Stockley Gardens Arts Festival

Super fun event!
I’d never been to, or even heard of the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival until this year! Word of mouth to be exact. Didn’t find it on any social media or news.
It went perfectly with the day I was already spending in Norfolk! It began with lunch from Zeke’s, ate it at «The Plot», and then we headed on over to the festival.
Parking was crazy, as it is at any and all festivals. Me + street/​parallel parking = NOT a good mix. Good thing my bf was driving! hehe. Anyway he ended up dropping me off because I knew it would be a while to find a spot.
It’s your usual art fest really — a bunch of tents set up with different art — all types! Scenic, modern, realistic, some photography, some wood, some ceramic work, pretty much every type of art imaginable. It was all so pretty and colorful; I think even the non-​artsy folks would enjoy walking around! There were random musicians playing their instruments and singing on benches, some lady was hula-​hooping, and further down there was an official performance under a tent, on a stage. There were lots of food vendors also — Belmont House of Smoke BBQ, Cogan’s pizza (even though I ate Zeke’s already, I was so tempted to get a slice,) and so many others.
The only things we ended up purchasing were 2 honey sticks (Lemon & one Pina Colada. Tasty!) from the Honey tent. Ahhh, darn my bad memory for not remembering the name of it!
Anyway, if you are into art and food, or even just food and drinks alone, this festival is totally worth it. Perfect setting with all the shade & trees around. It’s not just some small event either. Worth the time and drive if you don’t live in Norfolk! :D I totally recommend!

I go every year and it’s always fun! The food is good, the vendors always have interesting stuff, there’s music and the location is very nice. A pretty neighborhood and pretty churches are right there. A good relaxing time. Parking a couple blocks away isn’t a big deal in my book, it’s a nice stroll looking at beautiful old homes.

I have to admit, when asked if I wanted to check out the festival, two thoughts went through my mind. One, «Do I look like a Hippie?» Two, «Is it free?» When told it was a free event, I was more than game to check it out.
I did not know what to expect when I arrived to the park in Ghent, espicailly since it rained. But as I walked closer to the park I was able to hear some live music being played, the band playing wasn’t very good, but it didn’t kill the vibe. There were venders in tents for miles it seemed (slight exaggeration).
What I was impressed with most by the festival was that there was a great variety of venders and many of them accepted credit cards. This fired me up since I hardly ever carry cash anymore. Another plus about the art festival was that woodchips were put in the areas where the ground was thick with mud, the little things like that are major because it shows that the planners of the event were thinking of the patrons. Another big ticket item that touched my heart about the festival was that they had local food vendors (extra bonus for the big guy).
I enjoyed my time at the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. It’s a great event for all ages. Take a trip to Ghent and check out the work of many local, out of state and up and coming artist. But bring some money, some items are high dollar and awesome enough for you to spend the money. Do it, it’s okay, I found my inner «Hippie» and the water is fine, just jump in and enjoy.