A big day ahead
Published 8:54 pm Thursday, May 14, 2015
From the airport to the waterways, from Holland to Eclipse and all points in between — it will be hard for all but the most jaded Suffolkians to be bored on Saturday. With at least two dozen different public events scheduled in the area that day, there’s bound to be something that strikes your fancy.
As always this time of year, there will be community and organizational yard sales, pork feasts and craft fairs. There will be Little League baseball, fashion shows, car washes, plant sales, a farmers’ market and car-show fundraisers.
But those are all the sorts of things folks can find happening on just about any given Saturday in Suffolk during the spring.
What sets this Saturday apart are some of the special events taking place. Here’s a short list:
- LAVA Music Festival: Gates open at noon at the Suffolk Executive Airport for this 12-hour explosion of indie rock, featuring Fitz and the Tantrums, Of Montreal, Mutemath, Tokyo Police Club, Robert DeLong, Kishi Bashi, Cloud Nothings, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Major and the Monbacks and Wyteshayds. In addition to the music on two stages, there will be games, food, craft beers and lots of other fun activities. Tickets are available at the gate for $85.
- Founders Day: The village of Holland will mark the 87th anniversary of Ruritan with a Founders Day event. There will be a parade at 11 a.m., followed by a barbecue cook-off, children’s activities, vendors, youth baseball games, a DJ and other activities. With the exception of the barbecue cook-off, for which tickets are $10 each, all events are free.
- Beer, Bands & BBQ: Another Ruritan Club, the Crittenden, Eclipse and Hobson club, hosts one of its biggest fundraisers of the year later in the day. Beer, Bands & BBQ features just what it says, but there’s also lots of good fellowship for the folks who attend, many of whom look forward all year to the chance to reconnect with friends they’ve known since childhood. Tickets are $30 at the door, with children under 12 admitted free.
- Balsam Range: This five-piece bluegrass ensemble from the mountains of North Carolina will bring its acclaimed sound to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts for an 8 p.m. show. Last year, they were named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Entertainer Of the Year” and “Vocal Group Of the Year.” Tickets are $25 at the door.
- The Allen Family: The Allen family — all 13 of them — live on a bus 365 days a year and fill more than 275 engagements each year. One of those engagements will be at 7 p.m. at Bethlehem Christian Church, which hired the family after seeing them sing on an episode of the TLC show “Home Sweet Bus.” Tickets are $10 at the door.
That just the short list of big events. There’s much more happening in Suffolk on Saturday, including at least one thing that will be of interest to you and your family. See Page 2 for the complete list.