Editor’s note: Stay tuned for updates on “Taste of Suffolk” at suffolkva.us, as the event may be canceled or rescheduled due to Hurricane Dorian.

 

Suffolk’s premier, family-friendly downtown event returns for its thirteenth year this Saturday.

The “Taste of Suffolk” downtown street festival will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature delicious culinary creations, wine and craft beer, all-day musical entertainment, merchants, a new vehicle exhibition and a wide array of children’s activities.

“This event is our way to showcase the wonderful local cuisine of Suffolk, and throughout the years we have expanded the event with our live music, expansive children’s area, beer garden and more,” Special Events Coordinator Emily Upton wrote in an email. “It is a way to bring the Suffolk community together and share what makes Suffolk great with visitors from all around the area!”

Taste of Suffolk is free and open to the public. The festivities will be organized on North Main Street in the downtown historic district, with 20 Suffolk eateries presenting various specialty food items.

There will also be other merchants, Suffolk automotive dealerships will showcase new vehicles and Suffolk Master Gardeners will host a gardening expo. The children’s area will have bounce houses, arts and crafts, face-painting and more amusements.

New this year will be the Taste of Suffolk “After Party,” which will be set up in the beer garden area in the courthouse fountain park adjacent to the Godwin Courts Building and extend into the court house parking lot.

There will be live music by the Fuzz Band from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the Virginia Tech-Old Dominion University college football game will be broadcasted on big screen televisions. Local craft brews and wine will be available for purchase.  The after party is free and open to the public, with craft brews and wine available for purchase.

“You can extend your stay at the Taste of Suffolk or come out just for the band and football game,” Upton wrote.

The main street stage will be at the North Main Street-Washington Street intersection. The Groove Train band will perform at 11 a.m., followed by Pete Kilpatrick at 1 p.m. and Fox and the Bear at 3 p.m.

The courthouse fountain park stage will be adjacent to the Godwin Courts Building. Grant Austin Taylor will perform at noon, followed by the Fuzz Band at 4:30 p.m.

Road closures will be at Finney Avenue and North Main Street down to Fayette Street, Oakdale Terrace, Freemason Street and Finney Avenue, Washington Street from Commerce Street to Saratoga Street, and Bank Street at Commerce Street.

Roads affected by the festival will be closed to traffic starting at 6 a.m. and reopen at 8 p.m.

Nearby parking is available in the following locations:

• Cherry Street lot off of Saratoga Street
• Saratoga Street lot behind Bank of America, plus Saratoga Street side parking
• Washington Street Center lot
• City Hall lots on Market Street
• Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts lot on Finney Avenue
• First Baptist Church lot on the corner of Finney Avenue and North Main Street
• Behind Godwin Courts Building, plus the Franklin Street lot
• Seaboard Station Railroad Museum lot
• Prentis Street lot

Visit tasteofsuffolkva.com or call Special Events Coordinator Emily Upton at 514-7267.