NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk Tides will play as the Norfolk Lumpia this Saturday to celebrate the region’s Filipino culture, with Virginia Beach’s Chad Hugo throwing out the first pitch.
Hugo, who’s of Filipino descent, is a multi-time Grammy winner who created The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. with Pharrell Williams. The two were just inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame last summer.
It’s all part of the Tides’ Filipino American Night, a new addition to the promotional calendar for 2023. The area’s home to one of the largest Filipino populations in the U.S., with many immigrating via the U.S. military and other professions such as nursing.
“Hampton Roads has a rich Filipino-American culture,” said Tides General Manager Joe Gregory.” Filipino cuisine is on featured menus throughout the area from sports bars to seafood restaurants. Lumpia is etched into the core of the Hampton Roads food scene. We are fortunate to work with members of the Filipino American National Historical Society – Hampton Roads Chapter to bring this identity to life. Their support has been integral to making the entire night special as we showcase the talent of the Filipino American community of Hampton Roads. We look forward to continuing this partnership for seasons to come.”
The Tides will also have special hats and jerseys on the field and for sale, and several local vendors (including It’s All Good Food, Flippin’ Hangry and Angie’s Bakery) will be serving up an array of Filipino dishes (including lumpia!)
Lumpia will also be available at all Tides games going forward at the new 757 Comfort Food stand on the First Base concourse.
The Lumpia join the Norfolk Coffee, Norfolk Squeezers and the Parajitos de Norfolk in notable alternate jerseys for the Tides in recent years. If you can’t make it to Saturday’s game, you can also buy Norfolk Lumpia merch at tides.milbstore.com.
