Black History Month Focus: Historic Sites And Venues

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FOCUS:
HISTORIC SITES AND VENUES (continued)

In California, Oakland is a center for African-American life and visitors to the city should look into the African American Museum and Library, the Ebony Museum of Art and the Museum of African American Technology Science Village. All three offer excellent cultural experiences unique to the city.

African-Americans visiting Detroit, Michigan will want to check out the renowned Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This world-class facility features a glass-domed rotunda and houses more than 300,000 artifacts and archival materials. The museum features seven exhibition areas, the General Motors Theater, a 317-seat facility and a Museum Store. The African World Festival is Detroit’s largest ethnic festival uniting people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds together to explore the African and African-American experience. This popular event, taking place during the third weekend of August, offers free music, a diverse artists market, international cuisine, exhibitions, and cultural activities for both children and adults.

In Jefferson City, Missouri, the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site features exhibits celebrating Black History. This year’s exhibit is titled “The Light in the Other Room” and includes a variety of media such as pastels charcoals, acrylics, oils and pencil drawings.

Texas is another state that offers plenty of opportunities to bone up on your history. African-American visitors to Fort Worth will want to visit the Stop Six Historic African American Neighborhood. This African-American community was developed as the sixth stop of the Interurban train line. Originally known as Cowanville, Stop Six encompasses a number of early 20th century subdivisions with a range of housing forms and building types. The focal point of the community is the well-preserved structure of the Sagamore Hill Negro High School/Dunbar Junior High School. Built in 1924, the school has been in continuous use since its construction. The Bill Pickett Statue is another site of interest for African-American visitors to Forth Worth. This bronze statue commemorates the world famous Black cowboy Bill Pickett who is the first Afircan-American man inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

VIRGINIA

The state of Virginia has everything you need in a vacation destination or a meetings destination. History buffs gravitate towards the state, as Virginia is known for such amazing and unique historical attractions as Colonial Williamsburg, the elegance of Alexandria, and the iconic nature of Jamestown. The state’s proximity to Washington, D.C. also puts it within a short distance of some of the nation’s top historical attractions like the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Memorial. But this is also a great place to explore Black history. In Richmond visitors to Jackson Ward can learn about the contributions of African-Americans to Richmond history through walking tours and museums located in the area known as the “Harlem of the South.” Throughout the state in cities as diverse as Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Hampton, a little piece of our history can be discovered.

FAIRFAX COUNTY

Bring your next meeting to Fairfax County, within the very heart of the Washington, DC Capital Region. From the region's fascinating history, astounding technology, world-class shopping and stellar entertainment, to the museums, monuments, and culture of nearby Washington D.C., if you can think of it, you can find it here. Fairfax County is a smart choice for your next meeting or convention. With great hotels at great rates and free parking nearly everywhere, Fairfax County is the right place at the right price.

Explore the history and culture of African-Americans in Northern Virginia and the Washington D.C. Region, from the 18th century to today. Visit Gum Springs Historical Site (the oldest African-American community in Fairfax County, founded by freed George Washington slave West Ford), the Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. The African American Heritage experience offers visitors the opportunity to journey through, and reflect on, the struggles as well as the important contributions of African-Americans in our area’s history.

Hotels throughout the county can host small meetings with rates to fit any budget. Larger meetings of more than 1,000 people can be held in some of the county's 18 convention hotels. For a truly unique meeting experience a number of unique meeting places for off-site events are available, including secluded retreats and historic homes.

For further details on how we can assist you in bringing your meeting or convention to Fairfax County just visit our website at www.fxva.com or give us a call at (703) 790-0643 – we will be delighted to assist your group with site selection, hotel options, and suggestions for special events!

VIRGINIA BEACH CONVENTION

As a popular meetings destination, Virginia Beach offers the excitement of a large metropolitan area, nestled in the mild climate of a rich coastal atmosphere. Center stage is the $202.5 million Virginia Beach Convention Center, featuring over 500,000 sq. ft. of space. The facility boasts a 150,000-sq. ft. column-free exhibit hall, more than 28,000 sq. ft. of meeting room space and a 31,000-sq. ft. ballroom. Drawing national attention, the Convention Center is hosting The American Bus Association’s 2008 Marketplace and Aglow International’s 2012 U.S. national conference.

After the meetings, tee-up on an award-winning golf course, kayak through a wildlife refuge, charter a fishing boat and relax at a spa. Discover Virginia Beach’s new downtown, Town Center, spanning 17 blocks of upscale retail, outdoor cafés, exclusive dining and nightlife. New to Town Center is the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, a 1,300-seat venue hosting regional and national artists in dance, music and theater.

Indulge your taste for Coastal Cuisine. From Chesapeake Bay crab cakes and striped bass to favorites such as she crab soup and oysters on the half shell, nearly 300 restaurants celebrate a diverse range of cultures.

Peek into the lives of Virginia Beach’s earliest residents at the historic sites, including the Cape Henry Lighthouse, Adam Thoroughgood House (circa 1680) and Lynnhaven House (1725). During a Histories and Haunts Ghost Tour, a talented "scaryteller" tells tales of tragic shipwrecks, haunted hotels and a spirit still on duty at the Old Coast Guard Station.

The Morning Star Baptist Church, founded in 1892 by several members of Ebenezer Baptist Church, is one of the oldest African-American churches still standing in Virginia Beach. Church members are collecting memorabilia and artifacts that depict the lives of local African-Americans from 1892 to the late 1950s, which are on display periodically.

Virginia Beach features more than 12,000 hotel rooms citywide and 3,500 committable rooms within a two-mile radius of the Convention Center. New properties include the Springhill Suites by Marriott and the Westin Virginia Beach at Town Center. Virginia Beach is located 20 minutes from Norfolk International Airport. Visit www.vbmeetings.com.

HAMPTON ROADS

The Hampton Roads region is an incomparable meeting destination with exceptional facilities, world-class attractions and out-of this world shopping and dining. Hampton, at the hub of the action, offers award-winning convention facilities and services to make meeting planning a breeze. Meeting services provided by Hampton CVB are customized to satisfy the unique needs of every group or convention.

The Hampton Roads Convention Center, a state-of-the-art, 344,000-sq. ft. facility, opened in 2005 with 35 meeting rooms and space for 14,000 delegates. In a few short years the center and the adjacent Hampton Coliseum will share their site with a new convention hotel and 2,000-seat theater. The development will also present meeting delegates with a new menu of dining and shopping opportunities.

This spring, Hampton will unveil the specially designed $13.5-million Boo Williams Sportsplex to amateur athletic event planners. Then in 2009, the Peninsula Town Center will open, presenting enticing culinary and retail offerings within blocks of the convention center.

The award-winning, 295-suite Embassy Suites Hotel connects to the Hampton Roads Convention Center by a covered walkway. There are 2,750 hotel rooms within close proximity of the center, including a new Hilton Garden Inn and a Springhill Suites, opening this spring.

Hampton’s historical and multicultural heritage sites trace America’s 400-year history. From the magnificent Hampton University campus to legendary, moat-encircled Fort Monroe, visitors to Hampton can experience landmarks that bore witness to pivotal moments in American history. The Virginia Air & Space Center, with suspended aircraft, hands-on simulators and exhibits, and a 3-D IMAX theater, remains an ideal reception venue.

Hampton is accessible by interstates 64 and 664, is served by Amtrak, Norfolk International Airport and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

www.hamptoncvb.com

NORFOLK

Accessible, accommodating, action-packed and affordable, Norfolk blends business with pleasure! Combining metropolitan style with small town sensibility, the city offers a host of hotels, convention facilities, dynamic attractions, retail merchants, and a restaurant and theater district nearly unrivaled in the Commonwealth.

Norfolk’s downtown meeting place is the “Waterside Convention Connection” – a collection of hotels, convention and retail space perfectly suited to host your next event. The Norfolk Waterside Convention Center features premier facilities and 60,000 sq. ft. of function space. The Convention Center interconnects via skywalk to the Waterside Festival Marketplace with its shops and eateries. Nearby hotels add 64,000 sq. ft. of event space to the mix, and Norfolk Scope Arena offers 85,000 additional sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space.

Steps away are nearly 80 chef owned restaurants, the perfect setup for networking events and dine-arounds.

Don’t miss the city’s diverse cultural celebrations and performances at the restored Attucks Theater, a state and national landmark, once known as "the Apollo of the South.” More than 65 year-round annual festivals and events take place in Norfolk, most on the sparkling waterfront at Town Point Park, including AFR’AM Fest, Jazz Fest the Bayou Boogaloo and the Cajun Fest.

Whether you’re a history buff or a city jetsetter, this sophisticated waterfront city has it all. Take a scenic harbor cruise, stroll the decks of the largest and last battleship built by the United States Navy, the USS Wisconsin, or enjoy more than 500 years of art history at the world-renowned Chrysler Museum of Art. The 155-acre gardens of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the Virginia Zoo or the white sandy beaches of the Chesapeake Bay await you.

As the cultural heart of the Commonwealth, Norfolk is also home to the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company, Virginia Ballet Theater and Virginia Chorale; offers everything from live theatre and comedy shows to nationally recognized ballet and opera performances.

With more than 200 flights arriving daily at Norfolk International Airport, and a day’s driving distance from two-thirds of the U.S. population, Norfolk is a central location by air or auto.

For more information on packages or to request a Norfolk Visitors’ Guide, call (800) 368-3097 or visit www.norfolkcvb.com.