This Week in NFK: Blood, FOIA, Yellow, HRBT Project Delays, New Brewery, and more.

by | Jul 7, 2023

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Community. 

Preview the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting here. Rip it. 

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is looking for more residents near Lambert’s Point to host air quality sensors. 
Rip it. 

The City of Norfolk will host a public information session on the future of the Lambert’s Point green space on July 19th. Rip it. 

Riverview is on a comeback with Legrand, Lomo, and a new theater project coming. Rip it. 

First Street Foundation, a research and technology nonprofit, says that “100-year-floods” should be expected much more frequently in the next few decades. Rip it.  

First responders in the region will now be able to carry and administer “whole blood” at critical moments. Rip it. 

Hear from a local teacher who is navigating new curriculum demands while teaching Black history. Rip it. 

The Norfolk Animal Care Center is seeking help from the community to fill up their pet food pantry. Rip it. 

Norfolk Public Schools is providing free summer meals to students at multiple locations throughout the city. Rip it. 

The Local office of the Army Corp of Engineers prevailed in a lawsuit alleging inadequate FOIA responses. Rip it. 

25 sunken or abandoned boats have been pulled from the Elizabeth River recently. Rip it. 

As the Norfolk Tides continue to dominate their season, attendance is up 26% from last season. Rip it. 

Norfolk Nighthawks are back with Friday and Saturday games through August. Rip it. 

Kenny Magner has been the Tides groundskeeper since 1977. The Sodfater reflects on decades of times in the park as he prepares to retire at the end of the season. Rip it.  

Culture.

“Beakitecture” features 60 one-of-a-kind birdhouses at Norfolk Botanical Gardens and is a delight to see. (NFK Currents Original Video) Rip it. 

Here’s what you missed in Visual Arts last month. (NFK Currents Original Video) Rip it. 

Erykah Badu lands at the Chartway Arena next week with her influential Neo-soul. Rip it. 

Khi Infinite lays it down on “Balance,” available now on streaming. Rip it. 

Check out these Norfolk neighborhood-themed skateboard decks by Super Comp Studio. Rip it. 

Yellow hosts “Creatively You: Discovering Your Passion Through the Lens of Possibility” at Assembly next week. Rip it. 

The d’Art Center unveiled Portrayed III, its most recent juried exhibition. Rip it. 

The Contemporary Arts Network will be hosting its CAN Festival at Assembly later this month. Rip it. 

Late Night Drive Home are making their Norfolk debut at Chicho’s Backstage courtesy of LAVA Presents. Rip it. 

Currently on Display:
Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Spring 2023 Glass Studio Assistantship Exhibition at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Heather Beardsley: Strange Plants at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Perspectives: Modern and Contemporary Glass from the Waitzer Collection at Barry Art Museum. Rip it.
The Great Exhibition: Bébés at the Barry at Barry Art Museum. Rip it.
M/NYC: Rough Draft, a solo exhibition by Thomas O’Casey at Assembly Gallery. Rip it.
“Missing the Mark” by John Runner at Offsite Gallery. Rip it.
Portrayed III at d’Art Center. Rip it. 
Shapes Everywhere at Commune. Rip it.
Dustin Furlow Photography at The Gallery At ElationRip it. 
Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality at Slover Library. Rip it.

Commerce.

The HRBT expansion project is now over 50% done, but is likely a year behind schedule. Rip it. 

Afterglow Brewing opens this weekend in Lambert’s Point. Rip it. 

$100 Million is coming to the region for military housing improvements. Rip it. 

Sentara landed $3.4 million in grant funds to study hypertension in underserved communities. Rip it. 

Thanks to new state legislation, Virginia hospitals must now provide access to their cost of care information online. Rip it. 

Amazon is partnering with Tidewater Community College to provide pre-paid tuition for operations employees. Rip it. 

Over 20 new startups have been accepted into the 757 Startup Studio program based in Norfolk. Rip it. 

ODU has four new members on its Board of Visitors. Rip it. 

Nothing Bundt Cakes opened up in the Railyard development. Rip it. 

Dominion Energy bills are expected to be reduced thanks to new legislation. Rip it. 

Hemp farmers in the region are adapting to new cannabis rules that restrict their non-psychoactive product growth. Rip it. 

Regional Economic Stats. Port Stats. Labor Stats.

NFK Dad Hat

Norfolk Snapback

Crowds.

Norfolk Currents and Smartmouth are back with another NFK DAY. Celebrate the city and hang with your faves. Rip it.

Don’t miss your chance to catch Norfolk’s best sunset view via the Lafayette River. Sunset tours from Norfolk Kayak Rentals just dropped. (NFK Currents Original Video) 
Rip it.

Bike rides. Bike rides everywhere. Rip it.

Check out the latest LAVA Presents: Illiterate Light, Feign Kin, North Bloom at Chicho’s Backstage on Saturday. Rip it

5th Annual Norfolk Taco Festival is happening this Saturday and Sunday; the entry fee comes with a drink!. Rip it.

Afterglow Brewing has its Grand Opening event this Saturday and Sunday. Rip it.

Smarmouth is throwing Reggae Fest on Saturday with live music and vendors galore. Rip it.

Next week the Tides will be back at Harbor Park to play Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Rip it.

Don’t miss the next Commonwealth Comedy Summer Series event on the 22nd. Rip it.

FRIDAY:
Run Club Friday Meetup at Yorgo’s Bageldashery. 6:00 am. Rip it
Writers Coffee Break at Cafe Stella. 10:00 am. Rip it
Ghent Farmers Market at Blair Middle School. 4:00 pm. Rip it
FAN Woobie Beds, Mats & Toys Pop-up Shop. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Miniature Fairy or Gnome Garden Making at Aries Apothecary. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Free Your Mind Paint Night at Cova Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Cody Browning performs live at Benchtop. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
David Jones performs live at Willoughby Fish House. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Bad Movie Night at ODU Planetarium. 6:30 pm. Rip it.
PechaKucha Night at 757 Makerspace. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
“I’m the Greatest Star” Summer Cabaret at The Hurrah Players. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Open Build Night at 757 Makerspace. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Spirit of Norfolk Elizabeth River Dinner Cruise. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Family Twilight Trek at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Friday Night Magic: Draft at Atlantis Games & Comics. 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Friday Night Magic: Commander at Atlantis Games & Comics. 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Vaudeville at Push Comedy Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Mossy performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it.
MonoMania The Completely Crazy Improvised Play at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm Rip it.

SATURDAY:
Weekend Long Run with Ocean View Run Club. 7:15 am. Rip it
Send It Saturday Morning Group Ride at East Coast Bicycles. 8:00 am. Rip it
City Girls Walk Meetup at Stockley Gardens. 8:00 am. Rip it.
ERT + NKR Group Paddle at Plum Point Park Elizabeth River Trail (Atlantic City Spur). 8:30 am. 
Rip it
East Beach Farmers Market. 9:00 am. Rip it
RISE Men’s Retreat at LGBT Life Center. 9:00 am. Rip it
Rob the Magician at Slover Library. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Live Life Fresh Boom Box Bike Ride at Freshtopia. 10:30 am. Rip it
Mommy + Me Yoga at Sky’s The Limit Yoga. 10:45 am. Rip it
Yoga for Athletes at Sky’s The Limit Yoga. 10:45 am. Rip it
Floral String Pull Class at d’Art Center. 11:00 am. Rip it
Slime Run at Harbor Park. 11:00 am. Rip it.
Inclusion and Independence Cookout at Eggleston Garden Center. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Intro to English Paper Piecing at 757 Creative ReUse Center. 12:00 pm. Rip it
Afterglow Brewing’s Grand Opening Weekend Party 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Intro to English Paper Piecing at 757 Creative ReUse Center. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Lipgloss & Lashes Drag Brunch at 37th & Zen. 1:00 pm. Rip it
One Piece Store Championship at Atlantis Games & Comics. 1:00 pm. Rip it.
Public Domain Summer Film Series: Faust (1926) at Barry Art Museum. 2:00 pm. Rip it.
Hops and Houseplants Summer Market at Maker’s Craft. 2:00 pm. Rip it
Old Vines Class with Kiera at Vino Culture. 4:00 pm. Rip it
French Knots with Judy-Lynn at 757 Creative ReUse Center. 4:00 pm. Rip it
Mommy and Me Pageant at Hugh R. Copeland Center. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Introduction To Espiritismo at Mystic Moon. 5:00 pm. Rip it.
Art Show at the High Cup. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
Kids Yoga at Sky’s The Limit Yoga. 5:30 pm. Rip it.
Healing Bracelet Making at Aries Apothecary. 6:00 pm. Rip it
Jacob Vanko performs live at Maker’s Craft. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Saturday Night Yugioh at Atlantis Games & Comics. 6:30 pm. Rip it.
Fox and the Bear perform live at Elation Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets Adult Night at Granby Theater. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Illiterate Light, Feign Kin, North Bloom at Chicho’s Backstage. 6:30 pm. Rip it

NEON Art Tour with Norfolk Tour Co at The Plot. 7:00 pm. Rip it
Art Rowe performs live at Willoughby By The Bay. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Dry Land performs live at Cafe Stella. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
The Split Decision Comedy Show Starring Antoine Scott. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Spirit of Norfolk Elizabeth River Dinner Cruise. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Open Mic Comedy Night at The Artist Vibez Cafe. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez & Moreno vs Pantoja 2 at Waterside District. 8:00 pm. Rip it
The JAM! Swallow Your Pride! at Push Comedy Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it
Mossy performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it.
Midnight Island Brunch at Koconutz Fusion. 9:00 pm. Rip it.
Second Saturday Stand-Up at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm. Rip it.

SUNDAY:
Slow-Mo Sunday Group Ride at Local Bike Shop NFK. 10:30 am. Rip it
Bhav at Sky’s the Limit. 12:00 pm. Rip it
Hank’s Crush Fest & Lū’au. 12:00 pm. Rip it
The Cure for What Ails You: Victorian Medical Spa Tea at Hunter House Victorian Museum. 12:00 pm. Rip it
A Flippin’ Good Taylor Swift Party at Reaver NFK. 12:00 pm. Rip it
Norfolk Weekly Pokemon League at Atlantis Games & Comics 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Privateer Press Game Night at Atlantis Games & Comics 1:00 pm. Rip it.
Lipgloss & Lashes Drag Brunch at 37th & Zen. 1:00 pm. Rip it
Six Shades of Sauvignon Blanc with Akeyla at Vino Culture. 1:00 pm. Rip it.
Reiki Level 1 at Aries Apothecary. 3:00 pm. Rip it
Blue’s Jam at Cova Brewing. 3:00 pm. Rip it
Ben Long performs live at Maker’s Craft. Rip it.
Music Bingo at Reaver NFK. 4:00 pm. Rip it
Traditional Irish Session at Grace O’Malley’s. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Big Bands on the Bay at OV Beach Park. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
CupcakKe performs live at The NorVA. 7:30 pm. Rip it

Chow.

Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week kicks off on July 16th with over 20 participating restaurants. Rip it.

Affogatos will be available for a limited time at Cova Brewing this weekend. Rip it. 
​​
Norfolk’s newest pizza: Lo Mo Pizzeria, lands in Riverview. Rip it.

Ice Cream Macarons have landed at Cafe Genevieve. Rip it. 

Only You Lounge teamed up with Kobros to add the espresso martini to their menu! Rip it.

Have you had one of Major Phillie Cheesesteaks’ Oxtail Egg Rolls? If not, you can grab them only on Friday and Saturday. Rip it.

Our People’s Soulful Seafood now has Salmon Strips on the menu. Uhhh, yes, please! Rip it.

Ghost Kitchen and Smartmouth are teaming up for crazy deals this summer. Rip it.

Swell prides itself on the fact that its fix is always fresh, never frozen. Look how amazing this swordfish looks! Rip it.

Mermaid Winery & Bistro opened their new location, and their reservations go fast. Reach out if you want to try this brand-new dining experience. Rip it.

When you get the big hungry, get this El Rey Basket, it will fill up the whole table. 
Rip it.


Food Truck Sightings:
Friday:
The Lit Auntie at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Ghost Kitchen at Cova. Rip it.
Salsa Libre at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.
Hades Wood-Fired at Reaver Beach. Rip it.
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth. Rip it.
lil’za Pizzaria at The Veil. Rip it.
Bakehouse at Elation Brewing. Rip it.
Bar-q at Bold Mariner. Rip it.

Saturday:
Hades Wood-Fired at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Big Belly at Cova. Rip it.
Bar-q at Reaver Beach. Rip it.
Aloha Snacks at Afterglow. Rip it.
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth. Rip it.
lil’za Pizzaria at The Veil. Rip it.
Bakehouse at Elation Brewing. Rip it.
Bar-q at Bold Mariner.  Rip it.

Sunday:
Hades Wood-Fired at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Bumbling Belly at Cova. Rip it.
Yolees G-Dawgz at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.
Pelican Petes at Afterglow. Rip it.
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Rip it.
lil’za Pizzaria at The Veil. Rip it.
Bakehouse at Elation. Rip it.
Bar-q at Bold Mariner. Rip it.

The Ripcurrent.

Paul Stetson Rice

Chelsea, NFK

Paul is the creator of NFKVA.com. He was born and raised in Norfolk, graduated from Virginia Tech, and narrowly avoided law school. Chat with him about economics, entrepreneurship, hip-hop, and hiking. When he's not working on five different projects, you'll catch him sharing a beer with friends at a local brewery.