VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – If you have a love for the performing arts, The Sandler Center and Sandler Center Foundation in Virginia Beach are offering unique virtual programming to the community while we’re all stuck at home during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

One of those series includes ‘YNOT Wednesdays’. The free summer concert series was created years ago as a way to highlight local talent in the area, and typically ran from June to August at the Sandler Center Plaza.

“It highlights some of the best local talent. We have some amazing musicians locally and it’s been a great series that picked up steam over the years,” said David Semon, General Manager of the Sandler Center.

However, when COVID-19 came into Hampton Roads, the staff decided to move it up. The virtual series kicks off the first Wednesday of the month and will run until Wednesday, June 10.

Viewers can tune in every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the Virtual Stage Coastal Virginia Facebook Group, a page where guests can see dozens of virtual performances from local artists.

While the adjustment to virtual programming hasn’t been easy, the Sandler Center staff said they couldn’t just leave the community hanging.

“It’s really affected us, but we’ve been able to pivot and adjust accordingly. That’s why we’ve created Virtual Stage Coastal Virginia Facebook Group to be a resource for the community,” said Marketing Director Megan Boyle.

Aside from YNOT Wednesdays, the Sandler Center and Sandler Center Foundation offers educational content, including #MusicMondays and #FamilyFridays.

“We serve the community in different ways. We have a strong partnership with the Sandler Center itself and they focus on putting together incredible world class performances. We focus on community outreach and serving the children of our community, about 25,000 children on an annual basis,” said Executive Director of the Sandler Center Foundation, Lisa Baehre.

All of the information about YNOT Wednesdays and other programming at the Sandler Center and Sandler Center Foundation can be found on their Facebook Page.


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