VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The first day of the Neptune Festival was supposed to bring thousands to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront but heavy wind, rain, and lightning halted much of the festivities on Friday.
All 24th Street and 31st Street concerts were canceled Friday night, including headliner Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers.
Ahead of the storm, organizers were preparing for the worst. Neptune Festival President and CEO Kit Chope outlined the plans for safety if weather had to interrupt festivities.
"When the time comes, if the time comes, we will make an announcement along the boardwalk, we’ve got a PA system,” Chope said. Chope and his team partnered with the National Weather Service and Virginia Beach Emergency Management to get up-to-the-minute alerts for severe weather.
Despite much of Friday being a washout, organizers expect things to be much better on Saturday. Sunny weather is expected, and all events for the remainder of the weekend are moving forward as scheduled.
The weekend-long festival returned for its 50th rendition on the boardwalk bringing with it family fun including the sandcastle competition, concerts, and more.
Updates on any cancellations will be on social media and the festival's website as well.