Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993 TAG: 9309240373
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
For some people, that concurrence might pose a problem. But we fiends pride ourselves on being able to hit all the festivals, with our families in tow, and still get home in time for some prime-time TV.
To do this, for starters you need aerodynamically correct clothing - lightweight, comfortable, wrinkle- and stain-resistant, with no unnecessary flaps or folds to slow you down. You need comfortable walking shoes and, since the day of course will be bright and sunny, a hat and sunglasses or sun visor. Got a lightweight lawn chair? Take it. Nothing eats time like having to find someplace for grandma to rest.
Gas up the car because once we get rolling, there'll be no time to fool with fuel. Get a good night's rest, awake early on Saturday morning and eat a high-sugar breakfast with lots of caffeine to wire you up. Grab your spouse, kids, a map and a watch. We're on a schedule here; stick to it. Ready, set, festival!!!
If we hit the 25th annual Fincastle Festival right when it opens at 10 a.m., we can catch those two kooky chefs, Laban Johnson and Larry Bly, taping a segment of their popular syndicated TV show, "Cooking Cheap" in front of the historic James Early cabin. If there's time when the cooks finish, we can tour the cabin and two other historic houses that are part of this English-style village first settled in the 1770s.
In the parking area near the Masonic lodge, we can see heritage demonstrations, including a covey of quilters, gourd painting, chair weaving, rug hooking, rug braiding, leather crafting, glass blowing and cornmeal grinding. We'll also check out the handmade paper lampshades and porch swings assembled by hand and using no nails, both of which are new this year. There's also an interesting blacksmithing demonstration across the way.
We'll swing by the children's fair, then stop in at the country store of consignment items to pick up some Historic Fincastle souvenirs, especially the new T-shirt. We can examine the items being offered in the silent auction, then catch our breath and ponder on what to bid while we take in a little music at the Fincastle United Methodist Church. We'll peruse the variety of arts and crafts, which range from elegant to affordable, according to the festival's publicity director, Peggy Davis. This year, Davis said, the crafts people will all be on one side of the street to keep foot traffic from gridlocking. Good idea.
"This is an old-fashioned street happening - sort of like a homecoming - with lots of visiting, strolling and stopping," Davis said of the town with a population of only about 300 people.
We fiends will stroll among them, but we'll do it fast.
Next, we'll hit the fourth annual Henry Street Heritage Festival. It shouldn't yet be noon. This year, for the first time, this festival has two outside stages, on which entertainment has been continuous since 10 a.m. Right now, there are stories being told for the young and young at heart on stage 2, and from stage 1, the sounds of gospel ring.
Harrison Director Melody Stovall describes this festival as an "exuberant, family- and friends-oriented celebration of the diverse heritage and culture of people of African descent." It will include a variety of entertainers as well as an African fashions show, a hair show and about 25 vendors selling everything from art to the small pouches called zanzas, not to mention a variety of foods, like ribs, chicken, red beans and rice, homemade baked goods and the ever-popular beer garden.
The kids will get to enjoy activities such as making kafir hats; button and credit-card art; edible art projects, other arts and crafts and balloons games. Inside the Henry Street Music Center, fiends will find art for display and purchase. And we can't leave without picking up a few festival mementos, such as refrigerator magnets, T-shirts and maybe a tote bag, too, to carry all of this stuff. Now back to the car and off toward the water.
It's not quite 2 o'clock yet, so we'll be able to catch the Celebrity Waiter/Waitress Race at the fifth annual Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival. The race promises to be exciting, with participants from among local media personalities and politicians. "Nobody runs faster than a politician pursuing a reporter in September," Chairman David Talbott explained.
This will be the first year that the festival at Bernard's Landing Resort extends over the entire weekend. Award-winning wines from 11 Virginia wineries, including one small farm winery from the lake area, will be presented. Allot one minute to choose a designated driver.
Complementing the wines are a variety of foods including barbecue, stir fry, Thai American and selections from The Landing restaurant. We can examine the wares of more than a dozen craft exhibitors, including baskets, beeswax candles, dried flowers, jewelry, wood carvings, gourmet vinegars and specialty foods. We can also board the Virginia Dare riverboat, which will be docked at the site and open for tastings and tours.
Generally, this is a pretty laid-back crowd, Talbott said. But lively, spontaneous barbershop, brass and Cajun and country music - not to mention wine and warm weather - may spark an occasional outburst of dancing in the open meadow bordering the lake. We've got time for a few quick steps ourselves. Then we've got to collect our souvenirs and maybe a few bottles of wine, get back in the car and get going.
Heading into Bedford, we'll swing by the antique and classic car show at the Westgate Shopping Center, sponsored by the Bedford Volunteer Fire Department - but only for a minute or so. Now, at a little past 4 o'clock, we're at Bedford's 12th annual Centerfest, for which they close off the center of town and set up three stages for continuous entertainment. Here, we want to see the farm expo, swing by the farmers' market to see what's available in fresh produce; and walk through the juried crafts show, which is supposed to have about 50 artists from Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The kids can raid Kid's Alley for carnival rides, ponies, clowns, bubble-blowing and pasta art.
"This is a community celebration of the town and its revitalization efforts, and a nice cheerful opening of fall," said Bedford Main Street Inc. Executive Director Elizabeth Berry-Mosley.
When the celebrating gets overwhelming, we'll go over to the second annual "Plantation Days at Historic Avenel" festival, which is running concurrently. "It's like stepping back in time to the 1800s," Avenel Foundation planner June Goode said.
With the exception of a few strolling musicians playing guitar, banjo or bagpipes, similar to what they did when the plantation was erected in 1838, it's quiet. We can tour the plantation or just sit on its big wraparound porch and watch passers-by. We'll learn from the men and women in authentic uniforms, standing by their pup tents, talking about life as it was during Civil War times. We might take a hay ride or catch a quilt- or bobbin lace-making demonstration. We may buy lavender wreaths or maybe a handmade dough tray like they used to use for making bread. But don't get too relaxed. Let's get our souvenirs - maybe some note paper, ornaments, a calendar or T-shirt. Then get back to Centerfest, where they should just be getting set up for tonight's street dance, which will run from 6:30 to 11 p.m.
What's that? Tired? Of course we're not too tired. This is a festive weekend and we're festival...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
by CNB