Stockley Art + BBQ in Portsmouth

I love the first great weekend of the summertime season, when the festivals are flaring up and you spend most of the day walking around the best parts of your town/region. This weekend was jam-packed with events in Hampton Roads, and we spent Saturday going to two of my annual favorites: the Stockley Gardens Art Festival and Portsmouth Service League's Beer, Band & BBQ fundraiser.

We started the day at Stockley Gardens, which is an amazingly beautiful neighborhood in Norfolk full of fascinating architecture alongside a lovely canal. We had a quick snack: ribbon chips, my fair food favorite. I seriously look forward to summer for these things.

 Many of my favorite pieces were the same from last year. But I spotted a couple new favorites. The emotional, evocative landscapes of Paul Nikitchenko. I would love to paint just like that.

 I also fell in love with the watercolored etchings of F. Brown Steele. I'm a sucker for poppies.

 After the festival, we walked back to my friend's apartment in the Freemason District, by way of The Hague, which is about the loveliest walk you can have on a warm day with a breeze.

This is my favorite house on the block...terracotta roof, ivy climbing the stucco walls and leaded glass, to boot. Handsome as hell!

 Admiring the Hague from a footbridge.

 Once we met up with our friends, we took a ferry (what cheap fun! $3 round-trip) to Portsmouth, where Ashleigh's service league was hosting its event.

 Erica and I, rocking the naturally pale skin!

A $25 ticket gets you all the beer and bbq you can eat, and believe you me, we got our money's worth.

Mmmmmm BBQ. This is made by Beach Bully BBQ, the preferred vendor.

At the end of the night, we took the ferry back, and it was just beautiful. On weekends like this, I am full of love for where we've ended up.

P.S. You can see more of my pictures from the weekend on my instagram.