A time to discover Amesbury

By Liz King
Staff writer

October 09, 2008 12:28 am

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As Carriagetown booms with new businesses, Deb Pagley, president of the Amesbury Downtown Business Association, hopes Amesbury's Annual Fall Festival on Saturday brings in even more people.

The fifth annual event set for downtown Amesbury will feature crafters, vendors and food. It's sponsored by the business association, together with Provident Bank, Stoneridge Properties and Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank.

"With people coming to visit places like Cider Hill Farm this weekend, there will be extra traffic in Amesbury. We hope they'll stop by and see what Amesbury has to offer," Pagley said. "The town has a variety of merchants. Cider Hill Farm and Jewell Towne Vineyards are two great attractions — not every town has a place to go pick apples and a vineyard to go wine tasting."

Vendors will be selling jewelry, knitted scarves and mittens, hair accessories, folk art paper cuttings, seasonal floral items, gourmet food, candles, T-shirts, artwork, kitchen items and more.

"We'll have a display of fall essentials from Woodman Farm in the center of the bull nose, a wagon full of pumpkins, mums and cider," Pagley said. Other treats such as fried dough and Ovedia's gourmet caramel apples will also be available.

DJ Jon Mansfield will be spinning tunes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wendy the Balloon Twister will be entertaining kids from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Roaming Railroad, a trackless train propelled by a John Deere engine and operated by conductor Dan, will be providing rides, complete with comedy and train songs, all day. And there will be face painting and temporary tattoo stations as well.

Visitors are asked to bring canned goods, which will be donated to Our Neighbors' Table. There will also be a raffle for a gift basket brimming with gift certificates and products from local restaurants and businesses, with the proceeds benefiting the Amesbury soup kitchen and food pantry.

In conjunction with the festival, Riverwalk Bead Shop and Gallery on Elm Street is hosting a Fall Art Festival showcasing mixed-media art and fine arts. Live Celtic harp music will set the mood, and there will be a barbecue as well. The Vanishing Cultures Foundation will be selling handmade Peruvian jewelry, rattles and woven items as well as raffling off a Peruvian poncho.

Pagley hopes the Fall Festival encourages people to explore Amesbury and its restaurants and new shops.

"We want people to walk around and discover Amesbury — see how wonderful it is," she said. "Everyone's really friendly and looks out for each other. It's a great town to do business in."