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September 9th and 10th
Mathews Market Days is almost here! Join us on the Courthouse Green in the heart of Mathews on Friday, September 9th from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Saturday, September 10th from 9:00am until 5:00pm. Saturday evening enjoy the Street Dance from 8:00-11:00pm. Admission and parking are free.
On Saturday only, shuttle bus transportation will be available at no cost from 9AM until 5PM. The bus will pick up at Lee Jackson/Thomas Hunter Middle School (on Church Street/Route 611) and at Mathews High School (on Buckley Hall Road/Route 198) and stop at the Fire Station at the Court Greens. Handicapped parking will be available free of charge at Westville Baptist Church located on Main Street. Handicapped vehicles must have VA permanent or temporary license plates displayed or will be towed away at owners expense.
Street closures have been approved in the courthouse area which include but not limited to the following: Route 1003, Route 1002 Court Street and Route 1001 Brickbat Road from September 8th, 2011 at 12:01 A.M. through September 11th, 2011 5:00 P.M.
This year marks the 37th annual celebration of our festival known as “The Showcase of a Creative Community”.
Booths
Over 90 booths will display local arts and crafts including wood working, jewelry, table linens, lamps, decorative flags, books, quilts, stained glass, plants, home-baked breads and cakes, and many more home-made and hand-made products. Additionally, local organizations will offer financial awareness, animal care advice and much more.
Food Court
Throughout both days the food court, adjacent to the Green, will offer crab cakes, clam chowder, burgers and dogs, snow cones, BBQ, handmade kettle corn, funnel cakes, crab soup, steamed shrimp, ice cream…everything you’d want to eat at a fun festival.
Art Show and Sale
The Mathews Art Group’s Annual Art Show and Sale will again take place on Main Street with over 30 local artists displaying and selling their work. Enjoy walking through the many talented artists booths and speaking with them personally for a very special treat in a relaxing atmosphere!
Visit their website for more information at http://www.mathewsartgallery.org/Home.html
Kicking off Market Days – with a Special Surprise!
Saturday morning opens with the Welcoming Ceremony at 9:00 AM on the stage near the Courthouse Green. Janine Burns, a Mathews Supervisor, will introduce U.S. Representative Rob Whitman, Delegate Harvey Morgan and State Senator Ralph Northam who will speak briefly and then enjoy Market Days with us. After the introductions, a prayer by Reverend David Patton, and flag raising by American Legion Post 83, Richard Smith will sing our National Anthem. Led by former Mathews resident Steve Phimister, a cadre of ultra-light planes plan to fly over Main Street at noon. You don’t want to miss this!
Gerald Jones, Honorary Mayor will unveil the 2011 winning Mathews Market Days Poster then Mr. Jones and Art Dubey, Chairman of Market Days, will announce recipients and present grant checks.
Art Dubey officially opens the Saturday events.
Pet Parade
The pet parade will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2011 in front of the stage at 10:00am.
You can register your pets at Animal Care Society (across from the library) Thursday and Friday from 10am - 4pm or late registration will be on Saturday, September 10, 2010 until 9:30am.
You can dress them up or not. All pets must be on a leash or in cages. Water will be provided. There will be certificates, ribbons and prizes. Please take your pets home after the pet parade. For further info contact Cindy Ford 804-725-2838.
This event is an annual favorite where kids and adults laugh at the antics and admire the costumes on parade. Buttons, a Mathews resident, is a self-taught clown who over the last 20 years has charmed thousands of children (and adults!) at festivals, nursing homes and birthday parties. If you keep an eye out, Buttons sometimes can be seen walking around the Village just bringing a smile to neighbors! To quote Buttons, “The most fun is to see kids come running. They light up my life and I do enjoy each and every one of them and the art of clowning.”
Crab Races
Mathews Family YMCA will run “free of charge” crab races starting at noon on The White Dog Inn’s lawn located on Church Street.
Information Booth on the Green
Members of the Mathews Market Days Committee will be on hand with information and to answer any questions visitors may have. The 2011 Market Days Poster will be on sale for $25.00. After Market Days, they will be sold for $35.00. In addition, some Vintage Market Day Posters will be on sale at the Visitors Center and The Gallery. Also on display will be entries for craft goods and homemade products.
The Show and Shine Car Show
The Classic Cruisers Car Club will be sponsoring the Show and Shine Car Show held on Saturday at the Lee-Jackson/Thomas Hunter School Complex on Church Street, only a short distance from the Green. Over 50 vehicles will be on display so take a step back in time while viewing these beautiful automobiles. Don’t miss the fun. 50/50 raffle tickets will be on sale. All proceeds will go to CHKD. Around 3:30 when the cars leave the show grounds they exit Market Days by going down Church Street, turning left onto Main Street and then turning left onto Route 198 (Buckley Hall Road).
Youth Corner
Activities kick off at 1pm on Friday afternoon with children rides. At 3pm karaoke will be on the main stage with interactive games and dancing.
It wouldn’t be a celebration without children! The Youth Corner, designed for children 12 and under, includes pony rides, air filled activities, musical entertainment, Buttons the Clown, as well as other games and fun. Look for the rides on Brickbat Road on the far side of the Green.
Spelling Bee
On Saturday from 10-11am the children’s spelling bee will take place in the Old Courthouse Building on the Greens and from 2-4pm the adults spelling bee.
Inside Entertainment
Westville Christian Church, located on Main Street, is hosting the Variety Music Hall on Saturday beginning at 11:00 A.M. with Bay Bells, 11:30 A.M. Joyful Voices, 12:00 P.M. Festival Jazz, 12:30 P.M. Dave Ingram and Baby Kathryn Diggs, 12:45 P.M. Boyle Towne and ending with After Six with Barbara Walters and Friends at 1:45 P.M. All are welcomed in the air condition to be entertained by these talented groups.
Outside Entertainment
Six musical groups will provide music from the main stage between 11:00am and 4:00pm on Saturday. The lineup consists of: Ebenezer Men’s Group, Walt’s Stilman & Buddy Waymack, Mike McDevitt, Aaron Walker and Mike August, Honeywind, Juniper Green and James Redman.
Saturday Live Street Dance
Come dance on the streets featuring “Strokin” with Terry Black. The dance will be on Brickbat Road and Court Street from 8:00pm until 11:00pm. Some food venders will be open. Come join the fun. Bring the children.
Tompkins Cottage Yard Exhibits
Capt Sally Tompkins was the first woman to receive a commission in the American Army. The cottage Museum honors her. On display at Tompkins Cottage Yard will be: Thomas James Old Store, Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary, Historic Mathews Properties, VA Indian Cultural Center, New Point Comfort Light House Project, Gwynn’s Island Museum Items, United Daughters Of The Confederacy and Fort Nonsense Confederates Veterans.
The Cottage will open on Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm with its 19th century period furnishing and her artifacts.
Mathews Memorial Library
The Bay Quilters will have quilts on display in the John Warren Cooke Room of the library. Also, the Friends of the Library will be selling books behind the library in the Orrell Building. Proceeds benefit the library.
Bay School Cultural Arts Center On Main St
The Bay School will have demonstration outside starting on Friday at 2pm. This includes pottery, weaving, beading, needle felting, basketry, smocking, woodcarving and fused glass.
Craft Fair And Home Products Fair
The Craft Fair will consist of handcrafted items including: needle work of all kinds, such as; crochet, knitting, embroidery, quilting, smocking and weaving. Dolls, woodworking, leather, basketry, ceramics and art work are also included.
The Home Products Fair will consist of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles and wine.
All items must have been made in the past year. Categories are: women, youth and men. Entries will be registered at the Old Courthouse on Thursday September 8th between 10 A.M. and 12:00 Noon. Judging will be at 1PM the same day. All items are to be left with the committee until Saturday 10th. Pick up time is after 4PM at the information booth. For more information, call Carolyn Smith at 815-0327 for the Craft Fair or Mildred Hudgins at 725-3189 for the Home Products Fair.
Corporate Sponsors
A huge THANK YOU goes out to our Corporate Sponsors:
Mathews Art Group, Chesapeake Bank and Food Lion.
Live Radio Broadcastings
Come join Neal Steele and Reese Williams from WXGM Extra 99.1 on Friday for a live broadcasting from 1 to 5 PM. You will not want to miss meeting these two! On Saturday from 10AM to NOON, be a part of Cindi Biringer and Ron Jeffries live broadcast from 104.9 Wigo Country.
Invitation
The Mathews Market Days Committee invites you to attend our 37th annual festival. Come to Mathews County and share in the fun, food and festivity. We look forward to seeing you there and hope you will come again and again. Visit our website at http://www.co.mathews.va.us/
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