News

NEWS RELEASE Release date:  March 31, 2021 For more information: Rehn West, (757) 664-1011 [email protected]   Nauticus’ Waterfront Restaurant Returns Best waterfront views and outdoor space in Downtown Norfolk     Norfolk, Va.— Outdoor waterfront dining returns to Downtown Norfolk this week as the Big Wisky Porch opens at Nauticus.  The restaurant launched as a trial concept last summer and quickly became a favorite among downtown residents, office workers, and Nauticus visitors.  Based on the enthusiastic demand, the Big Wisky Porch will return as a permanent/seasonal feature; the restaurant is managed by the owner of 757 Crave in partnership with Nauticus.   “The response we got last year was just amazing,” said Nauticus executive director, Stephen E. Kirkland.  “It’s got great shade, great river views, and the greatest lobster roll in town.”   The Big Wisky Porch is located on the…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Norfolk Festevents Announces 2021 Norfolk Harborfest Moved to Virtual Format   Date: Friday, March 26, 2021   Norfolk, VA – Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. has announced the 45th Annual Norfolk Harborfest: Maritime, Music & Food Festival scheduled for Friday-Sunday, June 11-13, 2021, will be moved to a virtual-only format this year due to state and local COVID-19 guidelines.   “We will miss entertaining the region and beyond here in Norfolk for the annual Harborfest weekend,” said Festevents CEO Ted Baroody. “Safety is always the priority and we are remaining patient with hosting large gatherings.  We remain excited to offer a world class lineup of diverse programming and entertainment at Harborfest again soon.”   Although the historic three-day event will not take place in its traditional format along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, the festival will be celebrated through…

News Release   U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 295-8435 5th District online newsroom Coast Guard Cutter Northland Returns from Gulf of Mexico patrol PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Northland returned home to Portsmouth from a patrol in support of the Eighth Coast Guard District, Monday. During the patrol, the crew of the Northland conducted daily law enforcement boardings and patrolled the waters for any illegal fishing boats or gear to ensure fair, safe, and sustainable practices. The Northland crew embarked an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aviation detachment for the patrol to assist in spotting vessels and targets of interest before launching the cutter small boats. Prior to beginning patrol, the Northland crew underwent a training availability to test their ability to respond to a variety of shipboard scenarios, such…

UNITED STATES 02.12.2021 Courtesy Story Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet   NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) – The Italian Navy flagship, the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), arrived at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Feb 13 for a series of operations alongside U.S. military assets to attain the Italian Navy’s “Ready for Operations” certification to safely land and launch F-35B aircraft. While in the Western Atlantic, Cavour will be embarked by an F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) test team to conduct sea trials, a series of tests and functional activities to create a safe flight operating envelope for the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the 5th generation aircraft aboard the recently upgraded ship. This carrier-based flight test and other actions with U.S. 2nd Fleet ships and aircraft improve interoperability and strengthen the relationship between two…

NEWS RELEASE Release date: January 14, 2021 For more information: Rehn West, (757) 664-1011 [email protected] National Geographic Exhibition Makes U.S. Museum Debut at Nauticus Multimedia exhibition encourages visitors to reduce single-use plastics Norfolk, Va.— “We made plastic. We depend on it. Now we’re drowning in it.” That premise is the focus of a new National Geographic exhibition making its U.S. museum debut at Nauticus on January 30, 2021. National Geographic’s Planet or Plastic? exhibition showcases the global plastic waste crisis and highlights innovators working to solve this urgent issue. Featuring the work of researchers, scientists and artists, the exhibition traces the history of plastic and explores the devastating impacts of plastic pollution on our world’s oceans. The exhibition will also feature a look into the rise of single-use plastics due to COVID-19. “Plastic pollution is one of the most important…

Norfolk Festevents Announces Town Point Holiday Marketplace & Movie Night Date: Friday, November 13, 2020 Website URL: bit.ly/HolidaysFE Norfolk, VA – Welcome in the 2020 holiday season with the Town Point Holiday Marketplace & Movie Night on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, from 2pm to 8pm at Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront. Presented by Norfolk Festevents, the Town Point Holiday Marketplace & Movie Night features a unique holiday shopping experience with more than 15 local artisans and small businesses selling a wide variety of handcrafted items, including jewelry, paintings, candles, oils, soaps, apparel, and much more. The Holiday Market also coincides with a free live screening of the movie “Elf” in a safe, socially-distant, family-friendly environment in Town Point Park. The showing of “Elf” will begin at 6pm. This holiday season, Town Point Park serves as a festive…

  One Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA  23510 | www.nauticus.org | (757) 664-1000   NEWS RELEASE Release date:  October 29, 2020 For more information: Stephen Kirkland, (757) 664-1048 [email protected]   WinterFest Heralds New Tradition for Hampton Roads Battleship Wisconsin Decks Transformed for Six-Week Holiday Experience   Norfolk, Va.—  More than 250,000 holiday lights, a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, and a team of custom-designed animatronic elves are just some of the highlights of WinterFest on the Wisconsin, a massive new experience aboard the historic battleship in downtown Norfolk.  Produced by Nauticus and presented by GEICO Military, the holiday spectacle will launch on November 21 and conclude on New Year’s Eve.  Out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19, Nauticus’ Dickens’ Christmas Towne has been canceled for 2020.  Instead, the Battleship Wisconsin’s outside decks will be transformed for a safe, family-focused experience….

USS Stout returns to Naval Station Norfolk after record-breaking 215-day deployment Author: 13News Now Staff Published: 11:12 AM EDT October 9, 2020 NORFOLK, Va. — On October 12, the USS Stout is scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk from a record-breaking 215 days at sea. That’s almost seven months. The Stout, or DDG 55, was tasked with International Maritime Security. “On Sept. 26, Stout reached 208 days consecutively at sea, surpassing the Navy’s known record previously held by Ike and USS San Jacinto (CG 56) as a result of the coronavirus and operational requirements,” the Navy’s website said. A Friday release from the Second Fleet did not give a set time the guided-missile destroyer was expected to make port. For people who cannot attend the homecoming in person, the Navy will livestream the ship coming in to port on…

NEWS RELEASE Release date: September 14, 2020 For more information: Rehn West, (757) 664-1011 [email protected] Deep Ocean Exhibition Makes United States Debut Voyage to the Deep Arrives in America; Premieres at Nauticus Norfolk, Va.— Undersea exploration awaits Hampton Roads families this fall as Voyage to the Deep: Underwater Adventures makes its United States debut at Nauticus on Saturday, September 19th. Voyage to the Deep is a 6,000 square-foot exhibition produced and developed by the Australian National Maritime Museum, and based on French author Jules Verne’s 1870 classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The adventure also serves as a supplement to classroom curriculums and STEM learning. Families and students will learn how to operate simple machines, gain a better understanding of the natural environment (life cycles, habitats, and sea animals), and more fully appreciate the importance of maritime resources. “At Flying…

Small, Safe Concerts and Events Return to Town Point Park Date: Friday, September 11, 2020 Website URL: festevents.org/events/2020/tgwo/ Ticket Page URL: bit.ly/TixTGWO Norfolk, VA – Norfolk Festevents, Ltd, has announced the return of small, safe, and socially-distant concerts and events to Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, beginning next week and continuing through the fall on a weekly basis. The Thank Goodness We’re Open (TGWO) series, produced in partnership with the City of Norfolk, will feature small, safe concerts and events starting next week capped at 250 guests and will include designated social circles for up to four people. All guests are required to pre-register for the events at Festevents.org and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, $10 per person. All guests will be required to wear a mask except when eating or drinking. “We are thrilled…

News Release U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 295-8435 5th District online newsroom Coast Guard Cutter to arrive at new homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia Editors note: please click photo for high-res version PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca, a 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter previously stationed in Boston, Massachusetts, will arrive at its new home at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, Virginia on Sept. 4, 2020. The Seneca will continue its missions of homeland security, national defense, fisheries law enforcement, counter drug law enforcement, migrant interdiction, and search and rescue from its new homeport. The cutter supports missions such as protecting and enforcing laws for America’s three billion dollar living marine resources economy, as well as deploying in support of Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-South to intercept narcotics in the…

Nauticus Hosts U.S. Premiere of Maritime-Themed Adventure Voyage to the Deep Comes to America Norfolk, Va.— As travel plans and school schedules are impacted this fall, Nauticus is offering a voyage far below the ocean’s surface. Voyage to the Deep: Underwater Adventures, is a 6,000 square-foot exhibition produced and developed by the Australian National Maritime Museum, and makes its’ United States debut at Nauticus on September 19th. Based on the French author Jules Verne’s 1870 classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the experience is anchored by an enormous Nautilus submarine, complete with a periscope, propellers, a control station and Captain Nemo’s marine specimens. For those brave enough to venture outside the submarine, Voyage to the Deep also features an octopus garden, a kelp forest, a code-cracking station, and a colossal squid floating high overhead. “As we looked towards another season…