Home > Local Finds > Updates: The 52nd Virginia Beach Neptune Festival!

This page may contain affiliate or sponsored links. MyActiveChild.com will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, and the presence of our sponsors/advertising partners is what makes this website possible. Thank you for supporting us. For more information, see our terms of use.

Updates: The 52nd Virginia Beach Neptune Festival!

September 25, 2026

⚠ UPDATED — Friday, September 25, 2026: The Neptune Festival has announced further changes. Friday is off entirely — including the Farm Aid Family Reunion, which is now cancelled. Saturday and Sunday go ahead, but several events have moved indoors to the Virginia Beach Convention Center and several others are cancelled.

High winds are preventing tents and temporary event infrastructure from being installed safely along the Boardwalk. Full details are on the festival’s 2026 modified schedule page.

Friday, September 25 — everything on the Boardwalk is off:

  • Farm Aid Family Reunion at 31st Street Park is now CANCELLED. This changed on Thursday — it was previously the one Friday event still going ahead.
  • All Friday Boardwalk activities remain suspended, including the Sandsculpting tent, Poseidon’s Playground and both park concert stages.
  • The one Friday item still running: Neptune’s 8K Race packet pickup, 3–8pm at Smartmouth Pilot House (the race itself is sold out).

Moved indoors to the Virginia Beach Convention Center — Saturday 26 & Sunday 27:

  • Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show — Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–6pm
  • Poseidon’s Playground — Sat 11am–3pm, Sun 11am–3pm. Free family activities include The Mermaid Factory paint parties, face painting, balloon artists, fairy hair, and the Young Collectors Art Gallery & Art Making Studio for Kids.
  • Touch-A-Truck — Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm
  • Youth Art Show — Sunday, Sept. 27
  • The commemorative poster and official Neptune Festival T-shirts are available at the Convention Center.

Still going ahead:

  • Neptune’s International Sandsculpting Championship — opens to the public Saturday, Sept. 26 at noon and runs through Sunday, Oct. 4.
  • Neptune’s 8K Race — Saturday, 8am start. Sold out.
  • Saturday and Sunday concerts at 31st Street and 24th Street parks, as scheduled.

Cancelled:

  • Neptune Festival Grand Parade
  • Dock Dogs
  • Neptune’s Atlantic Regatta
  • Neptune’s Surfing Classic
  • Neptune’s Volleyball Tournament
  • Healthy Haven
  • Sand + Street Soccer
  • All boardwalk vendors except the Art & Craft Show (Marketplace, Food and Nonprofit vendors)

Times above are taken from the festival’s Sept. 24 announcement and are exact as published; conditions are still changing. Check the modified schedule or the Neptune Festival’s Facebook page before you travel.

Neptune Festival Virginia Beach.jpg

Coming up in September! Every year The Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach takes place over 30 blocks of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This year make sure to head down to the beach for Boardwalk Weekend which will include

When: Boardwalk weekend takes place September 25 – September 27, 2026.

  • Friday 12-11pm — suspended for Friday, Sept. 25 (see the weather update above). The Farm Aid Family Reunion at 31st Street Park still runs 6–11pm.
  • Saturday 10am-11pm
  • Sunday 10am-6pm

Where: 1st to 35th Street, Virginia Beach Oceanfront — but several events have moved indoors to the Virginia Beach Convention Center; see the update above. Stages are located at 24th, and 31st Streets on the Boardwalk.

Some of the 2026 family-friendly highlights are:

The International Sandsculpting Championship is back and is always impressive. A huge tent, almost as large as a football field, will house 22 sculptures created by 12 solo and 10 doubles teams! Sculptors will compete for the largest prize purse awarded in the country.

If you head over to check out the sculptures in the “Land of Sand” keep in mind the admission fee: $7 per person (admission purchased on-site – cash and card accepted this year!) Children ages 12 and under are free while accompanied by an adult, and no pets are allowed. The tent does have access for wheelchairs and strollers. Updates here.

  • Weather update: the tent is closed Friday, 9/25 and now opens Saturday, 9/26 at noon (not 9am), running through Sunday, Oct. 4.
  • Hours for this popular display are Fri, 9/25 – Sat, 9/26: 9am-11pm Sat, 9/26: opens at noon
    | Sun, 9/27 – 9am-9pm | Mon, 9/28 – Thurs 10/1: 10am-6pm
    | Fri, 10/2 – Sat, 10/3: 10am-9pm | Sun, 10/4: 10am-6pm
  • Sculptures can be viewed through October 4, 2026. A complete description of the Sandsculpting Event including admission rates and hours of the display can be found HERE.
  • Don’t miss the FREE Sand Clinics (Saturday, Sept 26 & Sunday, Sept 27) where you can learn about Sandsculpting from a Pro! Topics of the clinics include No Hassle Sand Castle, Sea Turtles, Neptune Statue Head, and Dolphins

Neptune’s Grand Parade has been CANCELLED for 2026. It will take place Saturday morning, September 26, 2026, from 11:30am-1pm between 16th and 32nd Streets on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

  • This event is FREE and open to the public and takes place rain or shine. Get there early for the best spots! Additional information on the parade can be found HERE.

Neptune Festival Arts & Crafts Show — moved to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Sat 10am–6pm and Sun 10am–6pm. The art show features more than 200 artisans displaying handmade work from paintings and sculptures, to photography and glass-work. A great place to shop!

Poseidon’s Playground Free Family Fun Zone – 17th Street Park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront — moved to the Virginia Beach Convention Center
Free and open to the public. Test your skills with cornhole, giant jenga, connect four, chess, and checkers…Dance it out to our house DJ or paint a masterpiece to take home from The Mermaid Factory. Magicians, Face Painters, Balloon Artists, Fairy Hair, and more.

Friday, September 25 from 5pm – 9:30pm | Saturday, September 26 from 10am – 9:30pm | Sunday, September 27 10:00am – 4:00pm — new hours at the Convention Center: Saturday 11am–3pm and Sunday 11am–3pm. Cancelled Friday.

Touch-A-Truck – 15th to 16th Street, Virginia Beach Oceanfront — moved to the Virginia Beach Convention Center

  • Free and open to the public
  • Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 10am – 6pm
  • Sunday, September 27, 2026 from 10am – 4pm

For a Full List of Neptune Festival Activities Please Click Here.

Written by Charlotte Moore

Owner & Founder of MyActiveChild.com | People & Programs Connector | Mom & MilSpouse

Tags: Atlantic Regatta, Boardwalk Weekend, Local Events, Neptune Festival, Sandsculpting, Sandsculpting Competition, Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Virginia Beach Surfing, Volleyball Championship, and Youth Art Show
Categories: Events, Free!, Information, and Virginia Beach

Recent Posts:

  1. Art Classes For Kids In Hampton Roads, Virginia
    Does your active child love to draw, paint, or create? Check out our local business listings for art classes for kids of all ages!
    October 8, 2026
  2. Fall on the Farm at Cullipher Farm in Virginia Beach!
    Nothing says Fall like apples and pumpkin picking! Stock up on your healthy favorites and get the kids out into the orchards and fields this fall at Cullipher Farm!
    October 8, 2026
  3. Ticket Giveaway Winner #2! The 2026 Harvest Fair at Hunt Club Farm
    Hunt Club Farm is celebrating fall with their annual Harvest Fair, open daily September 26 through November 1, 2026. Enter our ticket giveaway!
    October 8, 2026
  4. Mystical Arts of Tibet in Hampton (Free Event)
    Millions of grains of colorful sand come to life on stage to create a one-of-a-kind sand-painted mandala, carrying the Tibetan monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery’s message of planetary peace and healing throughout the world! Free event.
    October 8, 2026
  5. Upcoming Events for Teens in Hampton Roads
    Teens! These upcoming activities are open to and/or designed for teens in Hampton Roads - including Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and beyond.
    October 8, 2026
  6. Community Updates and Announcements!
    Share your information or flyer on MyActiveChild.com! We can't possibly include them all in our general or sponsored posts, but we now have a new way to share this information - as a Community Announcement on MyActiveChild.com!
    October 8, 2026