Free Parking for Patriotic Fest Air Show June 2 and 3
City officials expect huge crowds all weekend – June 2 and 3 – at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront during the Patriotic Festival. Don’t get caught in traffic tie-ups! Park for free and take a shuttle directly to the air show.
The city will offer free parking and shuttle service both days from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For air show visitors staying for concerts, late busses will shuttle to lots until
11 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.
Free public parking will be available at the following location only:
Camp Pendleton:
Enter from General Booth Blvd. and Birdneck Rd. Handicapped parking is available only at this location.
Important Parking & Shuttle Information
- The shuttles will not run Friday, June 1.
- Buses will run:
Sat. June 2 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sun. June 3 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Satellite lots will be open for new entries 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ONLY. No new cars will be allowed to enter the lots after 3 p.m.
- Drop-off zones will be at 9th and 14th Streets at the resort oceanfront.
- Late buses will shuttle to lots until 11 p.m. Sat.and 9 p.m. Sun. for air show visitors staying for concerts, but after 7 p.m., shuttles will only pick up for the return trip back to the lots at 9th Street.
- The shuttles will travel in dedicated lanes on General Booth Blvd. to speed arrivals/departures and to carry as many people as possible.
- Be advised, the shuttles are city school buses; they are not equipped with air conditioning.
- Carry-on items are limited to small soft-side coolers, folding beach chairs and baby strollers.
- The air shows are scheduled for Fri., Sat. and Sun.,noon to 4 p.m.
- The concerts are scheduled for 7 p.m. Fri. and Sat., and 5 p.m. Sun.
All Shows are FREE and Open to the Public
Days: Friday June 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday June 3
Time: Noon to 4 p.m. every day
Location: Prime viewing will be on the beach between 16th and 20th Streets
This year, as a part of the 50th anniversary of OpSail and the Bicentenial of the War of 1812, the Blue Angels will perform at Patriotic Fest.
Stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the
Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and represent the naval service to the United States, its elected leadership and foreign nations. Their flight demonstrations exhibit a choreographed refinement of skills possessed by all naval aviators. Shows include graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. The team also illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying by performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.
Day: Friday, June 1
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: 5th Street Beach Stage
Miranda Lambert initially rose to fame as a humble yet feisty runner-up on Nashville Star in 2003 and has been rocking the charts ever since. As country music’s reigning female star, she is a two-time ACM and CMA Female vocalist of the year. She’s also won the prized album of the year trophy from both organizations, as well. Miranda tops the country singles chart for the fourth time in her career with her current single, “Over You.” She received the top country female vocal performance honor at the most recent Grammy Awards for “The House That Built Me.” She’s also been named one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful People and one of Maxim’s Hottest Women of Country.
Day: Saturday, June 2
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: 5th Street Beach Stage
School mates David Hinds, Basil Gabbidon and Ronnie “Stepper” McQueen first formed Britain’s premier reggae band, Steel Pulse in 1975 in Birmingham, England. The group soon fleshed out the lineup with Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett, Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown, Alphonso "Fonso" Martin and Michael Riley, honing their talents on Roots-inspired material by the Wailers, Burning Spear and other prominent Jamaican artists. Though Hinds and Brown are the only remaining artists from the original group, Steel Pulse has consistently delivered authentic roots reggae with touches of jazz and Latin music in a body of work that spans decades. They contributed the track "Can't Stand It" to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's classic, Do the Right Thing and in 1991, released the Grammy-nominated album Victims, which featured the single "Taxi Driver." Less than two years later, they performed at Bill Clinton's inaugural celebration, the first reggae band to appear at such an event.
Day: Sunday, June 3
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: 5th Street Beach Stage
America fell in love with Scotty McCreery last year when he won season 10 of American Idol with a record-breaking 122.4 million votes. Scotty immediately made a name for himself on the show with his deep, country voice and small-town roots. Scotty’s debut single, “I love you This Big,” on his debut album, Clear as Day, became a Top 15 hit and was the highest-charting debut for a new artist since 1984. And, the video for the song hit No. 1 just one week after its release. Scotty’s style is a blend of classic and contemporary country and his album reflects universal themes and the intoxicating excitement of a young man coming of age.