ASHFIELD — It may not be snowing yet in Ashfield, but it will be festive this weekend at Ashfield Winterfest. Arts, Evergreens and Practicalities will be featured Saturday and Sunday, as the two days will incl;ude arts demonstrations, studio tours, free performances, Christmas tree hunting, food and general revelry.
What started off as “Crafted in the Village” 11 years ago has grown into a townwide event, says Jill Rierdan, one of the organizers.
“Crafted in the Village was a sort of small, well-kept secret,” Rierdan said. “This year, we decided we really wanted to let people know about it. And it isn’t just crafted in the village, but also grown and produced in the village.”
An online map is available to direct visitors to artist studios, group arts and craft shows, Christmas tree farms, cider tastings and food.
In glass artist Ed Branson’s Bellus Road studio, you’ll find Branson and silversmith Steve Smithers. Other artists who will host open studios will include painter Walter Cudnohufsky, potter Maya Machin, weaver Scott Norris, artist Greg Ruth, photography and jewelry by Jen Smith, and art, mobiles and jewelry by Erica Zoe Flynn.
On Saturday, the Ashfield Film Festival will show a “best of” series of five-minute films made in Ashfield over the last 10 years. This takes place at the Belding Memorial Library and is free.
Besides the “Anything Practical, Practically Anything” selection of winter gear at Ashfield Hardware, visitors can find solar stoves, handcrafted knives and custom window inserts on Saturday at the Community Hall on Main Street.
On Sunday, the Community Hall will host a Double Edge Theatre performance from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a sing-along at 3 p.m. with the Ashfield Community Band and cookie decorating for all. These performances are free.
On both days, you can pick and/or cut down your own Christmas tree at either Pieropan’s or Cranston’s tree farms.
For more information, go online to:
www.ashfieldwinterfest.org, where the map is available.