The village of Driver will come alive next weekend for its fall festival, with a parade, music, kids’ activities, food vendors and much more.

This year marks the annual event’s 20th anniversary, and the village will celebrate with live music by Island Boy, Stakeout, DJ Cooly O, Pride Moore and Patchwork Gospel.

Other attractions will include a parade, car show, arts and crafts, cornhole tournament, bounce house and kids’ activities, as well as a poker run and a bike show.

From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 19 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 20, the event centering on Kings Highway is free and open to the public.

“It brings people into the village,” said festival organizer Joan Mayo, of Knot Hole Station. “It always has. People look forward to it, because it’s a country-themed event. They like sitting on the bleachers listening to the music.”

This year, Mayo said, volunteers from the American Legion Nansemond Post 88 will help during the festival.

“They are going to mark off all the vendor spots and take care of a lot of the duties that the volunteer firemen used to do,” she said. “They are going to be a main presence out her for the entire two days. We are just delighted to have them.”

The grand marshal of the event this year is World War II veteran Robert J. “Jack” Ewald, who stormed the coast of Normandy as part of the historic D-Day invasion, before spending nine months as a prisoner of war.

Mayo said members of the post will accompany Ewald in the parade. “Our parade on Saturday is always a highlight,” she said, “with local community groups participating, and the Nansemond River High School Band will be strutting their stuff.”

Civil War re-enactors will be back, she said, as will the Rio Grande Traders-sponsored car show at Berea Christian Church.

“If you like antique and vintage cars, this is a must-see,” Mayo said.

The Sherri Parker Memorial Poker Run and Bike Show takes place on Sunday, when hundred of motorcycles will ride into the village about 1 p.m., she said.
Children will enjoy pony rides, Mayo said, and the cornhole tournament will run both days.

One of the event’s major attractions is the food, she said, and this year will be no exception, with hamburgers, hotdogs, barbecue, seafood, pizza, funnel cakes and more.

As always, handicapped parking will be available at Beech Grove United Methodist Church, 4251 Driver Lane, Berea at 4109 Driver Lane, and Suffolk Humane Society at 4300 Nansemond Parkway will also be parking cars.

For more information, visit www.suffolk-fun.com or www.driverevents.com.