Father's Day 2027 is June 20. The Virginia Zoo gave dads free train rides in 2026; plus the Battleship Wisconsin, city events and brunch in Norfolk.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Father’s Day 2027 plans were not out yet when we checked; we give 2026 details and say which year each is from. Facts come from the Virginia Zoo, Nauticus, the Chrysler Museum of Art, Ocean View Beach Park and Norfolk Parks and Recreation’s course guide.

Father’s Day 2027 is Sunday, June 20. In 2026 the Virginia Zoo marked the day with free train rides for dads, and downtown’s Battleship Wisconsin is Norfolk’s classic outing for fathers. Brunch is listed only when restaurants post their menus.

Who to call

  • Virginia Zoo: 757-441-2374
  • City recreation events: Norfolk Parks and Recreation, 757-823-4291
  • Police, not an emergency: 757-441-5610

Events

  • Free Father’s Day train rides, Virginia Zoo, 3500 Granby St.: on June 21, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., dads, grandfathers and father figures rode the Virginia Zoo Express free (zoo). Zoo admission still applies; Norfolk residents and military get $2 off with ID (hours and prices).
  • Big Bands on the Bay, free Sunday concerts from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ocean View Beach Park. In 2026 the series ran May 24 to July 5, which covered Father’s Day (Festevents).
  • Fins on the Fantail, a 21-and-older concert aboard the Battleship Wisconsin with the Tiki Bar Band, has been held in June; it was Saturday, June 13, in 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. (Nauticus).
  • City events: Norfolk Parks and Recreation’s 2026 course guide listed a Daddy-Daughter Paint Night at Norview Community Center and His and Her Day, honoring mothers and fathers 55 and older. Dates are on NorfolkFun.

Things to do with Dad

  • Nauticus and the Battleship Wisconsin, 1 Waterside Drive: the museum and the Wisconsin, the last battleship built by the U.S. Navy, Nauticus says, on the downtown waterfront (nauticus.org).
  • MacArthur Memorial, 198 Bank St.: a museum and research center on the life of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, so closed on Sunday (macarthurmemorial.org).
  • Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place: free, with free parking; open noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, and a free glassmaking demo at noon in the Perry Glass Studio (visit).
  • Norfolk Botanical Garden, 6700 Azalea Garden Road, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (visit).

Car shows

We found no Father’s Day car show in Norfolk with published dates. We will add any that organizers post.

Brunch

No Norfolk restaurant had posted a 2027 Father’s Day menu when we checked. Places that serve brunch every weekend are in our brunch in Norfolk guide.

What this means for you

  • The MacArthur Memorial is closed Sundays, so plan it for Saturday, June 19.
  • Juneteenth is Saturday, June 19, 2027; see the city’s calendar for observances.

Related guides: Mother’s Day in Norfolk, summer camps and pools and Fourth of July fireworks.

Frequently asked questions

When is Father’s Day 2027?

Sunday, June 20, 2027, the third Sunday in June.

Does the Virginia Zoo do anything for Father’s Day?

On Father’s Day 2026, June 21, the zoo gave free rides on the Virginia Zoo Express train to dads, grandfathers and father figures. Its 2027 plans had not been posted when we checked.

What are Father’s Day ideas in Norfolk?

Tour the Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus, ride the zoo train, see free art at the Chrysler Museum, which opens at noon on Sundays, or catch a free Sunday-evening Big Bands on the Bay concert at Ocean View Beach Park in early summer.