Forget the peanut for a few hours. On Thursday night, Suffolk will be all about the shrimp.

The annual Suffolk Ruritan Club Shrimp Feast will be held Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Suffolk Executive Airport.

Tickets for the event are $30, and the event serves as one of the biggest fundraisers for the Ruritan club.

Jimmy Franks has been a member of the Ruritan Club since 1981 and has served as a chairman for the Shrimp Feast. He said the club has made up to $35,000 from one night.

“It’s a pretty big event,” Franks said. “I don’t know how this year will be with the economy like it is, but we’ve got some good things lined up.”

As usual, the feast will have an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with barbecue, chicken and anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds of steamed shrimp.

“We cook our own shrimp,” Franks said. “We get them, and we have the facilities to cook our own shrimp right on site to serve it up fresh.”

Additionally, the event offers up a variety of beverages for people to enjoy while listening to the live entertainment provided by three bands: Island Boy, Wooden Nickel and Aces Up.

While the feast has become a popular kickoff to Peanut Festival’s events, Franks said the fact the event can raise so much money for the community is more important.

“Everything you spend, we don’t keep a penny of it,” he said. “It all goes back to the community. All of our proceeds go back to the community as far as scholarships, donations to rescue squads, Red Cross and just all of the community activities.”

Tickets are still available and can be bought at several locations across the city, including Commonwealth Banks, Suffolk First Banks, the Bennett’s Creek Pharmacy and the Tourism Center.

“To me, for $30, you go out, have a good time, get all the food you can eat and — bottom line: all the money goes back to the community,” Franks said. “It’s a pretty good deal.”

For more information, call 514-4130.