This week I want to use this space to tell you about some upcoming festivals that I?ll be attending. Of course I will be signing, and selling copies of my two novels, Guardian Spirit, and The Color of My Heart at these events.
This Saturday, July 20th, I will be at ?Farmer?s Day in China Grove.? This is a huge event. The streets of China Grove are packed with vendors peddling their wares and people, people, people. Check out their website at: http://chinagrovefarmersday.com/
On Friday July 26th, and Saturday July 27th I will be attending ?The Blue Ridge Mountain Arts and Crafts Fair? in Sparta, North Carolina. This event is open from 2pm until 5pm on Friday, and from 10am until 5pm on Saturday. Come on up to the beautiful mountains and relax under the shade trees at Crouse Park. Listen to music, eat some great food, and check out all the neat crafts and works of art.
August is sort of a slow festival month but you don?t want to miss ?The Grayson County Wine Festival? in Independence, Virginia on Saturday, August 24th from 4pm until dusk. For more details check out their website: http://www.graysonwinefest.org/
September and October is cranking up to be a busy couple of months. On Saturday September 21st you can attend ?The 16th Annual Sweet Potato Festival? in Rockford, North Carolina. I will not be able to attend this event this year because I will be speaking at a Women?s Conference at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in State Road, North Carolina. For more information on either of these events here are their website addresses: http://www.rockfordgeneralstore.com/
http://www.pleasantridgebaptistchurch.org/
Saturday September 28th you can mosey on down, or up, depending on where you?re coming from to Elkin, North Carolina to the ?Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival.? This event is open from 8:45am until 5pm. There are all kinds of children?s events and activities at this festival. Great food, craft vendors, corn hole competitions, pie eating contest, inflatables, live music and authors, like Richard Nance and myself signing copies of our novels. My new children?s picture book, titled, The Manger Mouse will be launched by this time. I can?t wait for everyone to see this book. The illustrations by Debbie Wall
are awesome and the story isn?t half bad either.
On October 5th and 6th you can visit Historic Downtown Salisbury and ?The Autumn Jubilee Festival? at Dan Nicholas Park. http://www.dannicholas.net/ads_jubilee.aspx
Then, October 11th, 12th and 13th you can come to the ?47th Annual Autumn Leaves Festival? in Mount Airy, North Carolina. On Friday and Saturday the event will be open from 9am until 9pm, and on Sunday from 12noon until 6pm. http://www.autumnleavesfestival.com/ncfallfestival.aspx
This one I?m really looking forward to, ?The 40th Annual Carolina BalloonFest.? This event is held on the south side of Statesville Regional Airport in Statesville, North Carolina. This three-day event is October 18-20th. Festival hours on Friday are 3pm until 10pm, Saturday 9:30am until 6:30pm, and on Sunday from 9:30am until 4:30pm. This event includes upscale artworks and handcrafts by regional artists, a Kids Zone with ongoing youth activities, an Eat Street, I think we all know what that is, and wine and beer tasting. There will also be a Marketplace where businesses and charitable organizations will showcase products and services, and of course great entertainment and balloons everywhere. http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com/carolina_hot_air_balloon_fest_statesville_nc_usa.html
Last but not least visit the quaint little community of Clingman, North Carolina. On November 23rd at the Clingman Community Center ?The 3rd Annual Christmas in Clingman? will be held from 8am until 2pm. This is a busy little event with great vendors and lots of food and fun. And, most of the time Santa shows up wanting to have his picture taken with all the children.
Looks like there will be plenty of food, fun and festivals in the weeks ahead to keep me busy, and you entertained. I?m looking forward to meeting new folks and catching up with old friends at these events. Mark your calendars, and if you forget the dates you can visit my website and click ?Events,? you?ll find everything posted there. www.SarahMartinByrd.com/events/
See you soon.
