About Chincoteague Island, VA
Chincoteague Island is located along Virginia's beautiful Eastern Shore in Accomack County, an area that attracts many visitors. As such, the tourism industry, from creating art to offering boat cruises, is a major employer. Students attend Accomack County Public Schools. The area is famous for the wild ponies that live nearby on Assateague Island. After a fire in the downtown business district in the 1920s, Salt Water cowboys established an annual Pony Swim across the channel. Every summer, the ponies make the journey to Chincoteague where they receive veterinary care, and several are auctioned off as a fundraiser. The children's novel Misty of Chincoteague has made this swim famous. Children have the chance to learn about and even ride the Chincoteague ponies at the Chincoteague Pony Center. The week before the pony ride, the town holds the annual Blueberry Festival, featuring more than 100 craftspeople and both classic and unusual blueberry foods, from pie to shortcake and ice cream. Even when there aren't festivals, the town offers many things to do, including free fishing off Memorial Park pier, boat cruises, and shopping for wooden ducks and paintings of ponies. The ponies themselves are the most famous past and current residents of the area.
