A task force said certain events should get priority at the Oceanfront, with major events sponsored by Virginia Beach taking top billing.
Last year, the group said the Oceanfront should be reserved for events that fill hotel rooms and are well-produced to protect the city’s image. Smaller community functions should be directed to parks in the city, sparking a council discussion about who Oceanfront events are really for.
On Tuesday, the group said city-sponsored events, such as Something in the Water, Pride Fest and Juneteenth, should get preference. Events organized by nonprofits, such as the Boardwalk Arts Festival and Neptune Fest, get second priority, while company-organized events and smaller gatherings are at the back of the line.
The priority levels provided a narrower focus on policy, said Councilman Worth Remick, and “left alone” foggy distinctions between tourism and community events.
One of the task force’s goals presented last July states, “Our Oceanfront is the premier location, so festivals at the Oceanfront will be primarily produced by the City and professional producers in order to protect the Oceanfront and Virginia Beach communities.”
The rankings are not as much about prioritizing moneymakers for the city.
“We’re not in the business of making money off these festivals,” Councilmember Joash Schulman said at the task force’s first presentation last May. “The real return beyond the financial is the image, the community-building, everything that makes us an attractive destination for people to visit and for residents to go down and enjoy.”
City staff will add the rankings and other updates to the Oceanfront Parks policy, which hasn’t been changed in 20 years.
“It’s a much-needed update,” said Remick, who represents the Oceanfront’s district.
The task force also suggested increasing application permit fees for events, which also had not been updated. Applications for one-day permits should go from $75 to $150 and two-day from $250 to $500.
The increases do not completely cover the costs of reviewing the applications but make the fees more aligned with other cities, staff said.
“Event owners do have significant costs that it takes for them to individually put on events, based on the size and scope of the event, everything from fencing and trash cans and officials,” said Nancy Helman, director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. “So we do try to keep the application fee affordable.”
Council will consider the increases as part of the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
The task force also recommended capping the number of food trucks at events to one per 500 attendees to prevent trucks from taking up space on boardwalks and parks and to encourage people to patronize restaurants instead.
The task force, which includes restaurant, museum and hotel representatives, first met in February 2024.
After beaches were shut down during the pandemic, the city lost festivals such as the Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon but got others including the Jackalope Fest, Remick said.
“All of a sudden we had all these festivals, and we said, ‘Well, wait a minute. We probably need to do a better job of planning these and having public input and looking at the businesses on Atlantic Avenue.’”
Council will vote on the fee increases in March.
“It’s good that we had some closure to the task force,” Remick said.
