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Virginia International Tattoo returns to Norfolk Scope, celebrates military families

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Posted at 6:46 AM, Apr 20, 2023
and last updated 2023-04-20 23:27:14-04

NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia International Tattoo is back with performances kicking off Thursday night inside Norfolk's Scope Arena.

The theme for the 2023 show is a Tribute to Military Families.

A Tattoo is a performance featuring military bands and other acts and Virginia's is the largest in North America, according to the Virginia Arts Festival, which organizes the event.

This year's show features 800 performers from eight countries, including Australia, France, Latvia, New Zealand, Singapore, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

Many of the American performers are based locally.

Tickets for the 2023 Tattoo start at $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. show on Sunday.

According to the Virginia Arts Festival, the event brings in an estimated $25 million, making a huge economic impact on the Mermaid City, including restaurants, like Baxter's on Granby Street.

Daryl Bresach, the owner of Baxters said he's excited about the increased foot traffic and the new faces he'll get to see.

"The Tattoo Festival is a big deal for us because we're in proximity of the location," Bresach told News 3's Kelsey Jones.

Hampton Roads businesses preparing for a busy weekend

There's certainly a lot of preparation, he said.

"We had to ramp up our chicken wings and our chicken tenders and all of our different burgers and stuff like that," he said. It's certainly been a big deal for us."

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