The East Coast She Crab Soup Classic is an open competition among restaurants.  This event focuses on seafood, which is the most identifiable cuisine in Virginia Beach and a staple of area menus for decades.  The hours are from Noon-4:00pm.  Tickets are sold in advance, with tickets offered at the gate if available.  The event is limited to 1,500 paying guests.   Guests sample She Crab Soup from competing restaurants.  Based on tastings, there are two categories for best recipe winners, with three places in each.  One category is decided by a panel of Hampton Roads food critics and the other – “The Peoples’ Choice” – by the general public.  The event is open to up to 20 restaurants.  Each paying guest receives a sheet that is stamped at each restaurant’s station, allowing everyone to sample each offering. Winners are announced at the end of the event.  Plaques for all winners are awarded to be displayed in restaurants, where chefs enjoy “bragging rights” for a full year.