Farm Fair for Fourth of July

Event is Friday at MaryJanesFarm store in Cd'A; Activities will be in seven Eastern Wash. communities

Coeur d'Alene Press
June 27, 2009

COEUR d'ALENE -- If an Independence Day road trip sounds like a plan, downtown Coeur d'Alene is a good place to start, and finish.

MaryJane Butters, the organic lifestyle pioneer of MaryJanesFarm in Moscow, is sponsoring Farm Fair for the Fourth of July weekend, beginning with a book signing 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 7-9 p.m. at MaryJanesFarm Store in The Coeur d'Alene Resort Plaza Shops at 210 Sherman Ave. 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.

"It's the 1920s," said Jennifer Rea, who manages the Coeur d'Alene store and helped Butters open the second shop in Moscow. "It's buggy, barter and boogie."

Employees will be dressed in period attire, and visitors are also encouraged to do so.

"It's a party and everyone is invited," Rea said.

Visitors to the Coeur d'Alene store can register for free tours of MaryJane's Historic Flour Mill and purchase tickets for "A Day of Simple Organics" at Settler's Creek Farm in Coeur d'Alene 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Included in the $30 fee is an organic "earth dinner," guest speakers and local vendors, plus entertainment by Coeur d'Alene store employee Patsy Cameron, who released a CD sold in the shops.

Shuttle service to and from the farm, south of Coeur d'Alene, is included, and because of limited parking is the only way to attend.

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 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

The highlight of festivities in Oakesdale will be free tours, available from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. 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 barbecue, 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 the Country Coop Stop will be open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. 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 the activities will focus on Hurd's Mercantile, an 8,000-square-foot antique, wine, and gift store at 30 South First St. Hurd's will offer espresso and pastries, as well as a large flea-market style sale called Prairie Pickin's, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

At Tekoa a group of quaint shops offer special bargains for visitors. Currier Gardens at 333 W. Bridge St. offers garden tours, plants and birdhouses, as well as quilt and vintage fabrics. At Comforts of Home, 430 West Bridge St., 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 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 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 bi-monthly magazine, MaryJanesFarm. 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.

Information: 667-7467Farm Fair Route

Coeur d'Alene to Freeman: 34 miles

Freeman to Rockford: 7 miles

Rockford to Fairfield: 6 miles

Fairfield to Tekoa: 15 miles

Tekoa to Oakesdale: 12 miles

Oakesdale to Garfield: 12 miles

Garfield to Palouse: 9 miles

Palouse to Coeur d'Alene: 76 miles

Total: 171 miles