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The annual Earth and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 26 was held in downtown Suffolk on Main Street and organized by Keep Suffolk Beautiful and the Suffolk Art League. 

Wayne Jones, community outreach coordinator for Suffolk public works said the festival was a “huge success” with thousands of people in attendance.

This year, the festival featured over 135 vendors, food trucks, a beer garden hosted by the Nansemond Brewing Station, and live music by artists including RaJazz, Patrick Ryan Band, Jonah Ross Band, Stella Haile, Jonathan Moore, and Paul Urban.

In order to accommodate more food trucks, Jones said they chose to expand to Saratoga Street, something they will continue to do from now on.

Another new aspect to the festival this year were the sponsorships, which allowed the festival to be bigger than previous years, Jones said. Organic Roots was the lead sponsor and TowneBank was the main stage sponsor. Other sponsors were Visit Suffolk, Virginia, WNRN, Peanut City Candle Co., and Suffolk Master Gardeners.

Despite the threat of rainy weather, the streets were consistently filled with people, and pets, of all ages. 

Becoming known as one of the city’s largest and most anticipated events, the festival highlights “regional talent, environmental consciousness, and artistic expression,” according to a press release.

A diverse array of vendors were offering their creations including local authors, wood working, paintings, photography, pottery, plants, crochet, handmade soaps and candles, home decor, and so much more.

Jones highlighted some environmental outreach organizations that also participated such as Clean Virginia Waterways and the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance. 

With over 300 vendor applications, Jones said the Suffolk Art League looked over each one and tried to pick a vast array of vendors to ensure no oversaturation of one kind of product.

The Suffolk Master Gardner’s also hosted a large plant sale with most plants ranging from $2 to $12.

Additionally, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) brought its 21st century artmobile, “VMFA on the Road” to the festival to showcase “Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions.” The exhibit explores the historic connection between art and music across different cultures. 

Free character drawings, face painting, and a game room were also offered and provided all-day family activities. 

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