HISTORIC TRIANGLE — A downtown art festival, a new craft show, a waterfront oyster celebration and a helicopter fly-in fill the Historic Triangle this weekend, with several events starting Friday evening.
An Occasion for the Arts and the craft show run Friday through Sunday. The Yorktown Wine & Oyster Festival is Saturday and Sunday, and a free helicopter event on Saturday at Waltrip Williamsburg Executive Airport.
Yorktown Wine & Oyster Festival
The Yorktown Wine & Oyster Festival returns to Riverwalk Landing on Saturday and Sunday with Virginia wines, local oysters, live music and an oyster-shucking contest along the York River waterfront. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
More than a dozen wineries, distilleries and beverage vendors are expected, including The Williamsburg Winery, Mattaponi Winery, Saude’ Creek Vineyards, Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery, Notaviva Vineyards, Copper Fox Distillery and Virago Spirits. Rieslings from Germany and champagne from France will be featured as a tribute to Yorktown’s sister cities. Food vendors include Big Island Aquaculture, Capt. Harrell’s Seafood House, Kathi’s Clam Chowder, King’s Seafood and the Virginia Chefs Association.
The second annual Oyster Shuck Off Competition is set for 3 p.m. Saturday in front of the Riverwalk Landing Stage. Music includes The Fifes & Drums of York Town, The Original Rhondels and Party Fins on Saturday and the Michael Clark Band on Sunday. Visitors can decorate an oyster shell to take home, and a beer garden will be open both days.
Organizers are asking visitors to return their oyster shells to the water, where young oysters attach and grow, said Deirdre Roesch, marketing and communications manager for York County Economic and Tourism Development. The Virginia Oyster Trail, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will also be at the festival to talk about conservation.
“A healthy oyster population means a healthier river,” Roesch said.
Saturday Grand Tasting tickets are $50, Sunday tickets are $35 and a two-day ticket is $85. Non-drinking admission is $20. Free parking is available nearby and a free, ADA-accessible trolley will run until 5 p.m. The festival supports nonprofit organizations serving York County.
Greater Williamsburg Fall Craft and Vendor Show
The first Greater Williamsburg Fall Craft and Vendor Show opens Friday with a fundraiser that will send all of the night’s admission to a program that helps military service members get home for the holidays.
Savvy Events is hosting the show Friday through Sunday at the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center in Williamsburg. About 300 vendors will sell crafts, vintage and antique items, and art in a range of mediums.
Friday’s session, from 5 to 8 p.m., is $15. It includes a cash bar, shopping before the show opens to the public and live jazz and blues from Solacoustix, a Roanoke band.
The money will go to Home for the Holidays, which gives travel stipends to service members. Jason Lane, owner of Savvy Events, said the program couldn’t help every family last year.
“My goal was to try to fill that gap this year,” Lane said.
The show runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $7 a day or $10 for both days. Military discounts are available with ID. Children 12 and younger are admitted free.
This article has been updated to correct the number of vendors.
An Occasion for the Arts
An Occasion for the Arts opens Friday on Duke of Gloucester Street with more than 150 artists and a free evening concert in Merchants Square. Admission is free, and festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
This year’s festival is a commemorative partner of VA250, Virginia’s observance of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Hannah Barco, the festival’s executive director, said that is reflected in who is taking part.
“This year, as Virginia marks 250 years of the American story, we are showing what that story looks like now,” Barco said.
Nearly 150 artists in the Main Street Artists section will show work in media ranging from painting and ceramics to jewelry, glass and digital art. The Front Porch features 34 artists from Williamsburg and nearby communities. The Avant Garden, presented with the Muscarelle Museum of Art in the Wren Garden at William & Mary, includes a K-12 student art exhibition, a youth performance stage, 12 free drop-in art workshops and a chalk art competition with a $500 first prize.
The 6 p.m. Friday concert features Pressing Strings, an indie-folk and soul band from Annapolis. A ticketed Patron’s Patio offers wine and food tastings, artist demonstrations and live music. Visitors can also lend an ear to VA Unlocked, a 30-minute audio walk through Virginia hip-hop history that starts at the Avant Garden.
On-site parking is limited. Organizers recommend parking at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, 101 Visitor Center Drive, for $10 a day, with free shuttle service to the Historic Area. Prince George Street, Boundary Street and the P3 parking area are closed for festival activities. A schedule, map and artist listings are at aofta.org.
Helicopter Day at Waltrip Williamsburg Executive Airport
Military, police, medical and utility helicopters will be on display Saturday at a free event at Waltrip Williamsburg Executive Airport.
The Virginia Helicopter Association is hosting Helicopter Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can meet the crews, ask questions, watch flight demonstrations and see the Helicopter Olympics, a contest that tests pilots’ flying skills. Helicopter rides and introductory lessons will be offered. Kids can try hands-on activities and a bounce house, and food trucks and vendors will be on site.
Organizers are inviting pilots to fly in. Helicopters that land at the event get a free T-shirt, as do airplanes that buy more than 10 gallons of fuel.
Helicopter day has been rescheduled for Oct. 10. For more information, visit virginiahelicopterassociation.org.
