Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the 36th Annual Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm Harvest Festival. This is an event I try never to miss. There are so many delicious goodies to eat and drink there – all grown and prepared right on the farm. The weather was beautiful and the setting looked pretty with the fall colors starting to turn.

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

They also sell the most wonderful-smelling bunches of sweet annie and arrangements of dried flowers. I bought two bunches this year. I also picked up some bottled bee pollen, as I have been reading lately that it is one of the most nutritious foods on earth. I am trying it sprinkled into my breakfast cereal in the morning. I couldn’t resist starting my Christmas shopping early either when I found a beautifully hand crafted item that I know my husband will love finding under the tree… but shhh, I’ve already said too much!

I learned so many interesting things from the demonstrators, too – which is the part I look forward to most each year. This year I learned about herbs, woodworking, different styles of lace making, life during the Civil War (I learn something new from the Civil War reenactors each year), cheese making, and natural yarn dyeing the old fashioned way – just to name a few!

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

What Fun at The Witches Ball!

I am back from my first craft show, which was also my first Halloween party for the year, and feeling energized.  Halloween is my favorite time of year, and this festival was a great way to get into the holiday spirit!  The decorations and Halloween colored lights throughout the streets were amazing, there were plenty of yummy treats to be had (my favorites being the warm and fresh kettle corn and the hot apple cider), and many people went all-out with their costumes.  It was so fun to see all of the creative costumes throughout the night from my booth viewpoint.  It was also great fun to see and hear people’s reactions to my products and help them with their purchases.  Many comments during the night really made me smile. Here are some of the photos that I managed to snap during one of my brief forrays outside of my booth (note to self: bring my tripod next time).

The Witches Ball 2009 in Mount Holly, NJ

The Witches Ball 2009 in Mount Holly, NJ
This was the giant witch that greeted visitors to the Ball.

The Witches Ball 2009 in Mount Holly, NJ
That’s my booth on the right, and to the left was talented painter/sculptor Linda Mehnert. I bought one of her cat sculptures and just adore it!

The Witches Ball 2009 in Mount Holly, NJ
This was the view of the booths to my right from inside my booth.

And just to give you an idea of how amazing the costumes were, here is a photo that I borrowed from The Witches Ball Costume Contest Winners page of their website – this was my favorite costume of the night, which I was lucky enough to get to see up close (the wings were jointed and moved – and the detail in her dress and choker were amazing).

Best Fasntasy Costume at The Witches Ball 2009 - Bride of Death