Nov. 22nd, 2023 Press Release

Chester Merchants Press Release

Greetings! Only 1 month til the days start getting longer! It's all "go" in Chester this weekend. Organize and prioritize your festivities to get the most out of the weekend 'cause there is a LOT going on. 

"Going Coastal" at 41 Queen St is having their 11th annual Christmas show and furniture sale with local art, crafts, home decor, and holiday items at great prices. Furniture is up to 75% off during this once-a-year event. Extended hours this Saturday with treats and giveaways. Enter to win their vintage home pantry jelly cabinet, stocked with pantry goods this weekend. The art show runs from this week til December 23rd. "Give the Gift of Art this Holiday Season" is a curated collection of local artists' smaller works, perfect for holiday gifts.

The Captain’s House Gallery is also open this Friday from 5pm-7pm.

The popular new kid on the block is Jay Hiltz's "Mercantile on Duke." This Saturday from noon - 1pm they are having a Christmas story book reading. Following that from 2pm-7pm there is an in store sip & shop, 15% off on purchases over $100. Joining in will be four other vendors doing an in-store pop-up.The Mercantile is also open Sunday from noon - 5pm with an in-store food theme pop-up and tasting with participating vendors.

This Saturday the Chester Playhouse will be open for drop-in tours between 1-3 pm, then at 4 pm they are screening the movie ELF. The movie is "Pay What You Can" in advance, or by donation at the door (first-come first-served.)

The Chester Art Centre is a beehive of activity this weekend. All the gingerbread houses will be on display here. Stop by and see these sugary delights! Countless hours of labour have gone into these molasses creations. They are kicking off the holiday season with the festive online "Mini Auction" fundraiser. Bid on your favourite pieces online starting tomorrow, Thursday, until Friday, December 1st. The artwork will be displayed in the gallery so you can see it up close and personal. Amazing artwork by amazing local artists.  There will be a felted gnome making workshop, a tree decoration workshop and a fun event to make little pine cone Christmas trees. I'll be selling hot dog steamers on the deck Saturday afternoon. Excitement of epic proportions!

Wednesday, December 6th is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at the Chester Playhouse, presented by the Chester Drama Society. This is holiday fun for all ages, directed by Cynthia Myers. 24 children and youth, plus 13 adults on stage. 65 people involved ranging in age from 5 to 90! The show runs until Saturday, December 9th. This is not to be missed!

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After all the excitement of the weekend, you might want to unwind... Mount Gay Eclipse Hot Toddy: 2 oz Mount Gay Eclipse Rum Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice ¼ cup of warm water with a teaspoon of honey 4 oz Hot Apple Cider (warm with 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp cinnamon powder) Stir all ingredients together in a coupe or highball glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or apple slice and serve. Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants' Group

Nov. 16th, 2023 Press Release

Chester Merchants Press Release

Greetings! Well, it’s been a year. A year of wildfires, floods and hurricanes. Let’s move forward and look ahead to a fun holiday season. 

It is our annual Chester Merchants’ Group “Chester Village Christmas” event next weekend! Lots of good old-fashioned fun things for kids, families, youth and grown-ups to do, as well as free tastings, giveaways, samples and prizes!  We could use a few more volunteers if you have a couple of hours to spare.  Please contact Lorraine @ 902-209-9483 if you can help out.

It is Market Weekend next weekend! 1. Saturday, Nov 25th is the Christmas Craft Market at the Baptist Church @ 84 King Street from 9 am to 2 pm. Canteen and take-out are available. 2. Christmas Bazaar at St. Stephen’s Church Hall @54 Regent Street from 10:30 am to 1 pm. Sit-in or Take-out. Wreaths, book table, craft table, and bake table. 3. Sunday, November 26th is the Christmas Market at Chester Area Middle School @204 Duke Street Sunday from 9 am - 1pm. Hosted by Chester Farmers and Artisans. 30 local vendors and artisans. Baked goods, honey, soaps, treats, meats and maybe... a knitted hat. Here's what's happening at the Chester Art Centre this month ...

The Chester Art Centre is kicking off the season with its Festive Mini Auction online fundraiser. Bid on your favourite pieces online starting next Thursday, November 23rd until December 1st. The artwork will also be displayed in the gallery to see it up close and personal. Amazing artwork by local artists. Bid on your favourite piece online on the Chester Art Centre website. The closing reception and holiday party is from 5 - 7 pm Friday, December 1. Meet the artists, get help with last-minute bids and enjoy festive treats.

Wednesday, December 6th is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at the Chester Playhouse, presented by the Chester Drama Society. This is holiday fun for all ages, directed by Cynthia Myers. 24 children and youth, plus 13 adults on stage. 65 people involved ranging in age from 5 to 90! The show runs until Saturday, December 9th. This is not to be missed!

Remember to relax this holiday season

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Despite being a qualified meteorologist, Jeffrey had a terrible record of forecasting for the news. It became a bit of a joke when the local paper began keeping a record of his predictions and showed that he’d been wrong almost 300 times in a single year. That kind of notoriety got him fired. He moved to another part of the country and applied for a similar job. One question on the job application form asked for the reason for leaving his previous position. Jeffrey wrote,” The climate didn’t agree with me." Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants' Group

Aug. 9th, 2023 Press Release

Chester Merchants Press Release Greetings! It sure was a super (moon) week. The night skies were amazing and the tides exceptional. Here are a few other super moon shots from around the world last week. We are all about arts and culture here in Chester this week. Don't miss out ! The Chester Art Centre is pulling out all the stops this weekend for a top notch bash. There is something for everyone - even if you are not under 30. Art, music, food and so much more. Please see the attached schedule to plan your weekend of merriment. Celebrate summer at the Rope Loft with a Gosling's Dark n’ Stormy.  Featuring Pub Night, with Roaster Wings and Potato Skins - Thursdays at 5 pm. Fresh Seafood Daily!  This Saturday is the Chester Heritage Society's annual yard sale at the Chester Train Station from 9:30 - 2:00 pm. Rain date: Sunday, August 13. They have several large furniture items on the block. For donations drop off: 902-275-8416 / 902-275-3826 by Friday, August 11th. Organizations or groups are welcome to come sell as well: $20/Table. For more info call 902-275-8416 or email lordlyhouse@gmail.com. The Chester Playhouse continues their "Playhouse Without Walls" with "New Waterford Boy: A Ceilidh" Show times are this Saturday @ 7:30 PM and Sunday @ 2:00 PM Part East Coast kitchen party, part inspiring storytelling, part ceilidh, get ready to sing along with New Waterford Boy! An intimate, upbeat kitchen party where Richie Wilcox tells personal tales of being Rita MacNeil’s nephew for a week, conquering first kisses at junior high dances, the inner workings of Canadian Idol, and more. He belts Cape Breton classic tunes from the Rankin Family, Rita MacNeil, and John Allan Cameron. The Chester Bandstand summer concert series continues this Sunday evening with the Tuesday Night Show Band from 7-8:30 PM. Don't miss this. Upbeat tunes, swing, show tunes- fun stuff ! This band is terrific. Ahhh. Summer. Time to kick back and relax. This year is The Bluenose's 60th Anniversary ! I was digging around YouTube and found an old Rick Mercer clip from his day out on the Bluenose. Check out our blog Visit our website A bargain is something you can’t use at a price you can’t resist.  Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants' Group