It’s not often that Suffolk can claim to be Ground Zero for a cultural movement, but that might be an apt description for the city on May 16, when the Lava Music Festival holds its inaugural event at the Suffolk Executive Airport.

The indie-rock music festival will feature Fitz and the Tantrums as the headliner. Other performances will come from Of Montreal, Mutemath, Tokyo Police Club, Robert DeLong, Kishi Bashi, Cloud Nothings and A Great Big Pile of Leaves. Two Norfolk-based bands, Major and the Monbacks and Wyteshayds, will also make appearances.

If your age is in double digits and starts with the number “3” or greater, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of any of those bands. But that’s the point of music festivals — to take the opportunity to hear from bands you might never have come across, and maybe even find a new favorite.

The Lava Music Festival is intended as a family event, organizers say. There will be plenty of things to keep folks of all ages interested. From human foosball to oversized and normal cornhole to a free retro arcade featuring pinball machines and more, even in the unlikely event that the music isn’t to your taste, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to have fun. And the Lava Lounge will feature some of Virginia’s most popular craft beer, wine and ciders.

Suffolk residents can get a break on the cost of attending by taking advantage of $45 tickets available only to people who live in the city, and there will be free water, along with an Eat the Streets 757 food truck area with vendors selling tacos, barbecue, Caribbean fusion and cupcakes and others carrying a variety of items.

Concerts will take place on two stages throughout the event, so there’ll be a variety of music available throughout the festival.

For those who don’t qualify for the Suffolk resident ticket for the festival, tickets are on sale now for $61.50. The price rises by $10 on April 15. Tickets will be $85 at the gate. VIP tickets are $140 now or $160 at the gate. There’s also a military discount ticket that costs $55.

The event website is www.lavafestival.com. Some in-person purchase locations are listed on the website.

It’s exciting to see Suffolk host such an event. We wish the organizers much success.