Next weekend's International Children's Festival is geared to children, but it delights people of all ages. Now in its 24th year, the festival attracts 30,000 people annually to Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Va.
Bob McGrath of "Sesame Street" will be there as master of ceremonies, as will Greg Lee, host of the PBS show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego," and Rory from the Learning Channel. They will be joined by international student performers and artisans, who will appear on the main stage and in the open setting of the Filene Center and on stages and in tents set up around the 100-acre park.
Among the performers are the Karpos Children's Folk Song and Dance Ensemble from Macedonia; the Ludvika Minicircus of Sweden, composed of unicyclists, acrobats, an aerial wire act and foot jugglers; a dance corps of 20 children from Argentina; and a dance troupe from Chile. Other performers come from South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan and Puerto Rico. In addition to the performances, a workshop tent will offer hands-on activities from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; there will be Chinese calligraphy, birch-bark weaving from Russia, ornamental knot-tying from Korea and art workshops using computers.
Events take place both days, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults and teens; $7 for seniors and children ages 3 to 12; free for under 3. For information, call (703) 642-0862.
New Market Days
New Market, Maryland's "Antiques Capital," will showcase its 19th-century heritage next weekend during New Market Days, from Friday to next Sunday. The town is celebrating its bicentennial this year.
More than 60 artisans will line Main Street with traditional wares, and you will see strolling musicians, a folk singer, a bluegrass band, minstrels and other 19th-century performers. Demonstrations by blacksmiths, tinsmiths, a soap maker, paper maker, spinners and weavers will help re-create the atmosphere of earlier times, as will the Civil War encampment set up behind Town Hall. Visitors can browse through the more than 40 antiques shops that make the town famous.
7+ Admission is free. Call (301) 865-3926.
Festival in Havre de Grace
There's fun for all ages at the Fall Harvest Festival and Craft Show Saturday and next Sunday at Steppingstone Museum near Havre de Grace.
This event features hayrides, bobbing for apples, stuffing scarecrows, making apple butter, pressing cider and painting pumpkins. More than 50 crafts booths will be set up on the grounds, and there will be a petting zoo, craft demonstrations, storytelling and an apple-pie contest. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $4 for adults; free for children 12 and under. Call (410) 939-2299.
Hunting and fishing
National Hunting and Fishing Day on Saturday recognizes the contributions hunters and fisherman have made to the conservation of the nation's wildlife and wild places. Each year an open-house celebration is held at Remington Farms, a 3,300-acre wildlife management area near Chestertown.
The event will be held, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lawns at Broadnax, the farms' Colonial mansion, will be filled with wildlife art, antique guns and early hunting weapons, while members of Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Maryland Ornithological Society and other such groups present information about their activities.
Visitors can try their hands at a variety of shooting events, join the fishing clinic, get advice from archery experts, hear discussions of boating safety, watch retriever demonstrations and engage in many other activities.
Admission is free. To reach Remington Farms take state Route 20 from Chestertown toward Rock Hall for about eight miles and watch for signs. Call (410) 778-8400.
Shore events
Two events are scheduled next weekend on the lower Eastern Shore. The Pemberton Colonial Fair will take place Saturday at Pemberton Historical Park just west of Salisbury. The park's two main attractions are Pemberton Hall, a 1741 brick home, and the Wicomico Heritage Centre, a replica of an 18th-century barn, which houses local artifacts and memorabilia. Both will be open during the event.
Other attractions are Colonial crafts, entertainment, games, tours, jousting, precision riding and food.
Admission is $2 for ages over 13; $1 for ages 6 to 12; free for children 5 and under. The park is off U.S. 50 at Nanticoke Road in Salisbury. Call (410) 749-0124.
Snow Hill will be the site of three days of festivities during its ninth annual Heritage Weekend from Friday through next Sunday. Activities include vintage train rides to Berlin and Selbyville, boat trips on the Maryland Lady, a historic house tour and an art show. Bob Rau, from the MPT show "The Collectors" will appear at the antiques show Saturday and Sunday evening at Snow Hill Middle School. Other highlights include a concert, followed by a wine and cheese reception, Friday evening at All Hallows Episcopal Church and dancing outdoors in Sturgis Park Saturday night. Call (410) 632-0809.
Needlework Fair
The London Town Foundation is sponsoring a Needlework Fair at London Town Publick House & Gardens in Edgewater Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations of rug hooking, lace making, smocking, canvas work and other forms of needlework will be presented throughout the event. Visitors will be given guided tours of the Publick House, which highlight its 18th-century textiles. Admission is $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for seniors.
To kick off the event, textile artist Andrea Perkins will give a slide lecture Tuesday at 10 a.m. on the latest materials used in contemporary doll making. The lecture fee, including house tour and garden admission, is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors. Box luncheons are available by advance reservation at $6.50 each. Call (410) 222-1919.