I'll be on VACATION.... but here's something fun!

Chalk the Walk ARTsplosion & 17th Street Art Festival

Jul 25 2009 at 17th Street Park
On the beach between 16th and 18th Streets

Two fantastic art events will unfold along the beautiful Virginia Beach Oceanfront as the Chalk the Walk ARTsplosion and 17th Street Art Festival take center stage from 10:00am-7:00pm on Saturday, July 25, 2009. Both events take place in the park and along the boardwalk at 17th Street.

At the Chalk the Walk, participants draw four by four foot chalk drawings right on the boardwalk!
This year’s theme is “Under the Sea.” All Chalk the Walk participants are encouraged to incorporate the theme in their work!
200 competitors will complete chalk drawings to be evaluated by a panel of judges. Judges will score the drawings according to criteria such as composition, use of color, adherence to theme, and creativity. There will be three competitive divisions: Amateur, Professional, and Youth. The Youth division will be for ages 12-16. Children 11 and under will be invited to draw for fun in a separate area. Trophies and cash prizes will be awarded for each division. Winners will be announced at 4:30pm at the registration tent. The hours for the Chalk the Walk are 10:00am-5:00pm. All participants must register by 1:00pm to qualify for the competition. All drawings must be completed by 3:30pm to be eligible for prizes.
Advance registration for Chalk the Walk is not required. There is no fee to participate, but it is recommended that artists bring their own chalk.

Once a year deals....

Well, if you're on Facebook (and really, come on; why shouldn't you be by now??) you can find and friend "Free Food Events" like I did and it'll give you all kinds of ideas about coupons/freebies/specials at all kinds of restuarants.
My favorite tip is the website linked here. It's a whole list of eateries that offer free deals on your birthday...some are great, some are merely a "free song"... WHAT? That so doesn't count. Anyway, we take advantage of the Coldstone Creamery, Red Robin, and others in MY family...

So happy birthday and go eat and be merry...

Pirate Party on the Beach TONIGHT!

Date: July 17 2009
Location: On the beach at 20th Street
Ahoy Mateys! The Virginia Beach Oceanfront will be taken over by pirates on Friday, July 17th for the first-ever Pirate Party on the Beach. This unique family event combines a treasure hunt, pirate re-enactors, and movie into one swashbuckling evening guaranteed to “shiver your timbers!” The Pirate Party on the Beach takes place right on the beach at 20th Street from 6:30pm-8:30pm.
It all begins with the Treasure Trek at 6:30pm. Families and groups may participate in a hunt for “buried treasure” that will lead them to various landmarks around the oceanfront looking for clues. The first group to dig up “Cap’n Pete’s” treasure chest receives all the loot and bragging rights as “First Buccaneers of the Beach!” The chest will be overflowing with doubloons, medals, and a trophy to proudly display for all their friends!
Participants should be prepared to walk a lot and must begin the Trek by 7:30pm to qualify for prizes.
A trophy will also be awarded to the Best Dressed Pirate, so put on your pirate "finery" and strut your stuff to win the grand prize!

When arriving at the Pirate Party on the Beach, beware of those scurvy scallywags, The Moody Crewe. These pirate re-enactors will be posing for photographs, singing sea shanties, and demonstrating swordplay! Don’t worry, though! The Moody Crewe loves landlubbers, and this merry band of pirates will entertain as well as educate!
Bring your beach chair or blanket and settle down for a special viewing of the movie “Hook” at 8:30pm. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this family favorite stars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts. A variation on the original, with Robin Williams playing a modern-day dad forced to confront his priorities, the story is still the same. When Capt. Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
“Hook” will be shown on the beach on a giant inflatable screen.
Pirate Party on the Beach is a FREE event.

The Crab is King at this one-of-a-kind event that’s fun for the whole family! The Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge will be held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on the beach at 30th Street from 10:00am-2:00pm on Saturday, July 11, 2009.
Registration begins at 9:30am and all participants must be registered by Noon in order to race.
Preliminary hermit crab races lead to the Crustacean 500, where the winner is awarded the “Order of the Mercury Claw” trophy. Crabs race on a specially-designed circular track, where all the “crabtestants” are placed in the center. At the sound of the starting horn, crabs scurry to the outer ring of the track. Whichever claw crosses the line first wins.

It’s the survival of the “crabbiest!”
Along with the Crustacean 500 race, participants may enter the Miss Curvaceous Crustacean Beauty Pageant. At the pageant, hermit crabs are presented in uniquely-decorated displays and judged on beauty and creativity. Hermit crab owners are encouraged to build a unique display for their crab. Past winners have included themed entries like “Spider Crab,” “Hermit the Hulk,” “Beauty and the Crab,” and “Pirates of the Crabibbean!” Aside from 1st, 2nd, And 3rd Place winners, special trophies are also awarded for the Friendliest Crab, Biggest Crab, Shyest Crab, Most Unique Crab Display, Prettiest Crab Shell, Most Athletic Crab, and Most Traveled Crab.
Approximately 300 hermit crabs participate in the Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge each year. Many of these come from out of state just to be with us!ALL participants will receive a medal for being a part of the Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge.

There are no fees for entering the Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge; the event is free for both participants and spectators.
All participants are encouraged to arrive by 10:00am to begin the registration process.