Beat the crowds and make the most of your time in Virginia Beach by doing these early-fall activities.
Virginia Beach isn’t just popular in the summer; rather, it attracts tourists from across the commonwealth and country all year round. Fall, however, is an especially good time to visit because it’s starting to cool off a bit.
If you’re looking to make the most out of your Virginia Beach trip and avoid dealing with peak season crowds, consider some of these early-fall activities, ranging from Boardwalk festivals to pumpkin patch visits.
Fall events
29th Annual Fall Wine Festival
Dates: Sept. 11-12
Location: 31st Street Park, Virginia Beach
Sample more than 60 wines from some of Virginia’s top vineyards while relaxing by the oceanfront during the 29th Annual Fall Wine Festival. Make sure you talk with some of the vineyard proprietors to learn about their techniques.
The festival will also include food and live entertainment. Zero-proof options will also be available.
The festival runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, and 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. Tickets, which include a commemorative glass and tastings, start at $40 and go up to $50.
End of Summer Bay Bash
Date: Sept. 18
Location: 1052 Cardinal Rd., Virginia Beach
Have one final summertime hurrah by attending the End of Summer Bay Bash at the Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club from 7 to 11 p.m.
Featuring dancing, endless food and drinks, entertainment, and live music by LittleKeys and Strictly Bizzness, the night helps raise funds for the Neptune Festival. Tickets are $150.
Dock Dogs
Dates: Sept. 25-27
Location: 14th Street, Virginia Beach
Dock Dogs on the Oceanfront is a can’t-miss event for cynophiles. You’ll get to see dogs in action as they jump high in the air and speed along as they engage in retrieval competitions. Be sure to check out the Dock Dogs pool.
The free event is slated for 12 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show
Dates: Sept. 25-27
Location: 25-35 Streets, Virginia Beach
Peruse the work of local artists and craftspeople during the Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show as part of the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend. Work from a variety of mediums, including paintings, ceramics, furniture, and sculptures, will be on display.
The show runs from 12 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Neptune Festival Grand Parade
Date: Sept. 26
Location: 16th-32nd Streets on Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach
Don’t miss one of the Neptune Festival’s signature events, the Neptune Festival Grand Parade. Gather along the street and watch as colorful floats, enormous balloons, and boisterous marching bands make their way down the 16-block parade route.
Make sure you’re in the front row to get some of the beads and other items that will be given away to the crowd. The parade starts at 11:30 a.m. and will end at 1 p.m.
Neptune’s Surfing Classic
Dates: Sept. 26-27
Location: 2nd Street, Virginia Beach
Try your hand at surfing or watch some professionals during Neptune’s Surfing Classic.
Those interested in registering should do so by 6 p.m. on Sept. 25. Registration is $45 for the first division, and $25 for each additional division. The event is held as part of the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend.
Touch-A-Truck
Dates: Sept. 26-27
Location: 15th-16th Streets, Virginia Beach
Bring your kids to Touch-A-Truck on the Boardwalk, where they’ll get to get up close to public service, emergency, utility, construction, military, and farming vehicles. The best part is they’ll also get to meet those tasked with driving the vehicles, like firemen and police officers.
Be sure to look for the Stone Crusher monster truck.
The event, which is part of the Neptune Festival, is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.
International Sandsculpting Championship
Dates: Sept. 25-Oct. 4
Location: 7th-8th Streets, Virginia Beach
Check out the creations of world-class sculptors during the International Sandsculpting Championship as part of the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend. A total of 32 sculptors from 15 countries will work to turn mere grains of sand into stunning works of art in only three days.
Make sure you come prepared to get photos with the sculptures and hear from the sculptors about their processes.
Town Center of Virginia Beach’s Fall Festival
Date: Sept. 26
Location: 222 Central Park Ave., Virginia Beach
The Town Center of Virginia Beach’s Fall Festival is designed to help kickstart the new season, offering shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Retailers and restaurants will be offering exclusive discounts, samples, and giveaways.
Harvest Fair
Dates: Sept. 26-Nov. 2
Location: 2388 London Bridge Rd., Virginia Beach
Get into the autumn spirit by going to Hunt Club Farm’s Harvest Fair. Head to the family-friendly event to check out the large pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and hayrides.
The fair is $18 per person, with those 2 and under getting in for free.
7th Annual Virginia African American Cultural Center Fall Festival
Date: Oct. 3
Location: W Hastings Ct., Virginia Beach
Head to Lake Edward Park for the 7th Annual Virginia African American Cultural Center Fall Festival. The day will bring the community together to engage in culture, history, and music.
Come prepared to shop from local vendors, sample different dishes, play interactive activities, and dance to live entertainment.
Visit a haunted/spooky site
While Virginia Beach is largely known as a tourist destination, it also has a much darker side—one that is characterized by several haunted and spooky sites.
Thoroughgood House
Location: 1636 Parish Rd., Virginia Beach
The spirits who roam the grounds of the circa-1719 Thoroughgood House are said to be quite colorful, including a red-haired woman in colonial-era attire and a well-dressed gentleman sporting a brown suit. They’re also said to be naughty, moving items like furniture and candlesticks around.
Try your luck at spotting a spirit or two Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Ferry Plantation House
Location: 4136 Cheswick Ln., Virginia Beach
Given that Ferry Plantation House dates to 1642, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it might have a spirit or two lingering around. In fact, it’s reported that ghosts from the colonial and Civil War eras call the house home.
Be on the lookout for the one-time lady of the house who perished after falling down the stairs in the early 1800s and a painter who resided at the house.
The house is open year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Arrive before 2 p.m. if you’d like a tour.
The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club
Location: 4200 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
Consider staying at The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, where there have been reported sightings of ghosts in the grand lobby and accounts of the Crystal Ballroom piano playing while no one is there.
Most notably, you may even spot the ghost of Adolph Coors, the namesake of the beer, whose life came to an end after falling from a sixth-floor window. It’s said that his ghost restlessly roams the corridors at night.
Haunted Hunt Club Farm Festival of Fear
Dates: Sept. 25-Oct. 31
Location: 2388 London Bridge Rd., Virginia Beach
The Haunted Hunt Club Farm Festival of Fear is the place to be in Virginia Beach for those seeking a scary fall experience. The park offers Halloween thrills, haunts, live entertainment, midway concessions, and vendors.
The Haunted Hayride, Cemetery of Souls, Forbidden Fields, and Village of the Dead will surely get your adrenaline pumping and leave you frightened.
Go camping
As the weather gets cooler, camping near the beach is a perfect fall activity for the whole family. Be sure to bring supplies for s’mores.
First Landing State Park
Location: 2500 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach
Relax in the oasis within Virginia Beach that is First Landing State Park, the site where English colonists first arrived in 1607. Fall is the perfect time to leisurely explore the 20 miles of trails and 1.5 miles of beach frontage.
Camping at the park is available in the form of cabins, yurts, and tent campsites.
Make your reservation online.
False Cape State Park
Location: 4001 Sandpiper Rd., Virginia Beach
False Cape State Park offers primitive camping year-round at Barbour Hill Bay, Barbour Hill Ocean, False Cape Landing Bay, and False Cape Landing Ocean. Camping at the park offers a peaceful break from busy urban life as it’s one of the few remaining undeveloped strips of Atlantic coastline.
Come prepared for a hike because the distance of the sites from Little Island City Park is considerable, with the False Cape Landing Ocean site being 8.4 miles away.
Make sure you reserve your campsite in advance by calling 800-933-7275.
Visit a pumpkin patch
Nothing says fall more than visiting a pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkin to take home and carve.
Cullipher Farm
Location: 772 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach
Do fall the right way by visiting Cullipher Farm, where you can find the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, wander through the corn maze, go for a wagon ride around the farm, and pose for photos in the sunflower fields.
Sunflowers are available for picking from August through November, while pumpkins are only available from September through very early November. The pumpkin patch with more than 25 varieties spans roughly 15 acres.
The farm has been operated by seven generations of the Cullipher family.
Flanagan Farm
Location: 1707 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach
Flanagan Farm offers a range of fall activities for families, including wagon rides, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and a straw maze for younger children.
The farm is owned by fifth-generation farmers Roy and Jeannie Flanagan and their five children.
