CoVa Best Of Party 2018

By: Coastal Virginia Magazine
July 30, 2018

July-August 2018

Five people in leis pose before a tropical sunset backdrop, holding a framed Coastal Virginia Readers' Choice award.

Silver "Coastal Virginia Best of" winner medals with white ribbons piled together in a heap.

Two women stand behind an Alzheimer's Association table with purple banners, brochures, flower pinwheels, and lei garlands.

Rows of frosted cupcakes, cake pops and mini cupcakes on wooden boards at a dessert table with red hibiscus flowers.

A crowd mingles in a bright glass-walled lobby with tall palm decor, teal tablecloths, and a waterfront view.

Five performers in Polynesian dress wear green leaf headpieces and bright colorful lei in a bright lobby.

A smiling woman in a floral crop top and red hibiscus hair flower holds two wine bottles behind a grass-skirted table of glasses.

A woman in a floral top and apron arranges small bowls of dessert on a long buffet table in a bright hall.

A young man in a floral Hawaiian shirt and shell lei plays a ukulele beside a Coastal Virginia poster.

Two smiling women in grass hula skirts, flower leis and shell bras pose in a hallway marked Bermuda Room.

People playing blackjack at a green felt table beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water.

Two smiling people pose in front of a banner: a woman in a striped dress and a man in a pineapple-print suit, both wearing pink leis.

Two smiling people pose together at a tropical-themed party, with guests in Hawaiian shirts and green leis behind them.

Two smiling people wearing green and yellow leis stand in a room with a thatched tiki umbrella and guests.

A smiling couple in leis poses together in a glass-walled waterfront venue, with a Coastal Virginia poster behind them.

Two smiling women sit on a bright pink sofa, holding plates of food and wearing green feather wristbands.

Two smiling people pose side by side in a glass-walled waterfront room with a city skyline behind them.

Seven people in leis sit around an orange-draped table under a potted palm at a tropical-themed event.

People in festive attire line up at a buffet, filling plates with baked pasta and other dishes from chafing dishes.

Two men in black shirts stand behind a buffet of meatballs in marinara and baked pasta in foil pans.

A luau event with dancers in yellow skirts performing before a sunset palm tree backdrop while guests in floral attire watch.

A group of dancers in yellow grass skirts and floral leis performs a hula in front of a sunset palm backdrop.

Hula dancers in yellow grass skirts and flower leis perform before a tropical sunset backdrop while guests look on.

A large indoor luau party with crowds in tropical attire dancing, grass-roofed huts, and round tables under a high steel-beamed ceiling.

Two smiling women in leis hold an "aloha!" photo-booth sign at a luau-themed party, with other guests behind them.

Two smiling guests in tropical floral leis and Hawaiian-style shirts pose beside a wood-paneled wall and model ship.

Rows of small layered dessert cups topped with

Three smiling people in leis pose before a thatched tiki-hut backdrop beside a "Half Moone Vista" sign.

A smiling man in a mint green palm-print shirt and a woman in a floral top pose together at a tropical-themed event.

Six smiling people in leis pose together at a tropical-themed party with palm decor and colorful tables.

A smiling man and woman in green leis pose in front of a tropical jungle mural at an event.

Three smiling women in floral dresses and leis hold pink drinks in front of a painted tropical jungle mural.

Two smiling men in leis, one in a dark Hawaiian shirt and one in a light blue blazer, posing in a bright indoor lobby. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Two smiling women in purple lei necklaces pose together at an indoor evening event with a "A Glorious" sign behind them.

A woman in a floral dress ducks under a bamboo pole during a limbo game at a luau-themed party.

A man in a Hawaiian shirt leans backward under a bamboo limbo bar before a tropical sunset backdrop, while spectators watch.

A woman holding a microphone and a man in a grass skirt and coconut-shell bra stand before a tropical sunset backdrop.

A caricature artist sketches two smiling women seated in a gallery while two more women stand nearby.

Two smiling adults in matching tropical Hawaiian-print outfits pose together at an indoor party with a camera nearby.

Two smiling people sit close together on a white couch, wearing colorful leis, sunglasses, and Hawaiian-style shirts by a window.

A pink cocktail with a lemon wedge and black straw sits on a round black table at an event.

Several women gather around a large Derby racing board game on a table, moving toy horses, one wearing a pink bracelet.

Two smiling adults pose indoors wearing colorful flower leis, with a man in a floral shirt beside a woman with pink flower earrings.

Six smiling women in colorful summer dresses pose together at an indoor party, with a tiki-style bar behind them. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Two smiling people in leis at a luau-themed party, a man in a blue bamboo-print shirt beside a woman in a fringed grass skirt and shell top. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Five people in leis posing together indoors at an evening party, with one man flashing a playful grin. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A bald bearded man reaches toward a tall wooden block tower as two onlookers watch closely. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Three smiling women in floral dresses and leis stand indoors holding small plates of food at an event.

A smiling man in a navy shirt and a smiling woman in a floral dress, both wearing leis, pose at a tropical-themed party.

Two women high-five over a green roulette table while others in floral leis and wreaths stand nearby in a meeting room. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Four people sit in brown Adirondack chairs on a waterfront deck overlooking the harbor, with an American flag and a city skyline.

Two tall sailing ship masts and rigging against a pink sunset sky over calm harbor water.

A smiling man with a green fuzzy mustache holds up a "Best of" medal at a crowded indoor party.

Coastal Virginia Magazine’s annual Best Of Party was held on Thursday, July 26 at Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Downtown Norfolk. Guests donned hula skirts, island-inspired floral shirts and leis for a Hawaiian-themed luau celebrating the magazine’s Best Of Readers’ Choice Awards and CoVaBIZ BOB (Best of Business) Awards. The luau featured music from Colonial DJs, hula dancing from Halau Kahealani, a green screen with a faux Coastal Virginia Magazine cover and casino games from Premier Events, Bob Langston Caricatures and special giveaways for best costume and a limbo contest with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Virginia.

Local restaurants served sumptuous samples of decadent dishes, including Kahiau’s Bakery & Café, Freemason Abbey, Rajput Indian Cuisine, Volcano Sushi, Swan Terrace, Carolina Cupcakery, The Egg Bistro, Alkaline, Primo Pizzeria Ristorante, Jody’s Gourmet Popcorn, Culinary Institute of Virginia and Old Beach Tavern. Guests also enjoyed a wine tasting from The Williamsburg Winery and drinks from tiki bars, including a special Luau Punch cocktail from Sweetwater Cuisine.

A special thanks to our sponsors Wolcott Rivers Gates Attorneys at Law, Hybrid Air Heating & Air Conditioning and CoVaTix.com for making this the best party of the year!

Video by Chris Conway

CVM

Coastal Virginia Magazine

Vista Graphics, Inc. * Website * + posts and articles

Offering up stellar editorial and photography on a range of feature topics from personal and business profiles to the region's cuisine and style scene, Coastal Virginia Magazine provides an in-depth glimpse into what's happening in the region. Each issue offers up something new, from the annual Top Docs feature to Best Of CoVa Readers' Choice Awards, while still always providing insight from the regular columnists and news on the latest local events in the Datebook section.