while an increasing number of african american college students converged on virginia beach for the labor day weekend each year in the late 1980s, specific events during the 1988 "greekfest" are seen as having presaged the riots of 1989. first, it was reported that an oceanfront "7-eleven" convenience store was looted by a large group of revelers who walked into the store during business hours and walked out with food, drinks, and other merchandise without paying. some speculated that the 7-eleven incident may have emboldened celebrants during the following year's riots, as the 1988 looters were never challenged by local law enforcement due to their large numbers. second, during the 1988 event, some hotels reported vandalism by patrons. for 1989's greekfest, hotel owners increased rates, enforced minimum stays, and issued colored wristbands to identify registered guests. these more stringent and expensive hotel policies were perceived to be racially motivated by the majority-african american participants of greekfest, increasing racial tensions when such procedures were not in effect during any other time of the year. the third occurred when numerous 1988 greekfest attendees could not get into a scheduled concert at the virginia beach pavilion because of the insufficient capacity of the venue, which led to some property damage and an alleged assault on a female security guard. city officials used the property damage at the pavilion as a pretext for denying greekfest the use of all city facilities in 1989.