Annapolis Highland Vineyards
Located in Bear River East, Annapolis Highland Vineyards is just minutes from the historic town of Annapolis Royal and is Nova Scotia’s 14th licensed winery.
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Blomidon Estate Winery
The winery offers award winning wines like L’Acadie Blanc and Baco Noir and is very proud of its 100% Nova Scotia grown Chardonnay. Visitors are welcome to enjoy a stroll or picnic in the vineyard, or purchase items from the on-site wine shop.
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Gaspereau Vineyards
35 acres of vineyards overlooking the beautiful Gaspereau Valley, 3 km from Wolfville. Award-winning wines. 
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Grand Pré Wines
Nova Scotia’s first operating winery; award-winning wines, cobblestone courtyards, beautiful gardens, art gallery, European pergola. Summer Wine and Autumn Harvest festivals. A Bay of Fundy Recommended Experience.
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Jost Vineyards
Award-winning wines from numerous varieties of grapes grown on site; producer of Canada’s Wine of the Year 2000.
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L’Acadie Vineyards
L’Acadie Vineyards, specializing in Traditional Method Sparking wines, is Nova Scotia’s first certified organic winery. For a unique Nova Scotia wine experience, visit the geothermal winery and tasting bar overlooking their certified organic vineyard in the Gaspereau Valley.
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Lunenburg County Winery
Tours of winery where traditional country fruit wines are made from local berries, grapes and honey; U-pick.
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Muir Murray Estate Winery
Located 3km from the town of Wolfville on 20 acres of vineyards, Muir Murray Estate Winery offers complimentary tours and tastings.
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Sainte Famille Wines Ltd.
30 acres of premium vineyards on the hilly land of an original Acadian settlement. Nova Scotian crafts, gifts and premium wines available.
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August 19 thu September 3rd

The central region of Nova Scotia is known for its abundance of wild blueberries. A variety of smaller festivals and events have now joined forces to create the Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival. From northern Amherst down to Truro, and from western Parrsboro to eastern Tatamagouche, Wentworth Valley and the Stewiacke Valley, communities throughout Central Nova Scotia are celebrating the wild blueberry harvest from August 19, 2011 – September 3, 2011.

Look For U-Picks

The key to the blueberry festival is the u-pick format but thyere are various other spin-offs like quilting and other fruit harvests. Check on Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival

Truro and  Colchester County are marking Planters 250 Anniversary, the 250th anniversary of the arrival of New England/Irish Planters, English-speaking settlers from New England and Ireland, in Cobequid.

The “Planters” were the settlers who occupied rich, dyked farmlands following Expulsion of the Acadians. These lands are now known as Truro, Onslow and Londonderry townships, which today include Truro, Bible Hill, Onslow, Old Barns, Glenholme, Londonderry and coastal communities from Great Village to Economy-Five Islands.

For more information go to Planters 250th Anniversary.

Fresh from the Eric Clapton’s Festival  he line up of artists for this year’s 7th annual summer event includes blues legend James Cotton!

• JAMES COTTON
• LOS LONELY BOYS
• ROBERT RANDOLPH
•  GARY CLARK JR.,
• ROBBEN FORD
• MICHAEL LANDAU
• SONNY LANDRETH
•  LUKAS NELSON,
• JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
• And more!

Other Dutch Mason Blues Festival  Highlights

• Blues Idol Singing Competition
• Best BBQ Ribs Competition
• Best Tattoo Competition

Bill deGarthe writes in his book, This is Peggy’s Cove:

“Many have asked, “How did Peggy’s Cove get its name? There are two versions in existence and the first has more generally been accepted, because of its romantic and dramatic appeal to most people. The story goes that a schooner was wrecked on “Halibut Rock” off the Lighthouse Point, in a “Southeaster”, in sleet and fog on a dark October night. The ship ran hard aground and with high waves washing her decks, some of her crew climbed to the masts, but the waves washed them into the boiling sea. Everyone on board was lost except a woman, who managed to survive the turbulent seas, swam ashore and was finally rescued by the people on the shore.

Her name was Margaret, and she married one of the eligible bachelors of the Cove. The people from near-by places used to come and visit Peggy of the Cove, and before long they began to call the place Peggy’s Cove. How true this story is, no one knows, and there are no documents available to confirm or refute it.

In the second version, perhaps not so romantic, but more logical, Peggy’s Cove, being situated at the entrance to St. Margaret’s Bay, was shortened from Margaret’s Cove, to the more intimate name of Peggy’s Cove, a name world famous now for a place of scenic beauty, where tourists gather from far and near.“

The events of the year can be found on this site: Peggy’s Cove Coastal Region:

The Buskers Festival is celebrating over two decades of family fun and amazing performances. Billed as the oldest and largest in Canada a collection of Canadian and International performerswill take over the Halifax waterfront for 11 days where they will perform hundreds of shows on 5 outdoor stages. In some cases the audiences often exceed 500,000 people who are treated to a wide variety of street theatre including acrobatics, music, visual arts, comedy, fire shows, etc.

Click onto Halifax International Buskers Fetsival for more information on venues.

“Yarmouth 250″ is the catch phrase for the town of Yarmouth and area’s 250th anniversary. It will be celebrated all year long for 2011. Like most of Nova Scotia Yarmouth, on the southwest corner of Nova Scotia, began as a Mi’kmaq settlement and was then settled by French farmers in the 1600s. Finally, New Englanders came in 1761.

However, today Yarmouth County has grown into a a vibrant multi-cultural community of about 40,000. Not only is it one of the fishing capitals of North America Yarmouth boasts a shoreline that is unrivaled, featuring beaches, grand lighthouses and amazing, old churches.

For up-to-date information check out Yarmouth and the Acadian Shores.

In addition Hal Bruce has assembled a five-piece band of some of the best Beatles musicians and singers in the world to do two sets of just some of their favourite tunes – from She Loves You to Sgt. Pepper and including the medley section form Abbey Road!

The House Band:

- Hal Bruce (Nova Scotia – lead vocal, guitars, harmonica

 - Scott Ferguson (Nova Scotia – drums, vocal)

- Floyd King (Nova Scotia – bass, lead vocal)

- Mark Beyer (Kentucky – keyboards, additional percussion)

- Gary Metcalf (Indiana – lead vocal, guitars).

These guys will dazzle you with their knowledge of Beatles classics: after all, they were the first band in the world to play all 214 Beatles songs in a non-stop medley last year clocking in a 2 1/2 hours set of pure energy!

To order tickets now, contact Hal at 902-435-7410 or by e-mail at halbruce@halbruce.com.  Tickets also available at:-

• Ticket Pro
• Long & McQuade locations (formerly MusicStop):
  • Halifax – 6065 Cunard Street, Halifax
  • Dartmouth – 124 Main Street, Dartmouth
  • Bedford – 1717 Bedford Highway, Bedford
• Cooke Sales – 50 Akerley Blvd, Dartmouth
• Eastern Building Cleaners
• Dollar Stores

But time and the unforgiving ocean takes its toll on all sea-borne vessels and the mighty “Bluenose” was no exception. It was either say goodbye to the venerable symbol of Canada’s east coast or rebuild her. Luckily for us the latter option was chosen.

Now you can watch the craftsmanship tha5t goes into the rebuilding of the schooner in a webcam called The Bluenose II Restoration Project. In a fabulous showing you can watch her being rebuilt in real-time at the Lunenburg Shipyard until her re-chrstening in 2012.

Check out the The Bluenose II Restoration Project.