound practices.

But just what does the certification mean?

“For an area like Hampton that is a boating destination for transient boaters, yacht clubs and seasonal boaters, a primary benefit is the recognition that the Clean Marina designation gives a facility,” says Anne L. Smith, of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which administers the Virginia Clean Marinas programs.

“As Clean Marina programs develop and expand across the nation, boaters are becoming increasingly aware of what the designation represents,” she said.

For boaters, this designation means you can be assured the facility has adopted practices on recycling, boat cleaning, fueling, painting, sewage, fish wastes, and hazardous materials that prevent or reduce pollution to our waters and in turn, valuable fish and wildlife.

To be sure you as a boater are practicing clean boating measures, check out VirginiaCleanMarina.com for downloadable fact sheets on topics like petroleum, sewage and other waste.

Hampton’s certified Clean Marinas include Hampton Public Piers, Old Point Comfort Marina, Bluewater Yachting Center, Salt Ponds Marina and Southall Landings Marina.

Hampton Sailor David Taylor Featured in SpinSheet magazine

Hampton's own David Taylor is featured in the February issue of Spinsheet Magazine: Chesapeake Racer Profile.

It begins:

"Some sailors seem to have a more prominent give-back gene than others. A Hampton, VA native, David Taylor learned to sail at the Hampton YC (HYC) junior program and on his father’s Columbia 10.7 and J/24 (one of the first dozen made)..."

Click here to read the full Q&A with David (go to page 75).

Mid-Atlantic Boat Show in Virginia Beach

Got cabin fever? That’s the perfect excuse to get yourself to a boat show and dream about warmer weather to come.

The 56th Annual Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show is coming to the Virginia Beach Convention Center next weekend, Feb. 12-14, with more than 100 exhibitors and boat dealers.

Russ Kostinas, General Manager, said all the big dealers are lining up to make deals on new 2010 boats and unused 2009 models.

“We will once again host the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Awards Friday night at 7 pm. We have a new state of the art Fishing Simulator and a saltwater tournament based on the simulator. We have a Fighting Chair Challenge and you can test your skill on the new way to drive a boat with a joystick,” he said.

There will also be face-painting for the kids, and angler clubs to teach tie-flying and net-casting.

Hours:
Friday (2/12), noon to 9 pm
Saturday (2/13), 10 am to 8 pm
Sunday (2/14), noon to 5 pm

Admision: $8 for adults, 12 and under are free, as is the parking. Complete this short survey and they’ll give you $3 off admission.

Boating on Facebook

If you are on Facebook, here are some pages and groups that may be of interest to you in the boating community.

First, join the Boat Hampton page to keep up with topics and events of interest in Downtown Hampton and at all our marinas.

If you're not on Facebook, and wondering why you should be, it's easy to sign in and take a peek at what this social networking is all about. It's fun, it's informational--and best part, it's FREE!

BoaterMouth: All boat talk all the time, written by top marine journalists

Boating!

Sailing

And here are some pages specific to Hampton:

Hampton CVB: Visit Hampton VA

Downtown Hampton

Blackbeard Pirate Festival: July 9-11 celebrating Hampton's 400th anniversary

Dining at Hampton Marinas

You won’t go hungry when you pull your boat up to one of these Hampton marinas. Step onto the pier and walk right in to refuel and quench your thirst. You’ll find no shortage of fresh local seafood, ambiance and friendly conversation.

Eat or drink overlooking the Downtown Hampton Public Piers in the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Sip a cocktail or a hand-selected wine at Latitude 37, the hotel’s nautically-inspired bar serving lighter fare. Adjacent is Regatta Grille, offering fine dining on fresh seafood, steaks and pasta. In season, Oyster Alley serves up al fresco dining right on the pier. Live music fills the air on summer Saturday nights. Watch chef Matt Wilson make his Pan-roasted Grouper!

Surf Rider at Bluewater Yachting Center is known for its special recipe crab cakes and fun, jovial atmosphere with an open-view kitchen and surfboards on the walls. Can’t decide between shrimp, scallops, crab or surf and turf? There’s no need with one of their hearty combination platters. Cozy up in a booth for two, choose a large table for the family, or sit at the bar to tell the day's big fish story!

Old Point Comfort Marina at Fort Monroe: Dine

in the elegance of a bygone era and watch ships ply the Chesapeake Bay at the fantastically restored Historic Chamberlin. While the hotel rooms are now senior apartments, the grand dining room is open to the public. The Grand Sunday Brunch, served 10 am to 2 pm, is an event to build your day around with all-you-can eat omelet station, carving station, salad bar, raw bar, desserts, and more. Dinner is by reservation only, Monday-Friday.

It's a bird’s eye view of Buckroe Beach and the Chesapeake Bay from Waters Edge Bar and Grill at Saltponds Marina. Try the Drunken Clams, steams in garlic and beer and keep everyone happy with a Water’s Edge Bucket of snow crab legs, clams, shrimp, corn on the cob and potatoes.

Speaking of dining, don’t miss the 4^th Annual Downtown Hampton Restaurant Week Feb. 6-14 featuring Valentine’s Day specials and events. Participating restaurants are Brent's, Goodfellas, Grey Goose, Java Junkies, Latitude 37, Marker 20, Mary Helen's Southern & Creole Cuisine, Musasi, Regatta Grille and The Taphouse.