The weather isn’t the only thing hotter than a firecracker in Norfolk, this July. The entertainment and activities schedule is also red-hot. Here’s a few of our favorite events coming your way in the first full month of summer.
Norfolk Tides
Harbor Park
July 1-3; 18-20; 29-31, 2025
Your Norfolk Tides, Triple-A affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles offer up a trio of long homestands this month, taking on the Durham Bulls, the Syracuse Mets and the Memphis Redbirds throughout July.
Farmers’ Markets
Various Dates and Locations
Norfolk is home to a pair of recurring farmers’ markets, with Ghent hosting them the first and third Fridays of each month from 4 to 7 p.m., and East Beach holding them each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Sunsets on the River
Hermitage Museum & Garden
July 3, 2025
The Hermitage Museum & Gardens celebrates its 15th year of Sunsets on the River, where live music, craft beer, regional food trucks and more combine for the perfect night along the shoreline of the Elizabeth River. July’s event features Kamboombox for music and LCast Iron, Deutscher Imbiss and Joysicles for food trucks.
Fourth of July Fun
Various Venues
July 4, 2025
Head to Grain for a Brews & BBQ Patio Party where they’ll fire up the grill for a spectacular cookout featuring a delectable 4-course menu, expertly paired with 4 refreshing craft beers. Starts at 6:30 p.m. Or, join our friends on the American Rover for a July 4th fireworks cruise on the water from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Another way to experience the pageantry of the Fourth from the water is on the Spirit of Norfolk, which offers a dinner cruise from 8 to 10:30 p.m. If you prefer to stay on land, join the festivities at Town Point Park from 5 to 10 p.m. where Festevents will host the Great American Picnic and Fireworks extravaganza. There will be hot dogs, burgers, live music from military brass bands and, of course, the fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
Ed Talk: Dr. Winkler
Nauticus
July 10, 2025
Spend your lunch break at Nauticus for a fascinating EdTalk featuring Dr. David F. Winkler, USNR (Ret.)—renowned naval historian, author, and Smithsonian scholar. Learn how a converted coal ship named USS LANGLEY launched America into the era of naval aviation and changed the course of military history. Winkler is a retired Navy commander and award-winning author who has spent his career preserving and interpreting maritime history. With a Ph.D. from American University, he has taught at the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval War College, served as historian at the Naval Historical Foundation, and was the Charles Lindbergh Chair at the Smithsonian.
Fuse Fest 2025
Purpose Park
July 12, 2025
Now in its 13th year, FUSE Fest returns on July 12th at Purpose Park, 801 Church Street, offering a vibrant and immersive experience where voices often left unheard rise in power and visibility. This year’s theme, “Unseen to Unstoppable,” honors the resilience, creativity, and strength of marginalized communities—especially young people—who are forging a new reality rooted in hope, justice, and joy.
Adult Night at VA Zoo
Virginia Zoo
July 12, 2025
Visit the Zoo AND beat the summer heat for Adult Night – an adults-only (21+) evening at the Zoo! Unleash your inner wild child with the chance to explore exhibit trails after hours, dance the evening away to a DJ’s tunes, partake in free bounce houses, play lawn games with a refreshing summer cocktail in hand, and enjoy mouth-watering eats from amazing local food trucks.
49 Winchester
The NorVa
July 17, 2025
Castlewood, Virginia-based country rock band 49 Winchester comes to the NorVa for one night only July 17 at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.). The band’s album, “Leavin’ This Holler,” features the songs “Hillbilly Happy,” “Tulsa” and “Make it Count.”
Kelly Willis, Brennen Leigh, Melissa Carpenter
The Annex
July 17, 2025
Willis scored country hits with her solo albums after signing to MCA Records. Leigh has cultivated a following resurrecting honky tonk that attracted collaborators like Asleep at the Wheel and fans in Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark. Carper, raised on Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, “sounds like a voice from a bygone era . . . evoking the cool, smoky croon of a lounge singer,” according to Rolling Stone. They come together for a show at the Annex.
Latino Music Festival
Town Point Park
July 19, 2025
at, drink, and salsa the night away at the Norfolk Latino Music & Food Festival on Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 2pm to 11pm at Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront! Featuring explosive live music performances, an eclectic offering of Latin cuisine including tacos and empanadas, fun family-friendly activities, authentic dance lessons and performances, and much more, the festival celebrates Hampton Roads’ vibrant Latin community.
VSO: Heroes, Villains & Virtuosos
Town Point Park
July 20. 2025
Join this free family-friendly concert presented by Festevents. Take a musical journey across the big screen and find what makes a ‘hero‘ and what makes a ‘villain’. Enjoy tales of inspiration and bravery with John Williams’s “Superman March”, Grieg’s music from Peer Gynt, selections from West Side Story and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, and more.
Party Animals vs. Firefighters
Harbor Park
July 24-26, 2025
If you know, you know. And if you didn’t already buy tickets in the lottery months ago, you’re likely out of luck. But if you did, get ready to experience BananaBall with this pair of sister teams of the Savannah Bananas. Harbor Park will transform into a total party zone for three nights on July 24-26.
We Came as Romans
The NorVa
July 29, 2025
We Came As Romans’ ascent was quick and assured, catapulting the band (who met as teens) into the hearts of diehard fans immersed in the metalcore, post-hardcore, and Warped Tour subculture. Their hook-filled heavy music carried an uplifting message and connects with even greater urgency live.
The Descendents
The NorVa
July 31, 2025
The Descendents invented pop punk. Overstatement? Perhaps, but spend ten minutes scanning FM or the idiot box and you’re bound to witness a ditty or video that tips its hat to a musical genre that was refined to a high art — if not created outright — by the ‘Dents. Formed in 1978 against the fertile musical backdrop of Los Angeles’ South Bay scene (see: Black Flag, Minutemen, SST Records, etc.), the caffeine-addled crew released their first 7″ single “Ride The Wild” as a trio in 1979. Not long after, the boys recruited one Milo Aukerman (microbiology Ph.D. in waiting and poster boy for adolescent ne’er-do-well alienation) for vocal duties.
Laufey: A Night at the Symphony
Chartway Arena
July 31, 2025
Laufey returns to Virginia Arts Festival in a new partnership with Chartway Arena. The jazz singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer will be joined by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra on July 31, 2025.
