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  The Washington County Fair, an agricultural county fair with a carnival, motor sports and many animals, runs from Monday, August 24th, to Sunday, August 30th. According to an article in the Post Star, this year's fair will roll into Easton with a rodeo along for the ride.

An excerpt from the article reads: "The Lake Luzerne-based Painted Pony Rodeo will be holding a professional-level show on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., the second night of the five-day-long fair. "It's a professional show," said fair General Manager Mark St. Jacques. "It has calf roping, bull riding, everything." It is the first time since 1999 that the fair has had a rodeo. But that event was smaller than the one planned this year, St. Jacques said.

The rodeo will likely feature 100 to 140 contestants, said Painted Pony Rodeo owner Shawn Graham. The show will feature calf roping, bull riding, barrel racing and bronc riding, he said. Contestants from as close as New York and as far away as the Carolinas, Oklahoma and Texas usually compete in Painted Pony rodeos, Graham said.

For more details or directions, please visit www.washingtoncountyfair.com.

Washington County, New York is home to a rich, vibrant artist community. Farmhouses, barns and old factories have been converted into studios where artists paint, sculpt, weave and create works of art that are exhibited throughout the U.S. as well as internationally.
 
On July 18-19, 2009, many of these professional artists will once again open their doors for the juried biennial Open Studios of Washington County. The 2009 Open Studios tour is funded in part by the Washington County Tourism Association and offers participants a glimpse into the creative lifestyle afforded those in Washington County plus the unique opportunity to purchase great art and fine craft directly from these studios.

A selection of participating artists includes: Joan Duff-Bohrer, Jeri MacDonald, Ed Hepp, Serena Kovalosky, Adriano Manocchia, Will Moses, Hannie Varosy, Virginia McNeice, Anastasia Lee Nute, Leslie Parke, Leslie Anne Peck and Gyula Varosy. For more details and a map of the participating local art studios, visit www.openstudioswashingtoncounty.org.

The Hyde Collection presents "Degas & Music," an exclusive, first-time exhibition of the music-related works of French Impressionist Edgar Degas, with several performances in Washington County. Collaborating with Hubbard Hall, in Cambridge, the Season of Degas includes a series of musical performances, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and family events.

The first "Season of Degas" performance at Hubbard Hall will take place on Friday, July 17th, at 7:00 p.m. This panel discussion is entitled Hearing is Seeing: Synethesia and the Arts. This event is free and open to the public. The second program includes a concert at Hubbard Hall on Sunday, at 3:00 p.m., entiteld French Feminine. Several more performances are planned in August as well. For more details, visit www.hydecollection.org or www.hubbardhall.org.

In Greenwich, it takes about 8 minutes to make one batch of homemade ice cream at the Ice Cream Man. Each batch equals 10 gallons of delicious ice cream which is then sold from the firm's Log Cabin, on Route 29.

The Ice Cream Man uses the old fashioned batch method of production, Fresh Cream, and the best ingredients they can find. The result is that they produce the highest quality most distinctive flavors of hard and soft ice cream in the county.

The Ice Cream Man is open during the summers every day from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Besides ice cream, visitors can purchase ice cream cakes, pies, soup and sandwiches. The Ice Cream Man became famous in 2007 when it was the host site for a "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" of the Food Network.

For more details, to order or online, or directions to the Ice Cream Man, please visit www.the-ice-cream-man.com.

In a historic 1790 home in the hamlet of Kingsbury, a Crazy dream has come true for Hilary Cooper-Kenny. Utilizing leftover products of the textile industry and antique looms, old blue jeans and millends, she manufactures functional, durable and beautiful floor coverings while fabric remnants become fashionable rag bags.

While Crazy as a Loom is a working studio, visitors are always welcome. There are literally tons of fabric, and many projects in progress at all times. It is all about color and texture. With 13 antique looms, 10,000 pounds of fabric and 2,600 square feet in which to work, visitors will be treated to the rhythmic sounds of old looms doing their job, treadles to floor, harnesses raised, beaters packing the weft and the opportunity to weave their way into one of Washington County's formerly best kept secrets.

For more details, please visit www.crazyasaloom.com.

For over a century, the Washington County Fair has been a showcase of ingenuity and innovation. A unique opportunity for the Washington County community to come together to celebrate its agricultural heritage. Best of all, everyone's invited to the Fair Grounds, in Greenwich, August 24th - August 30th, 2009, to experience all of the excitement.

4-H displays, great rides, food, entertainment and more animals than you can imagine. Tractor pulls, a demolition derby, a firefighter show, dog agility demonstrations, and an ATV pull are just a few of the special events that take place on the fairgrounds. Visit the fair's website at www.washingtoncountyfair.com to join the countdown to the fair, to get directions, or just to learn more.

Just a couple of years ago, Golf Digest rated the region that includes Washington County as the second best place to live if you are a golfer. This rating took into consideration the number of courses, the availability of tee times, the affordability of greens fees, and of course the caliber of the courses themselves.

For example, the Kingswood Golf Course, in Hudson Falls, NY, is a beautiful 18-hole championship golf course nestled between the Adirondack Mountains and Vermont's Green Mountains. Kingswood is a superbly conditioned links style course that features bent-grass fairways, rolling hills and grassy knolls. This course itself was rated 4-stars by Golf Digest.

The Pole Valley Players Club, in Hartford, NY, was designed by golf professional Steve Forbes along with on site advice from world renowned architect Geoff Cornish. The course features 30+ sand traps, natural ravines, rivers and ponds, and large greens that average 5,000 square feet. The greens at the Pole Valley Players Club are among the best in the area and the views are spectacular!

 

Here's the answer - Mack Brook Farm . This small, family-owned farm is in the eastern foothills of the Adirondacks in Washington County. Kevin Jablonski and Karen Christensen, the owners of Mack Brook Farm, provide visitors and customers with 100% grassfed and finished, pasture-based Angus beef that is a tastier and healthier alternative to commercially raised beef. While practicing farming techniques that benefit the environment, they welcome visitors and sell their pre-cut beef directly from the farm, but it is best to call first to plan a convenient time for a visit.

The Champlain Canal, rich with historical significance and romantic promise, awaits you. Families are welcome on cruises where children and parents alike will be captivated by the natural spectacle. Champlain Canal Tour Boats offer cruises that will tickle the fancy of history buffs as they depart the hustle, bustle and beeps of today and traverse the waters that played such a pivotal role in the Battle of Saratoga.  At night, beneath a starry Adirondack sky, romance fills the air as you cruise slowly down the waterway. Whether you are looking for an afternoon activity or a post-dinner event, the Champlain Canal will lead you to everything you are hoping for and more.

Cruising along the Canal can be done rain or shine.

There is more to an overnight stay than electronic keycards, squawking elevators and noisy ice makers. How about fresh air, quiet nights and the kind of pie you read about in great American novels?

The Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge NY harkens back to a time when train whistles blew and lemonade and mint juleps were enjoyed on shady verandas. Seventeen rooms boast all the modern conveniences with the charm and one-of-a-kind elegance of true Victorian style. Add to the comfort, the simple thrill of tasting "pie ala mode" where it was invented.

Another option made for those traveling with boats or bikes, or who simply love the water, is the Lock 12 Marina on the shores of Lake Champlain in Whitehall. Drop anchor and enjoy beautifully appointed rooms overlooking the Lake, drinks in The Black Pearl and made-to-order meals in the on site restaurant, Finch & Chubb. A short drive, by water or land, leads to the memory of a lifetime.