Rising from the Sea
He stands 26 feet tall, sun reflecting off his frame, wave-inspired curls cast in bronze. He is the son of Saturn, Lord of the Sea. He is King Neptune, and with a majestic presence only he can muster, he presides over Virginia Beach’s newest oceanfront park located at 31st and Atlantic.
Neptune’s Park is the third venue of its kind along the resort strip. Like its sisters at 17th and 24th Streets, it’s a setting for entertainment, as well as a place for people to congregate, to stroll, or to stop and enjoy the view. And what a view it is.
Erected in 2005, it seemed to rise from the sea, or rather from the sand. That’s where Neptune’s enormous head sat while sculptor Paul DiPasquale cast the rest of the king’s physique. The process required 80 tons of clay, 25 tons of plaster, 1 ton of glue and 7,500 grinding and sanding discs, not to mention the sweat of DiPasquale himself.
At 26 feet tall, King Neptune draws visitors to the oceanfront, encouraging them to look beyond his massive frame to the great blue beyond. Situated next to the Hilton Hotel and at the head of the city’s 31st Street corridor, dubbed “31 Ocean,” the sight is one of importance, acclaim, and above all – fun.
Concerts, events and a host of other entertainment are held annually in the park, and it has fast become a centerpiece for Virginia Beach’s very own Neptune Festival. Recognized as one of the top 100 celebrations in the nation and boasting a month-long schedule of events, the occasion is the city’s grand finale to summer -- so it was only fitting that the statue of Neptune was presented to the city during the 2005 festival itself.
Weeks prior, spectators watched in amazement as Neptune’s head was lifted by crane from the sand to sit atop the sea god’s 12-foot shoulder span. Not since the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., had such a large cast bronze figure been erected in the United States. At last, Neptune’s Park was adorned with a monument that celebrates a prized gateway to the sea and one that will beckon residents and visitors to the beach for years to come. |
