It’s beginning to feel a lot like… Meaford’s Christmas window unveiling. Okay, that’s a bit of a mouthful, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s that time again. Tomorrow, Saturday, November 17, the merchants of Meaford will remove the masking hiding their marvelous displays, and folks will treat themselves to an early taste of the holiday spirit.

Watch the lighting of the tree at Meaford Hall, visit the shops and the Museum, enjoy mulled cider and more, warm up by the street fires, enjoy the music of carollers… and say “Hi!” to that red-clad, white-bearded, jolly old fellow who’ll arrive on the fire truck.

And check out this video from the Riggster.

Meaford’s Scarecrow Parade is just the beginning of a busy weekend in Meaford. The weekend traditionally anchored by the Apple Harvest Craft Show – a show of carefully selected artisans and craftspeople from near and far offering everything from toys to tinware to needlework to folk art to stained glass and much more – has grown busier every year, as events and exhibits appear to tempt tourists and locals alike.

This year, the Meaford Museum is open with free admission all weekend – and on Saturday, you can can. That is, you can learn to can. Well, let’s see how the museum puts it. “Learn the steps to effective and safe canning with Isobel McInnis as she does on-site demonstrations at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3pm. Printed material will be available and you are invited to ask Isobel any questions you may have. Each demonstration will take approximately 30 minutes.”

Meanwhile, the Heatlamp at the Harbour Music Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a vendors market opening, followed by a music show for the kids, a Tex-Mex food bar featuring chili, pulled pork, nachos and a selection of hot sauces, and a series of three performances offering gutsy blues, folk, and more through the afternoon.

That’s a taste of this weekend’s events. To learn more, just head to Meaford.

They began to arrive early in September, scarecrow scouts appearing one by one to stand silent on lawns through town. By the middle of the month, they’d taken over. Everywhere you looked, straw-filled sentries – this year’s army seems to have escaped from frightening, fantastic, and farcical fairy tales – greeted you with sewn-on smiles, pasted-on pouts, or glued-on glares.

For the 16th time in as many years, Meaford’s Scarecrow Invasion was complete. Well, not quite. To celebrate its domination of Meaford, an army of scarecrows will amble down the main street of town this evening.

To see the burlap battalions in fine fettle and join in the fun, head down to Sykes Street later today. Starting at 5 p.m., enjoy the pre-parade Tartan Fling, with performances by the Celtic Dance Company of Owen Sound. At 6, prepare yourself for the parade itself, as it descends on downtown. Then, follow the tattered troops to Meaford Harbour for the Scotiabank Family Fun Festival. It’s free, and there’s a little something for everyone, including an apple pie contest, vintage vehicles on display, goats and other animals seemingly wandered in from local farms, and a performance by the Grey County Highlanders Pipes and Drums Band. Meaford’s Farmers’ Market will also be open for business.

To prepare you for what’s to come, enjoy the following videos of Meaford’s Scarecrow Parade.

Meaford, snug at the mouth of the Bighead River on Georgian Bay, lies in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and the heights of the Niagara Escarpment. You don’t need to go very far to find yourself forests, fields and wooded trails. A two-minute stroll from downtown has you at the trailhead of the Trout Hollow Trail, and another couple of minutes down the trail, you’d think you’re far from town. But you don’t even need to go that far to find a beautiful greenspace. Before taking the trail, turn around and cross the street to the entrance of Beautiful Joe Park.

This emerald jewel cradled on one side by the sweep of the river, nestled in a hollow below the streets of town, is named for the Meaford mutt made famous in the worldwide bestseller that bears his name. Sixty-nine years after Beautiful Joe, by Margaret Marshall Saunders, was published, in 1894, Meaford Mayor Frank Garvey and his wife, Judy, were walking the woods across the Bighead from their Cook Street home, and they came across an old marker near the banks of the river and below the home where the real Joe had been nursed back to health and a long life by the Moore family. They’d found Beautiful Joe’s grave.

Beautiful Joe – The Meaford Edition

The couple worked hard to establish Beautiful Joe Park on the wooded site, and today, the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society (BJHS) continues the work.

Tomorrow, the BJHS welcomes visitors to the sixth annual Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure. It’s an opportunity for people to learn more about the famous book, its author, the park, heroic canines, and more.

The family event features an interactive science tent, a fairy tale scavenger hunt with prizes for all, horse-drawn wagon rides by Ritchie’s Clydesdales, pet portraits by Wendy Webb Photography, and a number of vendors selling pet treats, toys and accessories; gifts and other items; and food for all. There’ll also be a plaque dedication ceremony and a “Blessing of the Animals” by Padre Major Michael Allen.

Padre Major Michael Allen blesses the animals at Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure

Ritchie’s Clydesdales take you on an old fashioned wagon ride at Beautiful Joe’s Autumn Adventure

Admission’s by donation to the society; just head down to the park tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

After the jazz appetizers of Friday night, you might still have an appetite for the three-course musical menu on Saturday. It starts with the Big Band Era on Saturday afternoon at the Beaver Valley Community Centre, featuring the Georgian Sound Big Band, the Lighthouse Swing Band, and the Toronto All Star Band playing jazz, swing and current “standards”. And a bevy of swing dancers will inspire you to try out some new old moves.

Had enough big band music? No, you haven’t. Starting at 7 p.m., the Georgian Sound Big Band and Toronto All Star Band lead off the evening performances. But as the night grows dark, the Martels kicking into gear with high energy 50s and 60s rock and roll hits. (The core of this group got together in 1957 and backed up teen idol Bobby Curtola.)

Or… as dusk falls, get ready for Dawn – Dawn Tyler Watson, that is – at the Westin Trillium at the Village at Blue Mountain. Dawn has won Best Female Artist at the Quebec Lys Blues Awards six times in a row, and took home the 2009 Album of the Year honours.

Dawn Tyler Watson

Don’t worry, you can sleep in Sunday morning. The musical brunch at the Golf Club at Lora Bay doesn’t begin till 10:30, and the gospel/spiritual music at St. Georges Parish Hall starts at 2 p.m.

Lora Bay’s popular 5-course brunch features the Dixieland style of the Regal Jazz Band, and the afternoon performance introduces gospel singer Dave Randall and a group of young spiritual singers, Chaverim.

In the Southern Georgian Bay area, April showers bring jazz in the wee hours… and in the afternoon… and at brunch. Just down the road, in Thornbury and Clarksburg and at Lora Bay, you can fill just about every waking moment from Friday to Sunday during Jazzmania listening to jazz, big bands, swing, gospel – and even rock ‘n’ roll.

This popular event brings in bands from far and near, featuring prominent local acts, high school jazz ensembles from the surrounding area, and well-known performers from Ontario and outside the province. This festival brings fresh meaning to the cliché, “a feast for the ears”; in fact it’s a veritable smorgasbord.

Here’s what’s on the menu.

The Jazz Youth Invitational kicks things off early on Friday, with student ensembles performing before jazz professionals and getting feedback and commentary, followed by a performance by the Noodle Factory Jazz Project. You can drop in any time.

The Music Crawl has always been a popular way to sample sounds from a variety of acts, in a variety of venues on Friday night… but before you start your jazz journey, consider this year’s new Dinner Jazz feature. Choose by venue or choose by band, but be prepared to enjoy great food and music in one of the area’s fine eateries. Here’s who’s on where.

Allister Bradley at the Ruffed Grouse Bistro
Dixie Kings at the Marsh Street Centre
Jamie Ruben & Steve Zsirai at the Sisi Trattoria
Joe Huron & Dennis McAndrew at the Bruce Wine Bar
Karen Holgate & Jan Menkal at the Simplicity Bistro
Louis Lefaive at the L E Shore Library
Mike Grace and Friends at the Beaver Valley Community Centre
Shawn Mei Trio at the Mill Café
Wayne Buttery at the St. George’s Parish Hall

Visit here to check out the menus. (And get your reservations in early)

After dinner, get ready to “crawl” with jazz and blues at a number of “hot spots” open until nigh on midnight.

That’s just the first day. Rest up for a full day Saturday, and the popular Jazz Brunch at Lora Bay on Sunday. More tomorrow.

This weird winter is wrapping up with a string of sunny, warm days in the forecast over the next week, and our local maple syrup makers are hoping for some colder nights to help this year’s sweet crop along. But even if this year’s syrup is as rare as liquid gold, make plans to take in one of the maple syrup festivals not too far from Meaford Haven.

Saturday, March 24 to Sunday, March 25
Saugeen Conservation Old-Tyme Maple Syrup Festival
Satisfy your sweet tooth and support conservation at this popular festival which features all the tasty treats, great entertainment, expert chainsaw carver Bobbi Switzer, and a step back in time at the Pioneer Encampment featuring a working blacksmith, native re-enactors, frontier popcorn and more. This year, catch the Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the largest sap bucket in the world.

Sunday, March 25
Sweetwater Festival
Along with the usual maple syrup festival fun, Wye Marsh offers a cooking demonstration featuring maple syrup specialties.

Family fun at the Holstein Maplefest

Saturday, April 14 to Sunday, April 15
18th Annual Holstein Maplefest
Visit a 40-acre working sugar bush for an “edutaining” day of demonstrations and displays, including a taffy pull and ice cream making; a free craft sale; Splash’n Boots Interactive kids show; and an all-day pancake and sausage breakfast.

Saturday, April 21
Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival
Tour the sugar bush; admire (and buy) arts, crafts and quilts; enjoy musical entertainment throughout the day; cheer on the log sawing contest and the pancake eating contest; and much more.

Meaford’s making the most of this strange winter – with the First Annual Winter Festival packing Family Day weekend with outdoor and indoor activities for all ages.

A lot of snow fell last weekend, and despite this week’s mild temps, the white stuff still drapes the ground and more’s predicted over the next couple of days. So no matter what it looks like “down country”, you can still find winter in Meaford.

The weekend kicks off tomorrow (Friday) with a Chamber of Commerce Ski Day at Beaver Valley Ski Club. This gives folks who wouldn’t normally have a chance to ski at the private club an opportunity to check out the runs and amenities. Your blogger has enjoyed these in the past, and even benefited from some great tips from Barry Altman, the Chamber Manager, who’s also a level 3 CSIA (and Level 1 telemark) ski instructor.

That night, at Meaford Hall, My Sweet Patootie (“two parts exemplary musicianship and one part vaudeville comedy,” according to Driftwood Magazine) performs clever, off-centre original songs with an old-time country feel and a modern swing. And for Family Day weekend, there’s a real deal for students on tickets

Get your team into the snowball tournament on Saturday! This organized battle of the balls combines the fun of a snowball fight with the thrill of competing for an actual goal. The sport originated in Japan and uses pre-made snowballs to ensure fairness, as well as rules and a capture-the-flag format.

Saturday also features food and special events at the Meaford Community Centre; a downtown scavenger hunt sponsored by the Meaford BIA; old-fashioned surrey rides through the historical streets of Meaford; and an open house at the Meaford Fire Hall (the new one on Stewart Street) where kids can meet Sparky, try on a firefighter’s uniform and sit in the fire engine.

Then, as darkness falls, prepare for winter chills of another sort. The Meaford Museum is offering ghost tours of the 1895 pump house that houses the museum. We have it on authority that you will be scared!

Sunday morning, head to the East Grey Anglers and Hunters Club on the Range Road for kids activities, including snowshoeing, archery and a bonfire.

Christ Church Anglican is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and the Sunday open house is a great chance to see the tour the building and see the renowned stained glass windows created from glass retrieved from bombed out European churches during WWII. (More on this soon.)

On Sunday night, head to Woodfords Community Centre for a night of Snowshoeing and Stargazing (and great ribs!). As darkness falls, you’ll hike out to the dark woods, far from artificial lights, and get a great view of the stars.

And to wrap up the long weekend, the Community Centre is offering free public skating (with a DJ), along with food, refreshments and other for the kids.

To get more details, visit here.

Well, the snow melted away before Saturday evening, but Meaford’s downtown sparkled with seasonal cheer as the merchants removed the paper hiding their window displays and welcomed all to view their displays, visit their stores, and enjoy some Christmas treats.

(The blogger arrived a little after the initial rush of Santa’s arrival, and the streets had quieted a little, as kids and families gathered round him.)

It’s a winter wonderland out there. The first snow of the season is falling gently on Meaford. Now, according to the forecast, it probably won’t still be here tomorrow, but we can hope for a little of the white stuff to garland Meaford’s downtown window unveiling this weekend.

Meaford will close off three blocks of downtown on Saturday for a pre-Christmas street party, and the shops along Sykes Street will pull off the paper that’s been hiding their holiday displays. The large tree in front of Meaford Hall will be lit, and the townsfolk will gather to visit the shops, enjoy mulled cider and other treats, warm by crackling fires, and enjoy the music of street choirs. And the kids will wait with bated breath as Santa arrives by fire truck to take his place and hear their Christmas wishes.