November Events to Put a Smile on Your Face!

November Events to Put a Smile on Your Face!

Has the time change got you down? Does it feel like the winter blues are starting to kick in? Yes, there’s not as much sunlight and the days do indeed feel shorter, but we’ve got good news for you! In Newport News, there’s no shortage of special events that can put you in a better mood! And many of these events NEED a backdrop of darkness to shine even more brightly for the upcoming holiday season!

Star of Wonder:
The Mystery of the Christmas Star
at the Virginia Living Museum

Grab your calendar and a pen because you’re going to need both to keep up with all the upcoming events just in the month of November alone. From an amazing drive-through light show and an unbelievable fireworks display to tree lightings and holiday performances, Newport News has something for everyone who needs a booster shot of holiday cheer!

  

Starting the day before Thanksgiving and continuing through New Year’s Eve are two holiday planetarium shows at the Virginia Living Museum: “Laser Holidays” and “Star of Wonder: The Mystery of the Christmas Star.”

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

“Laser Holidays” features classic holiday favorites like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” modern hits like “Jingle Bell Rock,” and unique renditions of timeless songs. Get into the holiday spirit with the music of the season and dazzling laser effects in this an animated Christmas light display like no other you've ever seen!

In “Star of Wonder: The Mystery of the Christmas Star,” we journey in the footsteps of the Magi, seeking the identity of a mysterious star which foretold the coming of a king. This show is a truly immersive look at the journey of the Magi that seeks to understand the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem.

20th Annual Celebration in Lights
at Newport News Park

On Thanksgiving Day, we welcome back “Celebration in Lights,” Virginia’s first drive-through holiday light show, currently in its 20^th year. Held at Newport News Park, the show continues through New Year’s Day 2013. New this year is a 300-foot animated tunnel of lights creating the effect of falling snow and a new 22-foot tree near the main entrance.

Holiday Market & Tree Lighting
at Styron Square in Port Warwick

The Saturday after Thanksgiving brings us the “Port Warwick Holiday Market and Tree Lighting” at Styron Square Pavilion.  The Holiday Market, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature wreaths and greens, plus berries and branches, scrumptious baked goods and fresh seasonal produce – not to mention items perfect for holiday gift-giving. Shop the festive Holiday Market, and then enjoy the annual Holiday Tree Lighting at 5:30 p.m.

If you’re looking for a little onstage holiday entertainment, look no further than the Ferguson Center for the Arts. Performances in late November include the perennial favorite, A Christmas Carol on Nov. 27, plus a seasonal concert Nov. 28 by country singer Travis Tritt.

Hollydazzle
in City Center at Oyster Point

For an amazing light show that combines fireworks, special effects and music, don’t miss Hollydazzle Nov. 30 in City Center at Oyster Point. The family-friendly festivities begin at 6 p.m. and culminate with the fireworks display at 8:45.

Now, remember, this covers just the holiday events that are being held or start in the month of November. December will bring its own share of holiday fun, so stay tuned! Forgetful? No worries! Just call the Newport News Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 for reminders and updates or visit our website at www.newport-news.org, where you’ll find all the information necessary for a delightful start to the holiday season!

Holiday Party Planning Suggestions

Holiday Party Planning Suggestions

Newport News Nightlife

When you mention Newport News to most, nightlife isn't the first thing that comes to mind; however, Newport News has an extensive variety of bars, pubs, dance clubs and lounges. Here are just a few suggestions to help you start your search for your favorite nighttime venues in our city - whether you're a tourist or a Newport News native.

Bailey's Pub & Grill12300 Jefferson Ave. #110
Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
757.881.9180

Equipped with flat screens and a smoking section, Bailey's is a reasonably affordable gathering place. Generous portions and the full bar allow you to feel as though you've gotten your money's worth. Wednesday night is ladies night with happy hour cocktails.

Cozzy's Comedy Club & Tavern9700 Warwick Blvd.
Monday-Friday 2 p.m.-2 a.m. for lunch and dinner
Saturday 7 p.m.-2 a.m.
Sunday 12 p.m.-12 a.m.
757.595.2800                                          

It's happy hour every hour, every day at Cozzy's Comedy Club. It features stand-up comedians along with pool, dart, and Texas Hold ‘em tournaments, and karaoke. Tickets are affordable (usually around $10). The club has a casual dining atmosphere to complement the American-style menu that offers an array of burgers, fries, steak, seafood, and share-able appetizers. Must be 18 years or older for entry.

Keagan's Irish Pub & Restaurant12551 Jefferson Ave., Suite 201
Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
757.890.4560

Go to Keagan's for the drinks, karaoke, music, and UFC and boxing presentations. With a traditional Irish pub atmosphere, the venue is merry and the staff is friendly. The restaurant provides authentic Irish dishes along with customary bar food.

Manhattan's NY Deli & Pub601 Thimble Shoals Blvd.
Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Sunday Noon - 2 a.m.
757.873.0555

Features live entertainment Monday through Sunday, including karaoke parties and the best local cover bands. During the bands' breaks, great dance music is played to get you moving! Sports fans can enjoy their favorites on several arge-screen TVs.

Saisaki Asian Bistro101 Regal Way
Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Friday/Saturday 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
757.886.1988

Enjoy fresh, hand-made sushi at Saisaki Asian Bistro. With a full bar, chic design and atmosphere with affordable prices, Saisaki is a headliner within the Japanese, Thai, and Chinese fusion trend here in Newport News. The restaurant prepares gourmet presentations of its dishes.

Sandbar Grill & Pub732 J Clyde Morris Blvd.
Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
757.599.8411

Tantalizing appetizers such as wings, dips, fried mushrooms, wings with a plethora of sauces, subs, calzones, and crab legs make Sandbar Grill and Pub a prime venue for entertainment. There is a full bar and a friendly and inviting atmosphere along with live music. Partake in fun activities like karaoke, darts, and pool while you take advantage of specials and indulge in steamed shrimp, crab, and clams.

Steelhouse Tavern14346 Warwick Blvd.
Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
757.874.8588

SteelHouse Tavern is the premier venue for live entertainment and nightlife in Newport News.They offer a full restaurant and full-service bar with almost any spirit or beverage you have a thirst for! Plus, they feature live entertainment every day of the week!.

The Weekend Pub13361 Warwick Blvd.
Wednesday/Thursday 3 p.m.-2 a.m.
Friday/Saturday 12 p.m.-2 a.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (brunch)
757.988.0506

The Weekend Pub is a traditional Irish pub offering over 120 varieties of beers. Located on one of the main streets in Newport News, the pub is easy to find and is reasonably priced. The festivities include live music, shuffleboard, chess, corn hole, dart tournaments, and even open mic nights. The menu includes standard sports bar cuisine-burgers, fries, wings, steaks, and share-able appetizers.

  

By no means is this a complete listing of venues found in Newport News for nighttime fun. For additional nightlife suggestions in Newport News, call the Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 or visit www.newport-news.org and click on "Things To Do."

Fun Ways to Beat the Heat This Summer in Newport News!

We've had some wild and crazy weather so far this summer, with the worst of it being the heat - often followed by torrential downpours! Vacations don't have to end when high temps become unbearable or those pesky raindrops fall. Come inside and enjoy some of the many indoor activities Newport News has to offer. Family-friendly activities abound in our city - and you won't need sun block or an umbrella to enjoy them! 

Read on to see just a few of the many ways in Newport News to keep cool and dry during your visit here:

1.  See a show

• The Peninsula Community Theatre in historic Hilton Village is currently working on its production of "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The play opens Aug. 3 and continues through Aug. 25, with 8 p.m. shows every Friday-Saturday and a 2:30 p.m. performance on Sundays. Established in the early 1950s, the Peninsula Community Theatre gives local talent an outlet to hone their artistic skills.
• The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center will present "DG Comedy Live," at 8 p.m. Aug. 17. Billed as "an evening of non-stop laughter from the Ella Fitzgerald Theater Stage," the show features a headliner, along with amateur comedians.

2. Go skating

• Peninsula Family Skating Center has a large hardwood floor, plus a rink for beginners. Their calendar is chock full of fun events like "Old School Jams," "Zumba," and "TGIF Jams," plus they have a DJ who plays all the latest music and takes requests.  
• Mekos Skate Park is an indoor skateboard park that is also open to BMX bicyclists. From the looks of their photos and video, it looks like a fun place for those who've mastered the art of defying gravity.

3. Play games

Play Around Golf and Games  has a state-of-the-art arcade with more than 40 video games, pinball machines, claw cranes and carnival-like games.   

4. Play laser tag

LazerRush is a 4,700 sq. ft. state-of-the-art indoor laser tag facility, where you'll tromp through a "jungle" with a phaser, donning a laser-sensitive vest. After being the hunter (and the hunted) in a setting that resembles ancient Inca ruins, you can check your score to see how you placed and to determine who you hit and who hit you.

5. Jump around

• Rebounderz  is an arena-style trampoline with rebounding floors and angled walls. This indoor trampoline has 10,054 sq. ft., allowing families of all sizes to bounce around together.
• The Bounce House is an inflatable playground, where kids kick off their shoes and are encouraged to "bounce off the walls," so to speak, without fear of punishment! There's also a designated area for smaller children, with "toddler-sized" inflatable fun.

6. Go museum-hopping

The best and most economical way to see all the attractions that Newport News has to offer is through the "Combination Ticket," which gives you admission to seven attractions for one low price! The ticket, which is good for six months, includes admission to The Mariners' Museum/USS Monitor Center, the Virginia Living Museum, the Virginia War Museum, Endview Plantation, Lee Hall Mansion, the Peninsula Fine Arts Center and the SPCA Exotic Sanctuary & Petting Zoo.

Call the Newport News Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 or (757)886-7777 for current "Combination Ticket" pricing or for additional "climate-controlled" fun things to do! Also check out our website at www.newport-news.org, where you'll find all the information you'll need to stay cool and dry this summer!

No Green Thumb Needed

Look around. What do you see? Cherry blossoms. Daffodils. Azaleas. Tulips. They're all in bloom - and they're all over the place!  You don't have to be born with a green thumb to enjoy the beauty of spring. There are a number of beautiful gardens in Newport News where you can "stop and smell the roses" without getting your fingernails dirty. Here are a few of our favorites:

The Rose Garden at Huntington Park features over 74 rose varieties in its 1,000-bush garden. A beautiful setting for outdoor weddings, the garden also serves as a rose grower's classroom. Complete with trellises, brick borders, and a gazebo, the rose garden remains in bloom until late October or early November.  And speaking of roses, did you know that Newport News was named an American Rose City by the American Rose Society? We were the first city in Virginia to earn that distinction, back in 2002!

Newport News is also home to a Japanese Garden, located in Newport News Park. You'll enter the garden through a "torii," a traditional Japanese gate that marks the entrance to a sacred place. The garden, about one mile inside the park's main entrance, is home to cherry and dogwood trees, low-growing junipers, azaleas, a variety of bulb flowers, a small pond - plus a 16^th-century reproduction of a Japanese teahouse.  It sits on a ½-acre piece of land and is another popular spot for weddings.

Once home to a white-tailed deer game preserve, Deer Park is now known for its gorgeous azaleas, which bloom year after year. The flowers come in a variety of colors, from pink and red to white and purple. The park is also home to camellias and rhododendron blooms.

If during your visit to all the beautiful gardens in Newport News, you become inspired to grow your own, you may want to consider a community garden plot. These plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis for residents of the city. For just $20, you'll receive a plot of approximately 18' X 40' in size, located in the large open field at 75 Yorktown Road, in the Lee Hall area of Newport News.

Whether you live or work in Newport News or are just visiting us for a few days, call the Newport News Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 or visit us at www.newport-news.org  for additional scenic jaunts throughout the city.

A Toast To Virginia Wine & Dine Month!

How many of you knew that March was "Love by the Glass: Virginia Wine and Dine Month?" Probably not many since this is a fairly new statewide promotion. In past years, "Love by the Glass" lasted a mere week, but it grew so popular that the Virginia Tourism Corporation decided to expand it to the entire month of March!

"Love by the Glass: Virginia Wine and Dine Month" features Virginia wines at restaurants and wine shops throughout the state, plus it includes special events and travel packages. What better way to give visitors a lot to love about wine travel in Virginia?

One of the best wine travel packages is available at the Point Plaza Suites at City Center in Newport News. This package includes deluxe accommodations, a bottle of premium wine from our fabulous local Williamsburg Winery (choice of red or white), two keepsake etched wine glasses, a deluxe fruit & cheese tray, and a full hot breakfast buffet the following morning. Packages start as low as $99.00 (plus tax), with advanced reservations required.

And while in Newport News, check out the wine collections sold at the Warwick Cheese Shoppe, Taste Unlimited at City Center, Trader Joe's, World Market, and more!

March is an ideal time to take a wine trip to the state, as Wine Enthusiast Magazine recently named Virginia as one of the 10 best wine travel destinations for 2012.  The other regions named were Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Hungary, Germany, France, Chile, along with two areas of California. And did you know Virginia is home to nearly 200 wineries statewide, employing more than 4,750 people full-time? That'll make you want to raise your glass in a toast to Virginia wine!

For more wine fun, visit www.virginia.org/wine, call the Newport News Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 or visit us at www.newport-news.org. And don't forget to mark your calendars for the 10^th Annual Summer Celebration Wine Festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Lee Hall Mansion. The finest vintages from Virginia's best wineries - combined with live music and good food - make this one of the most popular events on the Peninsula!

Love is in the Air

It's February, the month of "love." Have you given any thought to how you're going to share that love with the person who matters most to you? Whether you're looking for a romantic escape with that special someone, a one-of-a-kind dining experience or something classic like an old-fashioned picnic with your loved one, Newport News is the place to be!

For a great start to a romantic weekend, consider taking advantage of one of these weekend getaways:

• The Comfort Inn Newport News promises to provide the perfect atmosphere for your romantic getaway. The hotel is spoiling its guests with a bottle of sparkling cider, chocolate-covered strawberries, rose petals, and breakfast for two (757-249-0200).
• The "Romantic Getaway Package" at the Comfort Suites Airport includes a deluxe king suite, a complimentary hot breakfast in the morning, a bottle of champagne upon arrival, a fresh bouquet of flowers and a box of assorted chocolates (866-348-7755 or 757-947-1333).
• The "Make Life a Little Sweeter" special at Courtyard by Marriott Newport News Airport wants you to take a vacation from the ho-hum of everyday life and enjoy a special rate for the entire Valentine's Day season (through March 11). Call the hotel for details (757-842-6212 - ask about the "deal of the day").
• The romance package at the Hampton Inn & Suites Newport News includes a 2-room suite - with a fireplace - along with chilled champagne, and a hot breakfast for two (800-426-7866 or 757-249-0001).
• The Newport News Marriott at City Center is offering a special "Escape to Romance Package" that includes chilled champagne, strawberries and truffles with your overnight stay, plus breakfast for two the following morning (866-329-1758 or 757-873-9299).
• The Omni Newport News has created the "Omni Romance Package," which includes deluxe king guestroom accommodations, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a champagne split (800-843-6664).
• A "Romantic Rendezvous" awaits you at Point Plaza Suites @ City Center, complete with deluxe accommodations, a bottle of champagne or sparkling cider, a hot breakfast buffet, a late check-out, and either chocolate-covered strawberries, a fruit & cheese tray, or a cheese & cracker tray with an array of imported cheeses (757-599-4460, Ext 405 or 800-841-1112).
• Starting Feb. 9, the Residence Inn by Marriott Newport News Airport is offering a "This Is a Suite Deal" special through March 11. Call the hotel for details (757-842-6214 - ask about the "deal of the day").
• And don't forget our bed-and-breakfast, The Boxwood Inn, whose "Getting Away Close to Home" package includes a four-course dinner, a rose-petal-covered bed for your overnight stay, champagne and chocolates, topped off with a gourmet breakfast for two the following morning (757-888-8854).

If your busy schedule doesn't allow for an overnight stay, perhaps an evening of great food and drink is your ticket to romance. For a special treat, choose one of the many fine dining options available in Newport News. Restaurants run the gamut from 99 Main and Circa 1918 in historic Hilton Village to Schlesinger's Chop House and Fin Seafood in charming Port Warwick. We're also proud to be home to Pearl French Bistro and Hayashi Sushi & Grill, both in City Center at Oyster Point.  Bailey's Sports Grille, located in Patrick Henry Mall, is throwing a singles party on Valentine's Day, featuring fun games and yummy snacks. 

A simple picnic is another popular way to spend time with a loved one, plus it's easier on the budget! Who wouldn't enjoy a tasty meal on a cozy blanket spread out in the middle of beautiful Newport News Park?

And, finally, the Virginia Living Museum is showing "My Laser Valentine" in its planetarium at 6:30 p.m. and again at 8:00 p.m. on the day of love itself, Feb. 14. The program features love songs matched with swirling laser lights!  Come with your valentine and listen to great selections from the Beatles, N' Sync, The Doors, Santana, U2, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Sting, and more! 

For additional romantic ideas, just call the Newport News Visitor Center at (888) 493-7386 or visit us at www.newport-news.org.