Best Free Samples in Chesapeake, VA: 2026 Local Guide

Chesapeake shoppers have a handful of verified ways to try products for free in 2026, from beauty counter birthday gifts to warehouse club sampling stations. The most reliable options are loyalty-program birthday gifts at Sephora and Ulta, in-club food sampling at Sam's Club, and hands-on tastings at the city's two weekly farmers markets. None of these require a purchase to access the sample itself, though each has its own sign-up step, location, or schedule to follow.

Below is what's actually confirmed for Chesapeake right now, along with what's coming later and what isn't available yet.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 27, 2026.

Birthday Gifts at Sephora and Ulta

Sephora's Beauty Insider loyalty program gives every member a free birthday gift during their birthday month, with no minimum purchase required, according to Sephora's January 1, 2026 newsroom announcement of the year's lineup. Chesapeake members can redeem it at the Sephora inside Kohl's at 1547 Sam's Circle. Joining Beauty Insider is free, and the gift is tied to the birthdate on file, so signing up before your birthday month matters.

Ulta Beauty's Rewards program works similarly: members get to choose a free birthday gift once their birthdate is saved to their profile ahead of their birthday month, per Ulta's official Rewards program page. The gift is redeemable in store or online while supplies last, which means popular options can run out before the month ends. The nearest Ulta location is at 1412 Greenbrier Parkway, Suite 105A — see Ulta's Chesapeake store listing for hours.

Both programs are free to join and don't require any purchase history before your first birthday gift. The practical difference is timing: Sephora's offer centers on a single gift announced for the year, while Ulta lets you pick from a short list of items, so checking your Rewards account early in your birthday month helps you see what's still available.

In-Club Sampling at Sam's Club

Sam's Club relaunched its in-club "Taste & Tips" sampling program nationwide on June 1, 2021, offering members free food and product samples at all roughly 600 U.S. locations, according to the Sam's Club and Business Wire announcement. Chesapeake has two Sam's Club locations where this applies: the Battlefield club (#6368) and the West club (#4710).

Sampling at Sam's Club requires an active membership, since the sampling stations are set up inside the club itself rather than at the entrance. What's offered rotates based on what each club is featuring that week, so there's no fixed sample menu — the value here is a predictable, ongoing in-store experience rather than a one-time offer.

Local Farmers Markets With Direct Sampling

Chesapeake's Health Department-run Friday Farmers Market runs weekly, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with up to 20 local vendors and food trucks selling items like baked goods, honey, jams, and handmade beauty products, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Because vendors sell directly to shoppers, trying a small taste or testing a product before buying is a normal part of shopping this kind of market, even though it isn't a formal "free sample" program.

The Chesapeake Farmers' Market at City Park runs on a separate schedule: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, June 6 through November 25, 2026, per Visit Chesapeake's event listing. Vendors there sell local produce, meats, eggs, honey, and baked goods directly from area growers and makers.

Between the two markets, shoppers have access to in-person vendor interaction most days of the week during the season. Since these are independent vendors rather than a single branded program, what's available to taste or sample varies market to market and week to week.

What's Not Available Yet: Costco's Future Store

Chesapeake's City Council unanimously approved a Costco warehouse for the long-vacant Sears site at 1401 Greenbrier Parkway, but the store isn't expected to open until 2027, according to WTKR's coverage of the council vote and Wikipedia's Greenbrier Mall entry. That means Costco's in-aisle sample stations, which are a known feature of its warehouses elsewhere, aren't an option for Chesapeake shoppers yet. Worth noting for planning purposes: Costco requires a paid membership for entry and shopping, so even once the store opens, sampling there will come with that same membership requirement that applies at Sam's Club today.

How to Plan Around These Options

A practical approach is to layer these opportunities rather than treat any single one as a destination trip: Once the Greenbrier Costco opens in 2027, it will add a third membership-based option to this list, but for now, the two Sam's Club locations cover that type of sampling in Chesapeake.

• Check your Sephora Beauty Insider and Ulta Rewards birthday-month status a few weeks early so you don't miss a redemption window.
• Confirm your Sam's Club membership is active before visiting the Battlefield or West location, since sampling stations are inside the club.
• Check the Friday Farmers Market's weather status and the City Park market's Wednesday/Saturday schedule before heading out, since both are seasonal and weather-dependent.
• Bring a membership card or ID for any club-based stop, since sampling access is tied to active membership, not just store entry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a membership to get free samples in Chesapeake?

It depends on where you go. Sam's Club sampling requires an active membership, per the Sam's Club relaunch announcement, while Sephora and Ulta's birthday gifts only require free loyalty-program enrollment, and farmers market vendors don't require any membership at all.

When does the Chesapeake Costco open?

It isn't expected to open until 2027, based on Wikipedia's Greenbrier Mall entry, even though the City Council has already approved the project.

Are the farmers market samples guaranteed every week?

The Friday Farmers Market runs "weather permitting," according to the Virginia Department of Health, so it's worth checking conditions before visiting, while the City Park market runs on a fixed Wednesday/Saturday schedule through November 25, 2026.