Tidewater Veterans Memorial
Tidewater Veterans Memorial is a attraction in ViBe Creative District, Virginia Beach, best for veterans and military families, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances, a quiet reflective stop near the Convention Center.
Dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1988, this small contemporary memorial park honors Tidewater-area veterans from the Revolutionary War through the Iraq War. Spherical concrete forms with cut-out centers represent 'the emptiness that war leaves in its wake,' while a waterfall symbolizes war's turmoil and the ongoing effort toward peace. U.S., Virginia, and five military service flags fly alongside a POW-MIA flag, and inscribed paving stones let any veteran of any U.S. Armed Services branch be commemorated on the grounds. The project traces back to a vision from local advocate Bill Hallead and a student design contest, and it sits in a genuinely quiet plaza just steps from the Convention Center and the ViBe Creative District.
Amenities
- Inscribed memorial paving stones
- Waterfall feature
- U.S., Virginia, and service branch flags
- POW-MIA flag
Know Before You Go
- Best for: veterans and military families, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances, a quiet reflective stop near the Convention Center
- Parking: Convention Center-area lots nearby off 19th Street.
- Accessibility: Outdoor memorial park on paved, step-free grounds.
- Dogs: not allowed
- Location: 1000 19th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-18.
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While You're in the Area
Aslin Beer Co.
Aslin's ground-up ViBe District compound: taproom, IZZI kitchen, café, ice cream, and a big outdoor beer garden pouring Orange Starfish and Swell Maneuvers.
- Outdoor Seating
Back Bay Brewing Co. — Beach HouseHidden Gem
Duck-blind-born Virginia Beach original pouring Steel Pier Bohemian Lager and Witch of Pungo Pumpkin Ale in a rustic taproom next to Gringo's Taqueria.
Bad Ass Coffee Company
Locally owned ViBe District outpost of the Hawaii-founded chain, pouring 100% Kona coffee and Hawaiian blends near the Convention Center.
Barrel 17Hidden Gem
ViBe District burger bar known for wagyu patties, house-made bacon jam, and a full plant-based menu, a short walk from the Oceanfront.
Beach Bully BBQ
ViBe District BBQ joint since 1986, known for the smoked-beef Beach Bully Sandwich and a covered outdoor deck.
- Outdoor Seating
- Family Friendly
Chesapeake Bay Distillery
Virginia Beach's 2005-founded craft distillery in the ViBe District — 96-point Blue Ridge Vodka, an on-site ABC store, and free Saturday tours.
Upcoming Events Nearby
Old Beach Farmers Market
July 11, 2026 – October 31, 2026 · weekly (Saturdays 9am–noon April–October; 1st & 3rd Saturdays November–March)
The ViBe District's Saturday-morning market runs every week from April through October, 9am to noon at 611 18th Street, with local produce, seafood, baked goods, and Virginia wines from area farms and makers. When the regular season ends in late October it doesn't disappear — a winter schedule continues on the first and third Saturdays through March. Parking is easiest in the Runnymede lots on Cypress Avenue or the convention center lot.
First Friday ViBe
August 7, 2026 – October 2, 2026 · monthly (first Fridays, May–October)
On the first Friday of each month from May through October, the ViBe Creative District opens up from 6 to 10pm with local artist pop-ups, live music, open mic sets, and DJs — a chance to meet the makers and muralists who give the district its character. It's the ViBe at its most ViBe: deliberately local, a few blocks inland from the boardwalk crowds. Park in the ViBe lot on 18th Street or at the Oceanfront Library; the season's remaining 2026 dates run through early October.
Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend
September 25, 2026 – September 27, 2026 · annual
Virginia Beach's signature festival closes out September with its 52nd Boardwalk Weekend, spreading across the Oceanfront between 1st and 35th Streets. The headline draw is Neptune's International Sandsculpting Championship — 22 large-scale works by sculptors from around the world — alongside an art and craft show with more than 200 artisans, twenty-plus musical acts across festival stages, the Grand Parade, Neptune's 8K, and a surfing competition at the jetty. Most of it is free to attend, and it reliably fills the resort area for one last big weekend of the season.