Neptune Festival

[1] Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce President and RK Chevrolet founder Richard Kline created the idea in 1973, to celebrate the heritage of the city.

At the corner of 31st and Atlantic in Virginia Beach, there is a 34-foot-tall (10 m), 12.5 ton statue of Neptune, Roman god of the Seas.

[3] The Boardwalk Weekend includes the International Sandsculpting Championship,[4] Art & Craft Show,[5] food, and live music.

[6] The event is free and open to the public, with the exception of a tent-covered viewing fee of the sand sculptures.

[7] While it is a prominent and lucrative festival, the Neptune Festival was embroiled in a gender discrimination controversy in November 2020[8] when a male high school junior’s application was rejected, because the “royal court” only allows for the participation of high school girls and adult men.