Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Annual Charity Event
First place: Chesapeake Academy Community Oyster Roast, ChesapeakeAcademy.org, 804-438-5575
The 16th annual oyster roast in 2017 served more than 30 bushels of piping hot bivalves, both grilled and fried, along with Southern sides and local wine and beer. Five hundred people in attendance raised more than $40,000 to support the independent school’s annual operating budget. Mark your calendar for this year’s event Oct. 13. And bring your own oyster knife.
Second place: Bay School Art Auction, Mathews, Bayschool-Arts.com, 804-725-1278
Third place: JT Walk & Beach Party, Virginia Beach, JTWalk.org, 757-368-1944
Best Art Event
First place: Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia Beach, VirginiaMOCA.org, 757-425-0000
Launched as a fundraiser to help cover the medical bills of a local artist, the show now funds programs and classes at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. The 63rd annual event in June will welcome nearly 300,000 visitors to view the works of 300 participating artists in the juried fine arts show.
Second place: Stockley Garden Art Festival, Norfolk, Hope-House.org, 757-625-6161
Third place: Arts in the Middle, Urbanna, ArtsInTheMiddle.com
Best Art Gallery
First place: At Altitude Gallery, Cape Charles, AtAltitudeGallery.com, 757-394-9200
In 2003, gallery owner Gordon Campbell, who began flying as a licensed pilot in 1994, bought a private airport in Weirwood to pursue his art. Opened in 2015, the gallery is dedicated to aerial landscape photography that he captures from his Dragonfly, an open-air, low-speed aircraft. The images, primarily focused on the Eastern Shore, are printed on metal photo panels.
Second place: Rappahannock Art League Art Center, Kilmarnock, RALArtCenter.com, 804-436-9309
Third place: Objects, Art & More, Irvington, ObjectsArtAndMore.net, 804-438-8024
Best Charity
First place: Animal Welfare League of the Northern Neck, Inc., Kilmarnock, AnimalWelfareLeagueOfTheNorthernNeck.org, 804-435-0822
The AWL, which celebrated its 53rd anniversary in March, supports spay and neuter programs at local animal shelters in the Northern Neck in an effort to reduce animal overpopulation. Funds are raised at events such as the Dog Gone Dog Show in October, which raised $12,000 last year, and the organization’s thrift shop, which accepts clothing and household items.
Second place: Stockley Garden Art Festival, Norfolk, Hope-House.org, 757-625-6161
Third place: Peninsula Community Foundation of Virginia, Hampton, PCFVirginia.org, 757-327-0862
Best Family Entertainment
First place: Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, ColonialWilliamsburg.com, 855-296-6627
Old World meets modern technology with the Colonial Williamsburg Explorer app. In addition to maps and navigation to favorite spots and historical characters, the app, originally launched in 2016, now enables mobile ticketing. Visitors can browse the day’s events and upcoming calendar, purchase tickets and make reservations at select restaurants.
Second place: Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VisitVirginiaBeach.com, 800-822-3224
Third place: Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, BuschGardens.com, 757-229-4386
Best Food Festival
First place: Urbanna Oyster Festival, Urbanna, UrbannaOysterFestival.com, 804-758-0368
Sprawling throughout downtown Urbanna and along the waterfront, the two-day festival features a parade, wine and craft beer tastings, arts and crafts, and plenty of bivalves. The main event is the oyster shucking contest, in which world competitors such as Deborah Pratt have participated. The 61st annual festival takes place Nov. 2-3.
Second place: Bay Seafood Festival, Kilmarnock, Facebook.com/BaySeafoodFestival, 800-777-9716
Third place: Greek Festival, Norfolk, NorfolkGreekFestival.com, 757-440-0500
Best Movie Theater
First place: Naro Cinema, Norfolk, NaroCinema.com, 757-625-6275
Want a sneak peek of upcoming independent and foreign films? Naro Cinema, opened in 1936 as the Colley Theater, offers advance screenings with the Firstlook Film Forum series held on select Sundays. Guests enjoy brunch, view the screening and then rate the movie and engage in a critical discussion.
Second place: Cinemark 12, Newport News, ParagonTheaters.com, 757-525-9898
Third place: Movie Tavern, Williamsburg, MovieTavern.com, 757-941-5362
Best Museum
First place: Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Chrysler.org, 757-664-6200
On view through September, Piranesi’s Prisons: Legacy and Context showcases Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s 1761 series of etchings depicting his visions of imaginary prisons. The exhibition is augmented by a number of the artist’s other prints from the Chrysler’s permanent collection. The museum is also home to an extensive glass collection of more than 10,000 objects.
Second place: Virginia Living Museum, Newport News, TheVLM.org, 757-595-1900
Third place: Steamboat Era Museum, Irvington, SteamboatEraMuseum.org, 804-438-6888
Best Music Venue
First place: The NorVa, Norfolk, TheNorVa.com, 757-627-4547
Upcoming performers at the 1,450-capacity venue range from hip-hop group The Diplomats in June and Richmond-based ska band Fighting Gravity in December to heavy metal group Black Label Society in August. Make reservations at nearby FM Restaurant, which serves as the NorVa’s box office, and on show night gain entry to the concert 15 minutes early.
Second place: Virginia United Home Loans Ampitheater, Virginia Beach, VirginiaBeachAmpitheater.com, 757-368-3000
Third place: Willaby’s, White Stone, Willabys.com, 804-435-0000
Best Performing Arts Company
First place: The Westmoreland Players, Callao, WestmorelandPlayers.org, 804-529-9345
Formed in 1979, the company performs in a rural theater surrounded by cow pastures and cornfields. In August, its members will put on The Fortune Hunters, an original adaptation of the classic 1707 comedy The Beaux Stratagem by George Farquhar that recounts the obstacles of two men pursuing wealthy wives.
Second place: Lancaster Players, White Stone, LancasterPlayers.org, 804-435-3776
Third place: Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Norfolk, VirginiaSymphony.org, 757-213-1420
Best Special Event Venue
First place: Belle Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast, King George, BelleGrovePlantation.com, 540-621-7340
For baby or bridal showers, the birthplace of former President James Madison offers the historic mansion’s formal dining room for afternoon tea complete with scones and petite sandwiches. Meeting and banquet spaces for corporate retreats at the 1791 estate can accommodate up to 250 guests.
Second place: Upper Shirley Vineyards, Charles City, UpperShirley.com, 804-829-9463
Third place: Stratford Hall, Montross, StratfordHall.org, 804-493-8038
