Norfolk has a great lineup of May events to kickstart the warmer months! With festival season kicking off, live outdoor music, Mother’s Day, shows, stand-up performances and baseball games, you will find that there is plenty of fun to be had this May in Norfolk!
National Bike Month
All Month Long
May is National Bike Month, a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage more individuals to give biking a try. The City of Norfolk will celebrate with 31 days of rides and plenty of opportunities to get the wheels rolling. Check out these Bike Month events happening throughout May!
Tides Baseball GameS
Ongoing
Harbor Park
The perfect family night or a great night out with friends starts with hotdogs, popcorn and baseball. Sit back and enjoy the spring weather as you root for the home team. Special nights to look forward to in May include $2 Tuesdays, Wine Down Wednesdays, a Copa de la Diversion Cinco de Mayo Celebration, ODU night, fireworks, Bark in the Park and more! See the full Tides schedule.
Message in a Bottle: Picturing Maritime culture in Hampton Roads
Ongoing
Barry Art Museum
Message in a Bottle considers the rich maritime culture of the Hampton Roads region through a call and response between past and present. Selections from the Barry Art Museum’s permanent collection of 19th-century maritime art will appear alongside works from local museums as well as conceptual pieces from contemporary artists. Vibrant and dynamic traditional oil paintings – carefully collected by museum founder Richard Barry – tell a story of life on the sea: they show the hard work and play of sailors and soldiers. Contemporary works created by ODU faculty and other artists, in turn, reflect on the indelible impact of maritime culture on modern life, from shipping routes underpinning globalization to city layouts. In a world where shipping, sailing, and overall access to the sea can seem invisible, what does it mean for artists to address maritime life? We can’t wait to show you what we’ve found.
Farmers Markets
Ongoing
Various Locations
There’s nothing better than seasonal produce from your local farmer’s market. With three different markets in Norfolk, you will never miss all the delicious goods and treats! Find out more about each market along with hours here.
Cinco de Mayo
May 5, 2024
There’s nothing quite like the pairing of savory, sometimes spicy tacos and a cool margarita. Looking for a place to indulge in irresistible Mexican cuisine during Cinco de Mayo? Check out these taco and margarita spots in Norfolk.
Norfolk Flea Market
MAY 4, 2024
WATERSIDE DISTRICT
Norfolk Flea Market – a monthly market transforming Waterside District into a haven for aficionados of oddities, curiosities and all things unique!
More than just a market, this vibrant affair is held the first Sunday of the month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Interested in being a vendor? https://bit.ly/3vJwhUz or visit the website at norfolkfleamarket.com to apply!
Blues For an Alabama Sky
Through May 5, 2024
WELLS THEATER
Harlem, 1930. The Blues are getting bluer and the gin is running dry. A free-spirited Cotton Club singer has just been fired with nowhere left to go but down. So, she turns to her best friend, an extravagant costume designer with plans to dress Josephine Baker in Paris.
Maybe they can run away together? Or maybe the handsome southerner that just came knocking can offer an even better life? But the saxophone dreams of Harlem rarely end as smoothly as they start.
Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival
May 4–5, 2024
Town Point Park
Grab your friends and head down to Town Point Park for the Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival! Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Virginia as one of the 10 best wine travel destinations in the world! Each May, Virginia wineries gather together to create an event that wine imbibers will love. From the wine connoisseur to the newbies, everyone can find something to suit their taste at this weekend festival!
Liz Cheney
May 7, 2024
CHRYSLER HALL
Former Congresswoman and Profile in Courage Award Winner Liz Cheney to appear at The Norfolk Forum on May 7. (7:30pm) at downtown Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall.
Liz Cheney served as the U.S. representative for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She chaired the House Republican Conference, the third-highest position in the House Republican leadership, from 2019 to 2021, and served as the Vice Chair of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
Book Of Mormom
May 10-12, 2024
CHRYSLER HALL
Nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical THE BOOK OF MORMON has been added to the Broadway in Norfolk 23/24 season! The limited-run engagement comes to Chrysler Hall on May 10-12.
Mother’s Day Events
MAY 12, 2024
Show mom how much you care this Mother’s Day by taking her out and about in Norfolk! There are many Mother’s Day events planned throughout the city that give you and mom a chance to be outside, brunch hard, get on the water and spend some time bonding. It’s a Mother’s Day that neither of you will forget!
Bike to Work Day
MAY 17, 2024
Work downtown? Want to ride? Participate in National Bike to Work Day! If you commute, do it on two wheels. If you work from home, take an opportunity to bike for some coffee or around the block. However you celebrate, just #bikethere! Look for pit stops around Norfolk along common bikeway routes and trails for bicycle riders and commuters. From 7 to 9 a.m., ride by a pit stop for water, fruit and more giveaways.
Bayou Bon Vivant: Cajun & Music Food Festival
May 17–19, 2024
Town Point Park
We’re bringing a taste of Louisiana to Norfolk with more than 8,000 pounds of Cajun crawfish at your fingertips! Have you always wanted to visit Cajun country or just simply miss good ole Louisiana cooking? From the po’boys to alligator sausages and all the beignets in between this foodie festival will be sure to satisfy your Cajun craves.
40th Annual Stockley Gardens Spring Arts Festival
May 18–19, 2024
Stockley Gardens
Mark your calendars for great art from over 125 artists from across the U.S. and amazing live musical performances. You don’t want to miss this fun-filled weekend in Norfolk’s historic Ghent neighborhood.
Ellington 125
May 18, 2024
ATTUCKS THEATER
This concert celebrates Duke Ellington’s career with a 16-piece all-star jazz orchestra showcasing local, regional and national artists across three generations, including the great vocalist Catherine Russell and tenor saxophone soloist Walter Blanding from Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet. They’ll perform music from 50 years of Ellington’s incredible compositional output, covering the widest range of works by a composer in history – a fitting celebration of the 125th anniversary of his birth.
Jerry Seinfeld Live
May 18, 2024
Chrysler Hall
America’s premier comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere.
Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy career took off after his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1981. Eight years later, he teamed up with fellow comedian Larry David to create what was to become the most successful comedy series in the history of television: “Seinfeld.” The show ran on NBC for nine seasons, winning numerous Emmy, Golden Globe, and People’s Choice awards, and was named the greatest television show of all time in 2009 by TV Guide, and in 2012 was identified as the best sitcom ever in a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll.
SUM 41: Tour of the Setting Sum
May 19, 2024
Chartway Arena
Sum 41 brings Tour of the Setting Sum with special guest The Interrupters to Chartway Arena on Sunday May 19, 2024.
Patriotic Festival
May 24–26, 2024
Scope Arena
Whisper Concerts and SevenVenues are delighted to announce the 2024 Patriotic Festival Country Weekend featuring performances by country artists Zac Brown Band, HARDY and Bailey Zimmerman.
Adrienne Warren
May 30, Attucks Theater
Hampton Roads native Adrienne Warren leapt into the limelight with her Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s Shuffle Along. She then won the Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, Antonyo, and Outer Critics Circle awards for her riveting portrayal of a rock/soul superstar in Broadway’s Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and also received an Olivier nomination for the show’s London engagement. Here this powerhouse performer when she comes home to the fans who love her best—in a spectacular, one-night-only show at Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre. Seating is extremely limited—get your tickets now!
