This week in NFK: Fireworks, Order of Tents, Glass Studio Expansion, ODU EVMS Integration, Cocktail Fountains, and more.

by | Jul 1, 2022

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Community. 

Norfolk City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new set of short-term rental rules that allow larger buildings to be used and increased the rules applied to operators. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

The City of Norfolk saved $8.2 million in interest and freed up $2.2 million held as reserves by paying down $19.3 million in water system bonds. Rip it.

City Council approved the next step in a Military Highway light rail extension this week. Rip it. 

The Hampton Blvd Bridge will see major repairs in a three-phase project expected to impact traffic through mid-2023. Rip it. 

Some HRT employees are getting a $1.25 per hour increase in pay and new hires are eligible for a sign-on bonus under a new policy. Rip it.

Hundreds of locals rallied at Lafayette Park on Sunday in protest of the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Rip it.

Norfolk Master Gardners will help you set up a garden with a house call to survey, plan, build a shopping list, and consult throughout the year. Rip it.

Nauticus is offering significantly reduced admission to groups that can present a SNAP EBT card in an effort to broaden access to disadvantaged families. Rip it.  

Here are all the Virginia laws taking effect on July 1. Rip it.

The Commonwealth is honoring the United Order of Tents, an organization formed by Black women in the wake of emancipation, for their extensive mutual aid and community-building work with a marker outside their National headquarters in Norfolk. Rip it. 

Drug arrests in Virginia were down nearly 50% for all age groups, driven by a 66% decline in marijuana arrests. Rip it. 

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission issued a stop-work order to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for non-compliant artificial reefs. Rip it. 

State eviction protection policies put in place as a pandemic response have ended effective July 1st. Rip it.

Governor Youngkin joined several members of Congress in asking for the delay of a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for members of the military. Rip it. 

Monkeypox cases in Virginia have reached 8 as concern over the contagious disease rise. Rip it. 

Lyft is providing free and reduced fares for July 4th in an effort to reduce drunk driving. Rides are free up to $15. Rip it.

Maury High School students are raising funds to help music teacher Ryan Featherer pay for a multiple sclerosis procedure that would allow him to keep teaching. Rip it.

Culture.

Infinite Variations: The works of M.C. Escher are dazzling crowds at Chrysler Museum. (NFK Currents Orginal). Article. Video. Rip it.

Roberto Lugo, an acclaimed artist, activist, educator, and poet, showcases his hand-thrown ceramics at Hermitage Museum and Garden through the summer. (NFK Currents Original Video) Rip it.

The Chrysler Museum unveiled plans for a massive expansion of the glass studio alongside a large fundraising campaign. Rip it. 

Pusha T sold out his show at the Norva so fast, that they’re adding a second night to the lineup. Rip it. 

Don’t miss VA Sway, a song about Virginia, by Kingna Scott and Pusha T in partnership with Visit Virginia. Rip it. 

Offsite Gallery has an open call for exhibition proposals for 2023. Rip it. 

The Foster Beauty Fashion Show will dazzle at the Assembly Rooftop on Saturday with a showcase of some of the region’s finest designers. Rip it.

The Generic Theater presents School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play through July. Rip it.

The Hermitage Museum is looking for artists for their Hermitage Handmade Festival coming up this fall. Rip it.

The Hurrah Players host Jam Daddies and Ben Branigan for a fundraiser on July 31st. Rip it.
 
Currently on Display:
The Totality of Time Lusters the Dusk at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
MC Escher: Infinite Variations at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Motion / Emotion at Barry Art Museum. Rip it.
Hirata Gōyō: The Birth of the Japanese Art Doll at Barry Art Museum. Rip it.
Oil Paintings by Rick Seguso at Gallery 21. Rip it.
Roberto Lugo: Pottery With Purpose. Rip it.
Drones at Nauticus. Rip it.

Commerce.

Naci’s Corner Cafe has been resilient in rebounding from a car crashing through the building. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

Hear from John Paris Jr and Paul Hirschbiel, founders of 757 Angels, on how they developed an angel group that is ranked the 3rd best in the nation. Rip it. 

Australian firm Carsales.com reached an agreement to purchase the remaining shares of Trader Interactive, a major local employer, for $839.14 million. It already owned 49% of the firm. Rip it. 

ODU and EVMS have reached an informal agreement to peruse integration between the two schools. Planning starts in 2023. Rip it. 

A 7% increase in gas taxes in Virginia goes into effect July 1 alongside an additional fee for petroleum fuel tank repairs. Rip it.

Despite massive state and local efforts to capitalize on an emerging wind energy industry in Virginia, Governor Youngkin declined to join a federal partnership on wind energy with nearly every other state on the eastern seaboard. Rip it. 

Major offshore wind infrastructure coming ashore in Virginia Beach is facing neighborhood opposition. Rip it.

The City of Norfolk completed the sale of the first vacant lots to be auctioned off in the online auction system. Rip it. 

A 152,500-square-foot warehouse in Norfolk’s Industrial Park was sold for $11 million to Bart Eisner. Rip it. 

Lawson, a real estate firm with several projects in Norfolk was recognized as the 43rd Top Affordable Housing Developer in the country. Rip it. 

Dollar Tree, one of the few Fortune 500 companies in the region, is overhauling it’s C-suite executives. Rip it.

The Spirit of Norfolk passed a Coast Guard inspection four weeks before its fire and was not required to have smoke alarms or fire extinguishers. Rip it. 

Local-based chain, Fruitive, has grown to four locations and overcome a challenging pandemic. Rip it. 

Zoup! Eatery appears to be headed to Monarch Way near ODU. Rip it.

Neighborhood Harvest, a local hydroponic produce company, is teaching students about hydroponics and their impact on food insecurity. Rip it. 

Norfolk / Virginia Beach was the No. 1 hotel market for pandemic recovery with the resort area hotels driving that performance. Rip it. 

Dennis Matheis was selected as Sentara Healthcare’s next President and CEO. Rip it.
 

Historic Freemason District Sticker

Willoughby Mug

Crowds.

Elation Brewing kicks off an annual IPA Invitational Series aimed at highlighting the finest IPAs the Commonwealth has to offer. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

Norfolk Currents and Smartmouth announced NFK Day, a celebration of the most Norfolk things, on July 23rd. More details coming soon. Rip it.

Festevents hosts the 4th of July Great American Picnic with Fireworks at Town Point Park on Monday. Rip it. 

Jonah Ross, Cody Christian, and Robbie Bradshaw perform at Goode Theater on July 23rd. Rip it. 

​​​Merci, Red Weather, Longsleeves, and Captive Birds come to Slowdive Gallery on July 30th. Rip it. ​

Panties in a Twist, the all-female sketch comedy show by Push Comedy, celebrates 10 years with a two-night showing at the Norva in August. Rip it. ​​

The Ocean View Storm the Bay Race Series is on the books for October 8th. Rip it. ​​

The Granby Theater is hosting Star Wars and Harry Potter showings all month. Rip it.

Latin nights are all the time at The Back inside California Burrito. Rip it.

**Please note that listed times are start times, many events run several hours**
Friday:
Norfolk Run Club meetup at Yorgo’s. 6:00 am. Rip it.
Sunrise Yoga + Coffee with Sky’s the Limit. 6:30 am. Rip it.
Writers Coffee Break with The Muse Writers Center. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Friday Happy Hour Wine Tasting with Vino Culture. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Ghent Farmer’s Market at Blair Middle School. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Make(HER) Collective Popup at Eleanor’s Porch. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
First Friday Fountain Series at Crudo Nudo. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Art Talk and Music by Rick Seguso with Karl Werne at Gallery 21. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Cognition Transmission: Pass It On Closing Reception at Offsite Gallery. 5:00 pm. Rip it.
Glow Flow Happy Hour Yoga at Sky’s The Limit Yoga. 5:30 pm. Rip it.
Shore Thing Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks at Ocean View Beach Park. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Amy Kaus performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Steve Link performs live at Cova Brewing Company. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Travis Colby performs live at Varia. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Bad Movie Night: A Bucket of Blood at ODU Planetarium. 6:30 pm. Rip it.
Norfolk Tides Vs Gwinnett Stripers at Harbor Park. 6:35 pm. Rip it.
PBR Freedom Fridays at Waterside District. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Tym Griffin Comedy at Smartmouth Brewing. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
The Legwarmers perform live at the Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play at Generic Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
MonoMania! Improvised Play at Push Comedy Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
2 Up 2 Down with JoFroxi, Fake Uzumi, and Durag Daf at Slowdive Gallery. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
Greg Gutty performs live at Prime 255. 9:00 pm. Rip it.
Bandz the DJ performs live at Caior Bistro. 9:00 pm. Rip it.
Ultimate Roasting Championship at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm. Rip it.

Saturday:
ERT Fun Ride with Pedego Electric Bikes. 7:00  pm. Rip it.
Send It! Road Ride with East Coast Cycles. 8:00 am. Rip it.
East Beach Farmers Market at 9680 Shore Drive. 9:00 am. Rip it.
Farmers Market at Sunset Grill. 9:00 am. Rip it.
After Pride Yoga at Norfolk Botanical Garden. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Live Life Fresh Boom Box Ride with Freshtopia. 10:30 am. Rip it.
Eric Staab performs live at Grain.  11:00 am. Rip it.
IPA Invitational at Elation Brewing. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Pokemon Casual Tournament at Atlantis Comics and Games. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Yoga at Slover Library with Bhav Brigade. 1:00 pm. Rip it.
Foxglove performs live at OV Democratic & Social Club. 1:30 pm. Rip it.
Music Match Bingo at Cogan’s Ghent. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Joe Heilman performs live at Hank’s Filling Station. 5:00 pm. Rip it.
Foster Beauty Fashion Show Summer 2022 at Assembly. 5:00 pm. Rip it.  
Chris Ride performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Vince Kornegay performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Neptune Groove performs live at Varia. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Norfolk Tides vs. Gwinnett Stripers at Harbor Park. 6:35 pm. Rip it.  
BigForestFire performs live at Hanks Filling Station. 6:45 pm. Rip it.
Silent Disco at Waterside Drive. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
The Psychedelic Furs perform live at the Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Date Night Improv Show at Push Comedy. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
The Deloreans perform live at Waterside District. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Silent Party at Culture Lounge. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
VO-BLA Show, Mosquito Cabaret, and Spirit Gun perform live at Norfolk Taphouse. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Bennett Walker Wales Band performs live at Hank’s Filling Station. 8:45 pm. Rip it.
DEEPSOUL at Slowdive Gallery. 9:00 pm. Rip it.
American Master Debaters Improv at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm. Rip it.
Late Night with Jarvis Griffin of Paper Aliens at Gershwins. 11:00 pm. Rip it. 
Dj Cleve 2nd Annual All White Yacht Party aboard the (replacement) Spirit of Norfolk. 11:30 pm. Rip it. 
 

Sunday:

Torch Yoga at Cova Brewing Co. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Slow-Mo Sundays Bike Ride at Local Bike Shop. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Yoga on Tap with Sky’s the Limit at Reaver Beach. 10:45 am. Rip it.
DJ Loe and DJ Mani Brunch at Slowdive Gallery. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Bumbling Beez Urban Market at Benchtop Brewing. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Paul Dickson performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 12:00 pm. Rip it.
Tour de ORF Bike Ride departing Smartmouth. 3:00 pm. Rip it. 
Joe Heilman performs live at Ocean View Fishing Pier. 3:00 pm. Rip it. ​
CCC Granby Street Bike Ride and All Bright Affair at Culture Lounge. 4:00 pm. Rip it.
Norfolk Tides vs. Memphis Redbirds at Harbor Park. 6:05 pm. Rip it.
Issa Vibe Boat Party Cruise with Squeako and Poohe. 6:30 pm. Rip it.

Get a daily rundown of events on our Daily Instagram Story.

Chow.

The Old Virginia Ham Shop moved to Ghent from Ward’s Corner and is keeping the old-style traditions alive. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

The world’s oldest ham calls the region home and it just turned 120 years old. Rip it.

Grab the Old Towner hamburger if you’re getting salty in East Beach this weekend. Rip it. 

Cocktail fountains are back at Crudo Nudo with a new recipe: The Mexican Cousin. Rip it. 

The Veil’s coveted White Ferrari DIPA with Citra and Galaxy hops is back and still rocking Frank Ocean. Rip it. 

Brother’s Norfolk is serving up amaretto cheesecake made with Disarrano. Rip it.


The Lone Seagull summer blend from Three Ship is popping up at Assembly soon. Rip it. 


Radiatore Pasta is the newest addition to the Codex menu. Rip it. 

This Salmon Tartare from Omar is going far. Rip it. 

Fried chicken in a cheesesteak is the Phillie fusion we wanted. Rip it.

Cutta’s Kitchen is giving homestyle the highlight it needs. Rip it.

Local-made hot sauce + rad local art is spicing it up at Sanctuary. Rip it.

Gnocchi with Italian sausage and braised mushrooms while it lasts at the Ten Top. Rip it.

Get that soft shell crab on a BLT with Our People’s Seafood. Rip it.

Cara Cara Oranges are carrying the cups of craft at Kobro’s this week. Rip it.


Food Truck Sightings:
Friday:
Capt’n Crabby at Reaver NFK. Rip it.
Get Stuffed & Big Belly at Cova Brewing. Rip it.
Hades Wood Fired Pizza at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Jay Doggs at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.
Bar-Q at Bold Mariner Brewing. Rip it.

Saturday:
Miss Kim’s Mobile Kitchen at Reaver NFK. Rip it.
Sour Street Pizza & Weng’s Kitchen at Cova Brewing. Rip it.
Shawna’s Rich Eats at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
A Lyons Den at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Bar-Q at Bold Mariner Brewing. Rip it.

Sunday:
Big Belly at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Luv A Bowls at Cova Brewing. Rip it.
Jay Doggs Cart at Reaver NFK. Rip it.
Bumbling Bee and TFK Tacos at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Bar-Q at Bold Mariner Brewing. Rip it.

Monday, July 4th:
Weng’s Kitchen at Cova Brewing. Rip it.
Shawna’s Rich Eats at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it.
Jay Doggs at Benchtop Brewing. 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.