Celebrate Harborfest and July 4 at new Town Point Park

The renovations to Town Point Park pushed back Harborfest this year from its traditional early June date. So, Norfolk is combining three weekends into one big party - Harborfest, Independence Day and the celebration of the park's reopening - or, as we like to call it, Grand Harbor Fourth. Here's what you can expect.

The grand re-opening of Town Point Park promises to be a grand old party, though not the biggest Festevents has ever handled, according to executive director Karen Scherberger. That would be Op Sail 2000, the millenium celebration. But this weekend has posed the challenge of planning and setting up a huge event in a park while it was receiving $11.5 million in upgrades.

The Grand Ole Opry it's not, but that fit with the theme, so does Lee Greenwood who will be there for a concert Saturday at 8 p.m. He's got a date with "Good Morning America" in the morning, then he hops on his tour bus and heads south for Norfolk. He's cutting it a little close, but no more than the folks renovating the park and the Festevents group.

There will be fireworks, music, tall ships and tugboats and activities for the kids -- and a few twists, too, like DiVine, the nine-foot tall, living plant who appears to be part of the scenery until she starts moving.

The circus-feel you'll get as you approach the center of the park along the Elizabeth River and the new Mercury Landing area. At any time during the festival you might find Bubble Nicholas, the man inside the "snow globe," a living statue of gold, an 18-foot-tall puppet, a tower of chairs, sky-high sway poles, stunt men, jugglers, a yo-yo show and other street-theater style entertainment.

Lots of food is available. New this year is the Al Fresco Outdoor Cafe, which brings a restaurant-style eating experience into the park. Adult bevvies are on tap at the Hard Rock Fish Cafe.

And did we mention fireworks? Each night of the festival will offer fireworks, but Friday's are twilight fireworks - made especially for the evening light.

Oh, and Lee Greenwood. He'll get you in that patriotic mood when he sings "God Bless the U.S.A."

INTERACTIVE MAP: CLICK A STAGE FOR ITS SCHEDULE

Download a PDF map with the above festival info. Print it. Fold it. Take it with you.

Here's a schedule of highlights of the Grand Opening of Town Point Park, Harborfest & 4th of July Great American Picnic:

FIREWORKS
10 p.m. Friday, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday

MUSIC

Budweiser Main Stage
Friday
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. The Late Show’s Gospel Choir
6 - 7:30, p.m., Right On
8:30 - 10 p.m. Collective Soul

Saturday
1:45 - 2:30 p.m., Michael Rossman, comedian
3:15 - 4:30 p.m., The Spinners
5:30 - 6:45 p.m., U.S. Fleet Forces Band
8 - 9:30 p.m., Lee Greenwood
10 - 11 p.m., DJ Joey Melendez

Sunday
12:45 - 2, p.m., Percy Sledge
2:45-3:20 p.m., Jonathan Singleton & the Grove
4:10-5 p.m., Randy Houser
6:15 - 7:30 p.m., Joe Nichols

Hard Rockfish Stage
Friday
3 - 4 p.m., Jesse Chong
4:30 - 6 p.m., Famous Unknowns – Lewis McGehee and Mike Lille
7:30 – 8:30 p.m., Michael Clark Band
10:15 - 11:30 p.m., Lewis McGehee

Saturday
1 – 2 p.m., Susan Greenbaum
2:30 - 3:15 p.m., Susan Greenbaum
4:30 - 5:30 p.m., Narissa Bond
6:45 - 8 p.m., Livingston Taylor

Sunday
Noon – 12:45 p.m., Mercy Creek
2 - 2:45 p.m., Lewis McGehee and Mike Lille
3:20 - 4:10 p.m., Lewis McGehee & Mike Lille
5 - 6:15 p.m., Dave Barnes

Dock Master's Stage (at Waterside Marketplace at the Old Black Finn Restaurant))
Friday
3 - 4:15 p.m., Luke Hartman
5 - 6 p.m. Skye Zentz
6:30 - 7:45 p.m., Ben Phelps
8:15 - 10 p.m., Mike Proffitt

Saturday
Noon - 3 p.m., FM 99
6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Shane Hines
8:15 - 9:30 p.m., Mike Lille

Sunday
3 - 4 p.m., Brian Allard and John Joanides
4:30 - 5:45 p.m., Mike Proffitt
6:15 - 7:30 p.m., Karl Werne

Bluegrass & BBQ Stage
Friday
12:30 - 2:30 p.m., Winds of Grass
3 - 5 p.m., Desert Dust
5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Amy Ferebee
8 - 10 p.m., Code Blue

Saturday
12:30 - 2:30 p.m., Winds of Grass
3 - 5 p.m.,  Charlie Austin Band
5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Amy Ferebee
8:15 - 9:30 p.m., Code Blue

Sunday
12:30 - 1:45 p.m., Code Blue
2:15 - 4:30 p.m., Desert Dust
5 – 7:15 p.m., Winds of Grass

CEREMONIES

Park ribbon cutting, 10 a.m. Friday, Town Point Park’s North Gate.

Town Point Park Dedication, 2 p.m. Friday, main stage

TowneBank Fountain Dedication, 3 p.m. Friday

Naturalization ceremony, noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, main stage

Rededication of the Homecoming Statue and Armed Forces Memorial , 2 p.m. Saturday, Festival Field and North Gate

MARITIME

WVEC Channel 13 Parade of Sail, ships enter downtown harbor at noon Friday

Lazy Lizzy River Anything that Floats but a Boat Race!, 1 p.m. Saturday

Ultimate Build-a-Boat, Boat Building Contest and Race, watch engineers build their crafts Saturday for the race at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tug Muster, demonstrations begin at at 7:30 p.m. Saturday

SPECIAL EVENTS

Warbirds flyover
Vintage World War II airplanes, hosted by Military Aviation Museum at the Virginia Beach Airport, will conduct a flyover at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

Modern dance “Iambus”
 A special dance performance of “Iambus” will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at TowneBank Fountain Park’s “Dancing” Fountain. “Iambus” – choreographed by Jon Lehrer, with music by Bobbie McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma and costumes by Ricardo Melendez – will be performed by members of Todd Rosenlieb Dance in Norfolk.

Norfolk’s Mermaid 10th Birthday Party
Children can decorate their own cupcake with the Young Chefs Academy, or paint their own ceramic mermaid party favor and sing Happy Birthday with the Virginia Beach School of the Arts. There also will be balloons and face-painting. Noon Saturday at TowneBank Fountain Park.