June 5th, 2020 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release                                                                                                        Jim Barkhouse photo                                                                                                                                                                            Greetings!   Chester is emerging from a    l o n g    winter's nap. Boats are on the water, the golf course is packed, the community vegetable beds are planted.... We are READY ! All we need is YOU to come join us. #StepUpForLocal                                                                                         Chester is Open for Business           The Rope Loft is Open for Dining In! They're kicking the season off tonight with Friday Night Prime Rib. Catch the afternoon sun on the patio before dinner! Business Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11:30 am - 8 pm Friday - Saturday: 11:30 am - 9 pm The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority. We have adopted all sanitation measures to ensure a safe environment. Tables are 6 feet apart - booths have extended barriers Maximum of 10 people at a table RED MEANS STOP - a red buoy signifies that a table is not ready As required - please have one person in your group provide their name and contact information Enter through the main entrance only Please respect 6-foot distancing when entering and exiting Once entered, please go directly to your table There are two washrooms - limited to one person at a time Hand sanitizer pumps are placed throughout the building Restaurant doors close at 11 pm We are riding the tide. Changing with the rules and regulations to keep everyone safe and happy. Bubble up, take a seat & we'll take care of the rest.  Going Coastal is now open as of June 6  Store Hours are Saturday and Sunday 10-3 pm.  Opening full time hours in the coming weeks. Find them online  follow us on Facebook and Instagram. The Kiwi Café and Pantry are open regular hours 8 am - 5 pm daily. Full menu available for dine in or takeaway. Daily fresh baked goods. Shop the pantry for a great selection of local cheeses, vegetables, specialty groceries, chocolates, frozen meals, soups and gift items. Phone in orders welcome at 902.275.1492.                                                                                                                     Malcolm Callaway Amicus Gallery, located in the heart of Chester at 20 Pleasant Street, has re-opened its doors! Currently they are open Saturdays from 11am - 3pm, but as the warmer weather comes, they will open on Sundays as well. Once July hits they will be open full time. They look forward to welcoming you!                                                               While White Gate figures out how and when to resume full dine-in service, they have launched White Gate Lite for take out on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6pm. Hours will expand as demand rises, until they are fully re-opened. Take out patrons are welcome to eat their take out on the White Gate Deck. Orders may be place in advance or customers can walk in and order on the spot. For advance ordering either email info@whitegate.ca or phone 902.275.4400 Find them on Instagram or Facebook Roll on summer ! The Village Emporium gift shop is now open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am -5pm. Extended hours coming soon - watch their Facebook page for updates. New stock is arriving including a selection of summer dresses, tops, pants and hats. Also come check out our five new vendors waiting to show off their exciting products. They also stock locally made cloth face masks. The Mecklenburgh Inn is open and observing Covid protocols. Lots of room for distancing. Why not spend the weekend in Chester? Heavenly beds. Heavenly location. Endless Possibilities. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.                                     Brochure       Observation: The world is now Las Vegas. Everybody is losing money, it's acceptable to drink at all hours, and no one has any idea what day it is.      Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

December 30th, 2019 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Greetings!   Turkey all gone?  Just in time to load up the fridge with champagne. Nothing like a bottle of bubbles to ease you into the New Year.

This Week in Chester       Tomorrow night is New Year's Eve. Why not ring it in at White Gate? They have 4 spaces leftfor a  five course culinary extravaganza plus a glass of bubbles to toast 2020, $85 per person, with an optional wine pairing available for purchase.  Phone   902.275.4400 or email  info@whitegate.ca And now onto  Levee Day affairs... The Fo'c'sle Pub is first out of the gate by throwing open their doors at 11 am. There will be a complimentary buffet offered by the owners and staff from 12 pm onward. The Playhouse is also vying for opening position at 11am The Chester Yacht Club is welcoming members and guests to join them at 1 pm.                                                                We have a new SPA aahhh  in the 'hood ! Book yourself in and shake off the toxins of the holidays.                                          Brochure

Happy New Year to you and yours from the Chester Merchants.   All the best for 2020 - Hit the ground running !         Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

December 18th, 2019 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Greetings!   It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the hamlet. Everyone and everything is decorated for the season. All our shops are open and await you. Why not visit us here in Chester?                                                                                         Some are happy about the weather ...                                                                                Some, not so much                                                                                               This Week in Chester       Tonight, Wednesday, is the 20th (!) Annual Sing Choirs evening of Christmas music at the Chester United Baptist Church, 84 King Street at 7:30 pm.  The evening features St. Stephen's Anglican Choir, Chester United Baptist Choir, Studio Singers Community Choir, St. Augustine's Catholic Singers, Musical Friends Youth Choir, with a special guest appearance by Dirty Dougie and the Divine Dandies. Admission is pay-what-you-will at the door, to benefit the CAMS Well-Fed Students Lunch Program. Storm date: Thursday,December 19th. Why not ring in the New Year at White Gate? They are holding their annual New Year's Eve event, a 5 course culinary extravaganza plus a glass of bubbles to toast 2020, $85 per person, and an optional wine pairing available for purchase on the night. They are taking bookings now, and still have some space available. Phone  902.275.4400 or email  info@whitegate.ca                                                                                                   Brochure   Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women have never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present.       Merry Christmas and best wishes to you and yours from the Chester Merchants.         Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

December 11th, 2019 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Greetings!   We're on the home stretch... 2 weeks. 14 days 336 hours There's still time...                                                                                         This is happening right now at the Village Emporium on Pleasant Street !!                                                                                                                                                                               This Week in Chester    Tonight, Wednesday, at 8 pm the Chester Drama Society will premiere Malcolm Callaway's Christmas farce "The Secret Diary of M" at the Chester Playhouse. The play runs until Saturday evening. Tonight is "pay what you can." Set on Oak Island, where several groups have laid claim to the area, bizarre characters challenge the theory of a hidden treasure left by pirates. Unlike his summer works, Malcolm's Christmas plays are not known for solid plots or deep meaning. In fact, they have been said to be more shallow than a cookie sheet.The Secret Diary of M (the Sequel) is no exception. Intended for those who tire of the commercialization of Christmas, laughter is the one constant in the Chester Drama Society's Christmas plays.  Tickets are racing out the front door.  902 275-3933 The Shore Club in Hubbards is a wrap for 2019 but they are readying for 2020. Shore Club VIP passes are now available until Christmas Eve or until they run out. The VIP pass allows free admission to all the regular Saturday night dances for the upcoming season, approximately 25 nights, featuring all the top bands in Nova Scotia. On busy nights, the VIP pass takes you to the front of the line, and should you not be able to attend, the pass is fully transferable. VIP passes are $100 and may be ordered at    lobster@shoreclub.ca    A bargain for top drawer entertainment ! Iconic Shore Club hats are also available, $25,or you might want to give a gift that everyone enjoys - lobster. There are gift certificates for any denomination for the 'almost famous' Shore Club Lobster Supper - going into its 84th year. This Friday Black Harbour Distillers will be hosting "Christmas at the Distillery"  (419 Highway 329, Fox Point) from 7 - 10 pm. Stop by to sample their products and enjoy the music. This Sunday, December 15th, Chester's own Teresa Bergen will be in, or near, her studio at # 117 Highway 14 (just past Oceanview Nurseries) from 10am - 5pm "by appointment or chance in perpetuity." Teresa is a ceramic artist who creates exuberant one of a kind sculptures and exotic intricate teapots - a hint of fairy tale mixed with glamour. Cranks, pulleys and gears allow the viewer to participate in the actions of these ceramic creations. This is a rare opportunity to see and purchase Teresa Bergen's work. Don't miss out. 902 299 0640                                                                 Next Tuesday, December 17th, the Chester Playhouse presents their 2nd annual "By Folk-El Spectacular Holiday Social"  from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.  Get your tickets now for this extraordinary "Kitchen Party" produced by Andrew Hamson and Friends.  Tickets $25 and include a burrito. Yes. A burrito. For info/tickets, call 902-275-3933   Next Wednesday is the 20th (!)  Annual Sing Choirs evening of Christmas music at the Chester United Baptist Church, 84 King Street at 7:30 pm.  The evening features St. Stephen's Anglican Choir, Chester United Baptist Choir, Studio Singers Community Choir, St. Augustine's Catholic Singers, Musical Friends Youth Choir, with a special guest appearance by Dirty Dougie and the Divine Dandies. Admission is pay-what-you-will at the door, to benefit the CAMS Well-Fed Students Lunch Program. Storm date: Thursday,December 19th.                                     Brochure           Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!

December 3rd, 2019 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Greetings!     The Chester Village Christmas Festival last weekend was a huge success. There was so much going on it was hard to focus on any one event.  The giant Gingerbread Man running through the streets being chased by hoards of children certainly caught my eye as I glanced out the window... There were dogs that looked like Christmas trees, cookies that looked like Christmas trees and people that looked like Christmas trees. Everyone was sporting an elf name tag. "McJingle Glitter Balls" was my favourite.   The gingerbread house creations were truly magnificent. All of them !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                And then there were the dogs whose owners missed the dog parade ...

This Week in Chester     Tonight, Wednesday, Jeremy Dutcher will be performing at the Chester Playhouse at 7:30 pm. Performer, composer, activist, musicologist - these roles are all infused into his art and way of life. His music, too, transcends boundaries: playful in its incorporation of classical influences, full of reverence for the traditional songs of his home, and teeming with the urgency of modern-day struggles of resistance. Tickets $35 This Saturday is Christmas at the Hubbards Barn from 8 -12 noon. There will be fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheese, wine, spirits, soaps, ornaments, pottery, cards, salts, wood carvings, wreaths, beer, spirits, hats, authors, woodwork, jewelry and more.  For a full list of vendors visit our website,  This Sunday the Chester Brass is presenting their Christmas Dinner Gala at Oak Island Resort @ 5:30 pm. You will be welcomed into the lobby with live Christmas Carols played by a Brass Quartet. The evening includes a full buffet. You will be entertained by Chester Brass Band, the Quintz Jam Quartet and the evening will wind up with a Carol sing accompanied by Chester Brass. Ticket purchases are eligible for a $50 tax receipt. Dress is semi-formal. Reservations can be made by email: info@chesterbrass.com / 902-275-3396 or on event brite. The price is $100 per person (a receipt for charitable donation portion will be issued). Oak Island Resort is offering special room rates for all Gala guests who wish to stay the night. 902-627-2600                                                                       Looking ahead to next week Malcolm Callaway continues his tradition of writing Christmas farces for people who don't like Christmas. "The Secret Diary of M" (the Sequel) runs from next Wednesday, December 11th to Saturday, December 14th, 8pm at the Chester Playhouse with Pay What You Can on Wednesday and opening night Thursday.  For tickets call 275-3933 or shop online.   Malcolm's Christmas plays are not known for solid plots or deep meaning.   In fact, they have been said to be more shallow than a cookie sheet. The Secret Diary of M (the Sequel) is no exception.                                         Brochure

Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group Join Our Mailing List!