Stuff Your Face As Alfred Hitchcock Bombs the Farmers' Market

Head down to Shockoe Bottom this weekend to fill your stomach and celebrate Alfred Hitchcock.

The 17th St. Farmer's Market will host both the Shockoe Chef Showdown from 11am-4pm and the Gone to the Birds Festival that evening from 6-9pm.

The Chef event is a great way to enjoy lunch from 11am-1pm with an Iron Chef-style cookoff to follow.

The 10,000 Purple Martin roost will actually take place about 8:30pm (they will start to gather around 8:15) and if you have not been yet you are missing a unique experience.

About 100 people are heading down each night to see the birds dive out of the sky in wave after wave and take up nests in the Bradford Pear trees along 17th St. It is truly reminescent of Hitchcock's "The Birds" but these birds will not hurt you at all unless you park under the trees.

At the Festival you can get some free purple ice cream, learn more about the birds that depend on humans to survive, and most importantly, enjoy a Purple Martini and other specials at the local restaurants. Cafe Gutenburg has purple potaotes and purple carrots.

Check out the video from last year as the birds rush to the trees and also check out the recent story in the paper about the event.

You can get some more info on the birds here.

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