Even after 35 renditions, it’s hard not to get excited about Suffolk’s Peanut Festival, the 36th edition of which cranks up Thursday at Suffolk Executive Airport.

Long-running community events can get to be ho-hum experiences for locals, who, frankly, get bored by the routine. That’s never been a problem for Peanut Fest, which still excites Suffolkians young and old.

Maybe it’s the time of year. Autumn puts pep in our step and makes us eager to throw on some jeans and get outside after the dog days of summer. Peanut Fest is perfectly timed to oblige.

Maybe it’s the affordability. Admission is just $10 for an entire carload. It’s hard for a dad, mom and kids to beat that bargain, especially given the plethora of entertainment options for all ages once on the festival grounds.

Maybe it’s the variety that festival organizers work hard to create. Every year, there’s something fresh to pique our curiosity, like this year’s ATV Mud Bog, set for noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.

Regardless of the reason, folks keep showing up in droves year after year — some 125,000 people strong in a year when the weather cooperates. (For what it’s worth, the long-range forecast for this year’s festival couldn’t look better: highs in the low to mid 70s, lows in the mid 50s and only a slight chance of rain all four days.)

To get the full scoop on this year’s festival, be sure to pick up Sunday’s News-Herald, which will feature a 32-page special edition packed full of everything you need to know about the Peanut Festival, including correspondent Frank Roberts’ profiles of musical headliners Sawyer Brown and Tate Stevens.

It’s one of our most popular editions of the year, made possible by incredible advertising support and this community’s ongoing enthusiasm for its signature event, the Suffolk Peanut Festival.