Quick Picks: Weekend Events in Greater Newburyport, October 1st Through 3rd

September 30, 2010

There are always plenty of week end activities and events to explore in the Greater Newburyport and surrounding North Shore, Seacoast and Cape Ann regions. Here is our quick list of activities and events to explore this weekend, Friday, October 1st through Sunday, October 3rd. We’ve also included activities and events that won’t break the bank! Please note that these events aren’t listed as a ranking of importance.

1. Artists Reception, Vibrance, Newburyport Art Association, Friday October 1st, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Vibrance, a Featured Artist exhibition at the Newburyport Art Association, opened on Thursday, September 30th. The exhibition features the works of Barbara Kremer, a watercolorist specializing in landscapes and nature photographers, Paul Osborne and Catherine Davis.

The trio has teamed up for a combined featured artists exhibition. They work in different media but share a passion for color and the interplay of light and shadow. The exhibition runs from Thursday, September 30th through Wednesday, October 6th at the Laura Coombs Hills Gallery, Newburyport.

Artists Reception: A reception for the artists is being held on Friday, October 1st from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Laura Coombs Hills Gallery, 65 Water Street, Newburyport. On Saturday, October 2nd, a live jazz duo will be featured in the Hills Gallery from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

2. Fall Fairs – Topsfield, Fryeburg (ME) and Deerfield (NH)

The New England Fall Fair season is upon us. Get your annual fill of fried dough, funnel cakes,

Locally, the Topsfield Fair kicks-off on Friday, October 1st at 4:00 pm and runs through Monday, October 11th. The Topsfield Fair began in 1818 when the Essex Agricultural Society, the non-profit organization that owns the Topsfield Fair, was officially granted a charter on June 12th of that year. Now, 192 years later, the Society is still going strong!

If you like fireworks, the Topsfield Fair is having fireworks at 8:45 pm on Opening Day, Friday, October 1st. For a complete listing of activities and events for each day of the fair, visit the the Topsfield Fair website.

If you can’t get enough of New England Fall Fairs or are looking for a change of venue, the Deerfield Fair in Deerfield , New Hampshire and the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. Both are road trip worthy events to visit, and it is also a great time of the year to enjoy the fall foliage on your way to either or both fairs.

The 134th Annual Deerfield Fair got underway yesterday, Thursday, September 30th. This fair runs just through this weekend and ends on Sunday, October 3rd, so if you are interested make sure you check it out this weekend. The Deerfield Fair is accessible via Route 101 Exit 3, then north on Route 43 to the fairgrounds at 34 Stage Road.

The fair features a midway with amusement park rides and games. The Deerfield Fair is affordable: two adults with three kids age 12 or under can enjoy the Deerfield Fair for a total of only $20, including free parking. Overnight camping is also available. Visit the Deerfield Fair wesbite for a complete listing of events and related information.

The 160th Fryeburg Fair gets underway on Sunday, October 3rd and runs through Sunday, October 10th. The eight day Fryeburg Fair has grown to become Maine’s largest agricultural fair, complete with the world’s largest steer and oxen show, a farm museum second to none, Maine’s largest camping area for a week, features six days of harness racing, and a world-class Woodmen’s Day competition.

Admission is very reasonable: $10 per day, Children Under 12 free. Tuesday is Senior Citizen Day – 65 & over free admission. Parking on the Fairgrounds: $5.

Attracting upward of 400,000 people annually, it is second only in size in New England to the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. It is features an amazing variety of events and foods to sample.

3. 3rd Annual Chili Con Carnival Cook-Off, The Grog Restaurant, Newburyport, Saturday, October 2nd, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

If you’re a chili lover, make sure you stop by the Grog Restaurant, Newburyport on Saturday, October 2nd for their 3rd Annual Chili Con Carnival Cook-off. The event, hosted by the Grog, is a benefit for three local food pantries – Community Services of Newburyport, Our Neighbors’ Table in Amesbury and The Pettengill House in Salisbury.

The cook-off is being held under a tent in the parking lot of The Grog, 13 Middle Street. Here is your chance to sample a wide range of chili from local restaurants and individual chili-aficionados, and also help support local area food pantries. More than 25 restaurants and individuals have already signed up for the event. They will all be vying for the title of best chili, as voted by both the judges and the public.

Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury is donating apple cider and cider doughnuts.

Door prizes with donations from area restaurants and retailers up for grabs are also planned.

Admission: $10; children under 12 are welcome for free.

The public is encouraged to bring items to donate to the pantries; monetary contributions are also welcome.

4. Local Authors Book Signing At Fowle’sCafe, 17 State Street, Newburyport, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Stop by Fowle’s on State Street on Saturday afternoon and meet two local authors, Ship modeler Rob Napier and journalist Joel Brown, as they celebrate the publication of their new books with a joint book signing.

Ship modeler Rob Napier’s new book, “Legacy of a Ship Model, Examining HMS Princess Royal 1773,” from SeaWatch Books (seawatchbooks.com), documents in meticulous detail and many color illustrations his 2006 to 2008 work on the model belonging to the Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis. Each copy of the book comes with a DVD of “Princess Royal, A Long Project in a Short Time,” a stop-motion short film of the project by Napier and Newburyport’s Eric Smith.

An article in the Newuryport Current reports that Napier has built and restored ship models for the Museum of Fine Arts, the U.S. Naval Academy Museum and many other institutions, as well as private clients.

“Mirror Ball Man” (mirrorballman.com) is Joel Brown’s first novel and as stated in an article in the Newburyport Current it is a mystery set in Libertyport and on nearby Plover Island.

Brown, a Boston Globe correspondent who writes about the arts and life on the North Shore.

He also writes for HubArts.com and many other publications in addition to the Globe.

Books from both authors will be available for sale at the signing. Fowle’s is a great location for a book signing.

5. Newburyport Farmer’s Market, Sunday, October 3rd, Tannery Marketplace, Newburyport, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm – rain or shine

Always a best bet! The Newburyport Farmers’ Market will be open on Sunday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Come on down to the market, located at the Tannery Marketplace, Newburyport and support your local farmers at the Newburyport Farmers’ Market.

We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and diverse group of local farmers in the Greater Newburyport, North Shore and Seacoast regions.

Entertainment at this weekend’s market will be provided by The Three Amigos Trio. The trio focuses on reviving genres that today’s musical mainstream tends to cast aside —bossa nova movie scores, death-row country, ‘60s oddities, disco-flavored mope rock, tiki-torch funk and airport jazz.

6. Todd Farm Flea Market, 285 Main Street (Route 1A), Rowley, Sunday, October 3rd, from5:00 am to 3:00 pm

If you are looking for a great flea market to explore, check out the Todd Farm Flea Marketin Rowley, MA.

More than 240 vendors sell their wares at the popular Todd Farm Flea Market every Sunday from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Sunday flea market is open from April 11th to November 28th, 2010.

With free parking and about 240 dealers, you’re sure to find something to buy!

7. Les Petit Chamteurs and Chamber Ensemble at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 166 High Street, Newburyport, 7:00 pm

Well, technically this isn’t on the weekend, but Monday evening is close!

On Monday evening, October 4th, you can spend an evening listening to the Les Petit Chamteurs and Chamber Ensemble from the Holy Trinity Music School, Port au Prince, Haiti and at the same time help support the rebuilding of the school’s buildings which were completely destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country.

The school’s Les Petit Chamteurs and Chamber Ensemble will be performing a concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport. All proceeds from the concert will go toward the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Music School buildings.

Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for children under 18, children under 5 enter free.