Sherbrooke Village Celebrates Season's End
Thanksgiving weekend in Sherbrooke will be extra special this year thanks to folklorist Clary Croft and some of the region's best scarecrows.
Mr. Croft, one of Nova Scotia's pre-eminent folklorists and musicologists, has conducted extensive research into the origins of the musical traditions of Nova Scotia and is a weekly contributor to CBC radio's Mainstreet on the subject of folklore.
He returns to Sherbrooke on Friday, Oct. 10 with a benefit concert in aid of the Historic Sherbrooke Village Development Society. The concert marks Mr. Croft's first Sherbrooke appearance in two years. Clary is an honourary lifetime director of the Historic Sherbrooke Village Development Society and a recipient of the Sir John Coape Sherbrooke Heritage Award.
The all-acoustic benefit concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10 in the Sherbrooke Courthouse. Clary will be joined by the Sherbrooke Trio, a group of Sherbrooke area singers. Tickets are $8 and are available by contacting the village.
On Saturday, the fun continues when the fourth annual Sherbrooke Scarecrow Festival kicks off at 1 p.m.
Last year, 23 scarecrows were on exhibit in and around Sherbrooke Village with entries from village staff, local businesses and community groups, members of the general public and the local high school tourism class. This year, scarecrow artist Angella Geddes, of The Scarecrows of Necum Teuch, will display some of her intricate work.
Visitors will be able to vote for their favourite scarecrow during the festival, which runs until 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Monday. A people's choice award will be presented on Monday at the close of the festival. Scarecrows will also be judged in a number of categories including scariest, most original and best staff entry.
Sherbrooke Village will officially end the 2003 season on Wednesday, Oct. 15 but will host Old Fashioned Christmas activities during the last weekend of November and the first weekend of December.
For more information on benefit concert tickets or on the scarecrow festival call 1-800-743-7845 or visit the Web site at http://museum.gov.ns.ca/sv .