The little town of Driver is usually a quiet and peaceful place. But this weekend, children, parents, friends and their pets enjoyed tasting a variety of foods, checking out craft and product vendors, going into the local shops and participating in fun children’s activities.

The festival, which has been around for a number of years, attracts people from all over the Hampton Roads area. Some guests traveled from downtown Suffolk, others from Portsmouth and some even from Hampton.

“I just like the small-town feel of it all,” said Heather Collins. She and Emily Cieslinksi have been friends for a number of years, after having been roommates in college. During Cieslinski’s visit from Maine, Collins thought it would be fun to bring her to the Driver Days festival.

“For me, it’s a Southern experience,” said Cieslinksi. She said the festival is very different from what she has experienced up north in terms of the food served, the music played and the monster truck, she said.

There are many aspects of the festival for people to enjoy. “I like the close-knit community and all the crafts,” said Jen Davis, resident of North Suffolk. She comes to Driver Days most years, she said.

Many residents of the Driver community participate in the event in their own way. One of the local residents, Chuck Harris, put his old farm equipment on display.

Another, Phyllis Murphy, owns an antiques shop in Driver. “I just love all the people that come in and I love the country atmosphere,” she said.

The festival includes much more than pony rides and bounce houses. There is also an annual car show. Ronnie Gould and his son Jason Gould have been putting this part of the festival together for years. Jason Gould remembers his father bringing home an old car almost every week as a kid, he said. Having originally started the car show with 40 cars, this year, they had 214 and counting. Their show raises money for Berea Christian Church and the Suffolk Humane Society, he said.

The festival continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Driver, located at the confluence of Kings Highway and Nansemond Parkway.