Mark Your Calendars to WIN!

Throughout the winter and spring, the elves of Norfolk have been hard at work thinking about ways to showcase Norfolk at its summer best and draw visitors to its manifold attractions. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather for the first weekend in August as “Weekend in Norfolk” gets underway with a full panoply of concerts, tours, workshops, walks, restaurant specials and art exhibits.

The full calendar was still under development when Norfolk Now went to print, but for the tenth year in a row, organizations are coming together to put Norfolk on the map. Regular updates will be posted on the WIN website—check it out at weekendinnorfolk.org—and a printable calendar will also be available. Preview activities begin on Thursday, July 31, with the annual sneak peak of the Norfolk Artists and Friends show at the Art Barn (5 to 7 p.m.) followed by a concert featuring emerging artists at the Music Shed (opening bars at 7:30 p.m.).

Sue Frisch and fellow committee members who work on pulling everything together (see the Letter to the Editor, page 14) are looking for volunteers, including ambassadors to staff the information table at the Hub on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For further information about volunteering or registering for programs, please email win@earthlink.net and look for emails from the sponsoring organizations in the coming weeks.

Three days of intense activity get fully underway on Friday, Aug. 1, with the Norfolk Hub functioning as both the central resource center and an alternate venue in the event of rain. Those wishing to do so can renew their wedding vows or even get married on the green (3 to 5 p.m.) and stay for a special “Friday Night on the Green” that starts at 6 p.m. and features music by Pat Attanasio.

Saturday will feature a seminar on fly fishing, a bird walk in the Barbour Woods, a program about making weather observations at the Great Mountain Forest and a full roster of musical performances at Robertson Plaza beginning at noon. Children are in for a special treat with a workshop on West African music and dance featuring performer Iddi Saaka, a native of Ghana. This program runs from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Norfolk Library and participants will learn at least one traditional dance.

Station Place will be partially closed on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. for the second annual “Sidewalk Sunday” to the accompaniment of music on Robertson Plaza. Last year’s trial run was hampered by rain, but the plan is to give artists, artisans and authors free spaces to set up tables (perhaps under tents) and sell their work. Non-profits are also being invited to participate, along with local restaurants and caterers. At 1:30 p.m. the Yale Music Festival will host a children’s concert in the Music Shed, followed by an ice cream social. To round out the day, a reception will be held at the Norfolk Library to mark the official opening of an exhibit by local artist Turi Rostad.