2010 Lakes Region Fine Arts and Crafts Festival Starts Tomorrow!

Wow!  Another year has gone by already and it’s time for the Annual Lakes Region Fine Arts and Crafts Festival.  This weekend, August 28^th and 29^th, come to Meredith, NH to enjoy beautiful original works of art and crafts, live music, and delicious food… this is an event you won’t want to miss!

Now in its 31^st year, The Lakes Region Fine Arts and Crafts Festival is sponsored by the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce and is the area’s largest show and sale of fine arts and crafts.  This popular event is an outdoor, juried arts and crafts exhibition, featuring the high-quality works of over 110 artists and craftspeople.  Main Street in Meredith will be closed to traffic to make room for the show, which will be held among the Meredith Village Shops and the Mill Falls Marketplace.

This festival is always a great place to find treasures for yourself, or gifts for loved ones.  All of the exhibitors display and sell their own work, so you know you are supporting local artisans, and enjoying unique pieces.  Hope to see you there!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Images courtesy of the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce

Alton Old Home Day This Saturday

Come to the lake this weekend and enjoy a full day of good old-fashioned fun at the Alton Old Home Day festivities.  With a road race, boat show, craft fair, Bingo, a concert, and fireworks, there is sure to be something for everyone!  On Saturday, August 14^th, the Alton Parks & Recreation Department will host this special event in the quaint village of Alton Bay at the southern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee.

To kick off the festivities, there will be a 5K Road Race at 9:00am.  This run is an official Runner’s World race featuring computerized timing, traffic control, and prizes to runners in various categories, not to mention one of the most scenic courses in New Hampshire!

If you missed the 37th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show at Meredith Town Docks last month, you have another chance to see some beautiful boats this Saturday at the Vintage Boat Show, which is also part of the Alton Old Home Day events.  The classic boats will be docked and on display from 9:00am – 12:00pm.

The Craft Fair will be held at the Alton Bay Community Center from 10:00am – 5:00pm and will showcase handmade New England craft items, including fine wood crafts, candles, fleece, stoneware pottery, Native American jewelry, fabrics, quilts, doll furniture, scroll saw fretwork, handmade soaps, floral pieces, and much more.

At 4:00, head over to the Alton Bay Bandstand for a game of BINGO with the family, or join the Fire Department for a summer barbeque.  The fun continues with a concert at 7:00 with the music of Echo Tones, followed by a fireworks display over the lake at 9:00.

If you are visiting the Lakes Region this weekend, you might want to swing by Alton Bay on Saturday… a day like this is the epitome of summer in New England!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

37th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show at Meredith Town Docks

Vintage Boats Lined up at last year's Boat Show

Come to Meredith this Saturday, July 24^th to see one of the biggest gatherings of classic wooden boats Lake Winnipesaukee has to offer.  Town Docks will be hosting The New England Chapter of Antique & Classic Boat Society’s 37^th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show, and the organizers have stated that last year’s show was so successful, more docking will be added this year!

The event begins on Friday, July 23^rd, when participants in the juried show arrive in the afternoon for a Judging Clinic followed by a registration and cocktail reception, where guests can enjoy hors d’ oeuvres and live music.

Plan to be at the docks early on Saturday to watch the beautiful wooden boats arrive under their own power between 7 and 9am.  Over 80 vintage boats are expected to pull up and be on display throughout the day.  All models of antique and classic boats are welcome, and the organizers are expecting a large showing of Chris-Craft boats, as Chris-Craft will be the marque boat this year.

The day will wrap up with an awards dinner at Chase House at The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls.  Tony Mollica, author of Building Chris-Craft: Inside the Factories, will be the special guest and will give a talk on the history of Chris Smith and his Chris Craft boats.  Mr. Mollica will also be at the boat show during the day to autograph copies of his several books.

There is still space available if you would like your classic boat to be part of the festivities!  For more information, visit the Boat Society’s website here.

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

photo courtesy of The New England Chapter of Antique & Classic Boat Society

Don’t Miss the 33rd Annual Loon Festival this Weekend!

What would summer in New Hampshire be without the haunting call of a loon on a quiet lake?  These gentle and iconic birds have a way of slowing us down to help us appreciate the natural beauty that is all around.  But the loon population is threatened, and hangs in a delicate balance with changes in the environment and the effect of humans on the lakes where loons live.  Our friends at The Loon Center in Moultonborough are working to preserve the loon population, and they are inviting everyone to learn more and celebrate these water birds at their annual Loon Festival this weekend.

The 33^rd Annual Loon Festival takes place on Saturday, July 17^th from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  There will be something for everyone in the family, from crafts and children’s activities, to wildlife exhibits and slide presentations by loon biologists. Mr. Phil, Balloonologist Extraordinaire, will entertain everyone with his fun creations and banter, and Mrs. Phil will bring her creative face painting skills.  Play “Pin the Chick on the Loon” game or take the “Loon Facts” quiz and win a chance to “Dunk the Biologist” in the dunk tank!

The Loon Center will provide refreshments and live bluegrass music for a real party atmosphere, rain or shine!  Also on hand will be Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, who will feature their own Discovery Table.  Admission to the Loon Festival is free, so gather up some friends and head over to Moultonborough for a great cause!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Image credit: pmarkham at Flickr.com

Kidz Camp at Mill Falls Enhances a Fun NH Family Vacation

When planning your summer family vacation on Lake Winnipesaukee, don’t forget about Kidz Camp at The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls.  Enjoy a romantic dinner for two, relax at the spa, or simply soak up some quiet time while your children are having fun at a themed activity night!

Kidz Camp is a complimentary childcare service offered by the Inns every Monday and Thursday evening from 6 – 8pm in July and August.  This activity program is organized and staffed by Go Nanny, a professional child sitting service that brings expert merriment to the kids.  The planned themed nights include Circus, Circus, with face painting and carnival-type games, BINGO Night, with lots of prizes and giveaways, and a Hawaiian Luau, with fun beach games and flower leis!

Children and teens from 2 – 17 years old are welcome at Kids Camp.  Even the teenagers have a blast!  As one parent wrote in a testimonial to Go Nanny, “I would like to thank you for supervising our two teenage boys while we attended the wedding at Mills Falls.  Originally, they were not very excited about the idea as they are 13 & 14, but they had a great time going to the arcades and swimming in the pool.  Emily was A+++.”

With Kidz Camp at Mill Falls, finding balance in your family vacation is easy—it’s a win-win for parents and children alike!  For more information, visit the Inns’ Activity page or call 800-622-6455.

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Image credit:  Lauri Väin at Flickr.com

The 5th Annual Winnipesaukee Wine Festival at Church Landing!

Get ready for two great nights of music, food, and wine next week, as the Fifth Annual Winnipesaukee Wine Festival and the Pre-Festival Beach Party come to the shores of Meredith Bay on Wednesday, June 23^rd and Thursday the 24^th!

The Wine Festival will be held on Thursday from 5:30 – 8:00 in the Winnipesaukee Ballroom at Church Landing, where 21 vendors and winemakers will offer tastings of hundreds of fine wines accompanied by delicious hors d’oeuvres.  These delectable dishes will be prepared by several local eateries, including Lakehouse Grille, The Corner House Inn, The Coe House, Wild Coyote Grill, Owen’s Farm Stand, Town Docks, Lago, and Camp.

Also on hand will be Cisco Brewers, a microbrewery and distillery from Nantucket, offering samples of their small-batch beers, as well as their popular Triple Eight Vodka.  They will even set up an ice bar, where folks can enjoy martinis poured through the ice luge!

Music will be provided by the talented local jazz duo of Don Williams and David Tonkin, who play frequently throughout New Hampshire in various jazz ensembles and bands, and are also on staff at the Concord Community Music School.  Nothing goes better with fine wine and food than great jazz music!

A $50 donation per person is requested, and all proceeds benefit The Haiti Limb Project, a small charity that was started locally to help survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti.  All the money raised will be hand delivered to the people who directly help the amputees there.

The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls are helping out too, by extending special rates just for the occasion.  With proof of your ticket purchase for the festival, a room at Mill Falls is $99, and a room at Chase House or Bay Point only $109.  You can wine and dine all night long and not worry about driving home!

Frank Barbagallo of Duckhorn Wine Company in Napa Valley, California pours samples for attendees at last year's Winnipesaukee Wine Festival.

“It’s the biggest bang for your buck,” says Diane Downing of the Common Man Family, who is organizing the event.  “There will be over 100 wines, beautiful food, wonderful music, rooms at the Inns at half price… and every penny goes to our charity.”

To top it off, there will be a raffle for the fundraiser with some great prizes, including magnums of wine from some of the vendors, an overnight stay at the Inns and Spa at Mill Falls, an overnight stay at the Common Man Inn, something special from Wholly Tara Boutique in Ashland, and a vacation package of three nights and four days for four people at a beach cottage on Nantucket.

Kick off the event early at the Pre- Festival Beach Party to be held at Town Docks Wednesday evening at 6:00.  Enjoy some summer sangria while you dance on the sand!  Robbie Leblanc, formerly of Toto, will be there with his new band to keep the party jumping!  There will be no cover charge for this event and half the proceeds will go to the Haiti Limb Project.

These two days of festivities are “more than just sipping wine,” says Diane.  “These people give so much.”  To join the fun and the good cause, call the Common Man Family at 603-968-9330 or visit their website at www.thecman.com.  For the special room rates at the Inns, please call 800-622-6455 and mention the Winnipesaukee Wine Festival.  Hope to see you there!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Image credit:  yashima at Flickr.com

“Seven Deadly Sins” Wine Dinner at Lakehouse Grille

There’s still time to reserve your seats for the upcoming wine tasting dinner in Meredith!  The Seven Deadly Sins Wine Dinner will take place on Thursday, June 17^th at Lakehouse Grille at Church Landing.  Reception begins at 6:00pm, and the first course will be served at 6:30.

The event is a seven course dinner, with each course balanced by a complementing wine and named after one of the biblical Deadly Sins, also known as the Cardinal Sins or Capital Vices.  The dishes on the menu are so decadent, they must be sinful!  For example, the fourth course, “Greed,” features marinated super jumbo lump crab, micro greens, poached white asparagus, and grilled heirloom tomatoes drizzled with white balsamic vinaigrette.  It is paired with a glass of tantalizing Lunetta Prosecco.  The dessert course is called “Lust.”  Tempting!

The dinner is a great deal at $75 per person, and there are still some seats available.  For reservations, call Lakehouse Grille at 603-279-5221, and get ready for a sinfully good time!

Image credit:  gfpeck at flickr.com

Memorial Weekend Craft Festival in Meredith

Kick off the summer season at Lake Winnipesaukee this weekend with the 19^th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Craft Festival!  Meredith will be buzzing with over 100 craftspeople from all over New England, who will set up shop for three days of demonstrations, exhibits, live music, and great food.

The fair will take place throughout the parking area and walkways of the Mill Falls Marketplace this Saturday through Monday.  Artisans will have their creations on display and available for sale at this popular event, where all exhibitors will be selling only their own work, so you know each item is handcrafted and unique!

Show hours are Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm, and Monday 10am to 4pm.  After visiting the craft fair, take a stroll down to the lake or to one of the many great restaurants in town.  Meredith is beautiful at this time of year, when everything is coming alive and the sun is warm!  Happy summer!

Announcing the NH Dream Vacation Photo Contest!

Some exciting news from our friends at Visit NH:  The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) has just announced the launch of its 2^nd annual New Hampshire Dream Vacation Photo Contest, which will take place this summer from May 24^th – September 6^th.  The winner of the online photo contest will receive a custom-designed New Hampshire Dream Vacation worth $2,500, and five additional contestants will win $500 each in the popular vote.  Irving Oil will also offer gas gift cards in the amount of $50 that will be awarded weekly to randomly selected contest participants.

“We encourage every NH resident and visitor to explore and enjoy the state, take photos with the ‘I Love it Here’ signs along the way, and upload them to our site,” said Alice DeSouza, Director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development.  “Last year’s contest was wildly successful with residents and visitors alike joining in the fun.”

To play, go to www.NHDreamVacation.com and download the “I Love it Here” sign.  Print out the sign and bring it with you as you visit your favorite places in New Hampshire, including The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls.  At these scenic spots, take photos of yourself or a travelling companion with the “I Love it Here” sign and make sure there’s an identifier in the photo, such as a location sign or easily-recognizable building.  Upload one to five of these images to the contest website, where participants can vote on their favorite photos.  Friends and family members can vote too!

“Once again, we expect residents will want to vacation right here in New Hampshire, and will spend time exploring the mountains, lakes, and seacoast,” said DeSouza. “Everybody loves to seek out the unexpected and unusual locations, and we believe this contest will trigger that excitement in all of us.  So go grab your cameras, your signs, and challenge yourself to find the coolest spot in NH to snap a photo!”

15th Annual Community Yard Sale in Meredith This Weekend

For treasure hunters of all kinds, Meredith will be the place to be on Saturday, May 22^nd.  The whole village is coming together to hold their Annual Community Yard Sale, with proceeds from some of the sales to benefit local organizations.

The Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event and will be providing maps that mark the locations of over 70 individual sales throughout the town.  In addition to the many yard sales at private homes, several businesses and organizations will also hold sales.  The Center Harbor Congregational Church and the Trinity Episcopal Church are both organizing group sales, and at the Community Center, The I-L Senior Center is teaming up with the Meredith Lions Club to host a variety of activities.  Other organizations, such as the Meredith Kiwanis Club and the NH Humane Society, will also be setting up shop, so to speak.

The whole town is getting in on the action!  Many local businesses are planning to hold special sales, and The Meredith Public Library will once again have several books available for purchase.  Enthusiasts will not want to miss the group sale at the Winnipesaukee Beach Colony Club.

The Community Yard Sale will take place on Saturday from 9:00am – 3:00pm, rain or shine.  Maps will be available from the Chamber of Commerce Information Center beginning at 8:00am the day of the sale.  Signs will also be posted at the individual locations to make finding the treasures a little easier.

For more information, please visit the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce website or call 279-6121.

Image courtesy of the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce