Farm Aid Arrives in Virginia Beach
(Lukas Nelson first performed during Farm Aid at age 10.) By Jeff Maisey Virginia family farmers, musicians, activists, supporters, and fans will gather Saturday, September 26 at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater @ Virginia Beach for Farm Aid 2026. The list of...
Garden of Earthly Delights
(Dale Chihuly’s “Paradise Pink Trumpet Flowers” pair with the tropical plant species inside the Perry Conservatory.) By Jeff Maisey In early September I had an enjoyable tour of Norfolk Botanical Garden's impressive "Garden of Tomorrow," a two building experience...
The Tuesday Storm’s Warning
By Jim Morrison High tide started rising early that afternoon in Norfolk, filling the city’s decades-old stormwater pipes halfway or more as much as a mile inland. On some sunny days, those pipes rebel against their purpose, becoming conduits for water flowing up...
ESSAY: Piano Lessons
By Tom Robotham In early June, as my 70th birthday approached, I purchased a new piano. When it was delivered a day later, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. To understand what it meant to me, you need to know some personal history. When I was growing up, my...
Family Stays are Focus of Ronald McDonald House
(Elyse N. Brown, Executive Director, RMHC of Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey If you’ve driven by the Ronald McDonald House on Norfolk’s Colley Avenue across the street from Sentara medical complex and caught a passing glimpse of a lifelike statue of the famous fast food...
Virginia Beach Art Center Marks 10 Years
By Jeff Maisey On July 26, Virginia Beach Art Center will mark 10 years as “a vibrant creative hub in the heart of the ViBe Creative District, offering an educational and supportive environment that inspires people of all ages and skill levels to experience, engage...
ESSAY: America at 250
By Tom Robotham I’ve never cared much for the Fourth of July. As a child, I associated it with the incessant noise of illegal fireworks and kids I knew who’d been maimed by them: a boy who was missing three fingers because an M-80 had blown up in his hand and a girl...
Juneteenth in Hampton Roads
(George “G-Man” Waters has Jazzteenth at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront ready to make its debut) Juneteenth in Hampton Roads By Jerome Langston Celebrating its sixth year as a federal holiday, Juneteenth — officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day,...
ESSAY: Toxic Tech
By Tom Robotham Recently I began reading The Anxious Generation, by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt—a book that explores the dramatic rise in mental illness among teens, beginning around 2010. He makes a compelling case that the chief cause is the proliferation of...
New “Angel” Sought for Riverview Theater
(NOT OPENING IN 2026: The Riverview Theater. Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison The Riverview Theater was sold at a foreclosure auction Thursday back to the man who held onto it for decades, hoping a buyer would make it the theater jewel of the neighborhood....
Tuskegee Airmen Story Takes New Flight
(Actors starring in “TUSKEGEE: An Immersive Experience” themselves experience a unique theatrical presentation. Photo courtesy of ROŪGE: Theater Reinvented.) By Jeff Maisey Theatrical stage sets use costuming, props, lighting, sound, and other tools of the trade to...
LTVB Stages a Love Letter to Live Theater
By Jim Roberts When Ken Ludwig’s “Moon Over Buffalo” premiered on Broadway in 1995, the Boston Herald called it “nothing less than a love letter to live theater.” It may be an even more fitting description today. Set in 1953, Ludwig’s comedy follows a struggling...
Phoebus Jazz Festival Take 3
(Drummer Billy Williams (pictured) and his quartet will perform Saturday, September 26 as part of the Phoebus Jazz Festival. By Jerome Langston "Then, Billy...Billy is one of my former students, of course, but this young man has grown up to be one of the...
Life’s Observations Woven Into Breedlove Exhibition
(Hillarey Breedlove’s Mom Brigade.) By Betsy DiJulio Not so long ago, Hillarey Breedlove was painting portraits of cows adorned with floral wreaths and polished bells on antique breadboards in Germany. IYKYK. If you don’t know, Viehscheid aka Almabtrieb is an...
Chloe Youtsey Delivers New Live Concept and EP
(Chloe Youtsey is on fire in local jazz circles. Photography by Danielle Blevins) By Jeff Maisey On Saturday, September 19, Virginia Beach jazz artist Chloe Youtsey, who won the 2026 Best Jazz category at the Veer Music Awards, will present an intriguing conceptual...
Large Cast Sails Back to 9/11
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: The cast of “Come Sail Away” is proving resilient after the historic Wells Theatre and equipment were severely damaged by torrential rains and flooding. A great way to help the theater company is to buy a ticket and experience this excellent...
ART: Dazzling Colors and Bold Shapes
(Installation view of Paul Reed: A Retrospective. Photograph by David Hunter Hale) By Betsy DiJulio If our warring world is too much with you—combat wars, culture wars, information wars, science wars—Paul Reed: a Retrospective may be just the respite you need. Reed’s...
Zero to 70
(Jae Sinnett opened for Echo & The Bunnymen at The NorVa in June Photo by Aria Maisey. By Jeff Maisey Seventy Seven zero. You’d never know by listening to Jae Sinnett he turned 70 at the end of June. Nor, by gazing at his fit physique, in-demand schedule and...
Billy Idol Dances with Devo
(Billy Idol was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Photo by David Raccuglia.) By Jeff Maisey Talk about an interesting time in music history — 1978. The previous year saw the release of some of the greatest, most iconic albums in pop/rock...
Vivid Colors Shine in Imperial Chinese Glass
By Betsy DiJulio I say, “Chinese decorative arts;” you say, “porcelain.” And you’re not wrong. Blue and white porcelain and celadon, especially, are practically household names in the U.S. and are among the most successful global exports in history. Chinese...
Ghent Restaurant Week & Other Foodie Events
The eclectic, charming neighborhood and business corridor of Ghent in Norfolk will be presenting its first traditional restaurant week beginning Friday, September 25 and running through Sunday, October 4. With the tagline “Fall in love with Ghent,” the restaurants...
WINE: Fall in Love with Mary Taylor’s Castilla Y Leon
By Jeff Maisey A couple of years ago, Annette Stone of The Green Onion restaurant in Ghent turned me on to the portfolio of vinos produced by French-based winemaker Mary Taylor. With the tagline “think outside the grape,” Taylor’s statement of purpose is inspiring:...
Go to Morocco, then Compare the Tajine There with the Same Dish at Norfolk’s Omar’s Carriage House
(Omar Boukhriss is a native of Morocco. Photo by Joel Rubin) By Joel Rubin In Morocco this May, on a two-week tour with six other couples, my wife and I rode camels, bought ceramics, survived crowded markets, drank a lot of mint tea and feasted on tajine. More...
Soup Du Jour, er, Cure
(A bowl of homemade Mom’s Matzo Ball at George & Sam’s Deli & Diner.) By Marisa Marsey Ugh! My head is fuzzy. My nose is runny. My eyes are tearing. When I try to swallow, it feels like a boulder’s wedged in my pharynx. A summer cold has arrived. Everyone...
What’s New in 757 Dining
(The recently opened Ceremony in Norfolk’s Ghent neighborhood presents gourmet vegan and vegetarian dishes. Photo courtesy of Ceremony.) By Marisa Marsey Like a beach’s shifting sands, Coastal Virginia’s restaurant landscape is constantly in flux. Here’s a sampling of...
Catch the Buzz at Honey Fest
By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Gather the folks in your hive and buzz over to St. George Brewing in Hampton for HoneyFest 2026, presented in collaboration with Newport News’ premier homebrew supply shop Brew & Bottle. This special homage to bees, honey, mead...
Just Tacos
By Jim Roberts Don't come to Sanctuary Taco Bar expecting burritos or enchiladas—or even chips and salsa. Just tacos. Well … tacos and homemade fudge. It sounds like an odd combination until you meet owner Trey Hannah. For 27 years, Hannah ran his family's Hallmark...
Sensational Sasha
(Sasha Rigney’s creative craft cocktails are exploding in popularity. Photo courtesy of Sasha Rigney.) By Jeff Maisey It’s opening time on a Wednesday at ilo Bistro in Norfolk. Like any other dinnertime throughout the week, a small gathering hovers around the...
Eat to the Beat at Rose’s
(STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: Food preparation is a culinary art. Photo courtesy of Rose’s. ) By Marisa Marsey I wasn’t sure what to expect at Rose’s, an Atlantic Park-adjacent establishment that opened in May. Its subtitle reads Hi-Fi Sound + Restaurant + Bar, referencing the...
Unleash the Hops! Wasserhund Brewing Comes to Norfolk
(Beer and pizza is the perfect combination at Wasserhund. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Yes, Norfolk’s Historic Railroad District has officially gone to the dogs! Earlier this year Wasserhund Brewing Company opened its third location,...
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