Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival 2008

As the days get shorter, and the nights colder, what better way to pass the season than to spend some time with a good glass of wine!

Get out and sample some of the province's spectacular wines and delicious food at the 2008 Fall Wine Festival presented by The Winery Association of Nova Scotia. The festival runs from September 4-October 26, and features over 30 events within the province.

Check out the event schedule here:
http://winesofnovascotia.ca/whatsNew/index.php

Attend an event and get a chance to win $100 from the Nova Scotian Winery of your choice. Fill out your survey and ballot for your chance to win! http://winesofnovascotia.ca/survey/

DRUM! Show Excitement Halifax, Nova Scotia (Part 2 of 2)

My friend Lyn and I checked out an amazing DRUM! performance on Friday night in one of my favourite places... Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The show was such a rich cultural experience. I was amazed at the versatility of these cultural performers. These talented Aboriginal, Black, Celtic and Acadian artists gave us goose bumps. =)

After the show, I had a chat with Hubert Francis, one of the Mi’kmaq performers, about the new drum at centre stage, hand-painted by Alan Syliboy. You can listen to him describe the drum in my YouTube.com video below.



To check out a show, go to the DRUM! website.

Lavender Jelly, Annapolis Royal Farmers Market, Nova Scotia

Every year, my family and I make a visit to Annapolis Royal. First thing on Saturday morning I head over to the Farmer’s Market. It’s an open air market that is bursting with the smells, sights and sounds of the Annapolis Valley. For a few locals it’s a weekly social gathering, for others it’s a plethora of local produce and fresh baked goods that can easily stir you to dizzying heights.

As I was walking past the local town crier who was handing out fliers for that evenings Kings Theatre performance, I glanced at a table of jellies and other preservatives. I never used to like jelly. Don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m a messy eater and can imagine the inevitable.

As I handed over the cash, the nice lady standing behind the table must’ve sensed my trepidation when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a jar of lavender jelly.

“What?” I exclaimed, “Lavender jelly?” The lady told me that the recipe was her grandmothers and it’s one of her best sellers. Knowing this, I simply had to give it a try.

Monday morning when the toast popped up, I had the jar of lavender jelly and a knife ready to go. Suddenly, as I opened up the Mason jar a thought came to me. What if I hate it? What if the one thing I boasted about (before even tasting it) is something that will end up in the back of my fridge beside the expired prune yogurt and the baking soda box?

So I slathered it on my toast and took a huge bite. WOW! Thanks to lavender jelly for Annapolis Royal’s Farmers Market, I can enjoy summer from a jar on my toast and am now looking to experiment with other flavours.

By the way, I say I’m not a fan of marmalade either, but based on this experience anything could happen. =)

Tunes at Noon, Halifax, Nova Scotia

On Friday during our lunch hour, my friend Mike and I grabbed some take out at Extreme Pita, and headed over to Grand Parade square for a picnic.

Happily, Ruth Minnikin and her band of Americana/folk artists were on site to entertain us with there groovy melodies. This outdoor concert was one in a series of lunch-hour concerts put on by the Halifax Regional Municipality.

For more information on these free concerts, check out the Tunes at Noon Summer Concert Series schedule. These concerts will continue until September 5, 2008.

Halifax International Busker Festival, Nova Scotia (Part 3 of 3)

Steve and I checked out the Halifax International Busker Festival this week, and we had a blast. My favourite Halifax busker performance featured a high-flying trio of women called the Aerial Angels from Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States.

These incredible female artists are captured in these photos performing aerial silk feats. These certainly aren't tricks I'd try at home. My heart missed a beat every time these women suddenly fell six feet, with nothing to support them but silk.

The Aerial Angels routine was full of tons of other tricks, and lots of comedy. We laughed a lot during their performance.

Louisbourg National Historic Site, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia(Laura - Part 2 of 8)

My friend Laura took these great shots during the Louisbourg Encampment (July 25-27). You can see the lone French captain in dark blue, and all the British invaders encroaching on him. I just love this shot in the fog, because it really makes the event seem real to me.

The Louisbourg National Historic Site put on this encampment as part of the 250^th anniversary of the second siege. During the second siege the British took over from the French. This is when the fortress was destroyed back in mid-1700s.

Today, you can visit this magnificently restored fortress in Cape Breton from May to October. Depending on the day, the French or the British may be in power, but you will be sure to experience how these fort dwellers lived in the early 1700s.

This second shot was taken from across the harbour and featured the modern-day Louisbourg Lighthouse. It's the fourth lighthouse built on this site, and you can see the ruins of the other three if you look closely. This working lighthouse site is oldest in North America.

Halifax International Busker Festival, Nova Scotia (Part 2 of 3)

And now for la pièce de la résistance...

My friend Lang also introduced me to another club of Halifax, Nova Scotia jugglers called the Blue Nose Jugglers. This troop gets together to practice on Saturday afternoons at the Halifax YMCA.

The video below features Blue Nose Jugglers, Mike, Lang and Josh (from left to right), in a classic three-person, nine-club pattern. You'll notice that Mike in the middle is working twice as hard to feed both Lang and Josh:



To check out more busking in Halifax in early August, check out the Halifax International Busker Festival website.

Halifax International Busker Festival, Nova Scotia (Part 1 of 3)

Every year, I check out the Halifax International Busker Festival on the waterfront in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Since the Busker Festival is coming soon, from August 7 to 17, I though I'd try to encourage you to check out some street performers with a couple of videos.

My friend Lang introduced me to a group of local buskers called Circus Circle. These well-coordinated gurus get together weekly to practice on Thursday evenings. Check out Neskie juggling balls with his eyes closed for approximately three seconds:



In this video, Melissa dazzles us juggling three clubs:

Halifax Club Luncheon Theatre, Nova Scotia

Until early Fall, the Halifax Club is serving lunch, afternoon tea, and high tea with a twist.

I checked out one of this season's theatrical luncheons, and I was delighted to experience hilarious interactive performances, dating back to the 1800s. The Cunard family wowed me with their dated outlook on the world. For example, when I took out my digital camera, I got some pretty funny looks. They had never seen the likes!

We were served delicious tea, sandwiches and squares while we watched the performers tell stories about the goings on in Halifax at the time.

From time to time the actors engaged the audience. All of the tables were brimming with happy participants. It was a wonderful way to clear my head over lunch and take in some Nova Scotia history.

DRUM! Nova Scotia (Part 1 of 2)

Over the past couple of months, I've been involved in the makings of two Gathering Chants with the amazing artists from DRUM! Thanks to Trevor my instructor (featured in full dress in the image on the right), I've learned to keep the beat Mi'kmaq style.

I think the DRUM! website says it best: "DRUM! is a spectacular musical event featuring four of Nova Scotia's principal cultures: Aboriginal, Black, Celtic and Acadian in a heart-pumping fusion of music, dance, rhythm and song."

What an awesome experience it was for my friend Karen and me to create the pulse for our chant with teams of people gathered around, and beating on, big Mi'kmaq drums. All the while, we were belting out the Mi'kmaq lyrics. Suffice it to say, we got goose bumps. Thanks go to my friend Lang for taking this action shot of us.

After my participation in these Gathering Chants, featuring performances from artists in all four cultures, I can't wait to check out one of the DRUM! performances held throughout the fall across Nova Scotia.

Explore Georges Island, Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia

This weekend, Parks Canada made it possible for Steve, me and many others to visit Georges Island National Historic Site of Canada for the first time, as part of a new two-day event called Explore Georges Island. On June 14 and 15 only, visitors could purchase a $14 round-trip ticket to Georges Island on a Dartmouth-Halifax Harbour Ferry.

We headed out to the island on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on one of the ferries brimming over with 380 passengers. The buzz on the ferry got us very excited to discover the island on such a beautiful summer day.

As soon as we arrived on the island, we were ushered up the hill to Fort Charlotte to take a tour through the tunnels and underground passageways where cannon balls and cannon were stored to protect our port. Actually, Georges Island is one of five forts built to protect our port city of Halifax from international invaders in the 1700s & 1800s. Visit Wikipedia for more information on the unique history of Georges Island.

While exploring the parameter of the fort, Steve took a cool shot of one of the many cannons on the island, and caught me gazing out at the Dartmouth shore and the new Waterfront Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College. I have also featured a picture I took of the Georges Island Lighthouse with Halifax's Pier 21 in the background.

Hopefully Parks Canada will again make it possible for us to Explore Georges Island. We had a lovely time, and based on the masses of people, it certainly seemed like a huge success.

Mountain Biking in Victoria Park, Truro, Nova Scotia

There are dozens of Victoria Parks in the world according to Wikipedia, but I just so happened to be at the one in Truro, Nova Scotia last weekend.

Steve and I thought Victoria Park might be a nice place to explore, and to take some photos of a race called Victoria's Secret Cross Country Mountain Bike Race.

Also, it just so happened that our Ultimate Frisbee friend, Peter Craig, was in the race, and Steve got some great shots of him.

I’ve featured one shot of Peter in a very big puddle at the bottom of a steep technical downhill, and one of him on a gruelling climb about to pass!

Victoria Park is only about a 45-minute drive from Halifax Metro, and it really turned out to be a great day trip.

Nova Scotia Vacation Ideas Welcome Message

My name is Jazmine, and I'm a cultural explorer. I like to immerse myself in nature, local culture and history around my beautiful homeland - Nova Scotia, Canada.

I started this blog, so I could tell the world about my favourite places in Nova Scotia. I lovingly refer to this province as "God's Country," and I intend to share all of my Nova Scotia vacations and weekend getaways with you.

If you're looking for a:

• Nova Scotia attraction



• Nova Scotia event



• Nova Scotia outdoor adventure

... You've come to the right place.

Feel free to share your Nova Scotia Vacation Ideas as well. I'd love to hear from you.

Kind regards,
Jazmine