[Vision2020] Fourth of July fun

[Bill London]

MaryJane Butters, the organic lifestyle pioneer of MaryJanesFarm in Moscow, Idaho, is sponsoring Farm Fair for the 4th of July weekend, beginning with a booksigning reception at her store in Coeur d'Alene on Friday, July 3, followed by a full day of activities in seven small eastern Washington communities on Saturday, July 4.

Farm Fair starts on Friday, from 7pm to 9pm, at MaryJanesFarm Store in the Coeur d' Alene Resort Plaza Shops at 210 Sherman Avenue. MaryJane Butters will be there to sign her books along with the 20s-style Ray Stone Band, a no-host bar, refreshments and appetizers for all ages, and a mall-wide Shop Hop and downtown Art Walk.

On Saturday, July 4, Farm Fair expands to family-oriented fun in seven small towns located between Coeur d'Alene and Palouse. In each community, the activities will be available from 10am until 7pm, unless otherwise noted.

The highlight of festivities in Oakesdale, Washington, will be free tours, available from 10am until 4pm, of MaryJane's Historic Flour Mill. The Oakesdale Mill, now a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1890 and is the only fully-preserved flour mill in the region. Around the Mill and throughout the community, visitors will be able to enjoy an early morning pancake feed, live music, antiquing, farm collectibles and crafts vendors, old-fashioned family games, food including homemade pies and BBQ, a farmers' market booth, petting zoo, spinning demonstrations, face painting, free swimming at the community pool, and an antique truck show. MaryJane will also launch her new line of Farmgirl Collection fabrics. At dusk, the community will sponsor a street dance.

At Freeman, Washington, the Country Coop Stop will be open from 5 am to 9 pm. The Country Coop Stop is an espresso stand and deli housed in an old Shell gas station that is a great place to stop for a root beer float. Two local antique stores, the Enchanted Farm and A Little Something will have antiques spilling out onto the sidewalk.

At Rockford, Washington, the activities will focus on Hurd's Mercantile, an 8,000-square-foot antique, wine, and gift store located at 30 South First Street. Hurd's will offer espresso and pastries, as well as a large flea-market style sale called Prairie Pickin's, from 9am to 5pm.

At the Fairfield Community Center in Fairfield, Washington, visitors will enjoy a quilt show. The center is located at East 304 Main Street, across from the town's museum, which will also be open. 

At Tekoa, Washington, a group of quaint shops offer special bargains for visitors. Currier Gardens at 333 West Bridge Street offers garden tours, plants, and birdhouses, as well as quilt and vintage fabrics. At Comforts of Home, 430 West Bridge Street, visitors can choose from a wide variety of crafts, clothing, honey and homemade jams from the dozen vendors represented there. The Barnyard Boutique will display their vintage aprons and hankies at a travel trailer on Crosby Street near the intersection with Highway 27. The historic Empire Theatre downtown will be open for free tours.

The main street of Garfield, Washington, will close for Farm Fair and will fill with farm equipment on display. Visitors should first visit the information booth, located at the intersection of California Street and Highway 27, under the flagpole, for a complete listing of events and activity sites. Those options include a lemonade stand, open artist studios, a fishing pond (complete with poles and instructors), a quilt shop, and a display by Roy Hansen of his counted cross-stitch artistry. The community swimming pool will be open.

In Palouse, Washington, the entire downtown area (recently renovated and overflowing with good eats, even an artisan bakery) will be celebrating with to-die-for antiques overflowing from several shops (even a vintage clothing shop), a farmers' market, a petting zoo, and live music. 

More information about Farm Fair activities is available at www.maryjanesfarm.org/FarmFair2009. 

MaryJane Butters writes a nationally-syndicated newspaper column and edits a bimonthly magazine, MaryJanesFarm. She opened her first retail store in Coeur d'Alene and her second store in Moscow. Following the publication by Random House of her third book, MaryJane's Outpost: Unleashing Your Inner Wild, she is now working on three other books. The books focus on quilt making, bread baking, and diet makeovers. 



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