Vote for @NFK.VA to be named Cova Magazine’s Best Local Instagram!

Community. 

City of Norfolk Officials have plans for a fund focused on federally-designated Opportunity Zones within the city. (NFK Currents Original) Rip it. 

Norfolk City Council voted to add additional land to the St. Pauls’s redevelopment area. Rip it. 

Norfolk City Council unanimously passed a resolution to reduce its energy consumption in City-owned buildings by 20% over 10 years. Rip it. 

Catch up on what you missed at City Council on Tuesday. Rip it. 

The Virginia Department of Health reports that Virginia has seen 3 straight weeks of declining COVID-19 cases. Rip it. 

Norfolk’s COVID-19 testing facility is moving to a mobile setup that will travel throughout the city. Rip it. 

Thanks to legislative changes made in 2021 an estimated 25,000 additional families are now eligible for food stamps. Rip it. 

Mea Culpa Cafe is hosting a free community fridge, stocked by the community, for those in need. Rip it.

CHKD expert Michele Tyron provides advice for parents coping with pandemic parenting. Rip it. 

The comment period for how the City spends American Rescue Plan Act funds closes this Wednesday. Rip it.

A crane working on the HRBT Expansion project fell into Willoughby Bay this week and will require a larger crane to remove it. Rip it. 

The Virginia Congressional Delegation is formally requesting $76.9 million in the federal budget for the Norfolk Harbor Widening and Deepening project. Rip it. 

Senate Bill 500 could allow for utilities to charge even higher rates. 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.

270 apartments and small commercial spaces are being proposed on the corner of St. Paul’s and Brambleton. Rip it. 

Sentara announced an investment of $125 million in employee raises and increased benefits. Rip it. 

Howard Kern, the president and CEO of Sentara Healthcare announced his retirement this week. Rip it. 

Frontline GIG, a Norfolk-based startup, was selected for Covintus Tech Tech, an accelerator program in Richmond. Rip it. 

The Virginia Zoo is hosting a job fair this week as it looks to fill several positions including drivers for the Zoo train. Rip it. 

Vino Culture’s Kiera Hill credits pandemic pressures for her pivot to a wine tasting shop. Rip it. 

Travis Young, 757 Collab’s new DEI and Strategic Partnerships Director, is a returning local with lots of experience to share. Rip it. 

Renovations in the former downtown Farm Fresh space have begun in order to house TCC’s visual arts program. Rip it. 

Conte’s Bike Shop, which started in the region, is continuing a national expansion and opening a new headquarters. Rip it. 

W.M. Jordan is looking for local contractors to hire for the construction of the Headwaters Resort and Casino. Rip it. 

Norfolk City Council approved a Capital Improvement Plan Budget amendment to enable the purchase of a strip mall at Granby and 27th Streets. (R-5) Rip it. 

Regional Economic Stats. Port Stats. Labor Stats.

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. 

**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. 
Sky’s The Limit Yoga + Coffee at Cafe Mudita. 6:30 am. Rip it.
Weekend Wine Tastings at Vino Culture. 4:00 pm. Rip it. 
Public Opening of Motion/Emotion Exhibition at Barry Art Museum. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
Jacob Vanko performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
FreeFormCanvas Couples Paint Night at 757 Makerspace. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Suspended Jesses perform live at Benchtop Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Rodney Carrington performs live at Harrison Opera house. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Live Piano Performance at The Hermitage Museum and Gardens. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
CraftedVA Night Market at Sky’s The Limit Yoga. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Neptune Groove performs live at Varia. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Tre Charles performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
The Hurrah Players perform Black Girl Magic at the Copeland Center. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Jeff Dunahm: Seriously live at Chartway Arena. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Wine Class: Wines of Douro Valley, Portugal at Vino Culture. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
CommuneXCrop Valentines Dinner Event. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Chrysler Hall. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
ZOSO Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience at the Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Virginia Ballet Theater 60th Anniversary Concert at ODU Univesity Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Ann performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Snow Moon Esbat at Mystic Moon Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
James “JJ” Smith performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it.
Desert Club: Evan Slagle performs live at Thank You Thank You bar. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
DJ Saint James performs live at Grain. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
MyaMay, Durag Daf, Gabe Niles, and Madd Startt take on Slowdive Gallery. 10:00 pm. Rip it.

Saturday: 
Sky’s The Limit Yoga + Coffee at Coalescence. 9:00 am. Rip it. 
Winter Classes at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens. 9:30 am. Rip it.
Howlett Home Team + Cova Brewing Beach Cleanup. 10:00 am. Rip it.
Valentine’s Day Market at Selden Market. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Galentine’s Day Drag Brunch at Waterside District. 10:00 am & 1:30 pm. Rip it. 
Elizabeth River Trail Cruise with Pedego Ebikes. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Bella’s Creations Pop-Up at Cova Brewing Co. 10:30 am. Rip it. 
Bhav Brigade Yoga at Elation Brewing Co. 10:30 am. Rip it. 
East Beach Winter Farmer’s Market at 9680 Shore Dr. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
BigForestFire performs live at Grain. 11:00 am. Rip it.
Valentines Art Market at Coalescence Coffee. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Felicia Hoyos performs live at Cova Brewing Co. 1:00 pm. Rip it. 
Weekend Wine Tastings at Vino Culture. 1:00 pm. Rip it. 
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Chrysler Hall. 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Seaglass Workshop at Nauticus. 2:00 pm. Rip it. 
The Hurrah Players perform Black Girl Magic at the Copeland Center. 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Valentine Witches Tea Party at Mystic Moon Norfolk. 3:00 pm. Rip it.
Grateful Jed performs a Billy Strings pre-party at Elation Brewing. 5:00 pm. Rip it.
Glasgow Kiss performs live at Maker’s Craft Brewery. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Marty Moore performs live at Benchtop Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Pink & Red Open House at Vino Culture. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
The Legwarmer’s 80’s Band performs live at the Norva. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Valentine’s Nightmare Haunted Temple at Norfolk Masonic Lodge. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Lindsey Webster – Church St Jazz Series at Attucks Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Virginia Ballet Theater 60th Anniversary Concert at ODU Univesity Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it.
Ann performed live at the Little Theater of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
James “JJ” Smith performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Billy Strings performs live at Chartway Arena. 8:30 pm. Rip it. 
Saturday Night Karaoke at Cogan’s Ghent. 9:00 pm. Rip it. 
Ladybug Disco Club: Tmobyle and Doddie perform live at Thank You Thank You bar. 9:00 pm. Rip it.  
DJ Joe Fu performs live at Grain. 9:30 pm. Rip it. 
Hey Ma! RNB Night with DJ Sugarbearz at Chicho’s Backstage. 10:00 pm. Rip it. 

Sunday:

Chow.

Valentine’s, Galentine’s, and Plain Ol’ Times: Dine Out Local this V-Day (NFK Currents Original). Rip it. 

Did someone say beachside smoothies? Rip it. 

Red velvet cheesecake ice cream is super approps this weekend. Rip it. 

The Veil is serving up Plum Berry Tastees, because who doesn’t love beer and ice cream. Rip it. 

Let’s just say the Canvas’ Valentine’s Weekend menu is … spicy. Rip it.

Nothing says “you make my heart melt” more than a heart-shaped birria quesadilla. Rip it. 

Blanca Food + Wine is making art with their food. Rip it. 

The Bar-Q + Bold Mariner combo continues to dominate OV. Rip it. 

POWnd Cakes By Jen are ready to wow your sweetie this weekend. Rip it.

Color up your cocktails! Cork & Co’s Caribbean spiked tea is a palette full. Rip it. 

Dirty Buffalo is pulling out all the Super Bowl stops. Bengal and Ram-themed menu items galore. Rip it. 

Food Truck Sightings:
Friday:
Cups Up at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Avocargo at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 
Not Your Routine Poutine at Reaver NFK. Rip it. 
Gavin Dishes at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  

Saturday:
Sense’s Vegan Comfort Food at Reaver NFK. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Burrito Perdido at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Luvabowls at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 
Capt’n Crabby at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 

Sunday:
Shawna’s Rich Eats at Maker’s Craft Brewing. Rip it. 
Ghost Kitchen at Smartmouth Brewing. Rip it.
Big Belly Food Truck at Benchtop Brewing. Rip it.  
Bumbling Bee Vegan at Cova Brewing. Rip it. 

The Ripcurrent.

Yes, you really can have Rip Tide or Triton deliver your valentine for you.

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.