THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610240658
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 85 lines
WHAT DO Wild West gunfighters, 10th Century Vikings, Civil War soldiers and an ugly truck competition have in common?
This weekend, all are part of Driver Days, an event celebrating a tiny hamlet in Northeast Suffolk.
An autumn weekend of food, living history and music is promised by organizers. Started three years ago to draw shoppers to local businesses, Driver Days has blossomed into a community festival.
``If people shop while they are here, that is fine,'' said merchant Greg Parker. ``But more than anything else, we want that real community feeling.''
Parker is also a musician, and his country western band ``Driver'' - among the weekend's performers - was named for the crossroads.
Less than five miles from the chain stores of the Chesapeake Square Mall area, Driver snuggles into its rural setting along Kings Highway, just off Portsmouth Boulevard.
In the 1700s, the area was known as Persimmon Tree Orchard and hosted both Benedict Arnold and British Gen. Charles Cornwallis. Since the Civil War, the crossroads settlement has been the shopping and social center of the area.
Driver's down-home atmosphere today blends the warmth of a country town of a century ago with a little Old West tang.
Cake walks, strolling country fiddlers, apple cider and produce stands filled with fall's bounty of pumpkins and apples will keep the old-time feeling in Driver Days.
Gunfighters will take to the streets, settling their differences - with blanks - in a series of confrontations staged by the Hampton Roads Historical Re-enactors.
Several dozen re-enactors who portray meticulously researched characters from the last half of the 19th century will step into the lives of retired Texas Rangers, Yankee dandies and Yukon prospectors.
``We do free-flowing re-enactments that are totally unscripted, so anything can happen,'' said Rick Baer , one of the group's organizers.
Visitors may feel like they have been caught in a time warp when they hear the clanging of broadswords and turn from the gunfights to watch knights in armor battling it out with 10th century Vikings - the Medieval Arts Association.
``We ham it up a lot,'' member Joel Thompson said. His group specializes in the era from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.
``We each have typical but fictional personae that we role play, and we all belong to a mythical kingdom of Ryland,'' he said.
Other military re-enactors will present a panorama of U.S. military history with characters from the Revolutionary War, Civil War cavalry and infantry, and an entire MASH unit of Korean conflict vintage, complete with a Bumblebee helicopter.
Traditional festival food will be plentiful, but folks looking for a different lunch can munch on buffalo burgers and onion blossoms or on the Cajun crawfish and jambalaya cooked up by Driver volunteer firefighters.
Local shops will be open, offering antiques, military surplus items, Native American jewelry and handcrafted Adirondack chairs, and local crafters also will be selling their wares.
Kids can visit a petting zoo, take pony rides or have their faces painted. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
JOHN H. SHEALLY II/The Virginian-Pilot
From left, gunslingers Marc Meisner, Rich Baer and David Gray
prepare to shoot it out at Driver Days this weekend in Suffolk.
Map
VP
Graphic
WANT TO GO?
Driver Days are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from
noon to 5 p.m. There is free parking at Driver Elementary School.
SATURDAY
9:30 a.m.: J.T.and Pat West, ``Concerts for Christ,'' gospel
12:30 p.m.: Driver, country western band
1:30 p.m.: Jeff Bateman School of Karate demonstrations
2:30 p.m.: Clearwater, acoustic
4 p.m.: Spell, jazz and rock
5 p.m.: Ugly truck awards
SUNDAY Noon: Tripp to William and Mary, progressive rock
1:15 p.m.: Driver, country western
2:15 p.m.: Southern Attitude, line dancers
3 p.m.: Southern Exposure, country and Southern rock
4:30 p.m.: Cake walks by CNB