Danish naval cadet training ship Danmark  arriving Norfolk, April 22, 1989 Norfolk Public Library, Carroll Walker Collection

The Legacy of the Norfolk Waterfront

The story of Norfolk begins with water. The city owes her very existence to her waterways and deep, ice-free harbor; the water has guided her development and is an important component of her prosperity today -- the city continues to look to the water as a source of income, transportation, recreation, and sustenance. Norfolk celebrates its relationship to the water year-long. Nauticus:The National Maritime Center, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum capture the legacy in formal settings. Waterfront festivals and family picnics at the revitalized Town Point Park downtown, harbor cruises, fishing and crabbing, boating and beautiful sunsets on the Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers are never more than minutes away. Annual events, such as Harborfest, the International Virginia Waterfront Arts Festival, Unlimited Hydroplane Races, the Lighted Boat Parade, Ocean View Festival and Chesapeake Bay Days are but a few of the city's community-based traditions founded on Norfolk's waterfront heritage.

Project documentation includes a written report on Norfolk's waterfront heritage, with a section on each of the associated events and venues, promotional materials and news releases, photographs, slides and a transparency, as well as videotapes of Harborfest and the Lighted Boat Parade.

Originally submitted by: John W. Warner,Senator.

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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.