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2013 Strides
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A festival for peanuts story by Tracy Agnew
S
uffolk may not be a county, but it has something even better than a county fair — a Peanut Festival. The peanut, which put Suffolk on the map, was first officially celebrated in Suffolk in January 1941. It included a parade, dances and balls and the coronation of a queen, with about 10,000 in attendance at the activities. The event was so popular that organizers decided to hold a similar one in October of that year. In 1978, the festival became an annual event celebrated downtown, and it included dances, concerts and a hot-air balloon festival. It moved in 1981 to the municipal airport, where it has remained ever since. Held each October, the modern Peanut Festival attracts 125,000 people from across the country for concerts, amusement rides, competitions, midway games, agricultural and historical displays, truck and tractor pulls, a motorcycle rally, fireworks and the demolition derby, which is arguably the most popular event, filling the grandstands every year. With all this fun lined up (and the usual cooperation of the weather), it’s not hard to figure out why people love the Peanut Festival, said Lisa Key, executive director of Suffolk Festivals Inc., which produces the festival. “I just think it’s the biggest outdoor event in Suffolk,” Key said. “They enjoy the rides and entertainment. It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold. It’s an annual event they look forward to.” The festival, which had record attendance on the Saturday of its 2012 edition, enters its 36th year in 2013. The tradition and low cost of attendance allows visitors to remake memories year after year, Key said. “They get to see friends and family they haven’t seen in a while, and they get to get outdoors and have a good time,” Key said. “There’s no fee for admission, and you can do some things that don’t cost anything. In that way, it’s not expensive.” The festival in past years has cost only $10 for parking. Many of the special events, including the demolition derby, truck and tractor pull, fireworks and concerts, are free. “It’s like a hometown county fair, and who doesn’t love that,” Key said. Others seem to agree. The festival has garnered national accolades, including a mention in Parade magazine in 2011. “Trust us — you haven’t lived until you’ve seen the world’s only peanut-butter sculpture contest,” the magazine raved in its feature “Eat Your Way Across America: 50 States, 50 Fabulous Food Festivals.” It isn’t just the four days of the festival that makes people fall in love — a number of pre-festival events include a parade, the Queen’s Luncheon and the Suffolk Ruritan Shrimp Feast, which raises thousands of dollars for local community projects.
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Peanut Fest