[Sponsor of the Week]

Community. 

The Military Festival, formerly known as the Patriotic Festival, is moving from the Virginia Beach oceanfront to Downtown Norfolk. Rip it. 

American Rescue Plan Act funds could be used to renovate Chrysler Hall. Rip it. 

Sunday Voting comes to Virginia for the first time ever this year. Rip it. 

Stacey Abrams joined local elected officials and black community leaders to rally voters ahead of Virginia’s highly watched gubernatorial race. Rip it.

Winterfest at Nauticus opens on Veterans day with a special military appreciation night. Rip it. 

The NRHA has opened applications for Diggs Town, a newly renovated community of assisted housing community units. Rip it. 

The City of Norfolk breaks ground on the Five Points Civic Plaza that includes a green space for residents to gather, a tot lot for youth, a community garden, and improvements to the intersection. Rip it. 

The Democrat and Republican candidates for Governor have raised a combined $88 million for their elections, which is a record high for Virginia. Rip it. 

Jessica Whitehead and Jeremy Hoffman will be serving as lead authors for the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Rip it.

Northam and the General Assembly appropriated $700 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to accelerate the state’s push for universal broadband coverage. Rip it. 

The Department of Transit received over 800 comments for its multimodal plan. Rip it. 

Norfolk will be hosting Sail250, a flotilla of international ships to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence in 2026. Rip it. 

Culture.

The  Hermitage teams up with Virginia Stage Company for an incredible immersive theater experience. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

NEON Fest celebrates Norfolk’s art energy with a jam-packed night of entertainment and culture. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

There’s an open call for submissions for “Keeping History Above Water: Norfolk” coming to the Chrysler in May 2022. Rip it. 

Nick Colionne has dropped a new smooth jazz guitar album and performs at Brother’s all weekend. Rip it. 

Will Liverman is joining the Virginia Opera team to chart new creative and community paths. Rip it. 

LAVA Presents brings all your favorite hits with several local bands ‘costuming’ as bands like the Backstreet Boys, Paramore, the Beastie Boys, and more. Rip it. 

The Perry Family Gallery is finally open at the Glasslight Hotel this week. Rip it. 

Catch Year of the Fist, a women-led punk band, at The Taphouse Grill this Tuesday. Rip it. 

The Virginia Stage Company has two shows running: Dear Jack, Dear Louise, and Hold These Truths. Rip it.

Little Theatre of Norfolk opens its 95th Season with Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband.” Rip it.

Perfect for Halloween, the Garbage Horror Show at MacArthur Mall is set in 2854. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it.

Currently on Display:
Washed Ashore at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Rip it.  
SITE-SEEING at Slow Dive Gallery (last weekend). Rip it. 
Sauce: 2021 ODU Art Alumni Exhibition at Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Gallery. Rip it. 
Life and Limb: Works by Matt Sesow at Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Gallery. Rip it. 
Fence Street Gallery in the NEON District. Rip it.
Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers at Chrysler Museum. Rip it. 
Pier Luigi Nervi: Art and Science of Building at Chrysler Museum. Rip it. 
If You Thirst for a Homeland: Flame-worked glass at Chrysler Museum. Rip it. 
Karen LaMonte: Théâtre de la Mode at Barry Art Museum. Rip it. 
Awash in Color at Gallery 21. Rip it. 

Commerce.

Selden Market is home to a sister-owned boutique that crafts made-to-order clothes. (NFK Currents Original). Rip it. 

Aspiring real estate developers take note. Norfolk is offering free plans to incentivize more “missing middle” housing. Rip it. 

Norfolk’s service industry continues to deal with unprecedented labor shortages. Rip it. 

ODU’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy has deemed the region’s hotel industry as ‘fully recovered’ despite falling Revenue Per Available Room. Rip it. 

Solar Power Purchase Agreements are coming to Norfolk and enabling solar investments for low-income families. Rip it. 

Kushner Cos (yes, that Kushner) has purchased one of the region’s large luxury apartment complexes. Rip it.  

The Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Maryland) saw modest growth in recent weeks. Rip it. 

The third quarter has been strong for commercial real estate in Virginia. Rip it. 

Norfolk entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Angela Reddix was honored recently after being named to EBONY Magazine’s Power 100 List for 2021. Rip it.

Meet the Norfolk-based startup that’s transforming how we understand the land beneath us. Rip it. 

Virginia’s residential real estate market is inching closer to ‘normal’ conditions. Rip it. 

Regional Economic Stats. Port Stats. Labor Stats.

Crowds.

Smartmouth celebrates nine years in business with a block party led by The Last Bison this Saturday. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

**Please note that listed times are start times, many events run several hours**

All Weekend:
Play Norfolk’s Garbage Horror Show at Macarthur Center. Rip it.

Friday: 
NFK Run Club meetup at Yorgos. 6:00 am. Rip it. 
Yoga + Coffee at Skys the Limit Yoga Co at Cafe Mudita. 6:30 am. Rip it. 
18th Annual Golf Tournament with Visit Norfolk at OV Golf Course. 10:30 am. Rip it. 
Pumpkin Picnics at Hunter House Victorian Museum. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
X Marks The Spot Exhibition Opening at CommuneXCrop. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
Nick Colionne performs live at Brother’s. 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
GSA Jazz performance at the Plot. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Cody Browning performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewing. 6:00 pm. 
Steve Link performs live at Cova Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Tidewater Burner’s Dance Party at the Cofer Lot. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
757 Makerspace Interactive Art Exhibit at the Cofer Lot. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
NEON Community Galleries: Copeland Center, NEON House, 739 Granby. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Free Comedy Shows at Push Comedy Theater. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Screendance: Seether at NEON House. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Screendance: Communion & Alchemy at 739 Granby. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
757 Steet Art Battel at Glass Wheel Studio. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Backlight Bash at Zeke’s. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Origin NSU NEON Gallery at 717 Granby St. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Being B.A.D. performed by ODU Rep Theatre at Copeland Center. 6:45 pm. Rip it. 
Everything is Beautiful by Teens with a Purpose at the Plot. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Mayhem Party – 7 Deadly Sins at PBR Norfolk. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
SeamLess Duo performs live at Varia. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Night School Immersive Theater Experience at Hermitage Museum. 7:20 & 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Admirals Season Opener at Norfolk Scope. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Bay River Band performs live at NEON House. 7:30 pom. Rip it. 
42 Dugg performs live at The Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Blood Brothers performed live at Generic Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Poetry Reading with Muse Writers Center at the Copeland Center. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Comedy Night hosted by Nick Deez at Slowdive Gallery. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
An Ideal Husband performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Costume Ride to NEON Fest with Social Cycling Norfolk from Smartmouth. 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Infinite Flava performs live at the NEON House. 9:00 pm. Rip it.
Split Decision performs live at Waterside District. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
Kevin Brinson performs live at Grain. 9:30 pm. Rip it.
Sebastian Vega performs live at Slowdive Gallery. 10:00 am. Rip it. 

Saturday: 
COVAMOVES: Burn Bootcamp at Cova Brewing. 8:30 am. Rip it. 
ZooBoo at the Virginia Zoo. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
Yoga + Coffee with Skys the Limit Yoga Co at Coalescence. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
East Beach Farmers Market at 9680 Shore Drive. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
Yuckology at Nauticus. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Bhav Brigade Yoga at Elation Brewing. 10:30 am. Rip it. 
Community Gentle Yoga with Vic at Ocean View Beach Park. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Yoga at the Plot with Skys the Limit Yoga Co. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Big Forest Fire performs live at Grain. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Pumpkin Painting with Slover Library and the ERT at TowneBank Fountain Park. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
757 Houseplant VA BST Plant Swap at Waterside. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Five Points Civic Plaza and Park Groundbreaking Ceremony. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Smartmouth’s 9th Birthday Street Party in Chelsea Business District. 12:00 pm. Rip it. 
Wave City Care 300 “Ride for a Case” at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 12:30 pm. Rip it.
Inside Out Youth Art Course at LGBT Life Center. 2:00 pm. Rip it.
Tea with Professor Trelawney at Hunter House Victorian Museum. 2:00 pm. Rip it. 
Blood Brothers performed live at Generic Theater. 2:30 pm & 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
For The Health of It: Health & Wellness Fair by Movement is Medicine at Reaver Beach NFK. 2:00 pm. Rip it.
Ceramic Open Studio at d’Art Center. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trunk or Treat Haunted Forest Halloween Bash at Military Circle Mall. 5:30 pm. Rip it. 
Nick Colionne performs live at Brother’s Restaurant. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Dan Pellegrino performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Intro to Wheel Throwing at 757 Makerspace. 6:00 pm. Rip it.  
Fox and the Bear perform live at Cova Brewing Co. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Hotel Neon, From Overseas and Dark Sines at Slow Dive Gallery. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Travis Colby performs live at Varia. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Night School Immersive Theater Experience at Hermitage Museum. 7:20 & 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Marsalis “New World” performed live by Va Symphony Co. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Hold These Truths performed live at Wells Theater. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
An Ideal Husband performed live at Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
The 666 Project: Horror Anthology Show at Push Comedy Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
The Deloreans perform live at Waterside District. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
DJ 2Hype performs live at Grain. 9:30 am. Rip it.  
Girl-prov performs live at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm. Rip it. 

Sunday:

Chow.

Praise Cheesus. The Virginia Cheese Co is finally providing us with grilled cheese goodness. (Grilled Cheese Week is Nov 2-7). Rip it. 

If their reputation stays true, the Chelsea Bakehouse’s pumpkin bread will blow your mind. Rip it. 

Enjoy 4 Halloween candy-inspired imperial chocolate stouts at Cova Brewing this weekend. Rip it.

Layne and Libby’s is plating up gorgeous vegan Biko, among other baked goods. Rip it. 

Spinach & goat cheese agnolotti is ready to rock your world at Crudo Nudo. Rip it. 

North Colley’s new favorite dessert? Coach House drops the pumpkin cheesecake. Rip it. 

At Eleanor’s Norfolk Bookstore, you can shop for a bottle of wine and pick up some new intersectional reading. Rip it. 

Leave your downtown office, lime it through the NEON, and get lunch with Slowdive Gallery. Rip it.

Soup season is upon us. Hit up the souperstars at The Ten Top. Rip it. 

Doughnut lovers rejoice. AWOG has churro donuts. Rip it. 

Food Truck Sightings:
Friday:
Prime 757 at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
A Bite of Maine at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it. 
Get Stuffed at Reaver Beach NFK. Rip it.
Pitt County Food Truck at Maker’s Craft Brewery. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it. 

Saturday:
Hangry’s at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it. 
Cast Iron Catering & Weng’s Kitchen at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it. 
Avocargo at Reaver Beach NFK. Rip it.
Gavin Dishes at Maker’s Craft Brewery. Rip it. 

Sunday:
Crop Circle Gourmet at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Lumpia King at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it. 
Sofrito at Cova Brewing. Rip it.

The Ripcurrent.

Many have wondered, few have truly seen. The 2nd floor of Jack Brown’s revealed. 

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. Go Hokies!