How to Enter Holiday Giveaways in Chesapeake, Virginia Without Scams
Use Chesapeake's listed craft show plus entry records and fee warnings to enter holiday giveaways safely.
Enter only holiday opportunities you can verify through a Chesapeake or Virginia government source, and read the entry terms before you share personal details. A sweepstakes, an entry for a chance to win a prize, should never ask you to pay to claim a win. Start with the listed November event below, track every entry you submit, and pause when a notice asks for gift cards, transfers, mailed cash, or bank numbers.
That pause protects both money and identity during the holiday season.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 27, 2026.
What is verified in Chesapeake right now
The City of Chesapeake lists its Holiday Craft Show for Nov. 21-22, 2026 at Chesapeake Conference Center, 700 Conference Center Drive. The City notes free parking, free admission, and a free shopping bag daily while supplies last, according to the City event calendar.
That bag is a same-day giveaway, not a prize draw. Supplies can run out, so arrival time matters. No entry form, purchase, or prize claim is described for this benefit.
How do you enter without risking a scam
Write down each giveaway you enter, with date, sponsor, and stated prize-claim method. The Better Business Bureau advises entrants to track every entry and read the written rules for how prizes are claimed and how long the promotion lasts, according to the Bureau's June 2024 sweepstakes warning. Keep that record beside any win notice.
If you do not remember entering, treat the notice as a red flag. Check the original rules before you reply, click, or call back.
Which prize demands mean stop
No real sweepstakes company demands money for a prize, and the Federal Trade Commission urges people to report prize scams and warn friends and family, according to the FTC's prize-scam advice. Virginia's attorney general gives the same test for Virginians. A win notice for a lottery or sweepstakes you never entered is a core warning sign.
Demands for gift-card payment, often by callers posing as agencies or utilities, are another.
- Stop when asked to pay an IRS, broker, or release fee by gift-card numbers, bank transfer, or mailed cash.
- Stop when asked for a bank name, account number, or routing number to deliver a prize.
- Stop when told to keep the win secret or act at once.
What about vendors and holiday charity appeals
The City says 2026 Holiday Craft Show vendor applications are now closed, acceptance notices went by email or USPS, and checks are payable only to City of Chesapeake Treasurer's Office, according to the City vendor information page. A request for fees to another payee points to fraud. Questions go to 757-382-6411.
Holiday donation appeals need the same check. Virginia requires charities that solicit in the Commonwealth to register with the VDACS Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs before solicitation. Registration alone does not show effectiveness, so ask how much supports charitable purposes and call VDACS at 804-786-1343 rather than trusting a caller's pitch.