Suffolk News-Herald

Tickets went on sale Friday for the city’s largest – and tastiest – community party: The Suffolk Ruritan Club’s 26th Annual Shrimp Feast.

The Oct. 9 event, which kicks off the Peanut Fest, has become a tradition for thousands of Hampton Roads residents.

People keep coming back because they find the best-tasting spiced, steamed shrimp this side of New Orleans, said Ruritan C. Phillips &uot;Phil&uot; Ferguson, who along with his son Scott P. Ferguson is helping organize the annual event.

Ruritan Sheriff Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr. and his fellow club members steam more than five tons of shrimp using a special secret recipe that Isaacs perfected with years of practice. While he won’t give up the recipe, Isaacs notes, there are never leftovers at the feast.

Scott Ferguson noted that shrimp lovers aren’t the only connoisseurs at the feast.

&uot;We are prepared for everyone’s tastes,&uot; said Ferguson, assistant vice president of First Federal Savings Bank. &uot;We will have plenty of food and bottomless cups of beverages to suit everyone’s taste.&uot;

If peeling your own shrimp sounds like too much work, don’t panic. There’s also fried chicken, Carolina-style barbecue, coleslaw, potato salad, hush puppies, rolls, and iced tea (or stronger beverages for those who prefer).

&uot;No one should leave this event hungry,&uot; Ferguson said.

Suffolk Ruritans share their great shrimp each year to support the community that has supported them, said Ferguson.

The shrimp feast is the club’s primary fundraiser, generating money that the club feeds back into the community through various donations and civic projects. For example, in 2000-2001, the Suffolk Ruritans donated nearly $31,000 to a variety of organizations, including the Suffolk Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Nansemond Suffolk Rescue Squad, scholarships and the like.

Tickets can be purchased at a number of businesses, including the Suffolk division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, First Federal Savings Bank, Bennetts Creek Pharmacy and Oliver’s Grocery.