VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The unofficial kickoff to summer had something for everyone — rain, clouds, a tornado warning, high winds and there was a little sun. But through all of it, folks packed The Oceanfront.
“We’ve got the coastal edge steel pier classic over Memorial Day weekend, we’ve got Jackalope in seven days, so that’s huge!” Coastal Edge owner D. Nachnani said. “We’re expecting 50- 100,000 people!”
A big summer is about burst on to the scene in the city of Virginia Beach. On Monday, huge crowds gathered despite the weather. Jeff Hague, owner of Ocean Eddie’s, predicted a busy season.
“Once the season kicks in people are here and regardless of the weather, they’re still here,” Hague said. “They’re gonna want to go out and eat and have a good time so they come out of the hotel rooms. They venture up here and we stay busy.”
Atlantic Avenue is preparing to get busier — rebuilding the block that burned down in a three-alarm fire, destroying T-shirt factory, King of the Sea Seafood and the decades-old Maple Tree Pancake House.
“The building is being rebuilt and from what I understand from ownership, they’ll be renting to businesses very shortly so that they can, during 2025, have businesses on 25th Street to serve all of our out-of-town guest and our local guests,” Nachnani said. “And it’s a real strong testament to our local business and the resilience of our city.”
Those visiting Virginia Beach tend to be quite loyal. A dinnertime downpour had the crowds running for cover, but one couple stuck it out.
“Just kind of wait out the storm and maybe walk the boardwalk a little bit,” Dustin Pulkkinen said.
And after a day full of the unexpected, visitors were treated with a beautiful rainbow over the ocean.
In 2021, just after the pandemic, visitor spending surpassed the $2 billion mark for the first time. And in 2022, the resort city saw $2.4 billion in spending. We have yet to see the numbers for 2023, but business owners believe they will keep climbing.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
