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