We will be arriving on July 4th this year to stay in our rented house in Sandbridge. Can we just walk down to the beach and watch the fireworks?? Or maybe even see them from our house? We are renting Sand Witch.
Thanks!!
fireworks??
Virginia Beach%26#39;s are shot off from a barge around 20th and the boardwalk. I%26#39;m thinking because of the distance to Sandbridge and the lay of the land and the height of the fireworks, not those.
I haven%26#39;t been to Sandbridge on the 4th but I understand sometimes someone private will have some there just for fun.
But if you do go to the Boardwalk, get there early. It%26#39;s the type of holiday when people take off and spend all day at the beach, not leaving till after the fireworks.
July 4th along the Boardwalk are all kinds of festivities. You walk up and down and don%26#39;t even feel the distance passing. Surprisingly you might even see someone you know. Stranger things have happened. (Of course, you can park and use the trolley or bicycles and surries, too.)
Stars and Stripes Explosion is July 4th. There%26#39;s stuff going on at the stages at 17th, 24th and 31st along the Boardwalk. Among other things, Led Zeppelin Experience and a Tribute to the Beatles, etc. Then towards dusk is the VB Symphony Orchestra, a very good one...and as they time their finish the festivities will go right into the fireworks. (Except for extremely rough sea or pouring rain there%26#39;ll be fireworks.) At that point the sand is packed with people watching....and it%26#39;s a biiig sand area.
Are you taking part in the Girls Surf Camp in Sandbridge 7/9 %26amp; 10?
Check out www.vbfun.com
fireworks??
PS. Remember there%26#39;s fireworks just about every week on the Boardwalk. So you can also enjoy them July 8...and 12th if you%26#39;re still here.
So by us not being able to even pick up our key to the house until 3pm on July 4th or we even going to get close enough to be able to get to listen to any of the music in VB? We like both bands you mentioned. At that late in the day, what would be the best thing to do?? Not sure we will want to drive into alot of traffic after jsut arriving that day but then again, who knows, lol.Live music is always a plus with us and our three teens. Where would be a good place to park that late in the day in the area of the bands?
Thanks
Yes, just go! I would, even if I had been driving all day if for no other reason than the kids will love it and you%26#39;ll be the hero for getting the vacation off to a good start. Here is a link to info on the various places to park:
vbfun.com/visitors/鈥arking_Brochure_web.pdf
I suggest you try the 19th St Parking lot because that will put you in a good position to walk to whichever stage you want - it%26#39;s rather central.
Honestly, I wouldn%26#39;t worry about the traffic or crowds. Around here there are many venues for fireworks, so there are many places for locals to go - it%26#39;s not like we all show up at the beach for fireworks. Besides, most of the crowd will be comprised of people staying at the hotels, so they won%26#39;t be part of the traffic issue anyway.
You may or may not be able to see the fireworks from your cottage, but you definitely won%26#39;t hear the music from there.
Have fun!
Thanks for the parking info!!! I%26#39;m sure we will end up going down there anyway after getting groceries and letting the kdis swim for a bit. Where do you suggest going for groceries around Sandbridge? And we will be buying achohol also.
www.sandbridgebeachva.com/Shopping.html
Here%26#39;s a map showing some grocery stores. I think it%26#39;s out of date because it doesn%26#39;t show Bloom Grocery Store which is on Sandbridge Road. In Red Mill Commons you%26#39;ll find a Super Walmart as well as the ABC Store where you can buy liquor (you can buy beer and wine in the grocery stores).
As for which store you should shop, the best prices will be at Super Walmart followed by Food Lion. Farm Fresh and Bloom will offer a little more upscale products and slightly higher prices on some things, probably. Since you need to go to the ABC Store, you may as well shop Super Walmart since it%26#39;s in the same shopping center. (If you%26#39;re planning to grill hamburgers, Walmart has the best burger -- always lean with no chewy rubberbands in it. You know what I mean?)
thanks for the info!!
Yes, Wendy, I should have made clear when I started my response...';Virginia Beach%26#39;s resort strip%26#39;s fireworks';. I know people who go to high points to watch them.
Lorinjer, I guess you%26#39;ll pick up your key first? If so you%26#39;ll be almost going against any check-in traffic if you head into the boardwalk/hotel area as soon as you can. And anyone going will often have already gone to the beach earlier...or might be leaving a bit later.
Be flexible on parking. Last year the one at 19th was full by evening because that%26#39;s right by where the fireworks are. There%26#39;s one at 25th. Also, you can park a bit lower and enjoy the things/food along the boardwalk and Atlantic Ave (next from the beach) as you walk. There are ...they%26#39;re called municiapl parking lots...at 4th and 9th and 19th. Let me give you the city link, which will also have times and amounts...easier:
www.vbgov.com/vgn.aspx鈥?/a>
Public restrooms: 2nd, 17th, 24th and 30th
Along the boardwalk are several foot rinse offs and here and there are shower type rinse offs. One day I%26#39;ll make a note of their more precise locations during a walk...but they are here and there for people coming off the beach and trying to get the sand off, which might be helpful to you.
When you park, walk also along Atlantic a bit to be part of Beach Street USA from...17th to 21st I think are the boundaries. The performers are along Atlantic and at least one side street.
Check on the articles at the ';things to do'; option along the left here. This Family Travel article will be helpful: tripadvisor.com/Travel-g58277-s401/Virginia-鈥?/p>
The Boardwalk: In %26#39;09 it was ranked among the top 10 boardwalks. It%26#39;s 3 miles long. It%26#39;s concrete so no wooden slats, however romantic, to get wheets and flip flops caught it. The Boardwalk is terrific for walking, jogging, you%26#39;ll see moms with those big wheel baby carriages fast walking; great for skating, biking, fun in the surries with the fringe on top. The boardwalk is about 30%26#39; wide and has a beautiuflly landscaped, sometimes winding, adjacent path for bicycles and surries.
The ocean is, in some places, about 300%26#39; out...so you will all have lots of great sand to walk, run and play in to get the kinks out from the drive.
Some things along the Boardwalk. You will see the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum in the historic DeWitt Cottage at 11th, one of the oldest on the oceanfront;
The Virginia Legends Walk at 13th off the Boardwalk; honoring Virginians who have made important national and world contributions in their lives;
The Fishing Pier at 15th and the boardwalk;
a fun sort of old school amusement park is at 15th...I say ';old school'; in that it%26#39;s not one of the mega hyper commercial ones.
The Old Coast Guard Station at 24th and the Boardwalk in the historic 1903 Life Saving Station cottage.
The Naval Aviation Monument is at 25th and the Boardwalk. It is actually many bronze sculptures paying tribute to Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard from the early 1900s to the present. There are laser-etched granite storyboards since this is outdoors so you know what you%26#39;re looking at. The sculptures are of people in outfits from the period...real people...depicting significant events in history.
Thanks again. Yes we will be picking up our key first, heading to the house, check it out, unload the vans, go to the gorery store, unload groceries then head out to the Vb area for the concerts and fireworks.
I have a question about fireworks on other dates in the summer. Does anyone know where I can find the schedule for the fireworks? We will be there June 13-20
