See & Do

Art, music, museums, live theater, cinema - Onancock is alive with entertainment, social events, family activities, parades, and joyous holidays. A fun-filled getaway in a scenic setting with a friendly, small-town ambiance.

EVENTS CALENDAR

IN TOWN

In the heart of the downtown district, the award-winning North Street Playhouse is the only year-round live theatre on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The historic Roseland Theatre, movie house offers first-run, digitally projected movies with 7.1 stereo surround sound.  RCEC/Onancock International Films presents indoor and outdoor film events. 

Tour Ker Place, a Federal-period Georgian-style mansion. Antique furnishings create an authentic impression of life in the early 19th century. At the wharf, Hopkins & Bro. Store is a historic commercial building erected in 1842 to serve the commercial trade which now houses an exhibit about Onancock’s rich mercantile history. Located in the Historic Onancock School Community & Cultural Center, the Watermen’s Museum preserves its history, celebrates the present, and encourages the future for the watermen of Virginia's Eastern Shore. The Samuel D. Outlaw Blacksmith Shop Memorial Museum is a rare intact blacksmith shop that includes a display of actual tools used by Mr. Outlaw.

Special music, art, social, and holiday events are hosted year-round by the Eastern Shore Historical Society at Ker Place, the Historic Onancock School, the Onancock Business and Civic Association, and the Town.

The Eastern Shore Art League’s events, workshops, and exhibits, the annual Studio Tour hosted by the Artisans Guild of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and plein-air events provide opportunities to interact with artists and their works.

Onancock loves music. From the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore practicing for their next concert in the Town Square to the Accomack Community Band’s patriotic tunes enjoyed at the Annual July 3rd Ice Cream Social and a musical chef serenading his guests and local musicians playing at downtown restaurants and the Onancock Farmers Market. 

NEARBY

Head North to Parksley and experience the Eastern Shore Railway Museum. Tour the only original station that served New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk as well as vintage parlor, sleeper, and caboose train cars. Visit Accomack Courthouse Green to admire the Victorian brick Clerk’s office which holds historic court records dating back to 1663, a cannon from the American Revolution, and the Debtor’s Prison built in 1783. 

Step back in time to Tangier Island. Rent a golf cart or bike and tour this tiny town where watermen have toiled since the 17th century - while retaining their distinctive early American dialect. Eat a delicious family-style seafood meal and visit the Tangier History Museum for a better understanding of this unique way of life.

The Wallops Flight Facility will delight space enthusiasts who might be lucky enough to find their visit coincides with a rocket launch. Visible from downtown Onancock, it is not uncommon to see dining patrons, napkins still in hand, empty into the streets and look skyward as the rocket’s flames fade into space.

From Wallops, head east across the causeway to reach the Chincoteague Island, home of the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim, made famous by Marguerite Henry's "Misty of Chincoteague".  Spectators from around the world gather on Chincoteague Island each year to watch this annual tradition. Shop for beach paraphernalia, play miniature golf, and treat yourself to homemade ice cream, made fresh daily at the famous Island Creamery. Head over to Assateague Island, for time on the beach and to catch a glimpse of the ponies, birds, and pristine nature.

Carnival time in the seaside town of Wachapreague is a “must-do” for kids of all ages. Whirling rides, famous clam, oyster, and soft-shell crab sandwiches, cotton candy, and BINGO draw fun-seekers from all over the Shore to this vintage, small-town festival. Check out locally produced foods, wines, and art that have achieved national recognition at Chatham Vineyards on Church Creek which offers tours, tastings, and special events. Visit the foundry and 4,000+ square foot gallery of Turner Bronze Sculptures in Onley, and learn what it takes to design and produce a sculpture using the lost wax method of bronze casting. In Melfa, shop for food and gifts from the award-winning Blue Crab Bay Company representative of the Chesapeake Bay region since 1985.

After combing through Onancock’s antique shops, spend an afternoon antiquing at the Exmore Antique Emporium. Stop on the way in Painter, for a few hours of treasure hunting at the Blue Crow Antique Mall.

Continue south a bit further to reach The Barrier Islands Center in Machipongo which is rich in the history of the families who once called the barrier islands home, expressed through artful, immersive galleries and films that depict the struggles and triumphs of this rural lifestyle. Cape Charles, at the southernmost tip of the Shore, offers shopping, dining, a microbrewery, golf, and beach time.