Extended Weekend Getaways COLORFUL, CREATIVE & INSPIRED
Beyond the boardwalk and tucked within the eclectic neighborhoods of the Resort Beach, Virginia Beach shines through the emerging ViBe Creative District, an enclave of more than 35 art galleries, museums, shops and restaurants that showcase some of our most talented artisans, who not only live the life year-‐round but also bring it to life in the form of canvases, jewelry, custom surfboards, locally crafted coffee and more. Some of these include:
The Alley, tucked in the heart of the ViBe District, houses some of the area’s most beloved craftsmen – from coffee roasters to a pinstriping artist, including:
- Three Ships Coffee, a local roaster and coffee shop, is distinguished by its delectable, handcrafted coffee flavors, from pour-‐over to cold Their name pays homage to local history and the adventurous spirit of the first settlers in our area.
- Benevolent Design – Building furniture, home goods and custom spaces with a focus on minimizing the impact on the environment, the team at Benevolent travels across the mid-‐Atlantic states to hand-‐select interesting materials that have been deemed useless or forgotten, of which the character cannot be replicated by something new. Whether it is a piece of wood from the side of an abandoned house, a tree that fell down naturally or a rusty barn roof that can be used to cover a wall, Benevolent follows each piece’s lineage and uses the character of these pieces to bring life to custom projects – each built right in the heart of the
- Igor’s Custom – Viewing the world as his canvas and having first started his pinstriping as a hobby, Igor is now renowned for hand-‐painting signs, cars, bikes and helmets – in his distinct and purist style. In an industry cluttered with machine-‐made vinyl signs, his take on this art form is nothing short of refreshing.
- North End Bag Co. – Made the old-‐fashioned way, North End Bag Co. sketches, perfects and sews each of their bags by hand using an array of vintage multi-‐era sewing machines in the heart of Virginia Beac Made from softly woven fabrics, paired with smooth and durable full-‐grained leather, these timeless, sturdy and high-‐quality bags range from totes to duffels.
- Hearth Wood Fired Cuisine & Craft Beer, once a wood-‐fired pizza truck, provides only the freshest wood-‐fired cuisine after high demand landed them in a new (less mobile) home within the ViBe Creative
- Commune, Virginia Beach’s first farmer-‐owned restaurant, provides a locally harvested menu and coffee This rustic-‐ chic café is all about bringing people together with beautiful and delicious recipes. Dine with warm hospitality and thoughtfully executed, creative just-‐picked cuisine – seriously, their ingredients come from the garden out back!
- The Stockpot, brings a new culture of quality soup crafted with local ingredients in the heart of the creative
- Esoteric, housed in a 1920s-‐era building on the Virginia Beach Historical Registry, is serving up European-‐influenced fare with local ingredients, many of them sourced from their on-‐site Their craft beer selection is the best in town, and their craft cocktails are not to be missed.
- Chesapeake Bay Distillery, the first vodka tasting room in Virginia Beach and the newest addition to ViBe, features distilled spirits crafted with locally sourced ingredients and are personally bottled one by
MADE IN VIRGINIA BEACH
Surf champion Philip Goold and partner Adam Roth, a photographer, graphic designer and school teacher, are the skilled artisans behind First Landing Woodworks, hand-‐making heirloom quality products and furniture. Most products, including bottle openers, oyster-‐shucking knives and furniture, are made from their signature black walnut, which is distinguished by the preservation of the tree’s natural color and living edge.
Resin and Wood World handcrafts one-‐of-‐a-‐kind pens that were, interestingly enough, surfboards before they were pens. Each pen is made from the resin remaining from the surfboard-‐shaping process, each mixed with varying colors and uniquely and individually poured into every pen shell.
The gift shop at the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum sells a unique type of Americana folk art and hand-‐carved wildfowl decoys. Seasoned decoy carvers from around Southeast Virginia demonstrate the age-‐old art of decoy-‐carving, some using the tools and methods of the old-‐style carvers of Back Bay and Currituck Sound. Their work, as well as genuine antiques, can be purchased in the museum gift shop.
Tasha’s Own makes their natural, handcrafted goat-‐milk soaps on a 30-‐acre farm in Virginia Beach’s Pungo farming community. The primary ingredient comes from the herd of Nubian dairy goats and nourished with all-‐natural mineral oils and honey from local farm-‐raised honey bees. Beyond their soap bars, Tasha’s Own shares their wisdom of canning, fermenting, foraging and gardening with the community through monthly homesteading workshops.
Visitors who prefer locally made keepsakes over souvenir key chains can opt for an artisan shop like The Creative Wedge, a local favorite that prides itself on offering only local, artisanal food and crafts, such as unique handmade jewelry, farmstead cheese, charcuterie, local honey, jams, Virginia wine and craft beer.
RELISH IN HIDDEN GEMS
Visitors can also get their hands dirty and immerse themselves in local farm life at New Earth Farm, a sustainable and educational working farm. Adults can sheer sheep, learn how to make cheese, kombucha, noodles and other dishes during the regularly scheduled classes, or sign up for cooking classes led by some of the area’s top chefs at the farm’s Food Lab. Young culinary enthusiasts, 10-‐years-‐old and up, can also sign up for cooking classes and make a meal from scratch, including harvesting eggs, washing and chopping produce and putting it all together to create a delicious farm-‐ made feast.
Locals recommend the Old Beach Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings at the Resort Beach. This warm-‐weather favorite hosts vendors serving an array of produce and delicious bites and cocktails, as well as the opportunity to mingle with chefs and purveyors. The vendors rotate every weekend so there is always something new, quirky people to meet and delicious food to try. Load up the car because kids, dogs and goats are all welcomed!
Visitors can embark on an unforgettable oyster-‐farming boat tour on the Lynnhaven River to learn about the legendary Lynnhaven oyster, see how they’re grown and delight their senses by savoring the fresh bivalves from the water directly beneath them – waders included! In addition to the farm’s regular boat tours, Pleasure House Oysters also offers a Chef’s Table dining experience, allowing visitors to enjoy a fresh meal on the Lynnhaven River, right there in the marsh, as well as one-‐on-‐one time with oyster farmer Chris Ludford.