Name: Celebrate the District – The Portsmouth Cultural Arts District
Start: 2024-05-11T09:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-05-11T19:00:00-04:00
Location: High Street Corridor

Music, food trucks, make and take programs, working artists, break dancers, skateboarding demos, and a bunch of new murals. A shuttle will run from 12 pm – 6 pm and will connect all the museums and event locations with parking and the ferry.

This event is actually made of up multiple arts related events including:

Steeple to Steeple

A tour of eight historic churches and one synagogue in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Explore the architecture , stained glass, and memorabilia of these historic structures. You’ll hear stories of the Yellow Fever epidemic, the Underground Railroad, the Irish immigrants who built a masterpiece, the Jewish community who began settling in Portsmouth as early as 1916, and so much more.

The tour includes stops at Chevre T’helim, St. Pauls Roman Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, St. John’s Episcopal, Monumental Methodist, First Presbyterian, Emanuel A.M.E. and Court St. Baptist.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE (Click link).

Tour starts at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, corner of Washington and High.

9 AM – 3 PM. $22 per person. Includes lunch.

Wall Street Mural Festival

The Wall Street Mural Festival will be a Portsmouth celebration of the arts held on Saturday, May 11th from 12 – 7 PM.

The raindate will be the following Saturday, May 18th.

The festival location is the 400 block of Hatton Street and the adjacent private Wall Street in the new Innovation District; the entry to the festival is at the corner of Hatton Street and High Street. Ten to twelve murals will be painted in the alley-like Wall Street by previously-juried artists while the other crowd activities will take place on Hatton Street. Several local bands and a DJ will pump out the music while activities such as 757 Street Art Battle, breakdancing, and skateboarding competition thrill the crowd.

Food trucks and a refreshment table with sodas, wine, and beer will provide ample nourishment. Artists will display and sell their works. SPPA will invite guests to show their artistic skills with a paint-by-number mural or play on your favorite arcade games.

Festival goers are encouraged to vote for their favorite mural and donate to the People’s Award, which will be given out later at 6 PM. For more information, check www.SPPAVA.org or call John at 757-582-5330.

Portsmouth Palooza

Portsmouth Palooza started in 2020 as an opportunity for musicians to make music while also raising money for local homeless services. In the past, money has been raised for Oasis, Mercy Drops, and PVH. This year, we are accepting donations of food, blankets, and toiletry items for the Men of St. Joseph’s Mission for the Homeless. The Men of St. Joseph have been walking the streets of Olde Towne and beyond every Friday night, forming relationships with local folks who are experiencing homelessness. They listen, and try to fill the needs of the local homeless, as well as offer encouragement. Portsmouth Palooza has chosen them this year as the beneficiaries of the event and will be collecting blankets, socks, nonperishable food, as well as toiletries all to benefit the local homeless. With entertainment for the whole family by both adults and student performers, the day will surely be a hit! Join us at 10 am with music students from Olde Towne Arts & Music performing, then Mike Caggiano hits the stage at 11 am followed by Southside Community Band at 11:30. There will be more student performances starting back up at 1:30! Call Chris at 757-844-1423 for more information.

That Art Store’s Spring Art Market

Join 20 local and regional artists and crafters on the Middle Street Mall (adjacent to the Children’s Museum of Virginia) for a spring art show. Shop a variety of vendors offering vintage home goods, jewelry, stickers, canvas paintings, Scottish products, soaps, bags, t-shirts, hoodies, and much more. There will be activities for kids, music, snacks, and of course, one of a kind art peices to add to your collection.

Mixing the Rainbow

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center Courtyard High & Court St. 11AM – 2 PM
Sit among the trees in this historic courtyard and enjoy MIXING THE RAINBOW which includes colorful painting demonstrations by two local artists as well as a make-n-take painting art activity.

Portsmouth Museums

Visit the Portsmouth Museums for exhibits and special programs. Free admision to the Portsmouth Arts & Culutral Center, the Naval Shipyard Museum, the Lightship Museum, and the Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum. The Children’s Museum is open for $5 admission. You can also visit the Hill House Museum for $5.

Ongoing Saturday Events

Don’t miss the Portsmouth Olde Towne Farmer’s Market from 9-2 every Saturday. Friends of the Portsmouth Libraray will be running their Saturday book sale. High Street Merchants are always happy to see you.

Park once, jump on the shuttle and visit all the sites. The shuttle runs ever 20 minutes.

Celebrate the District – The Portsmouth Cultural Arts District

May 11 @ 9:00 am - 7:00 pm