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The Prizery - 2nd Saturday Art Days

Second Saturday Art Days at The Prizery with Ms. Susi!

These will be fun times for children, ages 5-10, and their grownups, to create an art project together.  (children must be accompanied by aparent, grandparent, or guardian.)

Saturday, May 13

2:00-3:00 in the afternoon in the Art Classroom

Cost: $10 per ;child. (No charge for their grownup.)  Includes materials and a take-home piece of artwork!

Space is limited to 15 children, and you must reserve your space in advance:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 434.222.5167.

Barn Quilts Coming to a Barn Near You

Barn Quilts Coming to a Barn Near You

            If your vision of a barn quilt is a building wrapped in your Grandmama’s quilts, let us show you what a real barn quilt is.  Think of it as more of a “See Rock City” with a quilting square.  A Barn Quilt presentation will be made at the Washington – Coleman Community Center’s Arts and Crafts room in South Boston on April 1^st from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.  Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

            Immigrants seeking religious freedom brought Barn Quilts to the United States over 300 years ago.  They often decorated their barns with geometric shapes resembling quilt squares. We now know these as Hex Signs found in the Midwest and in Pennsylvania.  Barn Quilt decorating peaked in the early 20^th century when artists specializing in barn decorating used quilt square patterns in their designs.  The movement has been revived from the efforts of Donna Sue Groves to honor her mother, Maxine.  Maxine was a quilter so Donna Sue painted a quilt block on her barn.  She encouraged her community to follow her example and as a result the first Barn Quilt Trail was formed in Adams County, Ohio in 2001.

            The Barn Quilt Program will discuss the history of the quilts, impact on agritourism at the state and local levels, personal reasons to hang a barn quilt honoring our local heritage and if you are interested, a demonstration of how to make a barn quilt.  Participants in this program are from Virginia Cooperative Extension, Southside Master Gardener Association, Halifax County Agricultural Development, Hudson Heritage Farm and the Golden Leaf Quilters Guild.  Light refreshments will be served.

            Making a Barn Quilt square doesn’t mean you’ll spend hours on a ladder.  The square is commonly made on a 4’ x 4’ piece of plywood but it could be bigger or smaller, just as long as it is square.  Two pieces of plywood could be joined to make an 8’ x 8’ square.  Exterior latex is the preferred media.  Generally only solid colors are used but patterns are acceptable for those looking for a challenge.  Don’t panic if you want to join in the fun but are painting challenged.  Some of the indoor vendors at the Halifax Farmers Market will have handmade barn quilts for sale.

            To make your day in town even more exciting the Town of Halifax will be holding their Halicraft Art Festival from 9 to 3.  This free festival will have all kinds of artwork, craftwork, home-based businesses, Informational booths, kids activities and food trucks.  The Halifax Farmers Market will be open with fresh produce, eggs, organic meats, homemade breads and wonderful crafts and collectibles inside. 

            To register for the Barn Quilt Program, please call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  The Washington – Coleman Community Center is located on 1927 Jeffress Blvd., South Boston.  Hope to see you there!

Caption for picture: This primitive design barn quilt, made by Denise Hudson, depicts a monkey wrench pattern.  You can view it at the old Elmo Store on River Road.  It depicts the signal to gather all the tools required for the fleeing slave’s journey, meaning the physical tools, as well as the mental and spiritual ones. Attend the Barn Quilt Program on April 1^st to learn about these magical creations.

April 22nd Rain Barrel Workshop

April 22nd Rain Barrel Workshop

The Halifax Soil & Water Conservation District and the Virginia Cooperative Extension-Southside Master Gardeners Association will be hosting a Rain Barrel Workshop on April 22nd at 9 a.m.  Classroom session will be held in the Halifax Extension Office Auditorium at 171 South Main Street in the Town of Halifax.  Please park in the lot near the library because parking will not be available that day at the Halifax Farmers Market.  After the classroom portion, the group will travel to the Earth Day celebration at the Halifax Farmers Market for barrel assembly.  Participants will learn about the benefits of using rain barrels and will construct their own rain barrel to take home.  Thanks to a River Bank Fund Grant from the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, workshop cost is $12 and includes a quality food-grade barrel, required materials and hardware, instructions, and assistance needed to construct your rain barrel.  Bring gloves and channel locks to the class.  Please come join us for this workshop as part of Halifax’s 9th Annual Earth Day Extravaganza.Visit http://halifaxswcd.org/rain-barrel-workshops/to register or stop by the HCSWD office located at 171 S. Main Street in the Town of Halifax and fill out the application and pay by cash or check.  After class join in all the Earth Day fun with music, kids activities, informational displays, food and of course the regular Farmers Market offerings like fresh produce, homemade breads, eggs, organic meat, honey plus all the indoor vendors with homemade herbal lotions and soaps, arts, crafts and collectibles.  Earth Day runs until 2 p.m.

Fairy Garden Contest Information and Rules

FAIRY GARDEN CONTEST AT THE HALIFAX FARMER’S MARKET

By Irene Dunn

The Southside Master Gardener Association will hold a Fairy Garden Contest on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at the Halifax Farmer’s Market from 8 to 11 a.m.  This contest is free to the public and prizes will be awarded. A miniature container garden may be submitted by an individual of any age, a group, such as a Sunday School Class or a Garden Club or a family, a Grandmother and Grandchild for example. There is no size limit, but the gardens must be able to be carried to the display tables. Please bring your gardens between 8 and 9:45 a.m.

Fairy Gardening has been around for hundreds of years. It first debuted in the US in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair, where the Japanese Pavilion displayed bonsai dish gardens. It has become more popular in recent years. A miniature garden is where you can use your imagination to create a year-round tiny space to tend to and lure fairies where they feel at home and bring luck and happiness. This is a great, fun project for children and their parents or grandparents to get involved in gardening, teach respect for growing things and making memories. Adults and kids alike will love to plan, pick out plants, play in the dirt, construct tiny items and learn how to maintain their fairy garden.

The garden can be placed inside or outside in living spaces or the garden. It is a great advantage that you can build a fairy garden inside regardless of the weather.  Any type of container can be used with a drainage hole. It can be inexpensive by collecting things such as pebbles, rocks, moss, twigs, bark, leaves, fabric, string, small toys, popsicle sticks or items made out of clay. These can be used to make fairy houses, paths, arbors, seats, swings, and ponds etc. There are many ideas and inspirations on- line and stores where you can also buy fairies, gnomes and accessories to make your garden magical.

The Fairy Gardens will be judged by a panel of independent judges based on the overall design, creativity, imaginative use of live plant material (must have at least 2 live plants) and other components used. NO artificial plants or live animals can be used. Judges will determine the first and second place winners. Visitors may vote for one entry for the People’s Choice category between 10 and 11 a.m. Winners will be announced at 11:30 a.m. and receive their prizes.  During judging you will be able to enjoy all the market has to offer, fresh produce, organic meats and eggs, homemade breads and sweets, fresh flowers and lots of arts and crafts. The Halifax Farmer’s Market is located at 209 S Main St, Halifax. Entry forms and rules may be picked up at the Halifax Extension Office, 171 S Main St, Halifax, Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at the market during regular market hours.  For more information, visit www.ssmga.org or call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147 option 0.  Please put the Fairy Garden Contest on your list of the most fun things to do this summer.

Fairy gardens can be full of wishful thinking. In this idyllic design, Kelly Powell wants us to relax and enjoy the trickling of the steam and water wheel. Bring your fairy garden to the Halifax Farmers Market on June 10^th. 

FAIRY GARDEN CONTEST

SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2017  8 a.m.

HALIFAX FARMERS MARKET

209 S. MAIN STREET, HALIFAX VA 24558

Gardens must be brought to the market between 8 and 9:45 a.m. on June 10.  Submissions before or after that time will be disqualified.

Fairy Garden Contest Rules

1.  Entries may be submitted by an organization, a family or an individual of any age.

2.  There is no size limit but the entrants must be able to carry the container themselves.

3.  All entries must include at least 2 live plants.

4.  No live animals or artificial plant material allowed.

5.  The gardens will be staged on tables provided.

6.  Entries will be judged by a panel of independent judges based on overall design and creativity and imaginative use of plant material and components.  The judges’ decision is final.

7.  Visitors may vote for the People’s Choice Award between 10 and 11 a.m.

7.  First, Second and People’s Choice Awards will be announced at 11:30.

8.  Names and photos may be used in the local news, websites, and Facebook pages.

9.  Containers left after the winners are announced will be handled at the Market Director’s discretion.

10. With the agreement of the entrant, winning containers or a small number other containers will be displayed at the South Boston – Halifax County Museum for public viewing until July 1^st.

I (we), the undersigned, have read the rules and agree to comply with the rules.

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