 Smithfield/Isle of Wight County Virginia is home to three major festivals per year. These include The BOB Fest, The Wine & Brew Fest and The Bacon, Bourbon & Beach Music Fest! Put on by SVAEvents (Smithfield Virginia Events), this trio of first class events are not only tons of fun, but also amazing fundraisers for this community! Since 2012, these festivals have donated over $818,000 back to more than 70 local charitable organizations! Simply put, they are absolute can’t miss events in the Hampton Roads area, offering decadent libations, live music, scrumptious food and a park full of old friends to enjoy and new friends to make!
That being said, October 6th is The Bacon, Bourbon & Beach Music Fest! This event is a unique chance to enjoy a local taste of this charming community, along with enjoying fantastic music, specialty bourbons and of course BACON! It all takes place at Downtown Smithfield’s Windsor Castle Park, Smithfield’s beautiful public park situated in the heart of the town and open to the public year round. With two large stages for music, unique retail vendors, a bacon condiment tent, local wine & brews and a bacon eating contest… this event needs to be on your calendar! So, I hope you got your tickets early! These events are so popular that they usually sell out in minutes! If you didn’t know about these festivals, or just haven’t gotten to one yet (and I definitely think you need to check them out), here is some general ticket purchasing information. Although this upcoming Bacon, Bourbon & Beach Music Fest is SOLD OUT (sorry), the general admission tickets always go on sale the last week in July! The Smithfield Va BOB Fest is up next on January 19th and tickets go on sale November 14th & 15th. And, The Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest takes place on April 13th, with tickets going on sale February 20th & 21st! All of this information can easily be accessed at the SVAEvents homepage. http://www.smithfieldvaevents.com Also! Check out the Bacon, Bourbon & Beach Music Facebook Page for more information! https://www.facebook.com/events/2112946939028080/ As well as this really cool YouTube Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-oIzGROUAM I hope you are headed to the festival this weekend! And if not, plan on it next year! It's all part of your adventure when you ride The Salty Southern Route! See you guys soon! SaltyMeg! #loveva #ridetheroutefromnutstosnout @visitvirginia
1 Comment
  Hey again! So, I’m back today to talk about all the Farmers Markets on The Salty Southern Route! All season long, generally May through October, Southampton County, Isle of Wight County, Surry County and Suffolk offer a weekly Farmers Market for residents and tourists alike. I definitely want you to make sure you keep these dates and times on your calendar because you still have well over a month to get out there and sample the local fare these communities have to offer! So, lets check them out. First up is Suffolk’s Farmers Market! Held Saturday mornings (9am-1pm) May through November at the Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion. As a popular outlet for locally grown fruits and vegetables, baked goods, organically raised poultry, fresh eggs and milk, honey and variety of artisan-crafted goods, this stop is a must shop! Then, as you continue your travels on The Salty Southern Route, you need to check out one of the two Farmers Markets Southampton has to offer! On Wednesdays, May through September (4pm-7pm) and every Saturday, May through September (9am-1pm) Franklin’s Market on Main provides locally grown fruits and vegetables along with specialty items such as honey, jams, homemade soaps, locally raised meats and eggs, and much more. And if that wasn’t cool enough, Southampton also offers the Courtland Farmers Market and Produce Auction! Held every Thursday, June through October starting at 6:30pm, this market offers you the opportunity to stop in and pick up produce fresh off the family farm. It is directed toward wholesale buyers but anyone is welcome to attend and put their bid in on local fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers! Next up is the Surry Farmers Market! Held every Friday (4pm-7pm) from May through October on the Courthouse Lawn in the town of Surry, this market showcases locally grown produce, meat, dairy, and specialty products and is located within walking distance to other small shopping venues. Last, but not least is the Smithfield Farmers Market! Held every Saturday, April through October from 9:00am until 12 noon in the Bank of Southside Virginia parking lot, this market has been named on of the “101 Best Farmers Markets in America” by TheDailyMeal.com! The tasty foods, baked goods, lovely gift items and of course, plenty of fresh produce and LIVE MUSIC every week makes this venue a definite stop on your Salty Southern Route itinerary! So, like I said, keep these on your agenda! The season isn’t over yet! Shop local, visit and LOVE Virginia! Have fun! I hope I see you at one:) #loveva #ridetheroutefromnutstosnout @visitvirginia Below are associated Facebook links: Isle of Wight/Smithfield https://www.facebook.com/smithfieldfarmersmarket/ Southampton/Franklin https://www.facebook.com/downtownfranklinfarmersmarketva/ https://www.facebook.com/CourtlandFarmersMarket/ Surry https://www.facebook.com/Surry-County-Virginia-Farmers-Market-432305430145521/ Suffolk https://www.facebook.com/SuffolkFarmersMarketVirginia/   Hey! So, I wanted to officially introduce myself! My name is Meg Pugh, aka “SaltyMeg” and I will be your official Salty Southern Route tour guide! I grew up in Isle of Wight County and have a great appreciation for what this county, as well as the surrounding Surry, Southampton/Franklin, Suffolk and Sussex counties have to offer. There are a ton of things to do here! We have everything from historical landmarks, locally owned and operated shops, restaurants, breweries, wineries, festivals and events for every time of year. As I hope you have been reading, the five counties that The Salty Southern Route covers not only make up a beautiful area rich in agriculture and deep rooted in the pork and peanut industry, but they all have their own special and individual charm! Whether you are having a local brew at Brick and Mortar Brewery in Suffolk, eating peanut pie at The Virginia Diner in Sussex, learning about Bacon’s Rebellion at the Historic Bacon’s Castle in Surry, shopping Main Street in Downtown Smithfield/Isle of Wight or taking a kayak excursion down the waterways of Southampton/Franklin with Blackwater Outfitters, your ride along The Salty Southern Route will leave you with great memories and wanting to know what is next! So what is it that you can expect from me? Let me tell you. As your tour guide on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I will be giving you weekly event updates and special features on businesses and places of interest along The Salty Southern Route! The idea is to keep you informed on upcoming festivals, community runs and bike tours, farmers markets, restaurant weeks, parades and every happening in between! I look forward to spotlighting local businesses and landmarks once a week so you can discover a new place to shop, visit or dine and experience what makes these communities so special. And last but not least, I will be encouraging all of you to check out saltysouthernroute.com, where you will find awesome suggested driving itineraries put together by some amazing women in these different tourism departments! Then, once a month, a few of my friends and I are going to hit the road and drive one of these suggested routes! So, I’m excited and even more thrilled to share all the selfies and images we take! So buckle up everyone and ride with me, “SaltyMeg”, along The Salty Southern Route! Up next…. I want to remind you about all the Farmers Markets this region has to offer! Did you know that all five of these counties feature a weekly farmers market and that you still have till the end of October to check the majority of them out? We will talk about it tomorrow! So, until then, nice to meet you and thanks! SaltyMeg If you see me around town say “hi!” Oh! And let’s take a selfie! LOL #loveva #ridetheroutefromnutstosnout @visitvirginia   Meet Isle of Wight County
The flourishing county of Isle of Wight Virginia had its beginnings as the English settlement we think of today in 1608. This is when Captain John Smith, looking to obtain bushels of corn for the struggling Jamestown settlement, took the journey across the James River to the adjacent shores that were then occupied by the Native American tribe called Worrosquoyackes. As several plantations were then established along the shore in this area south of the James, by 1634, the Virginia Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Today the county is home to the towns of Smithfield and Windsor and a 2017 census of over 36,000. With charming main streets and picturesque fields of peanuts, cotton and soy beans, Isle of Wight offers everything from the rural agricultural to the small town experience! Isle of Wight has an extensive history that includes its beginnings with the Native Americans, some of the first English history in our country and of course the area’s rich relationship with the pork and peanut industry, home to Smithfield Foods and the world’s oldest ham! As the county has and continues to grow, this small town community invites those who are looking for a permanent residence as well as those looking for the perfect day trip or long weekend! As you ride The Salty Southern Route through Isle of Wight county you will come across long time businesses like Darden’s Country Store, where they have been smoking hams since the 1950s, and The Smithfield Inn, which has stood as a meeting and lodging place since the 1700s! Then, as you cruise down the roads of Isle of Wight, The Salty Southern Route will take you to lovely downtown Smithfield to browse the many eclectic and locally owned shops that line its beautiful Main Street! If it’s history you are into, historic landmarks like St. Luke’s Church, North America’s oldest Anglican church building, and The Isle of Wight County Museum are also stops on The SSR! When you are planning your long weekend to this delightful county, make sure you plan it around one of its many events, like Smithfield’s BOB (Bloody Mary, Oysters, Brunswick Stew & BBQ) or Wine & Brew Fest and/or the Isle of Wight County Fair! Last but not least, The Salty Southern Route hasn’t forgotten to find you a delicious meal and local beverage! Whether you stop at one of Isle of Wight’s mouthwatering restaurants like The Taste of Smithfield, The Smithfield Station (also a beautiful hotel), Captain Chuck-A-Muck’s Sandbar and Grill, Q Daddy’s or Bubba-N-Frank’s BBQ, Wharf Hill Brewery for some local suds or SummerWInd Vineyard for a local wine, your palette will not be disappointed! Do you have a sweet tooth? Sojourn at Isle of Wight’s Ringo’s Donuts, The Smithfield Bakery, The Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor, or Yummaries Bakery to satisfy your taste buds! And this is just the beginning! All this and more awaits when you ride The Salty Southern Route! Salty Meg #loveva #ridetheroutefromnutstosnout @visitvirginia http://www.iwchs.com/IWCHistory.html http://visitsmithfield.com The next stop on your Salty Southern Adventure is the enchanting Sussex County! Situated in the beautiful rolling terrain between Richmond, Hampton Roads and Southern VA, Sussex is 317,400 acres of alluring country fields that melt into picturesque sunsets and lush landscapes for as far as the eye can see! It was formed in 1754 and named after its English counterpart, eventually to include the charming towns of Jarrett, Stony Creek, Wakefield and Waverly. With over 130 farms in Sussex, 25% of the county’s land is devoted to agricultural production including peanuts, one of its principal crops! On your relaxing ride through this Salty Southern Route featured-county, this leg of your journey will allow you to escape the hustle and bustle of daily routine and visit local peanut shops like Wakefield and Plantation Peanuts and stop by The First Peanut Museum in the USA. You will be able to browse the shelves of local country stores like Adam’s Peanut and Country Store and when the gang is ready for lunch, sojourn at Cowlings BBQ and top it all off with a slice of Peanut Pie at the famous Virginia Diner! All of this and more awaits when you ride The Salty Southern Route! #loveva #ridetheroutefromnutstosnout @vistvirginia https://www.sussexcountyva.gov  |
The Salty Southern Routeis a joint tourism effort of the towns of Franklin and Smithfield, Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry and Sussex Counties, and the city of Suffolk, Virginia. Archives
June 2024
|
RSS Feed
