Driver Days returns
Published 9:10 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2015
![Driver Days returns for the 22nd year on Oct. 17-18. Family and friends can come together in the small town of Driver for food, fun, games, racing, music and more.](https://www.suffolknewsherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2015/10/use-IMG_8313.jpg)
Driver Days returns for the 22nd year on Oct. 17-18. Family and friends can come together in the small town of Driver for food, fun, games, racing, music and more.
For the 22nd year, the Driver Days Fall Festival will take place on Kings Highway on Oct. 17-18.
“It’s not a small event, but it’s a very small-town feel,” said Terri Johnson of Little Black Dress resale boutique. She’s also acting chairman on the 2015 Driver Days committee.
The festival is free and has grown significantly over the years, said members of the community. Today, a total number of guests can run up to 10,000 people, Johnson said.
“We’re very family oriented,” Johnson said. All of the profits earned from the event go to various local groups. The committee donates money raised from the event to their Scout troops, baseball and softball teams, the Suffolk Humane Society, Driver Volunteer Fire Department and American Legion, she added.
“Everyone does come together out here and help,” Johnson said. The town works to set up the whole event the Friday night before. While not everyone is a part of the estimated 12-person Driver Days committee, all of the local shop owners participate in some way, she said. “I think everybody has been chairmen at least once,” she added jokingly.
Each year there is a new Grand Marshal selected for the event, Johnson said. This year, Officer Shane Sukowaski was selected. According to the Driver Events website, he has been a member of the Suffolk Police Department since 2009 and has received numerous awards.
New this year, are the 5K and Kid’s Style One Mile races being put on by Nansemond River High School senior Bryan Rice. The proceeds of this race will go towards the Wounded Warrior Project. The 5K is for ages 12 and up, while children ages 6 to 12 can participate in the Kid’s Style One Mile. Each race will take place along the new Seaboard Coastline Trail.
At the rest of the event, guests will get the chance to enjoy a variety of activities, including a cornhole tournament, carnival games, bounce houses, face painting, pony rides, painting pumpkins, live music, food and local vendors.
Along with the typical festival-like activities, there will also be a motorcycle poker run, a bike show, a pet costume contest, a car show and a parade that will feature groups and teams in the community. There will also be a battle between bands from each of Suffolk’s public high schools. Participants of the festival will select the winner, Johnson said.
Driver Days is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. To learn more about the event, go to www.driverevents.com.