International Sandsculpting Championship

The Sandsculpting Championship is the signature event of the Neptune Festival each year and has grown to be the most prestigious event of its kind in the nation. World-class talent meets a world-class venue in this exhibition in which an international field of sculptors turn grains of sand into works of art in just three days!

Under a tent nearly as large as a football field, fondly referred to as the “Land of Sand”, guests will be able to view 22 sculptures created by 12 solo artists and 10 doubles teams. The viewing period will last ten days, so there are plenty of opportunities to get your sand fill. Those attending the event will also be able to watch live “Quicksand” competitions and meet the artists competing!

Admission is $7; tickets must be purchased on-site and in cash. Children under the age of 12 are free while accompanied by an adult.

The Land of Sand is open the following hours:

Friday, 9/30: 9 am – 11 pm
Saturday, 10/1: 9 am – 11 pm
Sunday, 10/2: 9 am – 9 pm
Monday – Sunday: 10/3 – 10/9: 10 am – 6 pm

International Sandsculpting Championship:

September 30 – October 9, Recurring daily

6^th – 8^th Streets, Virginia Beach Oceanfront

9 Sep

Music this Month: September

Local Events byCory B

While the summer may be winding down, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy some live music in the area.

Sandbridge is only 20 minutes from Virginia Beach’s most popular music venue: the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (also known as the Virginia Beach Amphitheater). Originally opened in 1996, the venue boasts a seating capacity of 20,000 thousand. Music fans will be able to lay out on the expansive lawn or sit in the covered canopy area dependent upon ticket purchase.

This month, the Amphitheater’s three biggest concerts will be the Outlaw Music Festival on September 11, Shinedown on September 18, and Zac Brown Band on September 23. Tickets to each of these events are available on the Amphitheater’s website. Below is further information on this month’s concerts and links for ticket purchase.

Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats & Billy Strings

September 11, 2022

Outlaw Music Festival Information and Tickets

Shinedown: Planet Zero World Tour

September 18, 2022

Shinedown Information

Zac Brown Band: Out in the Middle Tour

September 23, 2022

Zac Brown Band Information

Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater:

http://www.virginiabeachamphitheater.com

3550 Cellar Door Way, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Local Music this Month:

Baja:

The Baja is one of the options for those looking for a smaller venue to enjoy some live music. Sandbridge’s iconic south end restaurant presents different bands every week. The Baja also hosts karaoke and music bingo events weekly! Karaoke is held every Thursday, while Music Bingo is held on Tuesdays. Both are open to anyone looking to join in on the fun! Grab your friends and head to the Baja for a drink, bite to eat, and tons of fun.

https://bajasandbridge.com/events/

Photo from the Baja’s Instagram account.

Sage Kitchen:

Sage Kitchen at Anderson’s is just a quick drive up Sandbridge Road and features live music every weekend. This is a great option for families with younger kids; Anderson’s has plenty of space and activities for children. A full list of the venue’s live music line-ups can be found on the Sage Kitchen website, link provided below.

https://loveandersons.com/events/

Sandbridge Island:

Located next to the Sandbridge Market, Sandbridge Island has karaoke events on both Mondays and Wednesdays. Start your week off with some musical fun and good times! On Sundays, the Island live music on the deck if the weather cooperates.

31 Aug

Pet of the Month: September

Local Events byCory B

Pet of the Month

It’s already September? Wow!

Looks like it’s time to introduce our Pet of the Month! Remember: if you have a beach-loving pet, please share your pictures with us tell us why your furry friend loves Sandbridge and they may be featured in a Pet of the Month post.

It’s our honor to present September’s Pet of the Month…meet Zoë!

Zoë is a 9-year-old border collie/pit bull mix from Ashburn, VA. Zoë’s family has been visiting Sandbridge for over 30 years! Her owners adopted her when she was 2, and she has been a loyal Sandbridge visitor ever since.

Even though she is 9 years old, Zoë is a puppy at heart! Her favorite thing to do in Sandbridge is chase the ghost crabs and sandpipers along crashing waves. Zoë looks forward to coming in to town that first day of vacation and running down to the beach to run in the surf…it makes her so happy. Also, she always looks forward to making new friends on the beach!

This year, Zoë’s family stayed at Mai Tai.

Siebert Realty offers numerous pet-friendly rentals for those wishing to make beach memories with their furry pals. Visit the link below to find your next dream vacation home now!

Pet-Friendly Rentals: https://www.siebert-realty.com/rentals/pet-friendly-rentals/

26 Aug

Scenic Byways in Virginia Beach

Local Events byCory B

Green Sea Byway

Did you know Sandbridge is the starting point for a Virginia Scenic Byway?

The “Green Sea” is the pseudonym for the wetland area surrounding Back Bay. The name comes from American lawyer and surveyor William Byrd, whose 1728 survey of the area revealed a green sea of wetland reeds and other indigenous plants. The Green Sea is home to all sorts of waterfowl, reptiles, and wetland mammals. Those looking for a gorgeous drive through some of our area’s farmland and wetlands can pick up the byway in Sandbridge.

The Green Sea Byway was designated a “Virginia Scenic Byway” for its natural beauty and cultural significance on January 16, 2003. The first of the road’s two stretches which make up the byway runs in a semicircle around Back Bay. This portion begins in Sandbridge and follows the edge of the bay through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge via Muddy Creek Road.

By returning to Princess Anne Road via Nanney’s Creek Road, travelers can cruise to Pungo Ferry Road in the second leg of the Green Sea Byway and cross the bridge over the North Landing River Natural Area Preserve. Continuing will lead you through the small town of Blackwater and down to the North Carolina line. If you continue south on Princess Anne Road instead of taking Pungo Ferry Road, you will find yourself on your way to Knott’s Island. Knott’s Island is a small marshy island, home to the Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge. Eagles, snow geese, and tundra swans are a few of the many species dependent on the refuge.

A drive along the scenic byway is a great way to get outside and immerse yourself in the unique coastal environment along the Virginia-North Carolina border.

17 Aug

60th Annual East Coast Surfing Championships

Local Events byCory B

East Coast Surfing Championships

August 21-28, Virginia Beach Boardwalk

The East Coast Surfing Championships—also known as ECSC—is the longest, continually run surfing championship in the WORLD! Every year, hundreds of surfers of all ages compete for East Coast surfing titles, prizes, history, and to celebrate the sheer love of surfing. The event will be held August 21-28 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, which is just a 25-minute drive north of Sandbridge. Those attending ECSC can walk the boardwalk or chill out on the sand and watch the surfers do what they do best!

However, ECSC is more than just a surfing event—it is now a multifaceted beach festival with all sorts of attractions. Other beach sports and activities held at the event include volleyball, a 5k run on the boardwalk, street skate and ramp contests, swimsuit contests, food and drink concessions, and live music.

Attending ECSC is a fantastic way to see and experience the deep connection between Virginia Beach and the ocean, take in the culture of our city, and spend time with family. Vendors will have booths set up will all kinds of merchandise and games for folks of all ages. Grab some good food from local restaurants, listen to some great music, and enjoy a fun-packed day at the beach!

A full schedule of all events and further information can be found on the ECSC website (http://surfecsc.com). We hope to see you there!

8 Aug

Music this Month

Local Events byCory B

Summer and live music go together like a good cup of coffee and a Sandbridge sunrise.

Looking for your summer music fix? Sandbridge is only 20 minutes from Virginia Beach’s most popular music venue: the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (also known as the Virginia Beach Amphitheater). Originally opened in 1996, the venue boasts a seating capacity of 20,000 thousand. Music fans will be able to lay out on the expansive lawn or sit in the covered canopy area dependent upon ticket purchase.

This month, the Amphitheater’s two biggest concerts will be Keith Urban on August 14 and Sting on August 31. Both concerts are sure to have you up and dancing on the lawn with your friends as the summer sun sets. Below is further information on this month’s concerts at the Amphitheater.

Keith Urban: Speed of Now Tour

August 14, 2022

http://www.virginiabeachamphitheater.com/events/keith-urban/#.YulU9C-B0lU

Sting: My Songs Tour

August 31, 2022

http://www.virginiabeachamphitheater.com/events/sting-my-songs-tour-2022/#.YulVyy-B0lU

Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater:

http://www.virginiabeachamphitheater.com

3550 Cellar Door Way, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Local Music this Month:

Baja:

Those looking for a smaller venue to enjoy some live music should head to the Baja. Sandbridge’s iconic south end restaurant presents different bands every week. This month, Lewis McGehee, Exploding Sun, Captain & the Deal, Sam Floyd Band, and more will be jamming on the bayfront. The Baja also hosts karaoke and music bingo events weekly! Karaoke is held every Thursday, while Music Bingo is held on Tuesdays. Both are open to anyone looking to join in on the fun! Grab your friends and head to the Baja for a drink, bite to eat, and tons of fun.

https://bajasandbridge.com/events/

Sage Kitchen:

Sage Kitchen at Anderson’s is just a quick drive up Sandbridge Road and features live music every weekend. This is a great option for those with younger kids; Anderson’s has plenty of space and activities for children. A full list of the venue’s live music line-ups can be found on the Sage Kitchen website, link provided below.

https://loveandersons.com/events/

1 Aug

Pet of the Month: August

Local Events byCory B

Pet of the Month

We want to kick off August with our first installment of Siebert Realty’s Pet of the Month! This is a way for us to get to know our four-legged guests a little better, and for other guests to connect and share their favorite pet-friendly properties. If you have a beach-loving pet, please share your pictures with us and tell us why your furry friend loves Sandbridge.

It’s our honor to introduce our very first Pet of the Month…meet Mosby!

Mosby is a 6-year-old pug and Jack Russell mix from Pottstown, PA. While his owners have been visiting Sandbridge for ten years, Mosby got his first taste of the beach life six years ago.

His favorite thing to do while on vacation is to people watch and dog watch. Mosby loves a good deck where he can relax in the sun and bark until he gets in trouble. One of his owners’ favorite memories of Mosby in Sandbridge is the time he met his first ghost crab–he was sniffing around and it popped right out of its hole!

A fun fact about Mosby is that he has never stayed in the same Siebert property twice…we always look forward to Mosby’s reviews as he tries out new properties!

Siebert Realty offers numerous pet-friendly rentals for those wishing to make beach memories with their furry pals. Visit the link below to find your next dream vacation home now!

Pet-Friendly Rentals: https://www.siebert-realty.com/rentals/pet-friendly-rentals/

31 Jul

Historic Wash Woods Settlement

Local Events byCory B

Around the turn of the 20^th century, survivors of a shipwreck waded through the surf and onto the uninhabited shores of a sliver of land nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay. Those who decided to stay collected cypress wood from a schooner which ran aground and broke apart and began the construction of a settlement aptly named Wash Woods.

The largest population of Wash Woods is estimated to have been around 300 people. At its peak, the settlement housed a U.S. Life Saving Service Station (shortly thereafter replaced by a US Coast Guard station), two churches, a grocery market, and a schoolhouse. The ocean and bay were the heart of the Wash Woods community with most of the residents working as fishermen, farmers, hunting guides, or manning the Wash Woods Life Saving Station. Houses and community buildings were constructed from cypress wood which washed ashore from an 1895 shipwreck in which a schooner ran aground and broke apart.

The future of Wash Woods was determined by the very weather which brought its first residents and lumber to its shores and consequently led to its establishment. Intense storms and repeated flooding pushed the community members to abandon the Wash Woods settlement—the last of the Wash Woods residents left the area in the 1930s. However, the Wash Woods Life Saving Station remained operational until the mid-1950s.

The cemetery and the remnants of the Wash Woods church remain tucked beneath the live oaks of what was once a lively coastal community, in the existing property of False Cape State Park which honors the strong men and women who made a living from the sea. To step back into history, visitors can bike or hike from the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge between sunrise and sunset daily. Visit False Cape State Park for more information on hiking trails and tram tours.

*An old hunt club serves as the Wash Woods Environmental Education Center.*

*The cemetery and church steeple are some of the few remnants of Wash Woods that have survived nearly a century of storms.*

Photos from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

27 Jul

Coffee Break!

Local Events byCory B

While the beauty of a Sandbridge sunrise is enough to get us up early, a little coffee really helps kick off our day. Luckily, Sandbridge has some great spots to grab a cup before heading out to the beach or whatever the day has in store for you! Below are a few of our favorites:

Fetch Coffee at Dog’s Little Acre:

665 Sandbridge Road

Fetch Coffee is conveniently located on Sandbridge Road for a quick pick-me-up on your way to the beach! Fetch also has a drive-thru for added convenience, or you can choose to sit under one of their umbrellas while you sip. This shop offers more than just coffee; sno-cones, milkshakes, tea, edible cookie dough, and pastries are just a few of their menu items! Swing by from 7am to 5pm daily.

Baja Coffee Co.:

3701 Sandpiper Rd

On the south end of Sandbridge sits the Baja, known for being a cool place to enjoy an evening with friends. But did you know that the Baja runs a coffee shop in the morning? From 7am-2pm, Tuesday through Sunday, you can grab a coffee, smoothie bowl, pastry, panini, or more from Baja Coffee Co! Enjoy your breakfast bayside and soak up the beauty of Sandbridge.

Daybreak Coffee:

897 Sandbridge Rd

Another conveniently placed coffee shop Daybreak has recently set up shop at Belanga’s Seafood on Sandbridge Road. This shop currently roasts organic coffee beans steps from the ocean in Virginia Beach. For the non-coffee drinkers in your group, try one of Daybreak’s iced teas or lemonades! Open from 8am to 2pm.