Virginia
The Virginia International Tattoo: Where 250 Years of Freedom Takes the Stage – VisitNorfolk
If you’re uncertain what the words “Tattoo” and “Hullabaloo” mean in the context of Norfolk, Virginia’s largest annual event, Scott Jackson is happy to explain.
“About 15 years ago, I took a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, to see the Edinburgh tattoo, which is the biggest tattoo in the world and the most famous,” says Jackson, Producer/Director of the military-themed spectacle known as the Virginia International Tattoo. “My hotel was at the bottom of a road called the Royal Mile… and when you walk up this mile on the night of a tattoo performance, it’s totally vibrant. It’s so exciting. There’s music on every corner. There’s street performers. There’s food, there’s beer. When I got to the castle, I already felt great. I was already in a great mood.”
The annual Virginia International Tattoo runs April 16–19, 2026, and this year it carries the theme of America’s 250th anniversary. The timing is not lost on Jackson, a student of military history who discovered, in preparing for this year, that George Washington himself called for the first tattoo in American history.
“At that time, a tattoo was a small military ceremony,” Jackson explains. “It was basically a time each night when soldiers were called back to a base, and there was a roll call, and a military ceremony, sometimes called a beating retreat.”
From that origin story, Jackson has built a show that threads 1776 through every act. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, performing in 1776 uniforms, will demonstrate how fifes, drums and bugles once served as battlefield communication, the original radio operators of the Continental Army. The French Navy Band and a Royal Air Force rifle display team called the King’s Color Squadron represent the allies who stood with the colonies.
“There’s a great line from the musical Hamilton,” Jackson says, “‘I want to be in the room where it happened.’ Well, these were the countries that were in the room where it happened.”
South Korea’s Army Band provides a “a giant umbrella of Korean culture,” with traditional dance and costumes, a taekwondo display team, and two K-pop stars currently serving their mandatory military service.
“In the U.S. in the ’50s, Elvis Presley was drafted into the Army, who felt like it was a distraction, so they actually staged him in Germany. He basically had a desk job,” Jackson says. “Well, the South Koreans said, ‘Oh, you’re a K-pop star, we’re drafting you. We’re sending you to Virginia Tattoo to represent.’”
More than 800 civilian and military performers from six nations will fill Scope’s arena floor. For those making the drive from the Richmond region and beyond, the experience begins well before curtain. According to Jackson, that is precisely what you don’t want to miss.
The festivities aren’t just inside the arena, Jackson notes. For several hours before each performance, the exterior Scope Plaza comes alive with brass quintets, traditional Celtic dancers, beer tastings, festival food and a market of makers selling Tattoo-related merchandise. This is the Hullabaloo, a free pre-show open to the public and Jackson’s answer to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
“When you can, come early and relax, because then when the show starts, you’re already in a great place,” he says. “If you haven’t gone yet, this is the year to go.”
Tickets are available at vafest.org or by calling (757) 282-2822. Show times are Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Va. (WSET) — Adult adoptees in Virginia can now obtain copies of their original birth certificates under a new state law that took effect Wednesday, ending restrictions that had been in place for nearly 50 years.
House Bill 301 establishes a process allowing adult adoptees to request their original birth certificates from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. The law also allows birth parents to file a form indicating their preferred level of contact with adoptees.
The legislation marks a significant change in Virginia adoption law. Since 1976, most adoptees have been unable to access their original birth certificates, documents that are generally available to other adults in the commonwealth.
Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg, who served as chief co-patron of the measure after language from his earlier House Bill 664 was incorporated into the final legislation, said the new law concludes several years of legislative efforts.
“This is a day that many adoptees and families have waited years to see,” Walker said in a statement. “Today, Virginia restores a simple but meaningful right: the ability for adult adoptees to obtain their own original birth certificate.”
Walker thanked Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, for helping carry the legislation during the 2026 General Assembly session. He also recognized advocates, adoptees and families who supported the effort, including the Virginia Adoptee Rights Alliance, a coalition that advocated for expanded access to original birth records.
Walker also reflected on someone much closer to home for us at ABC13: the late anchor Mark Spain, whom he credited with bringing the issue to his attention in 2022.
EARLIER: Why Virginia law makes it hard for adoptees to get information about their birth parents
Mark’s compassion and determination helped launch this effort,” Walker said. “While it is bittersweet that he is not here to see this day, his legacy lives on in the lives that will be impacted by this law.
Adult adoptees seeking their original birth certificates can submit requests through the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records by clicking this link.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for thousands of Virginians. For many adult adoptees, this law provides an opportunity to better understand their own story, their family history, and where they came from. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this day possible,” Walker concluded.
A Virginia law going into effect Wednesday seals the criminal records of many convicted of low-level offenses.
The Clean Slate Law allows for the automatic sealing of certain offenses, including traffic infractions and misdemeanor convictions like shoplifting, trespassing, distribution of marijuana and disorderly conduct. Eligible misdemeanor convictions will be automatically sealed after seven years if the person has not been convicted of any other crime in Virginia, any other state, the District of Columbia or a United States territory during that time.
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The law also allows for petition processes to seal certain convictions or deferred dismissals.
Sex crimes, violent felonies and protective order violations are among the instances not eligible for petition sealing. The petitioner must not have been convicted of any other felony within the past 10 years in order for a circuit court to grant a petition.
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Under the law, there are exceptions where sealed records may be disseminated and used, including for background checks for firearm purposes and employment screenings for law enforcement and emergency medical services agencies.
DAMASCUS, Va. (WCYB) — According to leaders with the U.S. Forest Service, the Virginia Creeper Trail is set to reopen at the beginning of March.
They say, the trail could reopen this fall but after speaking with local business owners, a timeline of March would bring in more business. It would also give contractors more time to test the construction to ensure its stability.
On Tuesday, Senator Mark Warner toured the construction with other elected officials, members of the U.S Forest Service and leaders of the Kiewit Corporation.
Shortly after Helene damaged all 18-miles of the upper section of the trail, Warner worked to secure $500 million of federal dollars for the U.S. Forest Service. $240 million of which went into the Creeper rebuild, granting the Kiewit Corporation the contract last year.
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