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The Neptune Festival is an annual festival in
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous cit ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
.Virginia Beach Neptune Festival : A Local Legacy
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the '' de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
"America’s Story"
Virginia Beach
Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...
President and RK Chevrolet founder Richard Kline created the idea in 1973, to celebrate the heritage of the city. The first celebration took place in 1974. The
Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Norfolk, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virginia ...
''Beacon'' reported attendance of about 50,000 people at the first festival, with seafood selling out before the festival ended. Actor
Lyle Waggoner Lyle Wesley Waggoner (; April 13, 1935 – March 17, 2020) was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman and model, known for his work on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor ...
from '' The Carol Burnett Show'' was the
Grand Marshal Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. The following ...
of the parade. At the corner of 31st and Atlantic in Virginia Beach, there is a , 12.5 ton statue of
Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 time ...
, Roman god of the Seas. The statue was dedicated on September 30, 2005 during the Neptune Festival Boardwalk weekend. The Boardwalk Weekend includes the International Sandsculpting Championship, Art & Craft Show, food, and live music. It also includes a surfing contest, a foot race, a volleyball tournament, and a parade. The event is free and open to the public, with the exception of a tent-covered viewing fee of the sand sculptures. While it is a prominent and lucrative festival, the Neptune Festival was embroiled in a gender discrimination controversy in November 2020 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. The issue was resolved in March 2021 when the festival changed its policy and admitted its first "Prince".


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* Festivals in Virginia Culture of Virginia Beach, Virginia Tourist attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia 1973 establishments in Virginia Festivals established in 1973 {{Virginia-stub