2011 Fall Festivals Guide

Because dates and times of some events might change, call the phone numbers listed to verify. Area codes are 757 unless noted.

FRIDAY

Neptune Festival's Endless Summer Beach Bash, food, music (Right On), dancing and more. 8 p.m. Cavalier Beach Club, 4201 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach. 498-0215.

SATURDAY

Comedy on the Beach Festival, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Buckroe Beach, 100 S. First St., Hampton. 544-1084.

Sept. 9

Hampton Bay Days, downtown Hampton waterfront. Entertainment, festival food, fireworks (10 p.m. Saturday) and more. Music headliners: The Marshall Tucker Band at 8:30 p.m. Friday, The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Colt Ford at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Noon-11 p.m. Sept. 9, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 10, noon-6 p.m. Sept. 11. 727-1641, www.baydays.com.

Sept. 10

Southeast Community Day Parade and Festival, parade at 10 a.m. at Booker T. Washington Middle School. Festival at 1 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, off Jefferson Avenue, Newport News. 218-8157.

Fall Gardening Festival, "Water, Water Everywhere, Let's Take Care." Sponsored by the Virginia Beach Master Gardener Association. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach. 385-4769, www.vbmg.org.

Neptune Festival Fall Wine Festival, wine sampling, food, live music (Lewis McGehee and Vedette), vendors and more. Noon-5 p.m. Sept. 10-11. 31st Street park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 498-0215, www.neptunefestival.com.

Sept. 11

Second Sundays Festival of Music and Artisans, featuring artisan tents with paintings, pottery, glass, jewelry, garden art and leather. 400 block of Prince George St., downtown Williamsburg. www.2ndsundayswilliamsburg.com.

Sept. 16

Umoja Festival, music, children's activities, food and more. 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16, noon Sept. 17-18. Main concert is 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 featuring headliners Tank with Ledisi and Avant. nTelos Wireless Pavilion, 901 Crawford St., Portsmouth. 393-8481, www.umoja festportsmouth.com.

Festa Italiana, featuring entertainment, food and more. 5 p.m. Sept. 16, noon Sept. 17-18. 17th Street park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 491-7866.

My Big Fat Greek Party, Greek cuisine, music and festivities. Sept. 16-18. 24th Street park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 491-7866.

Neptune Festival Seniors Gala, a night of big band orchestral sounds. 7 p.m. Cavalier Beach Club, 4201 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach. 498-0215.

Sept. 17

Virginia Beach Hamfest and American Radio Relay League Convention, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St. 385-2000, www.vbhamfest.com.

India Fest, music, dance, arts and crafts, food and more. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Scope, 201 E. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk. 816-2140, www.aihr.org.

Sept. 18

Neptune Festival Sandman Triathlon, features a 1K open ocean swim and a 14-mile bike race and concludes with a 5K run. 2nd Street, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 7:30 a.m. 498-0215, www.neptunefestival.com.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, featuring music, arts and crafts, children's activities and more. Noon-4 p.m. TowneBank Fountain Park, at Town Point Park, downtown Norfolk. 441-2345.

Mutt Strut Dog Walk and Festival, featuring demonstrations, games, contests and more, presented by the Suffolk Humane Society. 1-5 p.m. Sleepy Hole Park, 4700 Sleepy Hole Road, Suffolk. 538-3030.

Sept. 21

Neptune Festival Symphony by the Sea, 7:30 p.m. 31st Street park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 498-0215, www.neptunefestival.com.

Sept. 24

Cape Charles Fall Festival, parade (10 a.m.), arts and crafts, children's activities and more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 331-4848.

Oktoberfest, a day of traditional German folk music and food. 11 a.m. Hunter House Victorian Museum, 240 W. Freemason St., Norfolk. 623-9814, www.hunterhousemuseum.org.

Sept. 30

Virginia Beach Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend, events from 2nd to 36th streets at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Highlights include North American Sandsculpting Championship, music, Surfing Classic, food, arts and crafts, children's activities and more. Noon-11 p.m. Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Oct. 1, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 2. 498-0215, www.neptunefestival.com.

Oct. 1

Virginia Children's Festival, storytelling, hands-on workshops and educational displays, cultural experiences, arts and crafts, costumed characters and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. 441-2345.

Five Alarm Festival and Chili Cook-Off, food vendors, fire safety demonstrations, children's activities and more. Carousel Park, next to the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton. Noon. 727-1212.

Oct. 5

Harvest Festival, featuring seafood, music (Rare Mixx) and more. Sunset Beach Resort, Lankford Highway, Kiptopeke. Noon-5 p.m. 787-2460.

Oct. 6

Suffolk Peanut Festival, entertainment, carnival rides, arts and crafts, food, fireworks (8 p.m. Saturday) and more. Music headliners include Foghat (8 p.m. Saturday) and The Charlie Daniels Band (3:30 p.m. Sunday). 2-10:30 p.m. Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Oct. 7-8, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 9. Suffolk Executive Airport, 1410 Airport Road. 539-6751, www.suffolkfest.org.

Oct. 7

TGIF BrewFest, beer sampling, Oktoberfest-style foods and entertainment. 5-9 p.m. Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. 441-2345, www.festevents.org.

Oct. 8

Chincoteague Island Oyster Festival, featuring oysters, steamed crabs, clam fritters, clam chowder and more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Maddox Family Campground, 6742 Maddox Blvd., Chincoteague. 336-6161.

Italian Festival, featuring music, food, crafts, antique cars and more. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 8-9. Walsingham Academy, 1100 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg. 253-1396.

Oct. 14

Poquoson Seafood Festival, music, arts and crafts, food, children's activities and more. Poquoson Municipal Park, 830 Poquoson Ave. 5-10 p.m. Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 15, 12:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 16. 868-3588, www.poquosonseafoodfestival.com.

Oct. 15

24th annual Town Point Virginia Wine Festival, featuring more than 30 Virginia wineries providing a sampling of wines. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 15-16. Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. 441-2345, www.festevents.org.

Oct. 22

Virginia Beach Craft Beer Festival, samples from 25 breweries. Oct. 22-23. 24th Street park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront. 491-7866.

Oct. 29

Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival, noon-6 p.m. Chesapeake City Park, 900 Greenbrier Pkwy. 573-8940, www.chesapeakevawinefestival.com.

Nov. 6

Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, commemoration of the first official Thanksgiving featuring a re-enactment, Chickahominy Indian tribal dancers, children's activities and more. Noon-4 p.m. Berkeley Plantation, 12602 Harrison Landing Road, Charles City. (888) 466-6018.