This week in NFK: Military Circle Moves, Crossover, Song of Praise, Prayer Group, A Solider’s Play, and more.

by | Feb 18, 2022

Community. 

Downtown Norfolk Council wants to know how you would activate the MacArthur Center green space in the heart of downtown. (NFK Currents Orginal). Rip it.

How Norfolk residents want the city to use ARPA funding. (NFK Currents Orginal). Rip it.

Read part one of our series “Rest, Relaxation, & Race: Reinvigorating Citizen Solidarity and Historical Leisure Spaces in Norfolk.” (NFK Currents Orginal). Rip it. 

City Council meetings scheduled last minute for Thursday and Saturday seem to pertain to Military Circle Mall redevelopment plans. Rip it.

Another major redevelopment project could be coming to Norfolk as City leaders seek input on the “midtown” area. Rip it.

A plan for consolidating and rebuilding NPS education buildings has been released from a City-hired consultant. Rip it.

The Virginia Legislature hit the midpoint of session, known as crossover, this week. With chambers controlled by opposite parties, significant amounts of legislation are expected to fail. Rip it.

An upcoming presentation highlights the role of enslaved peoples in building Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Rip it.

The New Journal and Guide covers the history of Black hospitals including the Norfolk Community Hospital. Rip it.

Rep. Elaine Luria and Rep. Bobby Scott met with local leaders in a roundtable discussion to highlight the hundreds of millions in federal funds slated for the region. Rip it.

New climate projections from NOAA predict alarming increases in sea level, rain, and temperatures across the Commonwealth. Rip it.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit is looking for citizen input for a two-year study and assessment on equity and modernization. Rip it.

A bill expediting the legalization of recreational marijuana sales has passed the Senate and now heads to the House of Delegates. Rip it.

Robert Jones, NSU men’s basketball head coach, will lead an HBCU all-star team for a special event in Columbus, Ohio. Rip it.

ODU upset the University of Alabama Birmingham in men’s basketball this week. Rip it.

The HRBT Expansion Project crane that fell into Willoughby Bay will remain submerged for another week or two. Rip it.

Pavar Snipe, a Granby High School Graduate, has landed a voice acting role in the DreamWorks series “Dragons: The Nine Realms.” Rip it.

Culture.

The Creative Mind, a collection curated by the African American History Program at the National Academy of Sciences, is now on display at Nauticus. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

Kick Your New Year’s Resolutions Up a Notch with Martial Arts at House of Muay Thai. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

Robots and automata come to Barry Art museum with the latest exhibit. Rip it.

Virginia Arts Festival has announced its full spring lineup, including the 25th Virginia International Tattoo. Rip it.

Prime Records announced the fourth annual “The Experience” for music industry professionals. Rip it.

Shaolinn dropped a stripped-down version of her single Heavy Heart this week. Rip it.

Ballet Virginia will be performing “FIVE,” portraying the story of the Central Park Five. Rip it.

Song of Praise, Broken Beaches, and Castle Black come to Taphouse on February 19th. Rip it.

Currently on Display:
Fence Street Gallery in the NEON District. Rip it.
Pier Luigi Nervi: Art and Science of Building at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
FloodZone: Photographs by Anatasia Samoylova at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Water’s Rising: A View From Our Back Yard at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
The Totality of Time Lusters the Dusk at Chrysler Museum. Rip it.
Art from Guantánamo Bay at Gordon Art Galleries. Rip it.
Mountain Man Art at Elation Brewing. Rip it.
Motion / Emotion at Barry Art Museum. Rip it.

Commerce.

Vote for Norfolk Currents (@NFK.VA) as your favorite local “Instagram Influencer” in Cova’s Best Of Awards. Rip it.

Averett University celebrated the grand opening of the  Norfolk Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Learning Center this week. Rip it.  

As passenger flights return to near-normal levels at ORF, cargo flights are dropping off. Rip it. 

The Breeden Co.’s multifamily project, “The Loft’s at Front Street,” is being built with substantial measures to protect against flooding. Rip it.  

Norfolk Public Schools is hosting a virtual job fair to recruit for dozens of open teacher positions. Rip it. 

Sentara Norfolk General has expanded its NICU by over 20% with more beds and additional parent amenities. Rip it. 

The most expensive recorded residential property sale in the region happened this week, closing at $9.5 million. Rip it. 

Don’t miss The Connect 757 this week at Grain for a Black professionals happy hour. Rip it. 

TowneBank announced the completion of its public offering and sale of $250 million in subordinated notes. Rip it. 

Little Creek Amphibious Base is receiving two of the U.S. Navy’s new hovercrafts. Rip it.

Large construction projects in Norfolk are seeing delays with staffing shortages and construction costs growing by more than 10% YOY. Rip it. 

Hamilton Perkins Collections, a local business creating award-winning recycled bags, is now offered in nearly 100 leading department stores in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Rip it. 

Advocates for Virginia’s Port-related industries made the trip to Richmond this week to request budgets for berth optimizations, offshore wind grants, business-ready site developments, and more. Rip it. 

William and Mary’s School of Business estimates that the Port of Virginia had a $100+ billion impact on the economy. Rip it. 

Virginia Realtors name the “Top 5 Rental Markets to Watch” in the Commonwealth in 2022. Rip it. 

Housing inventory in the region dipped again this past month. Rip it. 

Regional Economic Stats. Port Stats. Labor Stats. Airport Stats.

Sinking Since 1682 – NFK Badge Tee

Norfolk Sinking Since Mug

Crowds.

The OV St. Patricks Day Parade is back after two years of pandemic cancellations. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 12th. Rip it. 

Adoradead Festival comes to Selden Market on March 5th. Rip it.

Two new Lava Presents shows are on the books at Chicho’s Backstage on March 5th and March 19th. Rip it. 

The infamous Virginia Winefest returns May 7th and 8th. Rip it. 

Catch Tyler Donavan at Slowdive on March 31st. 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. 
Happy Hour Wine Tasting with Vino Culture. 4:00 pm. Rip it. 
Tail Light Rebellion performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Cody Browning performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Slab Platters and Canvass Stretching workshops at 757 Makerspace. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Through the Grapevine Open Mic at Commune Provisions. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Hooks & Hops meetup at Benchtop Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Wine Tasting: Sweets for your Sweet! at Town Point Club. 6:30 pm. Rip it.
Full Moon Sound Bath at Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Skylark with Skip Hancock performs live at Varia. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Cheese & Chocolate Wine Pairing Class at Vino Culture. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Admirals vs. Rapid City Rush at Norfolk Scope Arena. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
VA Arts Fest presents A Solider’s Play at GWC Brown Memorial Hall. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
“Taking Measure” with ODU Rep Theater Group at ODU’s Goode Theater. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Ann performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Mossy performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Charltones Duo perform live at Tap It Local. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
Just the Seeker and Kobe Wiggins perform live at Thank You Thank You Bar. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
Syndicate live show featuring Baby Oil Pimp, DJ WIVVE, and Loe at Slowdive Gallery. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
The Outlaw Kings perform live at Grain. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 

Saturday: 
Saturday Morning Adventure Ride with Local Bike Shop. 8:15 am. Rip it. 
Saturday Yoga at Norfolk Botanical Garden. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
SPCA Adoption Event at Cova Brewing Co. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Jam’n Jamz Free Tree Giveaway at Lafayette Park. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
BigForestFire performs live at Grain. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Aries Apothocary 9 Year Anniversary Serial Killer Party. 12:00 pm. Rip it. 
HR Pug Meetup at Ballentine Bark Park. 12:00 pm. Rip it. 
James Ford performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 1:00 pm. Rip it. 
Weekend Wine Tasting at Vino Culture. 1:00 pm. Rip it. 
Illusions The Drag Queen Show at EZ Inn. 1:30 pm. Rip it. 
VA Arts Fest presents A Solider’s Play at GWC Brown Memorial Hall. 3:00 pm & 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Matt & Ali perform live at Cova Brewing Co. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
John Ingersoll Duo performs live at Town Point Club. 5:30 pm. Rip it. 
Fox and the Bear perform live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Dan Pellegrino performs live at Benchtop Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Shake Norfolk presents The Love Below at Elation Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Harry Potter Movie and Themed Dinner Party at The Granby Theater. 6:30 pm. Rip it. 
Dahna Rowe and Jonathan Friedman perform live at Varia. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Prayer Group Record Release Show at Slowdive Gallery. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Redneck Rumble Mayhem Party at PBR Norfolk. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Concrete Canvas: Music, Arts & Culture Fest at 2600 Granby St. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Va Symphony performs Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 at Chrysler Hall. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
“Taking Measure” with ODU Rep Theater Group at ODU’s Goode Theater. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Admirals vs. Rapid City Rush at Norfolk Scope Arena. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Silent Disco at Waterside District. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Ann performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Song of Praise, Broken Beaches, and Castle Black perform live at The Taphouse Grill. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
The Movement performs live at The Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Mossy performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
DJ Mista Nice performs live at Grain. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
Burlyville Thrill performs Love Me, Love Me Not at Reaver Beach NFK. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
The Wax Buildup Crew performs live at Thank You Thank You Bar. 10:00 pm. Rip it. 

Sunday:

Sunday Dog Days at Norfolk Botanical Garden. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
Slow-Mo Sunday Ride with Local Bike Shop. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Yoga on Tap with Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co at Reaver Beach NFK. 10:45 am. Rip it. 
Bryan Dunn performs live at Grain. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Elated Craft Market at Elation Brewing. 12:00 pm. Rip it. 
Language of the Flowers Tea at Hunter House Victorian Museum. 12:00 pm. Rip it. 
Hooks! Ring Toss Game Tournament at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 2:00 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Tabletop Gaming Hangout at Coalescence Coffee. 2:00 pm. Rip it. 
Ann performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 2:30 pm. Rip it.
VA Arts Fest presents A Solider’s Play at GWC Brown Memorial Hall. 3:00 pm. Rip it.
Stamp It: Block Printing workshop at 757 Makerspace. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Bessie, Billie, & Nina – Pioneering Women in Jazz at Attucks Theater. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Kevin Brinson performs live at Grain. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Black Violin live at Chrysler Hall. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 

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

Chow.

Our People’s Soulful Seafood is the most seasoned seafood restaurant in Ocean View. (NFK Currents Original). Rip it. 

Baja Blasting! Pelon’s is serving up some infinitely crushable SoCal chow. (NFK Currents Original). Rip it. 

Opportunity gnoccs: The Ten Top is rocking gnocchi special. Rip it. 

Housemade Horchata at Chorizo Mexican is a primo way to imagine that spring is coming. Rip it. 

Strawberry Fields hits a homer with its pineapple upside-down cake gelato. Rip it. 

The refreshed Commune Provisions menu straight up slaps. Go build a bowl. Rip it. 

Kobro’s Coffee has lavender maple craft lattes on deck all weekend. Rip it. 

Hashi Chow returns to Benchtop Brewing on Sunday with a pulled pork and kimchi panini. Rip it. 

Cafe Blanca is now Blanca All Day and they’re ready for your night moves. Rip it. 

Food Truck Sightings:
Friday:
La Cucina di Sophia at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Taco Flavored Kisses at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 
Big Belly Food Truck at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  

Saturday:
Big Belly Food Truck at Reaver NFK. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Hades Wood Fired at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Get Stuffed at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
Smoked Biscuit at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 

Sunday:
Courtney’s Kitchen and Girl Scout Cookies at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Hashi Chow at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Miami Fusion at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 

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.