With the summer coming to the close you may be longing for the beach. The smell of the salty sea air, the seafood, the fun, relaxed atmosphere. If you can’t make it to beach, then I’ve got an event that will curb your longing: Shrimp Blast at the VBC South Hall on Saturday August 25th.

beach eating

While a trip to the beach can set you back a pretty penny, especially if you’ve got one or more little ones, Shrimp Blast is FREE! And not a misleading free, real free. FREE admission, FREE parking in the South Hall Garage, and FREE kids’ activities! The only cost is your food and drinks.

Let’s talk about the food, since that is important! After all, isn’t that one of the most important parts about going to the beach? It certainly is to me! As the event name implies there will certainly be shrimp, but for those like myself who aren’t a fan of crustaceans there will additional choices.

Here’s a peak at your seafood options:

Shrimp (boiled, fried, and more)
Crab claws
Snow crab legs
Gator
Flounder
And more
Plus $2 beer! I mean you’ve gotta have something to wash all that tasty seafood down with!

Music

Now you don’t think I’m sending you to an event that is just eating, do you? Certainly not! If you’re a regular reader of our site, then you know I LOVE to dance. If you’re new, now you know.

So let me assure you that this line up of bands is amazing! Perfect to dance the night away or for those not as rhythmically inclined as myself great for sitting and swaying.

Here’s the band breakdown:

Tangerine Tambourine starts the party. These guys are perfect for the little ones. These guys bring their own blend of rock’n roller-coaster of music complete with tambourines, beach balls and more.
Next up is local favorite Kush. These guys are a local Reggae that always bring the house down. I’ve seen Kush play at Panoply, Lowe Mill’s Concerts on the Dock and various bars in town and they are always always amazing. You want to come hear them jam!
After Kush is Black Eyed Susan, playing everyone’s favorite party tunes. Like Kush I’ve seen Black Eyed Susan play many times and they also put on a terrific show. If you haven’t seen them, then it’s worth a trip downtown.
Closing out the night is headliner Rollin’ in the Hay. This group brings non-stop energy and is the perfect end to a night of amazing music. Their style combines high-octane groove grass with a touch of down home foot stompin’ or just simply –Renegade Bluegrass.

Come for one band or all! Personally, I’d recommend them all.

The Kids

Let’s not forget that this event is one for the entire family and that means plenty of activities for the kids.

Gabrielle’s Face painting
Singing along with Tangerine Tambourine
Free ice cream (gotta be there from 4-5pm!)
Balloon animals
And more

And it’s all FREE! Remember I said this was a real free event not one of those pretend free events. So get your fill of all things beachy or at least eat like you’re at the beach! Especially if you didn’t make it to the beach this summer or you had the shortest beach trip in the history of the world thanks to a tropical storm like me.[spacer size=”0″]