Fall for Downtown Hampton

When you think of fall, do you think pumpkins, cooking with apples, and nutmeg, or maybe just enjoying the great outdoors and the beauty of changing leaves? Many people consider fall their favorite time of the year. After all, it's a great season to celebrate.

Every Saturday, October 1, 8, 15 & 22, you can revel in the season of mums, crafts and cool breezes 9am-1pm at the Downtown Hampton Market Place. The Fall Market on Queens Way presents a bounty of fresh produce, live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, and gardening instruction. There's local art, specialty items, children's activities, and more.

October 1, enjoy live entertainment by Raymond & Kasey Meeks, the work of artist John Butler, and learn all about Butterflies from the Hampton Master Gardeners.

Market Place goes to the dogs October 8, so bring your pet pooch! Lots of canine friendly vendors and activities, live entertainment by Harold Glynn, a seminar on trees from the Hampton Master Gardeners, and the artistry of Claudia Cronenberger.

The apples, pumpkins, mums and squash will be plentiful October 15, as Wildfire takes the stage and the work of a Blue Skies Gallery artist is showcased.

Jacks are back October 22 with the Downtown Hampton Pumpkin Carving Contest. Enjoy live entertainment by River Gypsies, the featured art of Milyn King and fantastic door prizes. It's sure to be smashing!

150 years later we reflect on the American Civil War

This year marks the official beginning of the remembrance of the War Between the States. Hampton, a key settlement since its founding in 1610, played an integral role in the conflict that would permanently change our nation on so many levels. Few communities have such a wealth of sites that influenced the outcome of the Civil War. As Fort Monroe embarks on the transition from U.S. Army post to national park, we discover new opportunities to visit and explore.

There are many tools available to visitors who wish to stand where Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Butler, Jefferson Davis, Harriet Tubman, and Robert E. Lee once tread. Of course, the Hampton Visitor Guide highlights everything to see and do in Hampton, so the guide is a must! There's also a new Hampton Civil War Sites Guide available at the Hampton Visitor Center that brings the aspiring Civil War buff even closer to the Battle of Big Bethel, the Peninsula Campaign, Benjamin Butler's Contraband Decision, and the Battle of the Ironclads.

Once you're out and about exploring you may want to take advantage of a narrated tour. The Hampton History Museum and the Casemate Museum have entertaining and informative docents who help bring history to life. If you prefer a go-at-your-own pace walking experience, you may find the Discover Hampton Fort Monroe iPod Tour more to your liking. Download the tour to your iPod free here at visithampton.com. Hampton's Civil War heritage is also interpreted through Civil War Trails and heritage markers located throughout the city.

Whether visiting the casemate where Jefferson Davis was confined or standing atop Fort Wool's ramparts where President Abraham Lincoln once stood, Hampton's Civil War experience is filled with interpreted historic sites that prompt us to reflect and appreciate our great nation today.

Boat Hampton Deals

In light of the summer coming to a close, we decided it is only fair to reward you with a few deals to get you outdoors.

Captain Hogg's Charter Services is offering $50 off weekday charter service! Call 757/876-1590 or visit http://www.captainhoggscharters.com/ for your reservation

Pursuit Fishing is offering special pricing for military! Call 757/329-1372 or visit http://www.facebook.com/PursuitSportFishing/ for more information.

Book your next family reunion with Miss Hampton II! Group rates are available for 25 people or more and private charters are available in the evenings. Call 757/722-9102 or visit http://www.misshamptoncruises.com/ for more information.

Come visit us in the heart of Downtown at Customs House Marina! We are currently offering a 10% discount off an annual lease. Call 757/868-9357 or visit http://www.downtownhampton.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=115/ for more information. Don't forget to look for us at the 29th Annual Bay Days taking place on September 9-11!

Sunset Boating Center is offering three amazing deals! $100 a month in building one for boats that are 20ft and under; this includes all leases. This offer is valid for new customers of the marina only. Also available is the option of getting 15 months for the price of 12 if pre-paid! For any boat measuring 22ft to 27ft, get the low price of $175 a month with a pre-paid contract for 3 month, 6 month, or 1 year leases. Call 757/722-3325 or visit http://www.sunsetboatingcenter.com/ for more information.

Ocean Eagle/Hampton Roads Charters is offering a 5 hour fishing trip for only $35 per person...it's the cheapest rate out there! They will even provide the rod and reel. Call 757/868-FISH or visit http://www.hamptonroadscharter.com/for reservations. Also visit our Hampton Roads Charters facebook page. Remember that striped bass season starts in October!

10% off your next boating experience with Sellfish! Call 757/288-1081 or visit http://www.jerryscharterfinshing.com/ for your reservation now!

Check out additional offers from Hampton:

Black Magic Sport Fishing http://www.blackmagicsportfishing.com/
Matty J Charters http://www.matty-j.com/
NevaQuit Charters http://www.nevaquitcharters.com/

Seeing red, white and blue in Hampton

I'm a patriotic girl, always have been, and summer in Hampton brings out the Proud American in me. First of all, American history is everywhere here. As you ply Hampton's waterways, you're exploring water trails that John Smith, Christopher Newport and Bartholomew Gosnold explored in 1607.

Step dockside on the downtown Hampton waterfront and within walking distance you can experience awe-inspiring exhibits and suspended aircraft at the Virginia Air & Space Center, visitor center for NASA Langley and Langley Air Force Base. The Apollo 12 Command Module is displayed here! You can walk Hampton University campus grounds where Booker T. Washington studied and where, beneath the embracing limbs of Emancipation Oak, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was read to enslaved and free members of the community. At the Hampton History Museum you can learn how Hampton's 400 year story aligns with the chapters of America's history book. And you can experience Americana at its best with a whirl on the Hampton Carousel, a 1920Philadelphia Toboggan Company antiquity that continues to entertain visitors on the downtown Hampton waterfront. All these, within a stroll of the pier!

But these are the immediate, obvious sites that introduce you to Hampton and let you know this is a special place. Sites that really have me singing the Star Spangled Banner are Fort Wool and Fort Monroe. Construction on both of these national treasures began in 1819, with construction of Fort Monroe complete in 1834. Fort Wool was never really complete, but that essence of what was and could have been adds to its mystique. The fort is located on a man-made island known as the Rip Raps in the middle of Hampton Roads. The Miss Hampton harbor tour docks at the island twice daily and a tour guide brilliantly relates its history. I'd rather dock and experience the site solo, so I am appreciative of the historic markers on display that share Fort Wool's remarkable history. There are eight markers for me to read and by the time I leave the island, this "sinking" garrison feels like a friend.

Fort Monroe is the largest stone fort ever constructed in the United States and the only moat-encircled fort in active use by the military. Presently a U.S. Army post, Fort Monroe will cease military operations on September 15, 2011. While the stone fort itself is nothing short of remarkable, essential American landmarks abound within the fort's walls and along its shoreline. Such sites include the Casemate Museum which celebrated its 40th anniversary this week and contains the cell in which Jefferson Davis was held following the Civil War. Lieutenant Robert E. Lee's quarters are across from the museum, and nearby are Quarters Number One, Chapel of the Centurion, and Old Point Comfort Light. This week in Hampton, Secretary of the Interior Salazar visited Fort Monroe to discern whether interest in making Fort Monroe a National Monument and/or a National Park was the general consensus of Virginians present when the military leaves. The question was answered with a resounding Y-E-S!

Celebrate Independence Day until your proud American heart bursts with pride at these Hampton festivities:

Tonight, July 1 Fireworks and All-American NASCAR Hometrack Racing at Langley Speedway

Saturday, July 2, Downtown Hampton Market Place A bounty of fresh vegetables, fruit, bread, seafood, cheese, wine and crafts all available for purchase on Queens Way.

Saturday, July 2 Streetfest on Downtown Hampton's Queens Way featuring local favorite performing artists Slapwater

Sunday, July 3 Hampton's Peninsula Pilots take on the Daredevils at War Memorial Stadium. Game time is 7:05pm.

July 4, Fourth at the Fort featuring 38 Special, games, food, rides and fireworks. And the best part, it's at Fort Monroe!

2011 Hampton visitor guide and event calendar now available!

Pick up the new Hampton Visitor Guide, available at the Hampton Maritime Center and other visitor center locations. The guide features all the details on Hampton attractions, boating, fishing, and marinas--plus Downtown Hampton, Peninsula Town Center and Phoebus. Check out the virtual guide by clicking on this link to the v-book: http://www.vgnet.com/issuu_books/hampton_vbook_2011.html.

Hampton has an action-packed calendar of festivals, museum exhibits and commemorations. Mark your calendar now for these maritime favorites!

March 11-13 Virginia RV & Boat Show
New this year in Hampton Roads! The 7th Annual Virginia RV Show will be adding boats for 2011. The opportunity has presented itself to offer RV & Boat enthusiasts from the Tidewater area a one stop buying experience. Hampton Roads Convention Center. $10, ages 16 and under free. 757/315-1610. www.agievents.com or www.thehrcc.com

May 20 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in IMAX (Opening Day)
Virginia Air & Space Center. Admission Fee. 757/727-0900. www.vasc.org

June 4-5 12th Annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival
Set sail for Hampton’s Pirate Festival where living history and family fun go hand-in-hand. Immerse yourself in early 1700s Hampton with Blackbeard’s Ball, a pirate encampment, children’s activities, sea battles, fireworks and more. Downtown Hampton. Free. 757/727-0900. www.blackbeardpiratefestival.com

June 10-12 Great American Dock Party
Enjoy a fun filled boater's weekend with live music by Phoebus Rio, cornhole tournaments, and more, all taking place along the Hampton waterfront. Hampton Public Piers, 757/727-1276. Admission fee. www.downtownhampton.com

July 4 Fourth at the Fort
This lively celebration of our nation's independence takes place at the largest stone fort ever built in the U.S. Enjoy live music, children's games and rides, food and beverage, military exhibits and fireworks! Walker Airfield. Fort Monroe, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Free. 757/788-3151.

August 5-7 85th Annual Hampton Cup Regatta
North America's oldest continuously-run hydroplane boat race! Enjoy a children's area, food vendors, Bay Education and environmental exhibits. East Mercury Bridge at Fort Monroe. Free.
757/ 727-8311.

September 9-11 29th Annual Hampton Bay Days
A combination of free entertainment on two adult stages, children’s stage, rides for kids under twelve, 40 booths of interactive educational fun that encourages stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay, 100 Arts & Crafts booths, 35 food vendors, and one of the longest fireworks displays in the area. Downtown Hampton. Friday, 12:00 Noon-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 12 Noon-6 p.m. Free. 757/727-1641. www.baydays.com

November 7 Caribbean 1500 Cup
The Caribbean 1500 commences in Hampton and sails to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The fleet will gather at Hampton’s Bluewater Yachting Center for several days of briefings and final preparations leading up to the start. Participation fee. www.carib1500.com

December 3 23rd Annual Downtown Hampton Lighted Boat Parade
This highly anticipated parade of illuminated power and sail boats will be visible from anywhere along the Hampton River, however spectators wanting to hear the narration will want to find a spot near the Hampton Maritime Center. Downtown Hampton waterfront, 7:15 p.m. Free. 757/727-1276. www.downtownhampton.com

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.