THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 2, 1994 TAG: 9409020625
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Five years after a Labor Day riot tarnished its reputation as a middle-class playground, the resort city turns once again to its end-of-summer party, pinning its hopes this time on music and fireworks.
The American Music Festival, a four-day music extravaganza that will unfold along a 20-block stretch of beach, begins tonight with a giant fireworks display off the 15th Street pier.
With near-perfect weather forecast and a record number of holiday travelers expected on the nation's highways, planners say this festival could help Virginia Beach turn the corner on Labor Day and the lingering bad memories of 1989.
``That seems like a lifetime ago, really,'' said City Councilman Linwood O. Branch III, who represents the Beach Borough. ``I think we've matured to the point where we're marketing this weekend to create a safe and wholesome environment.''
Criticized after the riot for not planning enough activities for its holiday guests, the city has done almost nothing but plan for the four Labor Day weekends since the riots, which left 100 stores looted and dozens of people injured.
In 1990, the city pinned its hopes on street basketball games, gospel music, a beefed-up police presence and concerts by relatively unknown musical acts, but few people bothered to attend. In subsequent years, the city turned to offshore powerboat races, but they failed to ignite public interest.
This year's party, in the works for almost nine months, centers on two attractions that, informal market research shows, visitors like: music and fireworks.
``We wanted to appeal to families,'' said Chris Casey, the Beach Events and Ocean Occasions director for Virginia Beach Events Unlimited, the company contracted by the city to develop Oceanfront entertainment
``There is a certain nostalgic component to the bands,'' he said. ``We wanted them well-rounded. We wanted blues, jazz, country, oldies, so that one, if not all, would be interested in seeing the bands if they heard about the festival.''
The city is offering dozens of free rock, folk, jazz and blues bands built around three centerpiece acts: The Beach Boys, the Temptations and The Four Tops, and Billy Ray Cyrus. Admission for the headline acts is $10 each, or $20 for all.
Planners originally advertised that 40 bands would work the weekend, but scheduling has pared that to about 30.
``We originally had a stage set up at 18th Street that would play at the same time as the 24th Street Stage,'' Casey said. ``We came to the realization that we were putting on music at the same time that would duplicate itself with other ongoing acts.
``Some acts were dropped, others reconfigured and we dropped the 18th Street stage,'' he said.
Ticket sales, too, started slow and at $40 each were expensive. But the price was dropped and, as word spread, sales began to accelerate, Casey said. Still, with ticket sales hovering at the 10,000 mark, the festival has fallen short of its goal to sell 20,000 tickets.
Casey predicted that sales would pick up as the concerts draw near.
To control crowds that got out of hand five years ago, the city rushed into law new nighttime parking laws to prevent non-residents from parking on neighborhood streets from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The ban covers an 80-block area from Laskin Road on the north, Norfolk Avenue on the south and Parks Avenue on the west. To avoid a parking ticket, nighttime visitors will have to use municipal parking lots at 25th and 19th streets or any of the numerous private lots.
The plan was intended to discourage late-night revelers from disturbing local residents. But city officials do not know how far the word has spread and what response visitors will have to the forests of ``No Parking'' signs that now populate resort neighborhoods.
``I don't foresee parking being a major problem this year,'' said Vice Mayor W.D. Sessoms Jr. ``But don't get me wrong. When is parking not a problem in Virginia Beach? It's always a problem.
``I see no reason for people not to go down there and have an enjoyable weekend,'' he added. ``People have busted their butts on this. It has the potential to be a home run.''
Given the complexity of the party, Sessoms said, it is doubtful the weekend will unfold without a hitch.
``This is the first time the city has tried something of this magnitude,'' he said. ``I'm sure you will find a problem or two. But the plan will be refined as we do this on a yearly basis.''
Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf struck an equally optimistic note.
``We've tried to invite folks to a wholesome atmosphere, to listen to music of many different tastes and to have a glorious weekend to round out the summer.
``My mom used to have a saying that `Can't never could do anything.' So we'll never know how this will work unless we try. I think this will be met with great success.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
DAVID HOLLINGSWORTH/Staff
Workers put in 12-hour days Wednesday and Thursday to complete
stages for the American Music Festival at the Virginia Beach
Oceanfront. The festival starts today and runs through Monday.
Map
STAFF
by CNB