August 31st, 2016 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release

Roma Dingwell photo

Greetings! Well, that's a wrap. Summer is over. The Lulu Lemons, designer dogs and Range Rovers have left town so your parking spot at NiLu gym has freed up. There is no excuse now. September kicks off tomorrow and it really IS the best month to be here in the Hamlet.

This Week in Chester  Tomorrow, Thursday, Amicus Gallery is having an opening of new works by Beverley McInnes and introducing "Sea Scavengers" by Julia M. Doughty - see the horse above. This show will run from until Wednesday,September 14th. Who knew the wine and cheese season extended into the fall? Yippee ! The Village Emporium is still in full swing with lots of great summer items. They are featuring sales of 40% off summer clothing and colouring books, 25% off gardening books and chenille throws. Get your groove on to some old tunes whilst poking through all the nooks and crannies of this vastly varied gift shop. Tim Harris says, "Chester is having its first Real Estate auction. An owner of a luxury property at East River Point is tired of waiting for a buyer, so he is taking the bull by the horns and voluntarily sending it to auction without a reserve price. As far as we know this is the first 'no reserve' luxury property auction in Atlantic Canada." It will all happen 'online' September 22nd at 10am. Daily open house from 1 - 4pm till Sept 21st.  The Chester Farmers' and Artisan Market is selling off September goodies Friday at the old Train Station from 10 - 2 pm rain or shine. Fresh fish, meat, breads, veggies, baked goods, jewelry, soaps, folk art, flowers, sweet treats, hot food and more.                                                                  Brochure

I stopped at a friend's house the other day and found him stalking around with a fly swatter. When I asked if he was getting any fruit flies, he answered "Yes, three males and two females." I asked how he knew the difference. "Three were on a beer can and two were on the phone." Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

August 24th, 2016 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release                                                                                                    Dolly Hancock photo                                                                                                                                         Greetings! I was listening to CBC the other day and there was a conversation with a financial advisor regarding the Olympics and discussing the dollar aspect of raising an elite athlete. The advisor allowed that he was directing his young daughter towards a swimming ambition as "a swimsuit is way cheaper than a horse." This Week in Chester  He's  b a c k !  John Denver has risen from the dead and is "Back Home Again" with a tribute at theChester Playhouse opening tonight, Wednesday, at 8 pm, with a run until Saturday night and a matinee Saturday at 2 pm. The musical tribute to the life and music of John Denver will take you on a journey through the life of one of the world's all time great performers. With an unmistakable clear high tenor voice, Denver topped the music charts repeatedly in the 70's and 80's delivering songs that "Take me home, Country Road." The Chester Farmers' and Artisan Market are at the Train Station from 10 - 2 pm this Friday.  It's tomato season. Yippeeee ! This Saturday is the first annual "Harbour Tour and Tales" from 10- 4 pm hosted by the Chester Municipal Heritage Society. The tour begins at the Rope Loft Wharf @ 36 Water Street. View the village from the old days : tales of privateers, ghosts and courageous women; explore Pleasant and Duke Streets circa 1920's and enjoy a refreshing lemonade at the Lordly House Museum. $30 per person.  For more info call 902-275-3842 or 902-275-3826. Tickets are going faster than the Hip. This weekend is the latest QE2 Grand Prize Cottage Lottery viewing Saturday at Skipper Hill Estates and Marina in Chester Basin. The cottage will be open from 11am- 6pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until you can move in with your winning lotto ticket. The fourth annual Chester Classic Croquet Tournament is this Sunday at Lordly Park (rain date September 4th.) Email juderobertsonphoto@gmail.com or 902 225-0949 to register your team. Get out your croquet whites. Sunday the Mahone Bay Swing Band will be on stage at the Chester Bandstand starting 7 pm. This band is fantastic and is also the last band for the season's series. ! Don't miss this. Dress for the weather and bring a lawn chair or blanket.  Further info at 902-857-3943.                                                                   Next Tuesday Picnic in the Park presents the Parsons Brothers sponsored B.W. Armstrong Insurance. This is the last PiP of 2016. Hope you can come. Meals for the musicians are compliments of the Stretch Diner. Repairs to the venue were provided by Sales Beacon. Brochure 99% of socks are single and you don't see them crying about it. Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

August 17th, 2016 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release

Heather McGuire Photography

Greetings! I am plagiarizing this - "To misquote Winston Churchill, 'Race Week is not the end but it is, perhaps, the beginning of the end.'" My new MO for race week is no sailing to conserve the energy to party. Years ago, I had the stamina to do both. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

PhotoBoat.com

This Week in Chester  Tonight, Wednesday, get to the Playhouse at 8pm for the opening of Here Lies Henry, featuring Rhys Bevan-John as an idyllic, sort of nightmarish, sort of storybook, sort of regular, sort of miserable, sort of a story: a man alone in a room with a mission to tell you something you don't already know. When a self-confessed liar, Henry Tom Gallery II is your only reliable source and conduit into this world, it's hard to know what is lie and what is truth; the lines are blurred and the choice is ours to make.Daniel MacIvor has defined this one one-man show and Rhys is just the actor to crack it. Thursday evening from 7-9pm the Chester Legion is hosting part 2 of the ReVision meetings for the Hamlet. This one deals with Public Design for the Village. Get there and share your ideas. This Thursday is Outdoor Movie Night @ 8:30 pm at Graves Island Park. It's the Minion movie! Dress your rugs rats appropriately. Popcorn and water will be provided by the Recreation crew free of charge or with a donation to PRO Kids. Rain date: Friday, August 19th. All ages welcome. The Chester Farmers' and Artisan Market is back on Friday from 10 - 2 pm. This Friday you are invited to tea with Mrs. Lordly from 2-4 pm at the Lordly House Museum at 133 Central Street. View the Blandford display and see how Lordly House has come alive this year. Free admission. With a nod to our summer friends who are in town, here is a link to the American Connection that was compiled by the Chester Municipal Heritage Society. "Sherman, set the way back machine." On Saturday there is a cold plate dinner, silent auction and dance fundraiser at the Chester Legion for Harold Acker, long-time resident of East River, who lost his home and all belongings to a fire with no insurance. $10 includes salads, sliced ham and turkey, rolls and dessert from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. Auction and dancing starts @ 9 pm. All items/donations happily accepted. For further info call Sheila or Tony at 902-275-5720                                                                  Looking ahead to next week and if you've ever been interested in portrait painting, Dawn Harwood-Jones has the class for you. Join her next Wednesday and Thursday at the Chester Art Centre from 10 - 4 pm. $140. Bring your lunch pail.  Next Saturday, August 27th, the Chester Municipal Heritage Society presents its "Harbour Tour and Tales" from 10am - 4pm. The tour begins at the Rope Loft Wharf and is $30 / person rain or shine. See Chester from the water; listen to tales of privateers, ghosts and courageous women; explore Pleasant and Duke Streets circa 1920's and enjoy refreshing lemonade at Lordly House Museum. Get your advance tickets here or dial up the after life at 902-275-3842. Next Tuesday, Picnic in the Park presents "Amanda Riley" sponsored by All Outdoors Landscaping. Meals for the musicians are compliments of the Stretch Diner. Repairs to the venue were provided by Sales Beacon. Brochure

Overheard at a 50th reunion..."It is better to be seen than viewed." Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

August 10th,2016 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release

Heather McGuire Photography

Greetings! It's Race Week. Love it or hate it, it's here. South Shore taxi is standing by for your call. 902-277-2727. The Chester Art Centre raised over $33,000 at the garden party last week to fund classes, workshops, and special talks about all things arty. Many thanks to the volunteers and participants.

Lloyd Spiegel

This Week in Chester  In exactly 1.5 hours there will be a Goslings Rum Seminar at the Fo'c'sle Pub @ 2:30pm.Taste three Gosling's Rums and take away the glass! Tickets are $10 cash at the Fo'c'sle.  Run. Those of you that are out of water might want to a attend tonight's Village Commission meeting at 7 pm in their offices at the corner of King and Pleasant Streets. On the agenda is a central water feasibility study. Bring your tub toys - maybe they have a shower. Cynthia Myers is back ! She has harnessed 25 short ones and is bringing them to the stage tonight at 7 pm and all this week until Saturday night with a matinee on Saturday at 2 pm. The Chester Playhouse Summer Theatre School presents "Damn Yankees." Baseball lovers everywhere can identify with insurance agent Joe Boyd, a die-hard Washington Senators fan who puts his soul in hock to help them wrest the pennant away from the hated, all-conquering Yankees. Light, fast-paced and devilishly clever, Damn Yankees is a home-run hit; a wicked romantic comedy, with a memorable escape clause. Tomorrow, Thursday, there is a "Pop Up Show" featuring paintings, prints and pots crafted by Robert Seyffert, Rosi Robinson and Alexandra McCurdy. The opening reception is from 6-8 pm at 54 Queen Street behind the old Haven Herald.The show runs until Saturday from 11am-5 pm. The Chester Farmers' and Artisans are back on Friday from 10 am - 2 pm rain or shine and judging by the past month, it will be shine. A food bounty awaits you. Saturday there is a breakfast at the Chester Legion from 7:30 - 10:30 am. Eggs (any way you like them), French toast, hash browns, beans, bacon, sausages, toast, tea/coffee and juice. Unwind from Race Week with Paul and Eilidh Buchanan playing Scottish Fiddle at the Chester Bandstand at 7 pm Sunday evening. The Chester Playhouse welcomes one of Australia's top guitarists, Lloyd Spiegel, on stage at 8pm Sunday night. This soulful blues artist performs with the command of his instrument, storytelling, and powerful stage persona. He came all this way to Chester ! Go check him out.                                                I know we'd all rather be sailing but this is important stuff !                   Next Tuesday, Picnic in the Park presents "Jamie Junger & Friends" sponsored by Hawboldt Industries. Get out your pickle jar and get over there. Meals for the musicians are compliments of the Stretch Diner. Repairs to the venue were provided by Sales Beacon. Brochure

When life is stressful, do something to lift your spirits. Go for a drive. Go two or three thousand kilometers away. Maybe change your name. Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

August 3rd, 2016 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release

Greetings! How's your well? Eating off paper plates yet? Reverting to the Victorian age and topping up on the perfume? Get your pail and shovel out and head to the beach. Lots of water there. These are the summer temperatures we've been waiting for since February. The Chester Arts Centre garden party last night was a resounding success. Nothing like a little Taylor Swift to "Shake it Off." Congratulations to the organizers - you can breathe now.

This Week in Chester  Tonight, Wednesday, is the opening of "Bohemians in Brooklyn" at the Chester Playhouse. Join the cast in a story of four artists who lived together in New York in the early 1940s. When a poet, author, composer and his lover, and a book-loving stripper all move into the same house you'll find arguments, indulgence, infestation, questionable relationships, a murder mystery, and plenty of reasons for the neighbours be pissed off. This show is a potent mix of cabaret, social history, juicy gossip and glorious music. The curtain goes up at 8 pm every night until Saturday with a 2 pm matinee on Saturday. Tomorrow night, Thursday, is Poppy Balser's opening at Amicus Gallery on a very Pleasant Street from 6-8pm. Get the Nantucket reds and your whale belt out and get over there. Be prompt as Poppy is popular. The Chester Farmers' and Artisan Market was a mad house last week! Oh la la ! Get to the old train station early on Friday to ensure you are first in line. The market opens at 10 am and goes until 2 pm or until they run out. The Chester Classics Regatta is on this weekend in the bay. Drop by the Rope Loft and install yourself with a festive caesar on the deck and watch those beauties race around the course. The weekend will wrap up with the Chester Brass Band performing at the bandstand due west of the CYC starting at 7pm. We are fortunate to have this Sunday series of music, so please get out and support it.                                                                    Next Tuesday Picnic in the Park presents "Short Notice" sponsored by Access Storage from 6-8 pm at Lordly Park. Sales Beacon of Chester has literally created the framework for "Picnic in the Park"  this summer. Formerly Mdina, Sales Beacon donated the money to rebuild the gazebo so the talent wouldn't fall through the floor. A big thank you to this team for keeping the fun family night and our entertainers alive. The gloves are coming off. Next week is Chester Race Week which runs from Wednesday until last man standing. Get your party flag out and get some sleep this week. You're going to need it. Remember, it's a marathon, not a race.                                                                   cooling down this week    Brochure

The collapse of the main ramp of Marina da Gloria, the sailing venue of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, was caused by: 1. Storm waves + high tides 2. Shoddy workmanship 3. Attacking Zika Mosquitos 4. Floating Poo 5. Donald Trump 6. Extreme Islamic Terrorists 7. Climate Change 8. The Girl from Ipanema 9. Honduran Immigrants 10. Moby Dick 11. Aliens 12. Vladimir Putin Vote now. Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!