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The 11th Annual Mystic Garlic Festival features freshly harvested local garlic, garlic infused goodies, music, and activities scattered throughout Olde Mistick Village.

To celebrate the abundant fall harvest, farmers will present an amazing variety of Garlic for sale in addition to fresh produce. More farmers than ever will have honey, jams, preserves, ice cream, baked goods, and syrups.

Besides the proven health benefits of garlic,  there is just something irresistible about the aroma of roasted garlic. Throughout the day and evening, dozens of local restaurants and food service establishments will be serving, for purchase, delicious garlic related foods,  such as garlic fried dough and garlic fries, as well as non-garlic favorites.

A host of merchants, artisans, authors and artists will line the pathways of Olde Mistick Village displaying their foods, crafts, gifts, and talents. Along with over 45 vendors, you will find Olde Mistick Village merchants offering garlic related activities or products at their stores.

Don’t miss the live birds of prey, reptile show, and martial arts demonstration.

So, you bring the mints and Olde Mistick Village will supply the flavor.  A great weekend of music, food, and family fun. Stroller friendly, Free entry and Free parking.

Location: Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT 06355
Date: Sept 15 – 16, 2018
Time: Sat 11am – 7pm, Sun 11am – 6pm
Tel: 860 -536-4941
oldemistickvillage.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: thisismystic.com

Discover the beauty of sheep, the warmth of wool and the delicious taste of lamb during a fun-filled weekend at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, 45 years of celebrating all things sheep, from hoof to handwoven.

With over 275 vendors, more than 800 sheep, and workshops, food, and entertainment, there is something for everyone. Check out the working sheep dogs or sheep shearing demonstrations, learn how to prepare lamb, cheese making, take a spinning class, or shop for a variety of fleece, yarn and roving.

The Parade of Breeds will introduce you to a large variety of sheep breeds, and the Sheep to Shawl Contest will demonstrate shearing, carding, spinning, and weaving a final product in just a few hours.

There are auctions and sales for sheep equipment, fiber equipment, and fleeces. You can get many new ideas from the beautiful products on display from the many competitions.

With workshops and seminars galore, special activities for kids, cooking demonstrations, food booths, musical entertainment, this festival is going to be a hit with the whole family.

Location: Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd, West Friendship, MD 21794-9604
Date: May 5 & 6, 2018
Time: Sat 8:30am – 6pm, Sun 8:30am – 5pm
Tel: 410- 531-3647
sheepandwool.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visithowardcounty.com

Doors open to the 27th Annual Greenland Craft Fair & Pie Sale on November 19th, where each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving you can find a line of people waiting at the Greenland Central School.

Over 500 pies are sold (and eaten!) and  the Woman’s Club mans the cafe with home cooking. Expect to see more than 100 talented artisans and crafters including edibles, fiber artisans, jewelers, and many others will be selling their wares.

The Annual Greenland Craft Fair & Pie Sale is one of the longest running Fairs in the Seacoast. Hosted by the Greenland Women’s Club, a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Fair raises funds that are used for a variety of local, national and international charitable purposes supported by the GWC. Free Admission

Plan to stay for lunch, the cafe will be serving homemade soups, quiche and of course, pie!

Location: Greenland Central School, 70 Post Road, Greenland, NH 03840
Date: Sun, Nov 19, 2017
Time: 10am – 3pm
Tel: 603-498-0099
greenlandwomensclub.org/pie-festival-craft-fair
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: portsmouthnh.com

The Barberville Pioneer Settlement is celebrating the end of summer with the coolest hottest event ever – Fire & Ice. Feast on delicious chili and fresh-made ice cream at this exciting fall festival that occurs on a 30-acre historic site with a village museum and over 10,000 artifacts.

Enjoy this FREE admission festival and for only $4 you get to sample and judge chili & ice-cream, where you can cool your tongues with homemade ice cream after voting for your favorite chili. Cash prizes to be awarded to People’s Choice.

With a plethora of activities sure to keep you entertained: FREE music workshops and jam session with volunteers teaching everything from the guitar and banjo to the dobro and dulcimer, community yard sale, antique tractors and engines display, and lots more, and of course the infamous Chili Cook Off and Ice Cream Churn Off.

Tastings are at noon, until it’s gone, so arrive early.
Location: Pioneer Settlement, 1776 Lightfoot Lane, Barberville, FL 32105
Date: Sat, Sept 2, 2017
Time: 9 – 4pm
Tel: 386-749-2959
pioneersettlement.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

It is really hard to take the boring authenticity-proving side of the modern art world and make it into a delightful audience loving (2 standing ovations on opening night) theatre piece.

Stephen Sachs, the playwright, took on the true story of Terry Horton, a former truck driver who scavenged a painting for $5 at a second-hand shop as a gift for a friend who needed cheering up. Maude Gutman, as she is called in this play, is a lover of kitsch – her trailer is overwhelmed by it (A congratulatory shout out here for the jam-packed shelves created by set and costume designer Pam Johnson, who really needed my Smart Shopping Montreal book to find all that stuff!). At a yard sale, the local art teacher noticed the painting and mentioned it might be a Jackson Pollock; and so begins the tale. Somehow Gutman managed to get a major art house in NYC to send an expert over to check out her claim.

And therein lies this sparring pied-a-deux. A foul-mouthed bourbon drinking trailer park madam vs. the snooty elitist artsy gentleman. Human authenticity versus art authenticity is set to be proven. Nicola Cavendish walks the walk and talks the talk. Her sneaker grounded stalking moves her around the trailer while her expert verbal comedic timing keeps the pace going. She even manages to give the garbage pail “a line”.

Jonathan Monro (Lionel Percy), himself a renaissance man (competitive swimmer, piano prodigy, singer, director, lyricist, actor), glides around her, expertly dodging her verbal and physical attacks. My take-away forever (as a former NYC art teacher) is the exuberant and sexually suggestive way in which Monro teaches us the how and why a Jackson Pollock painting is important – and not just a bunch of paint splashes on a canvas.

Though Percy always trusts his “first blink”, it is Nicola Cavendish who summed it up brilliantly when she observed Pollock’s paintings, “You can see that what emerges is layers and layers and layers. I think it’s a lesson on how we can learn to look more closely, whether we are talking about a piece of art or whether we’re talking about the woman who lives across the street who’s offensive.” Modern art is beyond the understanding of the ordinary citizen, and this play opens the door a crack as to what it is all about, how it works and doesn’t work. The show makes it all fun and drives Maude’s trailer expertly to the end to find out if she goes from rags to riches.

Location: 453 St-Francois Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: Jan 31-Feb 26, 2017
Prices $28- $51
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes