Three days of fresh-from-the-Bay seafood, free concerts on two stages, 150 artisans, and a heartfelt salute to the working watermen who made Poquoson famous

POQUOSON, VA, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When autumn arrives on the Virginia Peninsula, one tradition rises above the rest. The 44th Annual Poquoson Seafood Festival, presented by the City of Poquoson, returns to Poquoson Municipal Park on October 16, 17 and 18, 2026, bringing together the best of what makes Virginia's coastal heritage so irresistible: steaming plates of Chesapeake Bay seafood, live music under the autumn sky, a juried arts and crafts show along lighted wooded trails, and a full weekend of family fun.

For more than four decades, this festival has celebrated the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay and the hardworking watermen who harvest it. In 2026, it does so again with its biggest, most flavorful lineup yet.

Festival Hours
Friday, October 16: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, October 18: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A Seafood Lover's Paradise
The heart of the festival is the Dockside Food Court, where visitors can feast on the region's favorite seafood dishes. The menu includes seafood soups, fried, broiled and steamed shrimp, crab cakes, flounder, scallops, shrimp and oyster po' boys, fried clam strips and corn on the cob. Land lovers can choose from barbecue, chicken, gourmet burgers and desserts, and there is a kid's combo for younger guests. Table and chair seating is available.

More than 20 food vendors will serve guests throughout the weekend, including local seafood names such as Capt. Harrell & Son's Seafood Kitchen, Graham & Rollins Seafood & Hampton Seafood Market, and Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls. Sweet treats and refreshments come from favorites like Bean's Ice Cream, Maddy May's Lemonade and Grazing, We Are Nuts and Wild Bill's Olde Fashion Soda. Community organizations, including the Poquoson Kiwanis, Poquoson Lions Club, Poquoson Exchange Club and American Legion Holloway-Moore Post 273, will also serve food.

Free Concerts on Two Stages, All Weekend Long!

Every concert is free, and guests are welcome to bring chairs and blankets. Headliners on the Bluewater Building Company & Aaron K. Holmes Realtor Municipal Stage include:

Friday, 6–9 p.m. — Tidewater Drive Band: A dance-floor party with rhythm and blues, '60s soul, '70s funk, country, classic rock and current Top 40 hits.

Saturday, 6–9 p.m. — The Nashville Nights Band: Billed as the nation's premier tribute to '90s country, this high-energy show brings the sounds of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and more to life, from the first fiddle riff to the last boot-stompin' encore.

Sunday, 2 p.m. — The Deloreans: Hampton Roads' favorite, totally awesome '80s band.

The Municipal Stage also features hometown talent, including the Poquoson High School Band, the Poquoson Islanderettes, the Poquoson Dance Academy, the PHS Evolution Show Choir, The Request Station Band, and line dancing with Cindy Norge ("Come boot, scoot, n' boogie!").

The Dockside Food Court Stage keeps the music going with The Music of Mike Reed, The Second Wind Band, Isaac & Winston Duo, Hunter Owens, Bru Houndz, Dave Crumpler & the VA Shellphish Coalition, The Bill Miles Band, Thru w/ Therapy Band and Troy Breslow Acoustic. The Poquoson Art League Arts & Crafts Awards will be presented at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

150 Artisans Along Lighted, Wooded Trails

One of the festival's best-loved features is the juried Arts and Crafts Show, produced by the Poquoson Art League. It features 150 regional and local artisans and crafters whose original and handmade works line the festival's lighted, wooded trails. Shoppers will find handmade jewelry, soaps, paintings, sculpture, photography, coastal décor, decoys and one-of-a-kind gifts.

The 2026 Official Design: "Memories of Him"

This year's official festival design tells a deeply personal Poquoson story. "Memories of Him," by award-winning artist Alice Nell Firth, was inspired by memories of her late husband, Nelson Firth. The painting shows familiar items from a waterman's long day on the Chesapeake Bay: a crab basket, a buoy and the well-known "Bubba boots." For Alice Nell, and for many Poquoson families, these objects carry treasured memories.

A Poquoson native, Alice Nell has exhibited at the festival since 1984. She has won both Best in Show and the Mayor's Purchase Award, has chaired the festival's Arts and Crafts section for the Poquoson Art League, and now serves as President of the Poquoson Art League. She began painting in watercolor and later came to prefer acrylics, which she often applies to unusual surfaces such as bushel-basket lids and furniture.

Through "Memories of Him," the tools of a waterman's life become lasting symbols of love, tradition and shared heritage. The design fits the community the festival celebrates. Official festival wear and prints featuring the design will be available at the festival.

"For 44 festivals, the Poquoson Seafood Festival has been where our community comes together to celebrate the Chesapeake Bay and the working watermen who have shaped who we are," said Gretchen Gochenour, Director of Parks & Recreation and Festival Director for the City of Poquoson. "This year's design, 'Memories of Him,' captures that spirit perfectly. Whether you come for the crab cakes, the music, the artisans or the memories, there is truly no better way to spend a fall weekend in Virginia. We can't wait to welcome everyone home to Poquoson."

Family Fun Around Every Corner

Families can enjoy the Children's Stage with performances by the Vertical Kids Puppet and Magic Show, Lolli Bubbles, the "Mad Science" Science Show, The Magic of John Kingry and The Merman Illusion Show. Other children's attractions include:

A petting zoo on the Municipal Field (Saturday and Sunday)
Jack's Jungle Reptile and Science Exhibit (Friday)
Cole Shows Amusements rides and Giant Building Blocks
The Bluewater Building Company & Aaron K. Holmes Children's Playhouse Village
Activities with the PHS Drama Club
Rainbow Puppets on the Municipal Stage

Honoring the Working Watermen

The Sam Rust Seafood Working Watermen's Heritage Area gives visitors a closer look at the people and traditions behind the Chesapeake Bay's seafood harvest. Festival exhibitors include the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) & the Batten School, the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research & Extension Center, the VA250th Mobile Museum, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, and local public safety agencies including the Poquoson Police Department, the Poquoson Volunteer Fire Company, Poquoson CERT and the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office.

Made Possible by the Community

The 2026 Poquoson Seafood Festival is presented by the City of Poquoson with support from its sponsors: The Virginia Lottery, Bluewater Building Company, Aaron K. Holmes Realtor, Sports Marine, Shayer Auto Sales, Sam Rust Seafood, Inc., Eure, Inc., Taylor's Do It Center, Virginia Media Daily Press, Cole Shows Amusements, Dodd RV, Hudson's Wheelchair Rentals, Wild Bill's Olde Fashion Soda, Poquoson Public Schools, Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, Peninsula Hardwood Mulch, Graham & Rollins Seafood, Hampton Seafood Market, C3: Communications Construction Corp., AngelaCostelloGroup, Gault Electric, MacBrand Foods, Inc., Multi-Print, Inc., Mike Tyndall's Custom Decks & Privacy Fences, Poquoson Diner, Thomas S. Burcher – Attorney at Law, and Glen Parker Photography.

The festival also thanks the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jack N. Forrest, the family of Mrs. Eleanor Patrick, Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, and the Gills family and Price Electric for the use of their property during the 2026 festival.

Businesses interested in joining the sponsor list are encouraged to contact the festival: 757.868.3580

Schedules and participants are subject to change.

About the Poquoson Seafood Festival
Presented by the City of Poquoson, the Poquoson Seafood Festival celebrates the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay and the working watermen who harvest it. Now in its 44th year, the festival brings together Chesapeake seafood, free live entertainment, a juried arts and crafts show produced by the Poquoson Art League, and family activities for one of Coastal Virginia's favorite fall weekends. Learn more at PoquosonSeafoodFestival.com.

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Angela Costello
AngelaCostelloGroup
Angela@angelacostellogroup.com