Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend in Virginia Beach: dates, guide

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Dates, events and rules come from the Neptune Festival’s Boardwalk Weekend page and its FAQ. This page is updated each year at the same address.

Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend always begins on the last Friday in September, the festival says, which puts the 2027 weekend on Friday, Sept. 24, to Sunday, Sept. 26. The festival has not yet posted the 2027 lineup or schedule. The 52nd Boardwalk Weekend ran Sept. 25-27, 2026, and the festival says hundreds of thousands of people come each year. Call the Neptune Festival Command Center at 757-498-0215 during the weekend.

Know before you go

• 2027 dates: Friday, Sept. 24, to Sunday, Sept. 26 (the festival’s last-Friday rule; schedule not yet posted)
• Where: the Boardwalk from 6th to 33rd streets, the beach, and 17th, 24th and 31st Street parks
• Cost: almost everything is free; the sandsculpting tent charged $7 in 2026, free under 12 with an adult
• Information booths: 12th and 24th streets on the Boardwalk
• Command center: 757-498-0215
• Organizer: Neptune Festival, a private nonprofit, neptunefestival.com

What happens on Boardwalk Weekend

The Neptune Festival has celebrated beach life since 1974 and produces more than 40 events a year, including wine and craft beer festivals, according to its home page. Boardwalk Weekend is the big one. In a normal year it brings:

• Free concerts on two stages, at 24th and 31st Street parks, with more than 20 performances by local and national bands. Beer gardens there are run by nonprofits, including the Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club of Virginia Beach.
• More than 400 vendors on the Boardwalk from 6th to 33rd streets: the Art & Craft Show of handmade work from 25th to 33rd streets, a shopping marketplace, more than 40 food vendors and local nonprofits at 22nd and 23rd streets.
• Neptune’s International Sandsculpting Championship, 22 sculptures by international sculptors on the beach, with free sand clinics taught by the pros.
• Neptune’s 8K Race and the Grand Parade.
• Poseidon’s Playground, a free family zone in 17th Street Park, plus Touch-a-Truck, the Youth Art Show, a volleyball tournament, a surfing classic and the Atlantic Regatta.

The 2026 weekend: wind moved it indoors

High winds in 2026 kept tents off the Boardwalk. The festival moved the Art & Craft Show, Poseidon’s Playground, Touch-a-Truck and the youth art shows into the Virginia Beach Convention Center for Saturday and Sunday. The concerts in 24th and 31st Street parks went ahead with Gavin DeGraw, KT Tunstall and Soul Asylum headlining Saturday, and Neptune’s 8K ran as planned. The Friday concert was dropped, and the sandsculpting tent stayed closed. The weekend’s dates did not change.

Road closures, parking and shuttles

The festival publishes the year’s closures in its FAQ. In 2026, Atlantic Avenue closed Saturday between 1st and 40th streets from 7 to 9:15 a.m., and between 10th and 32nd streets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For parking, the festival lists municipal lots on Atlantic Avenue at 4th Street, Rudee Loop and 2nd Street, and on Pacific Avenue at 19th Street and Croatan Beach, plus municipal garages on Pacific Avenue at 9th, 25th and 31st streets. Late September is still paid-parking season: the city charges at meters and municipal surface lots through Oct. 31, and lot hours can change during large special events. Residents can buy a $50 annual Resort Area parking voucher. The festival lists 757-385-4800 for parking questions.

The VB Wave trolleys, run by Hampton Roads Transit, ran through the 2026 festival: Route 30 up and down Atlantic Avenue about every 15 minutes, Route 31 to the campgrounds and the Virginia Aquarium, and Route 35 to the north end, First Landing State Park and Shore Drive. The festival listed fares of $2 one way or $4.50 for a day, with children 17 and under free with a paying adult.

What to know

• Pets: not allowed in the sandsculpting tent or in 17th, 24th and 31st Street parks. The festival recommends leaving pets at home.
• Accessibility: the Boardwalk, the parks and the sandsculpting tent are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Free beach wheelchairs can be reserved at 757-385-1100.
• Alcohol: beer, seltzers and canned cocktails are sold in 24th and 31st Street parks, 21 and older with a valid photo ID.
• Restrooms: along the Boardwalk and at 17th, 24th and 31st Street parks.
• Posters and T-shirts: the commemorative poster is sold at 24th Street; shirts at several Boardwalk stands.

What this means for you

Mark the last weekend of September and expect Atlantic Avenue closures on Saturday morning. If you are driving in, use a garage or ride the VB Wave; if you live in the resort area, plan errands around the parade and the 8K. For the rest of the Oceanfront, see our Oceanfront and Boardwalk guide and our fall festivals guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Neptune Festival in 2027?

The festival says Boardwalk Weekend always begins on the last Friday in September and runs through that weekend, which puts 2027 on Friday, Sept. 24, to Sunday, Sept. 26. The 2026 weekend was Sept. 25-27.

Is the Neptune Festival free?

Almost all Boardwalk Weekend events are free, including the concerts in 24th and 31st Street parks and the Grand Parade. In 2026 the International Sandsculpting Championship tent cost $7, free for children under 12 with an adult.

Can I bring my dog to the Neptune Festival?

Dogs are not allowed in the sandsculpting tent or in 17th, 24th and 31st Street parks. City rules allow leashed pets on the Boardwalk after Labor Day, but the festival recommends leaving pets at home because of the crowds.

What roads close for the Neptune Festival?

In 2026, Atlantic Avenue closed Saturday morning between 1st and 40th streets from 7 to 9:15 a.m., and between 10th and 32nd streets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check the festival FAQ for the year’s closures.

Who do I call during Neptune Festival weekend?

The Neptune Festival Command Center, 757-498-0215. For parking questions, the festival lists 757-385-4800.