Norfolk Harborfest-Virginian Pilot

The organizers of Harborfest have a lot to live up to after last year's annual waterfront festival coincided with OpSail, which was like the traditional Norfolk maritime celebration on steroids.

"OpSail was really a special once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing," said Ted Baroody, president of Festevents, which stages Harborfest.

"We won't have that international component of the tall ships coming in from all over the world, but we will still have an awesome domestic fleet of vessels coming through and some really unique water-related programming."

It may not top the global grandeur of OpSail, but watching someone fly 40 feet in the air with a jet pack still sounds pretty cool.

That's one of the new additions to this year's Harborfest, which runs Friday through Sunday at Town Point Park in downtown Norfolk. A kickoff seafood feast is tonight. The 007-inspired jet-pack spectacle will feature superhero-style stunts and a pilot who can literally walk on water.

"The jet pack is water-propelled, so the show will take place over the river," Baroody said. "The water is pumped up through a tethered line, and then the operator can hover and fly and do all kind of neat tricks."

Additional aquatic adventures will include paddle-boarding demonstrations and a water swing that allows riders to pass through gaps in a waterfall. Young kids, and cryptozoologists, will likely make a beeline for the mermaid aquarium, which will feature live "mermaids" and storytelling.

Over the course of its 37-year history, Harborfest has evolved into a party on the Elizabeth River that includes live music, food and fireworks; this year's model is no exception. But at its core, the event is a celebration of the nautical history of Hampton Roads.

"Harborfest was inspired by a tall ship that visited Norfolk when the city didn't even have a public space for the boat to dock," Baroody said. Nearly four decades in, the gathering is now one of the biggest waterfront festivals on the East Coast.

"Even though we have national live music acts, the Elizabeth River truly serves as our main stage," Baroody said.

In addition to the new water elements, Harborfest is bringing back some of the traditions left out last year to accommodate OpSail, like the popular tug boat show and the Chesapeake Bay Workboat races.

And naturally, there will be the popular Parade of Sail.

Although the tall-ship element will be scaled down from last year, festivalgoers will get a chance to experience them in a new way.

"Most, if not all, of the tall ships will be open to the public for tours, but this year we've also added a ticketed option," Baroody said. "Guests will have the opportunity to go out on a 45-minute sail on two of the tall ships, the Sultana and the Schooner Virginia."

OpSail didn't have that.

LOUD HARBOR

For many music fans, Harborfest is the unofficial kickoff to the outdoor concert season. Here's a look at the headliners: 

O.A.R. 8: 30 p.m. Friday The band's reggae-infused blend of roots rock first gained popularity with the jam band crowd. Over 15 years, O.A.R. has honed its freewheeling fraternity house vibe to include a more indie-centric pop rock approach.

Eddie Money 8 p.m. Saturday Chart-topping classic rocker Eddie Money's most recent gig as a TV pitchman for Geico serves as a good reminder why his seminal hit "Two Tickets to Paradise" endures as pop culture ear candy. Catchy, blue-collar rock 'n' roll is the former cop's trademark.

Rusted Root 4:30 p.m. Sunday With its infusion of rock, world beat and a strong percussive element, Rusted Root is perhaps best known for its bouncy 1994 radio hit "Send Me on My Way." The ubiquitous song with the penny whistle solo has since been featured in too many TV commercials and movie soundtracks to list.