NORFOLK, Va. — Festival season is always an exciting time for local businesses.
“The Patriotic Festival is kicking off summer!” said Kurt Krause, the president of VisitNorfolk.
Business owners are ready for the many people expected to attend the Patriotic Festival at the Scope Arena and Chrysler Hall.
“It’s going to bring money an influx of money, people, a lot of coverage to the small businesses,” said Derak Green, the co-owner of Cooking With Greens.
“We’re hoping that we still see that influx of people here at Selden Market,” said Selden Market Director Careyann Weinberg.
Thursday marks the first day of the country festival in Downtown Norfolk. Festival President Ira Agricola is expecting a large crowd.
“About 25,000 ticket holders for the concerts,” he said.
Plus, 3,000 to 5,000 each day on the plaza for free events. Agricola said they sell about 60% of festival tickets out of the market.
"So, we have people coming from Northern Virginia, Raleigh, Durham, eastern North Carolina, the western part of the state, DC, Maryland area," he said.
Agricola said this event generates roughly $9 to $10 million for the city.
“In 2022, was just around the $9 million mark,” said Krause. "We had 36% of the guests from outside of Hampton Roads in the past. 1,200 came from California, 750 from New York."
The festival includes artists like Bailey Zimmerman, Zac Brown Brand, and Megan Moroney. This year, organizers added an extra day to the festival to include new artists like Warren Zeiders. The full lineup is available on the festival's website.
“Given that we have Chrysler Hall and it’s a good size facility... you know, we really wanted to take advantage of that,” Agricola said.
Aside from the concerts, Agricola said he’s most proud of the purpose behind the festival which is to honor and support military families in Hampton Roads. He adds the team is already searching for talent for next year's Patriotic Festival.