After almost 25 years of life in Hampton Roads, I finally experienced my first Shrimp Feast at the Suffolk Peanut Fest yesterday.

I have absolutely been missing out.

The minute I walked through the entrance, it was a good time. By the time 3 p.m. hit, the area was packed with folks mingling, laughing and enjoying themselves, even the sheriff’s deputies that were working security detail.

It’s called the Shrimp Feast, but I think the shrimp was low on everyone’s priority list because they were just happy to hang out with friends that they haven’t seen all year.

More than one person told me that Shrimp Feast was like a reunion every year.

This is an event I can definitely see myself coming back to year after year, but as much as I love hanging out with friends and having a good time, I think my focus will be on the food.

I’ve lived in Virginia Beach for a long time and I know what good seafood tastes like, and the Suffolk Ruritan Club knocked it out of the park. Too bad they won’t tell me what is in the secret seasoning.

Even if you didn’t get the chance for all-you-can-eat, the to-go boxes still had huge portions, and my box fed three of us in the newsroom.

It may have been a feast of shrimp, but the Ruritan Club was serving up some delicious barbecue too. Now, with a full stomach and a slightly burned face, I can say that the Shrimp Feast was a success.

The best part of the event is knowing that the money is going to all the right places. Tickets were $35 apiece and with the size of the crowd, I can imagine the Ruritan Club raised plenty of money for the various organizations they support.

The money spent at the event goes right back into the Suffolk community in the form of scholarships and donations. So whether you stuffed your face full of shrimp or forgot to eat entirely, it was money well spent.