Shad Planking
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The Shad Planking is an annual political event in Virginia which takes place every April near Wakefield in Sussex County. It is sponsored by a chapter of the Ruritans, a community service organization which was founded in the small town of Holland about 30 miles to the southeast.
Ostensibly an event to celebrate the
However, both Virginia and the Shad Planking had evolved into a more bipartisan environment by the 1980s. In modern times, would-be candidates, reporters, campaign workers, and locals gather to eat shad, drink beer, smoke tobacco, and kick off the state's electoral season with lighthearted speeches by politicians in attendance.
Sponsored by the Wakefield Ruritan Club, Shad Planking serves as the organizations primary fundraising event for the year. All of the funds raised from the event are invested within the Wakefield Community and support such community organizations as baseball teams, the fire department, and other groups.
The name "The Shad Plank" was adopted by the political blog of the Daily Press newspaper based in Newport News.
History
The traditional event was originally a tribute to the start of the fishing season. The planking dates to the 1930s near
With Dr. Nettles' suggestion and help, the Wakefield Ruritan Club later adopted this time honored tradition as an annual community and fund raising function in 1949. The event has been held on the third Wednesday in April each year ever since to herald the arrival of spring, with attendance increasing in size from the original 300 guests to over 2000 today. The site is the wooded property of a sportsmen's club near U.S. Route 460 near the incorporated town of Wakefield in Sussex County, about an hour southeast of the Virginia State Capitol at Richmond.
Originally a purely social affair, it soon gained a political function, a development credited to State Senator
That has changed and all are welcome now. Many think that in 1977, then-state State Senator
Recent events
2005
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore and his Democratic opponent Tim Kaine spoke at the 2005 Shad Planking. Virginia State Senator Russ Potts was not allowed to speak, so his supporters passed out stickers, "Let Russ Speak". Potts had a bluegrass band "Lagerhead" from Winchester play at his tent. "Go Russ Go" Pott's campaign song was played live at the Shad Planking.[2]
2006
The featured speaker was Attorney General Bob McDonnell.
2007
2008
The 60th annual shad planking was held on April 16, the first anniversary of the
Each candidate opened with comments on the first anniversary of the
2009
Wet weather early in the day cleared up before start time but there was a smaller than expected crowd.[3][4] The featured speakers were the 2009 candidates for governor: Republican Bob McDonnell and Democratic contenders Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe.
2010
Because of a light rain continuing almost up to time for the speeches to start, the crowd was small. The featured speaker was former United States Senator and former Governor of Virginia
2012
An April 20 editorial in The Roanoke Times noted the event's lack of Democrats, but said that didn't mean it was dead: "The only debate possible is over exactly which year the Shad Planking went too far. Was it 2005, when a campaign worker in a duck costume was escorted off the premises by police after complaints that he was being disorderly? Or 2009, when former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe hogged the camera after spotting a crew from the Sean Hannity Show? No matter which theory you believe, most everyone agrees that Virginia's bony little shad long ago jumped the shark."
2016
2016 brings three major changes to the event:
- The introduction the Grapes and Grains Festival - a showcase of Virginia's best wines
- The creation of the Presidential Straw Poll - a fun and newsworthy way for Virginia to help shape the national political landscape
- The event day is moved from the 3rd Wednesday in April to the following Friday. In 2016, it is on Friday, April 22.
References
- ^ "Wakefield Ruritan Club - Shad Planking - History". Shad Planking. Archived from the original on 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ Shear, Michael D.; Jenkins, Chris L. (2005-04-21). "At Shad Planking, Traditional Roast Of Va. Politicians". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ "A Smaller Shad Planking". washingtonpost.com. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2010-03-27. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ "Gubernatorial Hopefuls To Walk The Plank - Daily Press". Articles.dailypress.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ "Allen and about 1,200 turn out for Shad Planking | Richmond Times-Dispatch". .timesdispatch.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
- ^ [1][dead link]
External links
- Official website
- The Shad Plank a political blog at the Daily Press
See also
- Plank cooking
- Pancake breakfast