Touch a Truck set

Published 11:26 pm Friday, September 20, 2013

A girl checks out a piece of construction equipment at last year’s Touch a Truck, Train and More event at the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum. This year’s event will be held Oct. 5.

A girl checks out a piece of construction equipment at last year’s Touch a Truck, Train and More event at the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum. This year’s event will be held Oct. 5.

Trucks, trains and more will be available for up-close-and-personal views at the Suffolk Nansemond Historical Society’s second Touch a Truck, Train and More event on Oct. 5.

The festivities will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. following the Peanut Fest parade through downtown Suffolk. The event will feature about 30 vehicles including school buses, construction equipment, emergency response vehicles, tow trucks, golf carts, antique vehicles, the Planters Nutmobile and more.

“It’s going to be a great day the whole morning in Suffolk, because you can go to the Peanut Fest parade and then walk down to Touch a Truck,” said Betsy Totten, one of the chairpersons for the event.

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The proceeds of the event will support the historical society’s operations, including the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum at 326 N. Main St., where the event will be held.

About 300 people attended last year’s event in drizzly weather, so organizers are confident more people — they’re hoping for 1,000 — will turn out this year.

“We really hope it will be bigger with the good weather this year,” Totten said. “We have so many good things that are going to be there this year.”

This year’s event will span both sides of North Main Street. Kids will get the chance to touch and even sit in a variety of vehicles.

“The emergency responders were so good with the kids last year,” Totten said. “The firemen let the kids sit up in the fire truck. The city of Suffolk has been super supportive.”

Each child that attends will receive a free plastic construction hat. Also included in the price of admission are popcorn and water, as well as a photo booth with props.

Tickets are $4 each, or four tickets for $12, with children under 1 getting in free. Tickets are available in advance at the train station or at the gate on the day of the event.

“We’re so excited for it to get here,” Totten said. “It’s going to happen rain or shine. I think only thunder and lightning would keep us away.”

For more information, call 923-4750 or 718-4090.