The Common Man Takes Diners on a Tour of Italy

Looking to escape the cold for a while? Take a trip someplace warmer this winter without travelling outside New Hampshire—the folks at Lago are offering a 20-week Tour of Italy that will spice up your life and bring you a taste of Europe in your own backyard!

Starting this week and going through the end of May, Chef Thomas Faba of Lago at Bay Point is showcasing a menu of three-course dinners that changes each week, highlighting dishes unique to one of the 20 regions of Italy. The special menu will also offer wines from each region to accompany the meal. The Tour of Italy dinners will be available Monday – Thursday for $24.95 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Read the rest of this entry »

Come to the Lakes Region for New Year’s Eve!

New Year’s Eve on Lake Winnipesaukee is promising to be spectacular this year!  There will be so much to do and see, you might want to arrive early and plan to pace yourself so that you’ll be awake to greet 2013 as it rolls in at midnight!

First, head over to Wolfeboro to enjoy some of their First Night activities. First Night Wolfeboro is a community-wide, alcohol-free celebration of the performing arts. There will be a variety of entertainment options at many locations around town, including some really fun activities for children and families starting at 2:00pm. Kids will enjoy face painting, mask making, and hat making, as well as storytellers and interactive live music, and folks of all ages will want to check out the Discovery Dome and Telescopes from the McAuliffe-Shepard Planetarium, and of course, the parade at 5:00 and fireworks at 5:30. The list of events and activities is too long to mention here, so be sure to visit the First Night Wolfeboro website for details. Read the rest of this entry »

3rd Annual Meredith Village Art Walk to Benefit NH Humane Society

As winter sets in all around New England, we begin to turn our thoughts toward pursuing creative indoor endeavors, gathering with loved ones, and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. December is a time of great giving, within our families as well as our communities. In this spirit of grace, the art galleries of Meredith are once again opening their doors and their hearts for a special night of beautiful art, music, delicious food, and generous fundraising for their annual “Food for the Soul” Art Walk.

Next Thursday evening, December 13^th, six galleries in Meredith will participate in the third annual Meredith Village Art Walk, themed “Food for the Soul,” to benefit the New Hampshire Humane Society, the largest area animal welfare agency. Last year’s Art Walk brought in many donations to the Meredith Emergency Food Pantry, and the event’s organizers are hoping their visitors are just as generous this year to help our animal friends. The event promises to be bigger and better than last year with the addition of several fine artisans and craftsmen, horse-drawn wagon rides, and live music. Read the rest of this entry »

The League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Retail Gallery December Events

Looking for unique, handmade gifts this holiday season? Interested in catching a glimpse of how a skilled artisan works her craft? The League of NH Craftsmen has a great lineup of workshops and demonstrations, where you can meet the artists and be a part of some of the creative processes as the fine pieces come to life. Check out what’s happening at the Meredith Retail Gallery this December…

Felted Animal Demonstration with Carolyn Wright
Saturday, December 1st, 2012, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Stop in and see how Carolyn brings wool to life in creative ways – from chickens, sheep, and lions, to stars, moons, and eggs! Carolyn creates her wonderful characters by the process of needle felting. Are you interested in exploring this art form? Come with your curiosity and questions, as Carolyn shows her work in its various stages. Read the rest of this entry »

Boston Chronicle Visits the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls

Shayna Seymore interviews Rusty McLear.

While The Inns & Spa at Mill Falls and the surrounding village of Meredith, NH are popular Lakes Region destinations, well known to many people within as well as outside the area, these local treasures are about to gain an even wider audience and greater exposure, as they have been featured on a Boston travel show that is scheduled to air tonight!

Shayna Seymore and Bob Oliver from Boston Chronicle visited Meredith last month on October 15^th and 16^th, staying overnight at the Lodges at Church Landing, the latest addition to the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls. The two were in town to film a segment for a series that the show produces called “A Tank Away,” which features great places to visit within a tank of gas from Boston. The special series is filmed every season, and the Chronicle crew timed their visit to coincide with the peak of fall foliage in the Lakes Region. Read the rest of this entry »

The Inns & Spa at Mill Falls Named One of Top 45 Hotels in the Northeast

Chalk up another award for this lakeside getaway—the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Survey has recently recognized the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls as one of the Top 45 Hotels in the Northeast!

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Survey began in 1988, and since then has been listing the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruises, and airlines based on real travelers’ experiences. The online questionnaire contains lists of candidates in the various categories, and individual candidates are judged by relevant criteria for each group. In the hotel category, the ratings are based on Food/Dining, Location, Overall Design, Rooms, and Service. Those that receive a required minimum number of responses are deemed eligible for a Readers’ Choice Award. Each candidate is rated by the specific criteria on a five-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Those scores, which represent the percentage of respondents rating a candidate excellent or very good, are averaged to determine the final score. Read the rest of this entry »

Oglethorpe Fine Arts & Crafts a “Favorite” in Meredith

If you’ve ever been to Meredith and the Mill Falls Marketplace, chances are you’ve strolled by Oglethorpe Fine Arts & Crafts as you’ve made your way by the famous waterfall. And chances are you couldn’t resist coming in to take a look at all the beautiful, handcrafted items that are on display in this open, bright, and airy shop. Indeed, the store itself is a work of art as it highlights the artistic creations of over 500 artists from across the country, and features pieces that can be used and enjoyed in our everyday lives.

“Oglethorpe Fine Arts & Crafts opened its doors in May of 1994 with a focus on quality American handcrafts from the beginning,” says Katheryn Rolfe, owner of this unique store, which is committed to showing people how easy and gratifying it is to integrate art-quality craft into our lives. The shop started in a space of approximately 900 square feet and has since grown to about 2000 square feet, with several small increases over the years as surrounding shops moved away. This allowed Oglethorpe to increase its space without having to move. Says Katheryn about her spot in the Marketplace, “I absolutely love my location with the views of the pristine waterfall and brick walkways.” Read the rest of this entry »

Worldly Interior Designer Brings Unique Style to Inns

When arriving at The Inns & Spa at Mill Falls, guests immediately feel a sense of calm and relaxation. Of course, stepping into one of the four Inns or cottages marks the beginning of a true getaway, and the friendly, professional hospitality helps guests feel well cared for, but the ambiance of each space creates an undercurrent of tranquility that brings all the elements of a NH vacation together: simplicity, comfort, beauty, and a connection with the natural surroundings—nothing too much and nothing missing. This subtle balance was achieved by interior designer Patricia Sava, a true artist with a keen sense for creating just the right mood for every space she helps design.

“I have been fortunate to have had design projects all over the country since I started Sava Designs, LLC in 1976,” says Pat. “Projects run the gamut from mid-mountain cafeterias and dining facilities in Vail and Beaver Creek CO, interval-ownership condominiums in Stowe, VT, Loon Mt, Lincoln NH, and Breckenridge CO, boutique hotels in Meredith and Lakeport NH, Breckenridge, and Telluride CO, and an assisted living and rehab center in Meredith, NH, to golf clubs in Beaver Creek, CO and Melvin Village, NH. My own houses in Waterville Valley, NH, Breckenridge, CO, Merida Mexico, and a houseboat in Sausalito, CA have been fun projects as well.” Read the rest of this entry »

Construction of Winni Playhouse’s New Campus Well Underway

Artist's rendering of the Winni Playhouse's new main stage theatre at the Meredith Campus.

After nearly two years of planning and fundraising, the new theatre at the Meredith Campus of the Winnipesaukee Playhouse is on its way to becoming a reality. Construction on the new building, which will house the main stage theatre, began in the spring and is moving along without any delays this summer, bringing the entire campus project well past its halfway point.

The “Winni” Playhouse was founded in 2004, becoming so successful that it soon outgrew its current location, an intimate Weirs Beach storefront that seats 84. With sights set on a bigger venue, the Playhouse assumed ownership of the former Annalee Doll Complex on Reservoir Road in Meredith in 2008, and put into action a three-phase plan to renovate the complex into a “Tanglewood type of setting” for their theatre and workshops. Read the rest of this entry »

Open Studio Days at The Arts Collaborative in Meredith

The new studio is waiting for you!

Many artists say the best way to approach creating art is to let go of expectations, be like a child, and play. Get ready to do just that at a new Lakes Region studio where the emphasis is on imagination and fun—and the possibilities are endless—during Open Studio Days this summer.

On Tuesdays in August, budding artists of all ages and experience are encouraged to visit The Arts Collaborative in Meredith, NH, a joint venture and creative collaboration between David Little of Winnipesaukee Forge and Steven Hayden of Hayden Arts. This gallery of fine furnishings and original artwork also has creative studio space, including the new downstairs teaching studio of Eco Art a la Carte and ArtsEnlight. For Open Studio Days, the space and plenty of materials are available for folks to come and “relax, play, explore, and create!” The vast array of art materials include traditional paints as well as natural and repurposed materials for collage and beyond! Experienced teaching artists Cynthia Robinson and Heidi Little will be on hand to lend some support if needed. Read the rest of this entry »