But first, let’s open with the obligatory photo of my first newly opened Clematis bloom of the season:
A thing of beauty, no? I’ve had this plant for several years and it never bloomed until we had to cut down the Weeping Willow. Apparently, it wasn’t getting enough sun.
Now, it climbs up to the porch railing and spills out onto the lawn. Sigh of happiness.
Okay. I made you look at flower photos but let’s get to the heart of the matter. Last year, Country Living brought its fair to Rhinebeck, NY, which is just across the Hudson River from where I live.
I didn’t go. Funds were tight. We were just getting by. And I was a bit depressed.
Guess what? The same exact situation is going on this year but I am going anyway! There is much to see and do there, not the least of which is my friend Heidi’s booth which was a real hit last year.
Here’s more information:
What: See the pages of Country Living magazine come to life, with three days of shopping, cooking, crafting and DIY demonstrations, as well as antique appraisals, and locally sourced, artisanal food, in a fun, festival atmosphere.
When: June 6, 7, 8, 10 am to 5 pm.
Where: Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY
Who: Guests will have the opportunity to meet the Country Living editors, as well as special guests, including:
Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, “The Fabulous Beekman Boys”
Cari Cucksey, star of HGTV’s Cash and Cari
Kelsey Nixon, star of Cooking Channel’s, Kelsey’s Essentials
Michael Devine, entertaining and design expert
Designers Anna Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick
For a full list of celebrity guest and vendors, click on this link.
• You can purchase tickets starting at $13 at Stella Shows.
• Admission is $13 in advance and $16 at the door, three-day weekend passes are available for $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
• An Early Bird Three-Day Weekend Pass is available for $40 (in advance only) and grants early admission at 8:30 am on Friday and Saturday.
• Free Admission for children ages 16 and under.
Well, here’s the exciting news!
Thanks to Hometalk and Country Living, I am giving away two 3 day passes to the Country Living Fair. These passes will grant admission to the Fair on all three days, including early admission (at 8:30 am) on Friday and Saturday.
Yikes! That’s an amazing deal!
This giveaway will have a quick turnaround, so if you are interested, you must leave a comment on this post and I will pick the winners on Monday morning, June 2nd. As always, there are no hoops to jump through – all you have to do is leave a comment. One pass will go to one winner. Another pass will go to the other winner – two winners!
My friend Heidi had the best time last year. My local friends that attended the Fair raved about it. So I’m going to go and will share as much of my experience as I can with you.
Don’t you want to go, too? Leave a comment!
Edited to add: Hey guys, some of you are leaving comments, which is great, but haven’t indicated if you’re interested in entering the giveaway. Please let me know in your comment!
Happy Friday,
I’m so glad you are able to go this year, Claudia! It’s wonderful that you are also giving two lucky people a chance. Unfortunately, I can’t qualify because it’s my husband’s birthday weekend and we have a number of things already planned, but I look forward to your post about it!
So glad you will be going this year, how fun. Wish I could attend :)
See you there Claudia! Will share your post. xo
Oh! I want to go! And I don’t live far from you!
Glad you’re able to go this year. Have fun!
Have fun at the fair!
Claudia, That’s great. I hope you get some appreciative winners. Take your camera, xoxox,Susie
Hi Claudia,
I love your blog and read it everyday. You help start my day.
I would love to be entered for the tickets to the Country Living Fair. I don’t live too far away, and have always wanted to attend one of their fairs.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Mary
Well, I’m too far away to go to this amazing event, but I hope to see some photos! Good luck to those who can enter!
So happy you get to go and will share with us. I’m in Texas and unable to attend (LOL) but think some lucky lady will get those free passes!!
hugs, LInda
Found you through Heidi! Please enter me in the giveaway. Thank you!
claud! guess what? i’m going to be giving a talk and demo on saturday at 2 at the green stage! so excited (and terrified). will you be there? hope so! hope so! hope so!!!
xo
elyse
would love to attend this awesome fair! thanks for the chance to win! fingers and toes crossed :)
Oh, I’m right across the river too,! How I would LOVE to win a free pass as I know all about funds being tight too
Beautiful flower! I’m glad you are going…you need to go! I would love to go….but too far away…so I’m not interested! Have a lovely day! ;)
I also found you via Heidi ! I would so love to go and see you and Heidi and Humphrey ! Regardless, have a great show!! I am sure the place will be packed !!
Too far for me, but hopefully we will be able to see it through your pictures and words!! So glad you are going this year!
I am commenting that you are lucky, lucky, lucky!! I would LOVE to go, but alas, I know I won’t make it home this summer…at least not in time for that! Have a WONDERFUL time!
How I would love to go but I just had to have a sewer line replaced in my backyard..$1000.00 and still paying on it..a neighbor did the work..so..I won’t be going much of anywhere this Summer..I do look forward to seeing lots of pictures from you though!!
I forgot to tell you..your Clematis is beautiful..also they can take a couple/few years before they bloom..
So looking forward to attending again this year. Would be lovely to win the tickets.
See you at the Fair!
I am so glad you are going. Those events are always so inspiring in many ways. Since I live across the country I will not be able to attend, the price of plane tickets is just silly. But I try to go to many of these types of events just to absorb the creativity that is on display. I often come home and rearrange what I have due to the inspiration that the sights/sounds/conversations have stirred up. So put on your straw hat and go have fun!! Oh, and please take your camera and share with us what you see. :-)
What a beautiful first bloom!! Happy dance for you!! I discovered my first morning glory bloom of the season at dawn this morning…not nearly as impressive as clematis, but when you live in Texas, you learn to take whatever you can get :-)
So glad to hear you are throwing caution to the wind and attending the fair…”sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do”. I am already anticipating your photos and descriptions of what all the talented artisans had to offer. Thank you so much for taking us all there with you :-) Unfortunately, I am much too far away to enter the give away, but best of luck to all of you others!!! If there is cotton candy there, someone please eat a HUGE mouthful and dedicate it to me :-)
I would love to enter the giveaway and win the tickets! I adore Heidi and miss her since HiHo closed in my beautiful town Gardiner. I had a baby boy 9 weeks ago and would love to get out of the house and go to the fair, it’s even my birthday weekend that weekend! My mom is visiting from Buffalo (Heidi’s hometown!!) It would be a blast to take her to the fair.
Jealous! Would love to go – but its just too far away! :( So glad that you get to go this year Claudia!
I really enjoyed the fair last year and am looking forward to going again this year. It would be a super awesome bonus to win free passes!
The clematis is beautiful. I had one once, but the animals ate it. They must have needed it more than me.
I would love to win the tickets, but I don’t imagine they involve airfare. It sounds like so much fun.
Cari Hucksey is one of my favorites. I loved her show, and even now check out her website.
Have a wonderful time Claudia.
P.S. I truly do appreciate to “no Hoops” quality of your giveaways. I don’t even bother to enter the other kind, and often leave a comment about the hoops. Thank you.
Hi Claudia, I was so excitied to see your clematis myself – ours is in full sun on a garden post but always looks straggly and sad. I am reading The Language of Flowers, a novel by Vanessa Diffenbough. I will need to go back to see what they say about clematis. Here’s the link to the book if you haven’t read it yet. Hope all is well. I finally have my blog over on wordpress – but it will take me a while to figure things out. So far it’s pretty basic, nothing on the sidebars, etc. Thanks for your advice earlier – the security seems better than Blogger and there are so many more things that I can do with the page. xxoo Ann Marie
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/vanessa_diffenbaugh/
I’m looking forward to attending again this year. Country Living Fair has so many unique and talented vendors. I would love to win one of the passes.
Enjoy! I have been several times to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH (I used to live there, my sister still does!). It is a lot of fun, you may want to go for two days, there is a LOT to see! I hope you have great weather. Eye candy galore!
Laurie S.