Traveling all over the US and rest of the world is a popular goal for many young adults. It is no longer enough to visit a Virginia resort city, but the vacationer should become more cultured while doing so. Getting cultured means different things to different people. To some, it involves learning about local art and music; for others it involves experiencing art and music firsthand. Virginia Beach, Virginia for, example has at least 3 ways to get cultured as a vacation destination.

Boardwalk Arts Festival

Every spring, the Boardwalk Arts Festival showcases local talent on a variety of mediums along the resort city’s boardwalk. Artists sell and showcase their creations of oil paint, chalk, watercolor and creative crafts along the Atlantic Ocean. A cultural festival, many artists take this opportunity to meet fellow artists and network. There are also several opportunities for visitors to have their portraits drawn or photos converted into caricatures or drawings. With great proximity to ocean and water landscapes, paintings and drawings of nautical scenes abound.

American Music Festival

The Oceanfront area of the city comes alive every fall with the American Music Festival. Local artists and national acts converge on Virginia Beach throughout the weekend to celebrate music and American culture. The influence of American rock and roll, blues, country and rhythm and blues create a unique effect on the Virginia resort city. Adults young and old visit the area to see bands that have been popular for decades and helped mold American culture. Also on hand are the new artists of local origin who have written songs and lyrics about the experiences and lifestyles of the Atlantic Coast.

Food

Another way to get cultured on vacation to this city is to try the local cuisine. A Southern Coastal and Mid-Atlantic fare is the norm in Virginia Beach. Many restaurants highlight seafood and fresh fruits and vegetables on their menus. Southern vegetables, like okra, snap beans and fried potatoes are lunch and dinner favorites, served with ocean and bay fresh catches of the day. True soft-shell crabs, croaker and spot are often featured as specials. A raw bar a la carte is popular in most restaurants focusing on local food. Diners have their choice of steamed shrimp, plus clams, mussels and oysters on the half shell, meaning raw, or steamed. For breakfast, count on grits, sausage biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, home fries and fried Virginia ham as mainstays. Sundays are best known for extravagant brunch buffets. Whether local mom and pop diners or restaurants at local Virginia Beach hotels, visitors should plan on trying some of the local cuisine to get cultured on their Virginia Beach vacations.