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Beaver Brook hosts 35th annual festival

HOLLIS – "A lot of people don’t even know this exists," Bridget Rines said, "even people from Hollis."

That’s too bad, because Beaver Brook’s Maple Hill Farm had to be one of the liveliest and most beautiful plac­es last weekend.

Rines is Beaver Brook’s director, and Saturday and Sunday the conservation organization held its annual fall festival under clear blue skies.

The free event offered bird and wild animal shows, cider-making demon­strations, walking tours of the flower and herb gardens and the opportunity to hike through many miles of wood­land trails on the 2,000-plus acre prop­erty, or just sit quietly and enjoy the scene.

In Beaver Brook’s barn there was an art and photography show and on Saturday there was a vinegar-making workshop.

For lunch a cafe offered homemade corn chowder, and nearby there was a sale of hand-crafted dried herb and flower arrangements and baked treats made by volunteers.

Beaver Brook has been holding the festival every autumn for 35 years and each year they try to add something, Rines said.

New this year was a petting zoo and tethered hot air balloon rides.

The nonprofit nature education cen­ter and conservation area would not be able to offer the festival without vol­unteers, and Rines estimates there are about 50.

Alvin Baylis, of Allenstown, vol­unteers in the bluebird program, and was wearing a shirt made to resemble a bluebird’s blue back and rosy earth-colored breast.

He was helping with the cider-making and happy to say there are now five breeding pairs of the birds thanks to Beaver Brook’s nesting boxes.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com

Beaver Brook hosts 35th annual festival

HOLLIS – "A lot of people don’t even know this exists," Bridget Rines said, "even people from Hollis."

That’s too bad, because Beaver Brook’s Maple Hill Farm had to be one of the liveliest and most beautiful plac­es last weekend.

Rines is Beaver Brook’s director, and Saturday and Sunday the conservation organization held its annual fall festival under clear blue skies.

The free event offered bird and wild animal shows, cider-making demon­strations, walking tours of the flower and herb gardens and the opportunity to hike through many miles of wood­land trails on the 2,000-plus acre prop­erty, or just sit quietly and enjoy the scene.

In Beaver Brook’s barn there was an art and photography show and on Saturday there was a vinegar-making workshop.

For lunch a cafe offered homemade corn chowder, and nearby there was a sale of hand-crafted dried herb and flower arrangements and baked treats made by volunteers.

Beaver Brook has been holding the festival every autumn for 35 years and each year they try to add something, Rines said.

New this year was a petting zoo and tethered hot air balloon rides.

The nonprofit nature education cen­ter and conservation area would not be able to offer the festival without vol­unteers, and Rines estimates there are about 50.

Alvin Baylis, of Allenstown, vol­unteers in the bluebird program, and was wearing a shirt made to resemble a bluebird’s blue back and rosy earth-colored breast.

He was helping with the cider-making and happy to say there are now five breeding pairs of the birds thanks to Beaver Brook’s nesting boxes.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.