Cabin fever? Try Peanut Fest

Published 9:05 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2015

What’s the best tonic for the folks who missed all the fun that had been planned for last weekend as a result of the storm systems that dumped nearly nine inches of rain on some parts of Suffolk?

Peanut Fest!

That’s right, Suffolk’s annual celebration of the legume that put the city on the map takes place this weekend at the Suffolk Executive Airport. The festivities start tonight, with the traditional Suffolk Ruritan Club Shrimp Feast kicking things off from 3 to 7 p.m. In an effort to keep the nosh from becoming Mud Feast, organizers have moved the shrimp-and-entertainment event from the grass onto the tarmac.

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Peanut Fest features great entertainment throughout the day and into the night Thursday through Sunday, along with everything from a midway to camel rides to the ever-popular demolition derby. The silent disco tent will be back for a repeat performance, along with chalk-art and hot wings contests, karaoke, a petting zoo, face painting, a cornhole tournament, a tractor pull and tons of other fun.

Be sure to arrive hungry, because even after the Shrimp Feast is over, there will be plenty of good food from vendors with everything from barbecue to crabcakes to fried Snickers bars.

For more information and schedules, visit www.suffolkpeanutfest.com.

While you’re there on Friday and Saturday, be sure to stop by the Suffolk News-Herald tent to watch the newsroom staff produce the weekend’s newspaper editions. We’ll have a projector set up to show our designer at work, and you’ll have a chance to chat with our news staff about the paper or Suffolk Living magazine.

This year, we’ll also have copies of “The Murder of Grac Jones,” a 52-page book by Suffolk historian Kermit Hobbs about the murder that captivated the attention of the village of Holland in the early 20th century. Hobbs will be on hand from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday to sign copies and talk about what his research uncovered.

Finally, we love to share reader photos of the festival. This year, you’ll have a few ways to do so. You can stop by our tent and let us download photos from your camera card. You can email them to news@suffolknewsherald.com. Or you can post them on your social media accounts, along with the hashtag #SNHfestPix. We’ve also got a surprise for those who’ve always wanted to see themselves on the front page of the newspaper, but you’ll have to come to our tent to participate.

We’ve all been cooped up for too long by the weather lately. Come to Peanut Fest and shake off the cabin fever. We’ll be looking for you.