Labor Day weekend warrior

By WANDA WAYFARER

Ok, so it’s Labor Day weekend and you think that you have to make the most of your three-day weekend because it’s the last weekend of the summer.

Well, you’re wrong about it being the last day of summer; summer activities around here continue well into September. But you are right about doing everything that you possibly can to make the three-day weekend memorable. Labor Day is a holiday created because of the labor movement, and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. And don’t you work hard enough to deserve an extra day off?

On Friday, why not head over to the Laurel Villa Country Inn in Milford, PA for its International Wine Festival (570/296-9940). The wine tasting experience at Laurel Villa is a great way to kick off your weekend and relax in the comfortable and brightly flowered perennial gardens while tasting six wines. Of the six wines, three will be red and three will be white. They are offered from several different wine-producing countries.

The $55-per-person ticket price includes a six-course international gourmet dinner prepared by the Laurel Villa chef.

The Laurel Villa takes care of the guests as well by offering a wine expert at this dinner, so that you can ask questions about each wine, it’s origin and what food it is best paired with.

On Saturday, the women from The Beach Lake Ladies Auxiliary are throwing their annual craft fair at the Beach Lake Fire Hall (570/729-7952). The fair will feature dozens of local craft vendors selling their wares. The firehouse is a nice set-up for the event because there is so much space to view all kinds of jewelry, pottery, dolls, glasswork and more. A $1 is donation is requested—well worth the price of admission because there is so much to view. There will also be a bake sale, and refreshments you can purchase while shopping for those must-have homemade treasures. Nothing says “weekend” like a little shopping for locally produced artisan goods.

Don’t wear yourself out, because you must head over to the Nutshell Arts Center on Saturday night for Salsa dancing with Conjunto Caribe Sol (845/351-5471).

The Nutshell is noted for its huge wooden dance floor, so you can have plenty of spinning cha cha room. The band will play such salsa classics as the Cha Cha, the Mamba and the Merengue. The energy and verve of the band will make you want to dance the night away. What a great chance to experience this kind of music in our own backyard. Tickets to the event cost $8 per person in advance, $10 at the door.

Don’t take Sunday to rest. Instead, head over to the fall Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods in Bethel, NY for the Alpaca Festival ((bethelwoodslive.org)). This event is the second in the 2007 Harvest Festival series, in this ninth year that the festivals have been held. This year there are more vendors and activities than ever.

Alpacas, which are calm, placid llama-like creatures, are renowned for their hair. This festival will celebrate the alpaca and will showcase alpaca hair being spun into fiber. The alpaca fiber is then made into hats, scarves, shawls, sweaters, etc. The wool is extremely warm and much softer than wool derived from sheep.

But there will be more to do on Sunday than learning about alpacas. Take a tour around the festival and taste some delicious homemade cheeses, pickles, Italian ice, maple syrups, baked goods and tons of ripe delicious fruit and vegetables. There is also different musical entertainment at each event. You can grab a couple of Uncommon Ground’s Café coffees and enjoy the music and the late-summer breezes on the lawn.

Once you’ve had your fill of eating, you can browse the work of dozens of artisans who are there to display everything from handcrafted bowls to one-of-a-kind jewelry and artwork. Or, take a pony ride through the field. If that is not enough for you, you can try your luck at a corn maze that is so tall and thick that you can’t see through it. Making your way through the maze is a blast.

On Monday, you deserve to take it easy. But if you don’t want to, there are some really great Labor Day weekend sales going on for everything from furniture to food.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend; you deserve it after all of your hard work. Don’t mope around because you think summer has ended. There will be so many wonderful things to do here during the upcoming months.