Join us for the NEON Festival, presented by Arts Alliance and Fusion at NEON, in Downtown Norfolk’s NEON (New Energy of Norfolk) District! This year, we’re excited to announce that the festival will expand its footprint through street closures, allowing for even more community engagement, larger installations, and immersive experiences. For the first time, we’ve invited local event producers and art curators to lead the way in crafting unique programming, giving our community a direct role in shaping the festival’s offerings.
Celebrating its ninth year, this free festival welcomes everyone to experience the best of the NEON District’s offerings through art exhibitions, live performances and mural tours. The festival will be held in the evenings of Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18, 2024.
Thursday, October 17
- Community programming and entertainment on the lawn and gardens with Bay River Band, Infinite Flava, Jpixx, and more
- Public art tour showcasing recently completed murals and art projects, 7pm
- Glass After Dark at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio, 8pm-10pm
- The Hague School open house and community dance concert with Twinkle Toes Performing Arts Company, Beverly Moody, Ashlyn Works and Ballet Virginia
Friday, October 18
- Beer Gardens with Elation Brewing, Voyager Coffee, and Water’s Edge Winery at The Plot and Cofer Lot, 6pm-10pm
- Main stage entertainment by JAM Entertainment, presenting POWERHOUSE, a tribute to the roots of house music in Black queer culture and featuring DJ Phillie, DJ Chef Dro, Vivian Valentine, Teens With A Purpose, House of Prodigy, Hampton Roads Pride, and more
- Activations in Cofer Lot including live painting with Poetry Jackson and pop-up exhibition featuring 757 Street Art Battle artists, Aspire to Inspire Music Group’s Fish ‘N Grits with DJ Chef Dro, and The Traptastic‘s “Grand Finale”
- VIVID exhibition opening and festivities at d’Art Center, 5pm-9pm
- ImPRESSions printmaking exhibition opening at Commune NFK featuring Studio Shift artists
- Also at Commune NFK, Coffee Black and Foster Beauty host OPEN HOUSE @ NEON, a dynamic and cumulative celebration of multi-disciplinary art with live music, artistic performances, fashion, and dance. Social Supply’s famed “Living Room” will close out the evening.
- Pop-Up Art Gallery at brand new multifamily building Fusion at NEON featuring 23 Beans Pottery, Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University art students and a poetry reading by ODU’s Writers in Community
- 757 Makerspace Skate Deck Art Exhibit and disco dance party inside Cardinal Skate Shop with an Open Skate Jam outside in Magazine Lane, 6-10pm
- Wilson Avenue market with Utopia Feni, Cornhole Tournament, and Literature & Libations Luxury Mobile Bookstore
- Free Improv shows every thirty minutes from Push Comedy Theater
- Public art tour showcasing recently completed murals and art projects, 7pm at the Plot
Make sure to visit the festival’s website for a complete listing of all the events, entertainment, food and beverage offerings and public art that will ignite the district. Pick your favorites now and don’t miss a thing!
The NEON Festival is free and open to the public.
