ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270023
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: the tipoff
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES
CLASSIC CRAFTS: Among arts and crafts fairs, the Virginia-Carolina Craftsmen's Fall Classic, at the Roanoke Civic Center today through Sunday, is a biggie. More than 250 vendors will sell and talk about their eclectic collections of pottery, wood, jewelry, baskets, fine and folk art, sculpture, musical instruments, toys, dolls and more. Doors open today at 10 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Other hours are Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday noon - 6 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for children ages 6 through 12. Call 981-1201.
FAIR WEATHER: is what many people are hoping for because this is the weekend for several major and many mini festivals and fairs around town:
Performing and visual arts, children's activities, ethnic and traditional foods, "Afrocentric" vendors, celebrations of the diverse heritage and culture of people of African descent, and good old gatherings among friends will characterize the annual Henry Street Heritage Festival, Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. in Elmwood Park, downtown Roanoke. Admission to the festival is free, but it will cost $5 to dance at the prefestival disco at Lowell's Restaurant and Supper Club, starting at 9 tonight. Call 345-4818.
Dancing, storytelling, music, clowns, crafts, sheep dog exhibitions, a sampling of traditional games, and celebrations of Southwest Virginia's Celtic and Appalachian heritage will characterize the Highlanders Festival, starting with a pipes and drums parade at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Radford University. There is no admission charge. Call 831-5324.
Crafts, herbs, needlework, art, children's activities and tours recounting the quaint hamlet's history will characterize the Historic Fincastle Inc. 28th Fincastle Festival. The old-fashioned street fair will be open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday. There is no cost for admission. Call 473-3077.
Fall decorations, quilts, homemade breads and fresh farm produce will characterize the Burkes Garden Fall Festival, atop the state's highest mountain valley. The gathering, starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, will be in the magnificent 5-by-10-mile Burkes Garden valley, surrounded by the continuous Garden Mountain. Admission is free. Call (540) 472-2311.
OFF THE WALL: Well, actually off the garage doors is a more accurate description of the display mode at Art In The Alley's annual invitational show of professional artists. The show is Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Langhorne Place, Salem. Included will be works by Peyton Klein, Harriett Stokes, Eric Fitzpatrick, Hayden Hollingsworth, Peter Wreden and others. In case of inclement weather, the show will be at Olde Salem Framing & Galley, 201 E. Main St., Salem. For information, call 389-6357.
FLEET FOUR FEETS: The Blue Ridge Association for Sighthounds' Lure Coursing Trial, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, will include competition among some of the world's fastest dog breeds, including Greyhound, Whippet, Borzoi, Salukis, Basenjis and Rhodesian Ridgebacks, as well as rare breeds, such as Azawahks, Chart Polski and Galego Espanol. Admission to the Fincastle grounds is free. For details and directions, call 992-5793 or 343-9889.
SOLITUDE SUPPORT: Proceeds from the performance of musical excerpts from Lee Smith's "The Devil's Dream" will help restore Virginia Tech's oldest building, Solitude. The show, 8 p.m. Monday at Tech's Squires Student Union, will feature the cast from the Barter Theatre production of the play performing musical styles from Celtic, a cappella Appalachian, honky-tonk and beach music to gospel. A donation of $10 from nonstudents and $5 from students is suggested. The play may be seen in its entirety at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon through Oct. 27. Call 231-9593.
SYNTAX SLAMMIN' will happen at the Roanoke Poetry Slam, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Full Moon Cafe in on Roanoke City Market, downtown Roanoke. Sarah Miller will be featured. Call 989-6251.
SIBLING SUPPORT: A Hank Williams Jr. impersonator; the sweet '60s harmonies of La La Land; hot dance steps by Leather & Lace; and a performance by 1996's Ms. Senior Citizen Shirley Vaughan will aid Roanoke's newest sister city, Lijiang, China, in its revcovery from a devastating earthquake suffered in February. Admission costs $8 in advance or $10 at the door. The show is Thursday at 7 p.m. at Patrick Henry High School. Call 342-7739.
HOUSING BROWSING: The Smith Mountain Lake Multiple Sclerosis Home Tour, Oct. 4-6, will let you ogle other people's pads without considering buying them. The range will span from a town house with Oriental carpets and granite counter tops to homes filled with antiques and folk art. The $10 advance tickets, good for all three days of the tour, will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, specifically in Southwest and northwest Virginia. Call 297-TOUR.
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