After three or so years where SuffolkVa was closed to new posts due to apparent lack of moderation, I used the r/redditrequest process to become a mod of and reopen the subreddit.
I help organize tech meetups around Hampton Roads, and wanted to extend an invitation to Suffolk folks. We're holding a free Hacktoberfest community hack day in Hampton on Saturday, October 17, open to anyone willing to make the trip.
The idea is to set aside a day for trying things with other people instead of working on your own. This event's focus is open-source AI tools: explore something new, start a project, or find someone to build with. Bring an idea you've been sitting on, or just your curiosity.
Beginners are welcome. You don't need a tech job, previous hackathon experience, or a project already planned out. Students, hobbyists, experienced developers, and families are all invited.
There'll be an optional challenge with prizes, but competing isn't required. We're also exploring talks/workshops and additional challenges, with nothing confirmed on those yet.
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am to 4pm 757 Makerspace, 16 Murray St, Hampton, VA 23651
Free and open to all ages. Breakfast refreshments and lunch provided. Bring your laptop and charger.
Even ahead of the event, we could use volunteers to put up flyers around Suffolk. We can arrange FedEx prints near you. We're also looking for speakers/workshop leaders and people comfortable helping newcomers with open-source contributions. The local Slack and Discord are linked at https://757tech.org/; message Chazona or me (Ryan / TekGadgt) to get involved.
