Art and Highway Whimsy

On Columbus Day we sailed over back roads to the Northampton Tri-County Fairgrounds and the fall show of Paradise City, a juried collection of beautiful things.
 Even though it was ten degrees colder than at our house only about forty-five minutes away, and felt even colder than that in the open buildings, we still had a lovely day.

The booths pretty much cover five things: handmade (and often hand-woven) clothing, jewelry, furniture, furniture, and smaller items for the home. Almost all of it – it is juried, after all – could be classified as art.

Too bad I can’t see my way to buy a jacket for $350, or earrings for $75. I need a different sort of life to justify that sort of expenditure – there’s little need to get all decked out for free movie night at our town library.

Just to give you a taste:

Here's work by our local semi-celebrity glassblower Josh Simpson
who is married to former astronaut Catherine Coleman and
appropriately enough, creates imaginary worlds.

I enjoyed the items in all the buildings, but some of my favorite things were outdoors. 

And how could you not love this giant carrot?

But wait - check out the other side of it.

And on the way home we were reminded that there’s something special about living in Massachusetts even if the trademark accent hasn’t made it to our end of the state:

(Make Yah Mah Proud)