THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060200
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
THERE WILL BE GOOBERS GALORE at this year's Peanut Fest, the annual four-day celebration that begins today and promises wholesome fun for everyone.
Promoters want the 17th-annual Peanut Fest to be known as the ``family festival.''
Roberta H. Bunch, this year's chairman, and the countless other festival volunteers have worked hard to make Peanut Fest '94 chock full of fun and family-style entertainment.
``It's for kids of all ages,'' Bunch said early this week. ``That's what we're all striving for. More and more, we are the family festival.''
Popular crowd-pleasers from past years are being repeated, such as the carnival rides and games, a rodeo and a demolition derby. And for the first time, a flea circus is coming to town to entertain children and adults.
Also new this year will be demonstrations of old-time skills such as herb and corn grinding, candle-dipping, tin pressing, basket-making, bobbin lace-making, a potter's wheel and gunsmithing.
A ``County Fair'' tent will feature jams, jellies, preserves, pickles and other fruits and vegetables as well as knitted and crocheted items, hand-created holiday items, arrangements and baskets.
The festival will feature other attractions reminiscent of an old-time county fair - arts and crafts exhibits, antique equipment displays, strolling clowns and magicians and vendors selling cotton candy and caramel apples. Special family areas will spotlight storytellers, stage entertainment, puppets, face painting, kiddie rides and a petting zoo.
There will also be free samples of roasted peanuts as well as peanut goodies - pies, pastries and peanut brittle - to buy. Of course, some concession stands will offer tasty morsels that have nothing to do with the legume that city fathers and local residents are nuts about.
P-Nutty, the festival mascot, will be on hand. And there will be souvenir Peanut Fest T-shirts for sale.
Bunch, a supervisor in the city's Department of Social Services, is the first city employee to serve as Peanut Fest chairman.
``The city, of course, is one of our biggest supporters,'' she said. ``We're sitting on the airport because of the graciousness of the city. The city is our backbone. We couldn't do it without the city, our other sponsors and the volunteers.''
At least 300 volunteers help with the festival, Bunch said. The ``Goober Gang'' - students from the three high schools - serve as festival hosts and hostesses. The student ambassadors are chosen by their principals.
The festival volunteers have turned the Suffolk Municipal Airport into a temporary tent city. Peanut Fest is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors during the four days of festivities.
The volunteers were invited to a picnic Sunday at the site so they could see the beginnings of the festival preparations, then later see the finished result, Bunch said.
``Everyone has got Peanut Fest fever right now,'' she said.
The months of planning have paid off, Bunch said earlier this week.
``We're right on schedule,'' she said. ``Actually, we're ahead of schedule. The weather has been participating and we are not having any real problems. Everything is just real smooth.'' MEMO: Schedule of Events and Entertainment Schedule are available on
microfilm.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Who's that behind those shades? It's Zachary Warhover who got a lift
at the Peanut Fest Parade last Saturday. The downtown Suffolk parade
kicked off the annual fest.
Map
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK PEANUT FEST by CNB