Kristine Hendrix Photography

Treat your sweetie to a day at the beach that isn't filled with the challenge of fighting the crowds and all the stress that goes with it. Instead, plan to spend a relaxing day on a romantic date at First Landing Cross. The area is also known as Chesapeake Beach and you can comfortably stretch out on your beach blanket to sunbathe, take in the scenery or swim in the protected shallow waters.

Spending a day in the great outdoors of Virginia Beach wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Mount Trashmore Park. Amazingly, this popular park was once a landfill, but since its reconstruction, it now features 165 acres of children's playgrounds and recreational facilities. One of the more popular features is a state-of-the-art skateboard park, but there are also more conventional amenities available like basketball and volleyball courts, two lakes, picnic facilities and trails. Plus, the park is the site of various special events, concerts, and attractions throughout the year.

If you're searching for something truly unique, then make your way to the Virginia Beach Spring Craft Market. This festival, held every March, welcomes the warmer season with an incredible selection of items that include fine arts, hand crafted jewelry, wood, glass, photography, candles, woven baskets, clothing, toys, folk art and specialty food, among many other items. The event happens at the Virginia Beach Convention Center from Friday through Sunday and its efforts benefit the work of the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia.

Virginia Beach's Symphonicity is taking the classical music experience to a completely new level. Formerly known as the Virginia Beach Symphony Orchestra, the group is made up of a surprising group of players. Not only does it feature current and former members of the symphony, it also calls on the talents of some of the finest musicians in the area. This not only includes retired and active symphony members but also public school teachers, freelance musicians, private instructors and composers, as well as business professionals, homemakers and a select group of high school students. The 100-plus members of this unique group perform regularly with the goal of bringing the classics to as wide an audience of music lovers as possible.