Shoppers beware. Paradise City 'is back in Marlboro, Mass., this weekend and it's ablaze in color and creativity! Paradise City isn’t a traditional holiday craft fair. Those with a taste for the unusual and appreciation of art will find this fair a must. Passion and pigment is the theme of this fall’s special show-within-a-show, “redHOT!” The exhibit in the Sculpture Café includes 40 pieces, from red-glazed ceramics and glowing art glass to the ten-foot-tall sculpture "Power of Love.'' At Paradise City, shoppers will find works of art, design, and craft in every price range displayed throughout 171 artists’ booths. Marlborough is 35 minutes from downtown Boston and an easy drive from most of New England, with lots of free parking on site. Make a day of it, and enjoy the gourmet dining options and live acoustic jazz each afternoon. Adults pay $12, seniors $10, students $8, and children under 12 are free. A three-day pass is $15.

Pictured 'Jarot Jacket' by Rita Johnson of Driggs, Idaho
Hand- and machine-sewn lambskin, goat skin, Tibetan lamb, calfskin, pigskin, and deerskin

Everyone knows it's officially 'craft' season as we head into the Holiday stretch, but look carefully into the shows that offer so much more than mere craft. In Vermont this weekend, there are 2 shows at each end of the state where any shopper will find unique hand-crafted goodies for every person on their Holiday shopping list.

1. Southern Vermont Fiber Festival in Brattleboro - Saturday, Nov. 21
You'll find more than Granny's scarves and quaint knit hats here. A wide variety of vendors will be selling fiber and products from llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits and even from Fido's spun dog hair! There will also be weaving and spinning supplies, needle felted creation and kits, drop spindles, quilts, yarn, cards, photographs and more. Held at the American Legion, the Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 802-896-6218 for details.

2. 57th Annual Craft Vermont will be in South Burlington, Nov. 19-22
Meet Vermont Artisans and their designs of glass, pottery, wood, metal, fiber, paint, photography and more. Beyond home decor you'll find specialty foods, personal care items and wearable art clothing. Admission is just $7 and is good for all 4 days of show. Held at the Sheraton Burlington Conference Center. For info call 800-373-5429.

Photo of Sweater by Jamie Harmon of Yarn & Knit Garments, Jericho, VT - can be found at the 57th Annual Craft Vermont

We weren't very clever when my husband and I chose our wedding song -- Louis Armstong's "Kiss to Build a Dream On," but we could not escape its allure. Still can't. If Satchmo is your thing, you may want to look into the wonderful "A Tribute to Louis Armstrong'' at the Portland Symphony Orchestra this weekend, Nov. 14-15. World-renowned trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling will play and sing in the style of Satchmo with the orchestra as his big band. The Merrill Auditorium delivers an intimate venue for the tribute. Shows are 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $26-70 and can be purchased online.

Every December, the Country Inns in the White Mountains, hosts an Inn to Inn Christmas Cookie Tour, and trust me, it's a delicious event. Fueled by butter and sugar and cider and tea, you can nibble your way through the Mount Washington Valley, touring 14 New Hampshire inns and one Maine inn, all of which are dripping with garland and ribbons, wrapped-up for the season like holiday presents.

Now family recipes deliver cookies with a story, but if you want easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing goodies, ask the pros: New England’s innkeepers. Welcoming guests with cookies and a warm drink is part of the New England hospitality tradition. It’s a tradition that goes hand-in-mitt with Christmas.

For the best deal, book a package at a participating inn. Packages include two event tickets, lodging, and breakfast. Some also include dinner.

If you just want to make a day trip, event-only tickets are $27. Advance purchase is available Dec. 1-8, 2009, by calling 800-233-8309 or 603-383-9339. Any unreserved tickets available (they are limited) can be purchased the day of the event, see website for details.

Dixie is like no Tupperware lady I remember! Dixie Longate, the fast-talking Tupperware Lady, packed up her plastic, left her kids in an Alabama trailer park, and took to the stage by storm. Dixie's making a living traveling the country, throwing good old fashioned Tupperware parties filled with outrageous tales, heartfelt stories, giveaways, and the most fabulous assortment of Tupperware ever sold on a theater stage. Dixie will try to sell you her bowls Nov. 13-15, at the Bushnell in Hartford. Tickets are $32. May contain adult subject matter; appropriate for ages 16 and older. For information call 860-987-5900 or visit online.

If you're thinking of getting back to basics for Thanksgiving, head off to Tamworth, N.H., this Saturday, Nov. 14 for Remick Museum and Farm's signature annual event -- a Historic Thanksgiving. Traditional foods such as roasted turkey, bread-sauce stuffing, hearth bread, boiled cider, and Indian pudding will fill the table. Visitors will enjoy a warm fire, story-telling, craft-making, and museum exhibits depicting over 200 years of agricultural life in the state.

There will be horse-drawn wagon rides, a holiday gift preview, and a demonstration on how to properly "dress" a turkey. Admission is $5. Call ahead to register at 603-323-7591.

It's not the chocolatey heaven that Bill Cosby touted, but it's the original kind that Colonial and Wampanoag cultures created in Plymouth. Join Plimoth Plantation this Friday, Nov. 13, for National Indian Pudding Day, which focuses on 17th century puddings and those that became favorites of the colonists. A walk and talk to the 17th century English village begins at 1:30 p.m. A "bag'' pudding, a "hasty'' pudding, and "pudding in guts'' will be demonstrated.

Take home a copy of Plimoth Plantation's recipe and stop by the Patuxet Café to sample some warm Indian pudding. For more information visit online.

Photo credit Plimoth Plantation

As we enter the holiday season, food gets a lead role. Nonprofit, Child & Family from Newport, R.I., knows this, and tempts you to come out and take a Taste of Newport Sunday, Nov. 15. The evening will feature over 45 of Newport County’s best chefs, caterers, and confectioners showcasing their talents. Cocktails are served at 5:30 p.m. followed by a dinner buffet. Individual tickets are $100 each, with an option to buy a Contributor's ticket for $150, which includes entry to the private cocktail and auction preview party, preferred seating, complimentary wine at your table, and listing in the evening program. The 26th Annual Taste of Newport will benefit Child & Family's Supportive Housing Program for Homeless Mothers and their Children. Purchase tickets at 401-848-4150 or online.

It might be my inner Red Sox fan talking, but the best pizza we found in New York was in Boston.

This is completely unscientific but while in New York, I had to make a choice between burgers or pies and went with the former. Pizza stops were a bonus. Spills and all, Spunto was grand and Lombardi’s had fantastic toppings, but their crust must be an acquired taste.

Seeking a slice in Boston’s North End a few weeks later, we asked a Sox-capped local in front of a packed back street bar where to get a slice. The "slice'' part of the request gave him some trouble as he flipped through his mental Rolodex.

“Ah! Il Panino Express.”

Sold.

We ordered at the cafeteria-style counter, sat, bit, and stared at each other in amazement.

She said: “This is better than New York.”

He said: “Yeah.”

Crisp crust, sweet sauce, a good dose of good cheese.

We’ll get ‘em next year.

Il Panino Express - MAP
264-266 Hanover St.
Boston
617-720-5720

**********************

Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

Colonial Wine and Spirits of North Kingston, R.I., wants to help you get ready for the holidays. On Sunday, Nov. 8, this specialty store will host its Holiday Wine Tasting and Class featuring 20 wines from across the globe. This evening is an opportunity to discover vintners, purchase gifts, select your holiday wines, or just find some great everyday favorites. Industry experts will guide guests through the tasting and answer all questions. A one-hour class allows you to gain appreciation and knowledge that will enhance your food and wine pairing experience. Nominal cost of $50 per person includes light hors d'oeuvres, class, samples of 20 wines, and door prizes. Call 401-294-4623 for info or reservations.

How can you combine inspiring art, scenic drives, and holiday shopping in one shot? Travel to New Hampshire this weekend, Nov. 7-8, and participate in the statewide N.H. Open Doors. The event is an opportunity to experience the beauty and traditions of the Granite State by visiting its people and places and learning about its products. Visit the Made in NH site to create your own self-guided tour through the state. A map listing the hundreds of participants, including artists, craftspeople, wineries, retail shops, restaurants, lodging establishments, and more, is downloadable and easy to read. For more info call 603-224-3375.

Here's your chance for a Roman holiday right here in Massachusetts. This Sunday, Nov. 8, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute offers a free family day celebrating the exhibition "Steps Off the Beaten Path: Nineteenth Century Photographs of Rome and its Environs." Learn to photograph architecture, try jousting, make an amulet, and discover Rome using the Clark's collection. Catch a free screening of the 1953 Oscar-winning film Roman Holiday at 3 p.m. and watch as a European princess (played by Audrey Hepburn) embarks on an official tour through Rome. All activities and admission are free, though the hand dipped gelato and Italian ices are available for purchase. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit online.

Photo courtesy of the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute

The 23d Annual Christmas Festival will be held this weekend, Nov. 6-8, at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center. The show opens Friday with the popular Gingerbread House Competition, an annual crowd favorite showcasing the talents of Boston's top chefs. After judging (full disclosure: my niece and I are judges), these incredible creations of varying sizes will be sold, with all the proceeds to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

The festival itself offers everything a holiday shopper could desire under one roof. The distinctive work of over 300 master American crafts people will keep guests dizzy with delight. Bargain hunters, as well as those with extravagant tastes, will find an endless array of home accessories, designer fashions, jewelry, handcrafted holiday decor, tempting gourmet specialty foods, and one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts unavailable elsewhere.

Over 30,000 visitors visit the festival each year. Admission is $12 -- with an online coupon to print out here. Kids get in free. Show hours are Friday noon-7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-7, and Sunday 10-5.

Photo of chef Coady and pastry cook Zailda Smith put finishing touches on Finale's gingerbread creation courtesy of CM Communications

In my husband's office yesterday I was instructed to open a little green bag. In it were Ray LaMontagne's newest CD, "Gossip in the Grain," and two tickets to see him live tonight at the Wang Theater. Happy birthday to me. See you there?

Return to the days of old when if you didn’t own a horse and buggy, on the southern coast of Maine you relied on the Atlantic Shore Line’s electric trolleys to get from here to there. Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport closed for the season at the end of October, but as a special treat, this year, for the first time, they'll reopen to participate in the town's Christmas Prelude weekends, Dec. 4-6 and 11-13.

Prelude visitors can ride in heated, restored electric trolleys on what was the Kennebunkport to Biddeford portion of the Atlantic Shore Line. The historic railway operated from 1904 to 1927, when it was essential transportation for tourists and commuters.

Rides will be offered on Friday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the two weekends. Refreshments will be available and the museum's gift shop will be open with a selection of rail-related gifts for all ages. Admission to the museum store and visitors center is free. Tickets are $4 per ride, per person (all ages).

Founded in 1939, the nonprofit Seashore Trolley Museum is the oldest and largest museum of its type in the world. It's located at 195 Log Cabin Road, Kennebunkport (3 miles north of Dock Square). Info at 207-967-2800 or online.


Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe correspondent

Photo courtesy of Seashore Trolley Museum

Burlington, Vt., shows its diversity once again with the Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theater presenting the state's Annual West African Dance and Drum Festival this weekend, Nov. 5-8. Join Jeh Kulu for four days of classes in West African dance and music from Mali, Senegal, and Guinea. If you are a bit intimidated to bang a gong, remember that observers are welcomed too. Founded in 1993, Jeh Kulu brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to embrace the traditions of West Africa. Performances will be at City Hall and Memorial Auditorium. Tickets and admissions vary per performance and class. For more information, visit online or call 802-859-1802.

Haunted Acres in Epping, N.H., is one frightful place you will not find me! New Hampshire's largest Halloween attraction is four experiences in one. Haunted Acres is set in an 1860s Western ghost town featuring the Skeleton Saloon & Hotel, the Dark Maze, the 3D Nuclear Accident House, and the Quarter Mile Nightmare Walk. The elaborately decorated scene includes coffins, cemetery, jail, mine shafts, spider web forest, witches' village, and its slayer creature sporting a 20-foot wingspan! Haunted Acres runs through Halloween, and admission is $23. Visit here or call 603-679-1666 (clever number).

Spookyworld and Nightmare New England is in my neck of the woods, in Litchfield, N.H. Last fall, someone handed me coupons for admission while I was shopping for my Princess Lea wig. Like a fool, I called my brother's kids and asked if they were interested. "Ah, Auntie Kim, I don't think you want to go there." Not even my teenage nephews would go to Spookyworld, which translates that if they were too spooked to go, then I would have a stroke and die at the feet of the first eyeless ghoul. Or worse, clowns -- nothing as terrifying as clowns.
My cowardice aside, I realize many of you want more scare, more fright, and more gore, so this one's for you. Now through Halloween, victims will tiptoe through seven horrifying haunts, encountering the creatures that fester below as they are “Buried Alive.” Or dare to enter “Raven’s Claw Cemetery,” where corpses and zombies lurk in the fog among the graves, and look out for the blood thirsty vampires of “Night Feeders.”

Spookyworld is ranked one of the best frights in the U.S., and is listed as one of top 12 eerie elite across the nation for 2009 by America’s Best Haunts. Like I said, this one's for teens and adults, NOT young children, or middle-aged fraidy-cats like me. Cost is $29.99 to $49.99 (perhaps something to scream about as well).

Hear accounts of bloody betrayal, catastrophic shipwrecks, gruesome executions, and of course, terrifying encounters with ghosts and specters, as you sail the dark waters of Boston Harbor on Boston's Ghost Cruise. Sail to the actual sites and listen to tales told by a professional troupe --18th century privateers and sailors, fishwives and doxies who bring the legends and folklore of Boston to life. Cruise leaves and returns to Long Wharf. The five remaining cruises run on Oct. 30 and 31. Adults pay $32 and children 12 and younger pay $25 in advance. Call 781-784-7469.

Photo courtesy Boston Ghost Cruise

This Friday, Oct. 30, the streets of Harvard Square will be alive with black magic, costumed mimes, and a monster mash for the square's liveliest block party of the year -- Harvard Scare in Harvard Square. A costume party for children and a Monstah Mash block party for all ages will flood the streets, as live entertainment, costume contests, prizes, and terrifying thrills abound. The celebration begins promptly at 4 p.m. Retailers will have many special treats as well -- see here for a full list.

As a followup to our article on traveling green, we note that the White Mountain state is seeing green online, at least with its lodging reservation service at visitnh.gov. New Hampshire claims to be the first state in New England with an interactive booking system to allow users to search and make reservations at “green properties” that meet certain criteria for conserving energy, water, and other resources.

Posted by Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe correspondents

There's one more weekend to head north to Cranmore and face the terror that awaits atop their 2,000 foot summit -- the Ghoullog. The spirits of three evil brothers and their victims return to the grounds of Cranmore, where vile and heinous acts were carried out. The tour includes a nighttime stroll through a haunted walkway to the Quad, where after a seven-minute ride to the summit of Cranmore, visitors tour the Ghoullog, where haunted happenings are sure to frighten and surprise the hardiest souls. Visitors can finally begin to relax on the ride down the Quad chairlift with a breathtaking vantage of the Moat Mountains and Mount Washington at night.

Oct. 29 is locals night, while Oct. 30-31 are open to all. Ghoullog runs from 7-10 p.m., with doors opening at 6. The cost is $25.

The staff of the Ashmont Grill in Dorchester loves to dress up, making Halloween a much-anticipated holiday for the lively crew. Join them for their annual Halloween Bash this Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 5:30 p.m. and running till 2 a.m. Reserve your spot for dinner, and warm up with signature cocktails like their Ashmont Apple Toddy, The Great Pumpkin, BooBerry, and The Berkshire Manhattan. When the evening begins to fade into black, the DJ starts spinning, and dancing follows, with raffles and prizes in between. You can party with the other spirited guests if you call 617-825-4300 for reservations.

In celebration of the grand opening of Boston Bowl in Hanover, Mass., the Hanover Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) and South Shore Hospital Friends of Growing Families (SSH) will join together for the First Annual Team for Dreams Charity Bowling Spree & Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the pediatric programs at South Shore Hospital and the Hanover Youth Athletic Association.

There will be plenty of bowling, with prizes, and live music and outdoor fun. A giant moonwalk and balloons will excite the little ones, while tattoos, prizes, and free food will make all ages happy. Boston Bowl is donating 100 percent of bowling fees and tournament pledges to SSH and HYAA.

Boston Bowl Hanover is a newly renovated 17,000 square foot ten pin and candlepin bowling facility featuring state-of-the-art technology, new video games, and snack area. To register a team, join a team, or make a pledge online, visit the South Shore Hospital site. For more information call 781-826-5263 or visit online.

My friend Tina's got a 'thing' for shoes, so events like this jump out at me. Then again, who wouldn't feel the need to ogle 5-foot-tall shoes on display throughout town?
Through the month of October, 10 5-foot fiberglass shoes, decorated by various artists to commemorate Haverhill’s heritage as a shoe-making hub, are on display in prominent locations downtown. The Soles of Haverhill “Shoe-la-bration” is a first-time community art celebration. These whimsical pieces will be auctioned at a gala at the Buttonwoods Museum on Oct. 24 with proceeds to support local nonprofits. Lawn art never looked so good? Check online for details.