VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The final preparations are now underway ahead of the opening night for the Dome down at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Residents and businesses down at the Oceanfront say they are excited to check out the venue and all the new possibilities it brings.
“The entire site is kinda like the new crown jewel. I don’t know if anyone has coined that term yet,” Dwayne Appleton, owner of Java Surf Cafe & Espresso, said.
Appleton, who we interviewed last year about construction of the area, shared his enthusiasm for the weekend’s opening. He looks forward to increased foot traffic and believes visitors and locals alike will enjoy what the Oceanfront has to offer in terms of food, drinks, and shopping.
"I'm also excited that the Dome is set up as an all encompassing event hall," Appleton said. "I was just talking with one of the managers there, they already booked their first wedding reception."
“I just want to check it out,” said Damon Samuels, a resident living off Baltic Avenue.
Samuels plans to attend the Dome's opening night on Friday and has tickets for his friends and their daughter.
“It’s going to be a great experience for her because she is going to tell the story the rest of her life that she was at the Dome for the opening show. She’ll always remember that, and this venue is going to be a big deal for many years to come,” said Samuels.
The new Dome is located at the same spot where the former Dome once stood. Its reopening will be a full-circle moment: Three Dog Night, the band that gave the final performance in the old Dome back in 1993, will be the Dome's first act to perform.
The first concert at the newly reopened venue is set for Sunday, and tickets for Three Dog Night are still on sale.
