1988 Greekfest Problems Prevent Future Use of Public Facilities
The History of Virginia Beach ( 2011, 1989: "Greekfest" riots, para. 5) reports the following:
While an increasing number of college students had converged on Virginia Beach for the Labor Day Weekend each year, specific events during the 1988 "Greekfest" are seen as having presaged the riots of 1989. First, the looting of an oceanfront "7-Eleven" convenience store may have emboldened celebrants during the following year’s riots, as the 1988 looters were never challenged by local law enforcement due to their large numbers. Second, during the 1988 event, several hotels were beset with acts of vandalism which included the smearing of human fecal matter on room walls, furniture burning, and extensive water damage. These hotels in turn revised their reservations and deposit procedures for 1989, an act that was apparently perceived to be racially motivated and which led to higher racial tensions. The third and least important occurred when 3,000 people could not get into a scheduled concert at the Virginia Beach Pavilion because of the insufficient capacity of the venue, which led to $6,000 in property damage and an assault on a female security guard. Managers afterward felt the number of attendees simply overwhelmed Virginia Beach's capacity for large events. Organizers of the event were told that they could not rent the public facilities again.
The History of Virginia Beach ( 2011, 1989: "Greekfest" riots, para. 5) reports the following:
While an increasing number of college students had converged on Virginia Beach for the Labor Day Weekend each year, specific events during the 1988 "Greekfest" are seen as having presaged the riots of 1989. First, the looting of an oceanfront "7-Eleven" convenience store may have emboldened celebrants during the following year’s riots, as the 1988 looters were never challenged by local law enforcement due to their large numbers. Second, during the 1988 event, several hotels were beset with acts of vandalism which included the smearing of human fecal matter on room walls, furniture burning, and extensive water damage. These hotels in turn revised their reservations and deposit procedures for 1989, an act that was apparently perceived to be racially motivated and which led to higher racial tensions. The third and least important occurred when 3,000 people could not get into a scheduled concert at the Virginia Beach Pavilion because of the insufficient capacity of the venue, which led to $6,000 in property damage and an assault on a female security guard. Managers afterward felt the number of attendees simply overwhelmed Virginia Beach's capacity for large events. Organizers of the event were told that they could not rent the public facilities again.