Website
Neptune Festival Website
The Neptune Festival website captures the spirit of “Celebrating the Beach Life” through a bold, energetic design that brings Virginia Beach’s favorite festival to life online. A vibrant color palette, playful typography, and hand-drawn section dividers add personality and movement throughout the experience, echoing the festival’s lively, coastal vibe. Carefully chosen illustrations enhance the atmosphere, reinforcing the sense of fun and celebration without overwhelming the content.
* The project was created in partnership with Red Orange Studio and was a result of collaboration with other team members.
From Sandcastle to Screen: The Neptune Festival Goes Digital
The Neptune Festival website redesign brings Virginia Beach’s energetic coastal spirit to the digital world. Through bold color, hand-drawn elements, and playful typography, the site feels alive — echoing the festival’s lively community and beach vibes.
Originally launched in October 2022, it has been updated frequently and continues to serve as both an information hub and transactional platform (tickets, vendors, merch) for a festival with dozens of events annually.
Bringing Together Sun, Sand & Strategy
Discovery & Content Strategy
I worked with my team to audit existing content and create a refreshed content architecture that grouped dozens of events into clearer categories. This allowed attendees to find what they were looking for without getting overwhelmed.
Design & Visual System
Drawing from personal experience with the Festival, hometown pride, and a bit of beachy inspiration, I designed a visual language of seaside blues, sandy neutrals, and vibrant accents. Hand-drawn dividers and wave motifs provided visual motion and personality without distracting from usability.
Build & Integration
Built on WordPress (Uncode), the site integrated The Events Calendar to manage complex event data. I handled all front-end implementation and CMS setup, but leaned on a developer for customized filtering logic and performance optimizations.
Features That Make a Splash
- Dynamic Events Page with filters (by category, date, location)
- CMS-driven cards that auto-update as events change
- Responsive mobile design, optimized for on-site access
- E-commerce elements, including ticket and merchandise sales
- Easy backend for client updates, thanks to structured layouts and training
Results That Shine
When we pulled some metrics during the first post-launch Festival Weekend, the results were fantastic. These metrics show the site not only attracted more visitors, but also improved visibility and engagement.
122%
Increase in Users
168%
Increase in Pageviews
164%
Increase in Direct Access
140%
Increase in Organic Search
From Sandy Shores to Shiny Awards
In 2024, the redesign earned Silver in Best Organization Website (budget > $1.5M) at the IFEA Pinnacle Awards — even ranking ahead of the Kentucky Derby (which received Bronze). This award underscores that the site isn’t just visually compelling — it performs.
Keeping the Tide Rolling: Ongoing Updates & Celebrations
Since launch, the Neptune Festival website has continued to evolve — celebrating milestones, expanding content, and keeping the digital experience as vibrant as the festival itself.
The site’s modular design and flexible content strategy have made it easy to build on success year after year, adding new sections and experiences that capture the community’s ongoing story.
A milestone moment for Virginia Beach’s signature event, the 50th Anniversary page was designed to honor half a century of “Celebrating the Beach Life.” With rich photography, archival stories, and event highlights, the page invited both longtime locals and new visitors to relive the festival’s legacy.
Each year, the Festival reflects on its impact through a digital Year in Review, highlighting major events, community partnerships, and economic contributions. These interactive reports reinforce transparency and pride — transforming what could have been a static PDF into a dynamic web experience.
This commemorative addition celebrates the Festival’s most recognizable icon — the 34-foot bronze King Neptune statue that watches over the Virginia Beach boardwalk. The page showcases its history, symbolism, and enduring connection to the community.
