deerfield fair

It's the biggest fall festival in Rockingham County, and it happens every year in tiny Deerfield.

For one weekend, the bucolic town with its white clapboard buildings and rolling fields turns into Party Central, with thousands of visitors from all over New England.

The 131st Deerfield Fair, set to run today through Sunday at the fairgrounds off Route 107, has a little bit of everything, from high-tech gadgets to traditional craftsmen to heart-stopping rides. But for every volunteer or visitor, there's always one moment where they stop and realize, "THIS is Deerfield," and for many, it's all about the horses.

In NH Weekend.

Read this story in today's Union Leader. Pick up a copy on any newsstand. Or see our electronic edition, a page-by-page replica of the print edition.

Raymond cemetery rules on file

RAYMOND ― David Baker, chairman of the Cemetery Advisory Board, announced that the newly approved cemetery rules and regulation for the town are now available at the town office building.

Girl Scouting

information night

FREMONT ― If a young lady in your family (kindergarten to 12th grade) is interested in finding out more about being a Girl Scout or rekindling her Girl Scout experience, check out the Information Night being held Tuesday, Sept. 18 in the Ellis School lobby between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.

If you are unable to attend, please contact Debi Bennis (Service Unit Manager) at 679-1453 for more information.

Learn to create a wildlife habitat

HAMPSTEAD ― The Hampstead Garden Club will meet Wednesday, Sept. 19th at 7 p.m. at Hampstead Congregational Church, Hadley Hall, where landscape designer Nanette Masi of Amesbury, Mass., will talk about creating wildlife gardens.

Back to Nature was founded by Nanette as an educational source for healthy, ecologically sound landscaping principles and to provide a healing alternative to tradition landscapes. A botanist/ecologist/naturalist, provides ecological planning and wildlife habitat gardens using native and sustainable plant communities.

Interested gardeners are invited to attend this meeting or any meeting which is held on the third Wednesday of each month. To learn more, contact Terry Handel at 329.6205

This program is only one of many interesting programs offered by the Garden Club. The Hampstead Garden Club is a nonprofit educational organization whose purpose is to encourage an interest in all aspects of gardening, promote civic beauty and the conservation of natural resources. Members gather to learn, create, teach and share information with others who love gardening.

Advance Deerfield Fair tickets on sale

DEERFIELD ― The Deerfield Fair is offering advance-sale, discounted admission tickets for a limited time. Through Sept. 23, tickets to the 131st Deerfield Fair are available for just $6 dollars, a 25 percent discount.

The Deerfield Fair runs Sept. 27 through Sept. 30 at the Deerfield Fairgrounds on Route 43. It offers horse shows, cattle competitions, sheep herding and 4-H demonstrations, and swine and poultry judging.

Fairgoers can cheer on their favorites in tractor and log-cutting contests or enjoy music, magic, puppets and more on the fair's several stages and performance areas. Another highlight is the crowning of the 2007 Miss Deerfield Fair.

A midway offers exciting amusement park rides, and on Friday, Sept. 28, thrillseekers can ride from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $15 (plus paid fair admission).

Crafters, dealers

wanted for fair

KINGSTON ― The Kingston Area Junior Women's Club will hold its 21st annual craft fair on Saturday, Oct. 6, on the historic plains. The club is seeking crafters, antique dealers and food vendors to participate in this popular event.

All proceeds from this event are donated to local charities. This is a juried craft fair, so manufactured goods will not allowed. If you would like to participate as a vendor or even as a volunteer, This weekend's annual Old Deerfield Fall Art and Craft Festival will celebrate more than just a harvest of handmade creativity. Mixed into the cornucopia of goods will be a focus on the art of reading books, an Indian beadwork display, and the performance arts.

"This year's fall fair is especially strong in jewelry, fine arts, furniture, glass and garden sculpture," said Timothy C. Neumann, founder of the crafts fairs and director of Memorial Hall Museum.

Neumann noted that book-related arts and crafts have also been added to this year's festival to kick off Memorial Hall Museum's "Fahrenheit 451 Big Read" project and the Pioneer Valley's region-wide Bookmarks.

T
he Deerfield Fair will fill the air with the scents of farm animals and fried food all this weekend. The fun starts at 8 a.m. today and ends Sunday at 7 p.m. Children 12 and under are free, and tickets are $8 for adults (seniors get in for $5 on Thursday and Friday). On Friday, fairgoers can purchase a $15 bracelet and get unlimited rides from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 463-7421 or visit deerfieldfair.com.

Alon Goldstein, one of the most respected pianists of modern times, will perform at the Franklin Opera House Saturday night at 7:30. An Israeli musician who trained at the Peabody Conservatory and has worked with such musical heavyweights as Leon Fleisher and Claudio Abbado, Goldstein enjoys working with aspiring young musicians and plans to play with students from Sant Bani School and Franklin High School before the performance. Tickets are $16 ($14 for seniors, free for students) and can be purchased at 934-1901 or franklinoperahouse.org.

The New Hampshire Antiquarian Society opens its 17th Annual Art Show and Sale "Tomorrow's Masterpieces" with a gala champagne artists' reception on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Long Memorial Building on Main Street in Hopkinton. Featuring 40 of the region's finest artisans, the juried event offers original works in oil, watercolors, acrylics, pen and ink, pottery, glass and fiber arts. Tickets for the champagne reception are $10 for NHAS members, $12 for non-members and are available at the door. "Tomorrow's Masterpieces" is open during museum hours, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Oct. 4 through Nov. 10.

Concord's newly renovated City Auditorium will swell with the music of Irving Berlin tomorrow night, as the Walker Lecture Fund opens its 11th season. "Say it with Music: The Melodies of Irving Berlin," directed by Irene Deschenes of Bow, will dust off such favorites as "What'll I Do" and "The Hostest with the Mostest," drawing on local talent from around the region. Curtain time is 7:30 tomorrow night and 3 p.m. Sunday. The show is free, and no tickets are required. For more information, visit walkerlecture.org.

Smile! "Making Faces," an exhibit by nationally celebrated multimedia artist Bruce McAlpine, is on display at New Hampton School's Galletly Gallery through Oct. 13. The Vermont artist's distinctive "faces" are rendered in collage, wire and wood sculpture, paintings and prints, and range from whimsical caricatures to dark profiles. The exhibit features many recycled materials, including metal found in the Nevada desert. The Galletly Gallery is located in the Moore Center of New Hampton School and is open to the public, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit newhampton.org.

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Grab a copy of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, the featured book for the Concord Reads program and the topic of several special events this fall. A general book discussion takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Concord Public Library. New York Times reporters Janny Scott and David Cay will speak at the library Oct. 9, and on Oct. 17, two prominent advocates for low-income workers will lead a discussion. Finally, the author herself will speak at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Nov. 8. For more information, visit onconcord.com/library. This article is: 1 days old.





On Saturday, the Bookmarks celebration of the book in Old Deerfield will feature antique bookmarking at Historic Deerfield's Wilson Printing House, with free hands-on, book-related activities for children. Each day, The Big Read booth with its antique fire truck is giving away free fireman hats to the first 500 people stopping by the booth.

Among those exhibiting at this year's show will be Philip Wagaman from Pennsylvania, whose booth of prized wooden gameboards will feature a "sit down and play" area. Fiber booths from several Franklin County Fiber Twist farms and artists will feature hand-dyed artisan yarns, a variety of looms, fiber creations, and even a petting area with fiber-bearing farm animals. And, Ian Smith, of Waterbury, Vt., a high school physics teacher, will be selling his Vermont Rock Candles at the craft show.

"They are actually oil lamps disguised by a stone that is placed on top, so it sets up an illusion as if the stone is on fire. And, they look very natural, elegant and organic," Smith said.

"I use Vermont quarried stone, including green emerald schist and two types of slates, red and a purple and green mottle slate," he added.

Smith, who has been making the candles for three years, noted he got the idea to make them while teaching class.

"I was teaching capillary action and was setting up a demonstration when I got the idea," he said.

Also included with admission to the fair is the "Made of Thunder, Made of Glass - American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast" exhibit in Memorial Hall Museum from noon to 4 p.m. The highly decorated antique beaded pieces exhibit talented needlecraft in their intricate floral and geometric designs.

This year's fair will also see the return of the American Girl Doll Tea, offered both days of the event at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Children 12 and under who bring their dolls for the fun and informative event will be admitted free to the fair. A fee of $5 is charged to attend the tea. Reservations are required by calling (413) 774-7476, ext. 31.

And, for music lovers, nationally recognized "new age" composer Tim Janis will make personal appearances both days of the festival.
or call Sue at 642-7312 for more information and an application.

Kensington to hold first harvest fest

Celebrate the harvest season at the Kensington Fall Festival scheduled for Saturday, September 29th, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Kensington Elementary School, 129 Amesbury Road (Rt. 150). Come enjoy an old-fashioned community event offering music, entertainment, crafts, food and fun. You'll find crafters offering a variety of hand-crafted works for sale for yourself or for some early holiday shopping. You'll want to check out the community booths that will be on hand, take a seat at the bingo tent or try your luck in a raffle. Local performers will entertain you during the day while Kensington's fabulous bakers will compete for top honors in the bake-off competition. Activities for the festival's younger crowd will include pony rides, face painting, balloon twisting, a bounce house, games and more. The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department will be manning the grills all day, serving up hotdogs, hamburgers, and chicken. So celebrate the season with the Kensington community on September