ChowderFest and Craft Festival This Weekend in Meredith

Meredith Village will be coming alive this weekend as the 12^th Annual Autumn Craft Festival and the 23^rd Annual Lakes Region ChowderFest converge on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee to celebrate New England’s most colorful season!

Hundreds sample chowder from CAMP at a previous ChowderFest

The Autumn Craft Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, October 2^nd and 3^rd, from 10am to 5pm at The Mill Falls Marketplace, where more than 75 craftspeople will display and sell their locally made pieces.  The juried show includes jewelry, woodcrafts, original paintings, pottery, fabric arts, photography, metal sculpture, stained glass, calligraphy, maple products, preserves, kettle corn, and much more!  There will also be gourmet food sampling, craft demonstrations, and live musical entertainment each day.  Admission and parking are free, and pets are welcome.

On Sunday, head across the street to Hesky Park for the ChowderFest.  This favorite annual event, organized by 98.3 WLNH, features local eateries competing for the “Chowder Bowl” and title of “Best Chowder in the Lakes Region.”  This year’s participating restaurants include T-Bones and Cactus Jack’s, The Weirs Beach Lobster Pound, Steele Hill Resort’s Hill Top Dining Room, Christmas Island Steakhouse, Lakeside Restaurant, and our own Lakehouse Grille at Church Landing.  Just $5 gets you a spoon, a sampling of some of the tastiest chowders in the area, and a ballot to vote for your favorite!  The ChowderFest takes place on Sunday, October 3^rd, from noon to 3pm, and benefits the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, a nonprofit organization founded in 1979 to conserve the natural heritage of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region.

The weather this weekend should be sunny and crisp – perfect for fair browsing and chowder tasting!  A trip to Meredith will be well worth it!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Image courtesy of 98.3 WLNH