www.SmithfieldVAEvents.com
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Mission Statement: 

It is the mission of the Smithfield VA Events  to bring well organized, first-class events to the Town of Smithfield and in doing so, support local non-profits, charities, civic groups and strengthen our community by benefiting tourism and local business.
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About Us & History of Smithfield VA Events: 

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Smithfield VA Events
Board of Directors


SVAE Board Members serve as Volunteers, dedicating many hours annually to ensure the mission of SVAE benefits our community. 

Amanda Emanuel
Ann Gledhill
Christi Chatham
Connie Chapman
Dave Vermette
Jim Abicht
Judy Winslow
Julian Evans
Ian Brim
Kelley Healey
Larry Saint
Neil Parker
Randy Pack
Renee Rountree
Tammy Burgett

Ex-Officio 
Amy Novak
Parks and Recreation
Town of Smithfield


Consultants: 
Gina Ippolito
Festival Director

Jeff Phelps
Assist. Festival Coordinator &
​Volunteer Manager

Debra Frank
Bookkeeper


Once upon a time...

Windsor Castle Park became a reality as the result of the vision of Joseph W. Luter lll, founder and former CEO of Smithfield Foods, who gave the  park to the Town of Smithfield in May of 2010. 

The new, beautiful Windsor Castle Park, located walking distance from the Historic District, along the banks of the river and with the picturesque historic Manor House & Barns provided the Town a fabulous venue for outdoor events. 

In December of 2010, around a table at Smithfield Station, a group of civic-minded folks, who had a vision for utilizing the new park for successful fundraising events in the Town of Smithfield, met and formed The Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest Committee. We joined forces with the Smithfield Rotary Club and began making plans for the inaugural Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest.

Held in April 2012, the first year was a success our community was proud of!  Hosted by the Smithfield Rotary Club, and in partnership with sponsors and the support of multiple civic organizations, we were able to donate $43,500 back to the community. A few other facts to note: Total number of volunteers (132), sold-out crowd of 1800, lots of locals, 45% of crowd was from out-of-town, and (80) hotel nights were booked in Smithfield because of the festival.   Tickets sales included all Coastal Virginia cities, plus Richmond, Charlottesville, Washington DC, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North & South Carolina, Georgia and Florida! Local businesses hosted wine related dinners, events and special sales that provided additional experiences for attendees. 

During 2012-2013, the Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest made an investment in the festival grounds with the addition of the expanded Brew Village site.  

 We felt it was time to expand our offerings of events and in 2014 added two new events. Instead of just a wine & brew fest committee, we transitioned into being Smithfield VA Events. Besides planning our own festivals, we also provide support for other events held in Smithfield and Isle of Wight County. 

In January 2014, in conjunction with the Optimist Club of Isle of Wight, we held the first Smithfield VA BOB Fest & 8K Chilly BOB Roadrace.  BOB = Bloody Mary’s, Oysters, BBQ & Brunswick Stew and they were all on the menu, along with entertainment by the fabulous 80's show band, THE DELOREANS. Oh, OH, OHH – it was all under a heated 10,000 sq. ft. party tent. There were 1000 attendees, 160 runners, and the event sold out over a week in advance. This event over the years has grown to over 2400 attendees and 65,000 sq. ft. of heated party tents. 

In Sept 2014, we held the first Smithfield Va Bacon & Bourbon Music Fest. Where better to have a Bacon Fest, than in the town that really knows Bacon?  No tiny little munchies of weird bacon here…we are serving LOTS OF BACON (we cook over a ton of it for this event). Every body gets a 1/2 lb of fresh cooked bacon and a trip thru the Bacon Condiment Bar, Bourbon and VA Craft Brew Tastings, Bacon Eating Contest, Wine & other yummy food vendors & music on (3) stages. 

As the restoration project of the Manor House & Barns at the park progressed, and as SVAE continued to grow, it needed an office and storage space for event supplies.  We looked at a lot of options. Renting, building, using portable storage units - - all were considered.  As the archeological work for the restoration project began, it was discovered that originally there were two barns that used to exist on the property. The Dept of Historic Resources at the State, as the restoration plan was finalized, included the reconstruction of these two barns and the inside of the "old caretaker house" in Phase 3 of the project.  SVAEvent approached the town and a 15-year lease agreement for SVAE to fully fund Phase 3 was reached.  SVAE now leases both of the barns and the "old caretaker" house from the Town. SVAE moved into the caretaker house, now the official SVAE Headquarters,  in Feb of 2018 and into the barns in July 2018. 


What we do now...

We have over 8500 fest attendees annually, with 62% coming as tourists to our community.  We have gone from donating $40K annually to hitting over $200,000 annually.
We have an application process each year and pick benefiting organizations. We work with over 60 local organizations at each festival who receive donations based on the number of hours worked at each event.  We donate tickets, tables & chalets to other local organizations who use them at their own fundraising events.  Last year our "product donations" raised over $23,000 for other organizations. 

Over One Million Dollars in Donations...

Since April 2012, and thru the 2019 Season, SVAE has donated over a million dollars back  into our community . We have had over $5.5 million dollars worth of economic impact as well. We are funding Phase 3 of the restoration project and have donated over $100,000 to the Town of Smithfield for a fund to use to take care of the park, plus over $70,000 to the Windsor Castle Park Foundation to assist with park projects like the kayak shed, the natural children's playgrounds and coming soon, some park way-finding signage.

We do all of this, make all those donations and pay for everything that we do.  No tax-payer dollars are spent or fees waived for our organization.  We are 100% self-funded. 

This annual trio of events has a little something for everyone! Mark your calendars, plan in advance to get tickets and consider becoming part of our Sponsorship Experience or get involved with us by volunteering.  We now have  (15) Volunteer Board Members and over (20) Individual SuperStar Volunteers who assist us with critical leadership of specific areas of event production. We make donations back on their behalf to their favorite charitable organizations also.  

​We are proud of the impact we have on our community, and plan on being around a long time.   Our reputation for putting on well-planned, first-class boutique events at Windsor Castle Park has made our tickets some of the hottest and hardest to get in Coastal Virginia! 
​TOTAL DONATIONS AS OF THE:

 2020 BOB FEST IS

$1,209,050

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Smithfield VA Events is a 501 (c) (3) public charity.  All events are 21 & up only. No infants/No pets. See Event Rules & FAQ for details.
Event Address: 
Windsor Castle Park
705 Cedar Street
Smithfield, VA 23430 
Mailing Address: 
Smithfield VA Events
PO Box 133
Smithfield, VA 23431
SVAE Headquarters: (at the fest site)
Smithfield VA Events
​302 Jericho Road
Smithfield, VA 23430
Contact Us: 
Event Questions Email:   Tickets@SmithfieldVAEvents.com

Volunteers Questions Email: Volunteer@SmithfieldVAEvents.com

General Info: Call the Visitor Center at 757-357-5182

Chalets, Premium Tables & Sponsorships or Other:
Contact Gina Ippolito, Festival Director
Gina@SmithfieldVAEvents.com
757-869-0664

Hashtags: 
#smithfieldvaevents.      #svaevents  
  • Home/About
    • About Us & History of SVAE
    • Benefiting Orgs & Donations
    • Contact Us & Directions
    • Sign Up E-News
  • Covid19 Updates
  • Festivals
  • Manor House Dinner Events
  • Volunteers
  • Hotels
  • Ways to Help Us
    • Sustainer Society Supporters
    • Why do we need your support??
    • Sustainer Society >
      • Giving Levels & Gifts
      • View Gift Item Pictures
      • How to Donate
      • After a Donation
      • Pay by Check Donation Form SVAE Sustainer Society
      • On-Line Donation Form SVAE Sustainer Society