Vote for the “Best of” Coliseum Central businesses here. Deadline to vote is January 31. Winners will be announced at the Coliseum Central Annual Meeting on February 21.

The Coliseum Central Annual Meeting will take place Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 8:30-10:00AM at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. This year’s agenda will look a little different. We will be providing information about benefits that BID members can take advantage of as well as an awards ceremony highlighting the “Best of” businesses in the District.

If you work, conduct business, own property or have another vested interest in Coliseum Central, we encourage you to attend! This event is free and open to all members of the BID. Formal invitations will be mailed out soon. RSVP now.

City Manager Mary Bunting and Hampton City Schools Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes reported on the successes of the Academies of Hampton, including an on-time graduation rate above 96 percent.

Click here for more information.

The Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) has earned several accolades recently. They won two Pinnacle Awards from the regional chapter of the Public Relations Society of America — for the Black History Pass digital platform and for the marketing of the Aquaplex. The CVB also received a Community Award from USA Artistic Swimming for hosting the Junior Olympics at the Aquaplex this year. The CVB and the Hampton Roads Convention Center earned Readers’ Choice Awards from ConventionSouth.

Coliseum Central has everything you need to start the new year off right! Whether you’re trying to eat healthy, get in shape or make a fresh start, find everything you need at one of the hundreds of businesses that call Coliseum Central home.

Click here for more information.

January 15
10AM-3PM
Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home
2551 N. Armistead Ave.

February 9
12:45-4:30PM
YMCA Health & Wellness Center
4001 Coliseum Drive

CenterWell Senior Primary Care officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 6. CenterWell Senior Primary Care is a one-stop doctor’s office with complete care for Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients. Each location is designed around the unique needs of older patients, with special exam rooms, longer appointments, and shorter wait times. Their on-site activity centers offer patients and local seniors alike opportunities to stay socially and physically active. For more information, visit https://www.centerwellprimarycare.com/

Coliseum Central is showcasing District businesses as part of our seasonal billboard campaigns. Each campaign will have a theme and will highlight businesses using fun taglines. The winter campaign highlighted holiday shopping and dining.

There is no cost to participate. Adams Outdoor Advertising will create the ad and businesses will have final approval before it runs. Billboard campaigns will run for up to two weeks at three locations- two on I-64 at Rip Rap Road in Hampton (east-and westbound) and one on High Street in Portsmouth, reaching motorists heading to I-664.

Deadline to submit materials for Valentine’s Day is January 19. If you have any questions, please contact Angie Ewton at aewton@coliseumcentral.com.

Bowman’s Soul N The Wall Restaurant (1899 N. Armistead Ave.) is collecting new or gently used coats and socks for those in need during their CommUNITY Winter Drive, through December 20.

In addition, the restaurant will be serving free holiday meals on Christmas Day, December 25, from 11AM-1PM. Click here for more information.

Winter 2024 Registration is underway at Bryant & Stratton College (5030 Kilgore Ave.) Rapid Registration Days Kickoff takes place Saturday, December 9th from 10AM-1PM. Attendees will have an opportunity to tour the campus, learn about financial aid opportunities, and speak with representatives about degree programs that are offered.

To RSVP for Rapid Registration, call 757-896-6001. For more information about Bryant & Stratton College Hampton Campus, click here.

The Hampton Virginia Aquaplex was honored recently with two awards for its design. The facility, which opened late last year, was recognized by the Design-Build Institute of America with the National Award of Merit in the Civic/Assembly category. Also, Engineering News-Record magazine recognized the Aquaplex with an Award of Merit in the Sports/Entertainment category for the Mid-Atlantic region.

The holiday season is here and Coliseum Central is your one stop for all your holiday needs. With fourteen shopping centers and hundreds of stores you’ll find something for everyone on your list. And find the perfect place for a holiday get-together at one of our 70+ dining options.

Click here for more information.

December 26
10AM-3PM
Bass Pro Shops
1972 Power Plant Pkwy.

January 7
9:30AM-2:30PM
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
2150 Cunningham Drive

To learn more about how you can help or to find a list of drop-off locations, click here.

Qdoba Mexican Eats held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their newest location at 1123 W. Mercury Blvd. on November 30. Dignitaries on-hand included Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray and Council Members Chris Bowman and Hope Harper. Qdoba’s mission is to make the world a more flavorful place. They use quality ingredients in their freshly-made, Mexican-inspired food to bring out the most delicious flavors. For more information, click here.

Submit your nominations here. Nominations will close on December 31, 2023. Stay tuned! Voting information will be included in the January newsletter. Winners will be announced at the Coliseum Central Annual Meeting.

For more information, click here.

MADE Hoops will bring basketball teams from across the region to the Hampton Roads Convention Center (1610 Coliseum Drive) December 2-3. The East Winter Circuit features top teams in 5th-8th grades in the East Region. For more information, click here.

Hampton Roads Educators Credit Union (HRECU) (2130 Cunningham Drive) was awarded a $10,000 grant by the National Credit Union Administration. This grant will be used to implement additional features to improve HRECU member’s online experience.

Technical upgrades will allow for Video/Chat banking with members via the credit union website. In addition, the grant will fund an ATM Deposit Processing Software that will allow an automated release of deposits to members on holidays, after hours, or on weekends.

The upgrades will become available to members by the first of the year.

The State of the City – Hampton will take place Friday, December 8 from 11:30AM-1:30PM at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

Bass Pros Shops (1972 Power Plant Parkway) kicks off Santa’s Wonderland on November 4 with a parade to welcome Santa to the store.

The event will feature tons of fun. Be sure to see Santa and receive a free 4×6 photo of your visit, stop by the Christmas Toy Shop, or mail your letter to Santa. There will also be giveaways while supplies last

Bass Pro Shops Santa’s Wonderland will run through December 24.

November 10
10:30AM-1:30PM
Hampton Roads Convention Center
1610 Coliseum Drive

November 17
12:45-4:30PM
YMCA Health & Wellness Center
4001 Coliseum Drive

Sweet Frog
Coliseum Crossing
96 Coliseum Crossing

Teriyaki Madness
Peninsula Town Center
2300 Coliseum Drive

Riverside Health System held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the stand-alone Psychiatric Emergency Department at Riverside Mental Health & Recovery Center (2244 Executive Drive) on October 5. This 15,800 square-foot facility, the first of its kind in Virginia, is designed to provide immediate care to people in a mental health or addiction crisis. There are twenty treatment areas, with separate areas for adults and pediatrics, open community areas, sensory rooms, and secure outdoor areas designed for de-escalation, and on-site lab services.

Governor Glenn Youngkin and Mayor Donnie Tuck were on-hand to assist in the ribbon cutting. The facility will open to the community later this fall. For more information, click here.

The new and improved coliseumcentral.com is live with updated graphics, new and exciting features and enhanced business pages to better serve your business.

Share your job openings with us. Our robust form allows you to share information such as employment type, job description, weekly & shift hours, duties, requirements, work conditions, benefits and more. Click here to share your job listing. Submissions will be reviewed prior to posting on the website.

Did you know that every District business has its own page on coliseumcentral.com? Visit https://news.coliseumcentral.com/business-list to find your business page. Review your business page and submit additional updates, photos or information here.

Coliseum Central’s Whimsical Winter Wonderland returns to the Hampton Coliseum (1000 Coliseum Drive) on November 18 from 12-5PM. This FREE, festive celebration includes fun for the whole family. Aerialists, jugglers, and illusionists will entertain guests on the main stage and holiday-themed decor will provide ample opportunities for photos. In addition, there will be roaming characters and stilt walkers, a variety of photo booths, face painting, balloon and glitter tattoo artists, and carnival-style games.

We are excited to announce that this year the Whimsical Winter Wonderland will expand to include activities outside the Hampton Coliseum! New for this year:

New indoor activities include enhanced games, Princess Meet & Greets, inflatable amusement fun park for the little ones, and axe throwing with foam velcro axes.

Celebrate the season and promote your organization by serving as a Whimsical Winter Wonderland sponsor. Click here to learn about sponsorship opportunities.

Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars comes to the Hampton Coliseum (1000 Coliseum Drive) October 19-22. Take a magical journey through the timeless stories of Cinderella, Aladdin, Toy Story, and Cars, and today’s favorites including Encanto, Frozen 2 and Moana. Celebrate with Tiana, Rapunzel and the Disney Princesses and meet Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon. Click here for more information, or to purchase tickets.

The Jazz Legacy Foundation’s 11th Annual Gala Weekend returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center (1610 Coliseum Drive) November 9-12 with a star-studded lineup, including Boney James, Jeffrey Osborne, and Sheila E. The Jazz Legacy Foundation’s mission is to preserve the Art of Jazz through music education. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

The Bodacious Bazaar Fall Show comes to the Hampton Roads Convention Center (1610 Coliseum Drive) November 10-12. This three-day shopping extravaganza features hundreds of vendors, artists, crafters, and several of Virginia’s finest wineries. Click here for more information.

If you missed Retail Alliance’s Virginia Retail Matters live, you can watch it on WTKR News 3’s website. This video includes a presentation of an in-depth retail study conducted by Main Street America and the 2024 Outlook on Virginia legislation that impacts the retail sector. Watch the replay here. To purchase a digital copy of the full research report, click here.

Guest speakers include Matt Wagner, Chief Program Officer at Main Street America, expert lobbyists from Virginia Retail Federation, and leadership from Retail Alliance. For more information or to register, click here.

Usher in the Fall season at the Bluebird Gap Farm Fall Festival (60 Pine Chapel Road) October 21-22. The festival runs from 10AM-5PM each day with a variety of children’s activities, hayrides, master gardening, punkin’ chunkin’, live entertainments, and much more!

Admission and activities are free. Food and pumpkins are available for purchase.

Virginia Peninsula Foodbank needs your help to keep their shelves full so that they can continue to provide healthy meals to those in need. It is estimated that one in 7 individuals, or more than 50,000 people in our area are affected by food insecurity. That number continues to increase with rising food and fuel costs.

There are many ways to help:

To learn more about how you can help, click here.

October 24
8AM-2PM
City Hall
22 Lincoln St.

Coliseum Central wants to hear from you- our business owners and managers. We understand that running a business can be challenging, and we are here to help. Coliseum Central staff would like to meet one-on-one with retailers to discuss your concerns and ideas. The feedback you provide can help us focus our resources in areas that better serve our businesses.

We’re committed to the success of our businesses and look forward to working with you. If you are a Coliseum Central retailer and would like to schedule a meeting, click here.

Coliseum Central is offering District businesses an opportunity to be part of our seasonal billboard campaigns. Campaigns will have a theme and highlight a specific segment of businesses. For example, our summer campaign, “Play around in Hampton this Summer,” highlighted sports and entertainment businesses using fun taglines.

There is no cost to participate. Adams Outdoor Advertising will create the ad and businesses will have final approval before it runs. Billboard campaigns will run for up to two weeks at three locations- two on I-64 at Rip Rap Road in Hampton (east- and westbound) and one on High Street in Portsmouth, reaching motorists heading to I-664.

Our winter campaign, which runs November 1-December 24, will highlight holiday shopping and dining. If you are a Coliseum Central Business and would like to participate, please click here and:

Deadline to submit materials is October 20. If you have any questions, please contact Angie Ewton at aewton@coliseumcentral.com.

Mark your calendar! Coliseum Central’s Whimsical Winter Wonderland returns to the Hampton Coliseum (1000 Coliseum Drive) on November 18 from 12-5PM. This FREE, family-friendly event will usher in the holiday season with aerialists, roaming characters stilt walkers, inflatables, a variety of photo booths, face painting, balloon and glitter tattoo artists, and carnival-style games. This year’s event will expand to include the outdoor portion of the Hampton Coliseum and will include 14 new activities. Stay tuned for more details!

Celebrate the season and promote your organization by serving as a Whimsical Winterland sponsor. If your organization is interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please contact Eboni Council at ecouncil@coliseumcentral.com.

Coliseum Central is revamping coliseumcentral.com. In addition to a fresh, new look, the updated website will also have new features and functions including a trip planner, enhanced home page and business pages, and a virtual tour. Website design is expected to be completed this Fall.

Make sure that your District business is properly represented on our new website. Click here to view your current business page. To submit or update your businesses information, click here. To submit photos (up to 5) and logo, email Angie Ewton at aewton@coliseumcentral.com.

The BayPort Foundation Crawlin’ Crab Half Marathon & 5K takes place October 7-8. Saturday events include the 5K and the Kids 1K, while Half Marathon runners take to the streets of Hampton on Sunday. All races will end in front of the Hampton Coliseum (1000 Coliseum Drive), where participants and their guests can enjoy live music, food, and refreshments at the Post-Race Party. For more information or to register, click here.

The Hampton Brick Convention is coming to the Hampton Roads Convention Center (1610 Coliseum Drive) on October 14-15. This ultimate Lego event gives fans the opportunity to view incredible displays, play with thousands of bricks in multiple building zones, and purchase new and retired Lego sets. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

Add your events to the Coliseum Central website calendar! Click here and complete the form with the details of your event. Once submitted, events will be published on the site calendar within one business day.

Virginia Retail Matters presented by Retail Alliance takes place on September 22 from 11:15AM-2:00PM at the Renaissance Hotel (425 Water St., Portsmouth). This luncheon will include the presentation of an in-depth retail study conducted by Main Street America and the 2024 Outlook on Virginia legislation that impacts the retail sector.

Guest speakers include Matt Wagner, Chief Program Officer at Main Street America, expert lobbyists from Virginia Retail Federation, and leadership from Retail Alliance. For more information or to register, click here.

Coliseum Central is compiling a list of low-cost marketing opportunities and networking opportunities for small business owners. We will continue to update this list as new information is obtained. To view the current list of opportunities, click here. If you have events or opportunities you would like to share, contact Angie Ewton at aewton@coliseumcentral.com.

Onelife Fitness (2190 Coliseum Drive) will be opening this winter in the former Farm Fresh location in Coliseum Marketplace Shopping Center. Stop by the Preview Center on location to learn more about the programs and amenities and join now to get Founding Member rates. Amenities available in this 60,000 sq. ft. facility will include:

Click here for more information, to take a virtual tour of the facility or to join online.

September 18
11AM-3PM
Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home
2551 N. Armistead Ave.

October 1
9:30AM-2:30PM
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
2150 Cunningham Dr.

Hot Pot 757
Coliseum Crossing
32 Coliseum Crossing

Cava
Peninsula Town Center
2033 Coliseum Drive

Hampton broke ground Friday, August 18 on the Lake Hampton Resilience Park. This is the first of three innovative resiliency projects designed primarily to reduce the impact of flooding on the area around Newmarket Creek. Lake Hampton Resilience Park will reduce flooding and pollution by retaining more water and filtering runoff. It will also become a thriving habitat for birds and other wildlife and create a shared use path that will connect to the existing Waterwalk Trail park. Click here for more information.

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Hampton (1700 Coliseum Drive) recently completed a multimillion-dollar makeover, which included the renovation of all 295 suites and painting the open-air atrium lobby and corridors. The suites, including two presidential suites, are decorated in neutral colors of gray and white and include new, modern furniture and fixtures. For more information, click here.