Twas a beautiful day! The villagers were all in such good spirit. The Queen paid her last visit of the year but she promised that she indeed would grace us all with her presence in the coming you. She concurred what we all were sure of, that our Puddle on the Marsh was the most delightful Fair she had ever attended. With that Lord Mayor Button declared that we should again have holiday on the occurrence of her next visit. After some pressing royal business, and checking her calendar, the Queen will inform us of  the date for which we shall begin preparing. I am sure lady Button will drive our poor postman quite daft pestering him daily for news from the Queen!
Oh I almost forget to mention Sherlock Holmes found the diamond ring. That infamous Irene Addler had come to town. They had an awful sword fight in the center of town before they strangely both stop and walked arm in arm into the tavern and upstairs to  a room. And no one has seen either of them since! Very peculiar!
Lord and Lady Middlebottom are still living above the tavern,-----I wonder if they have seen Sherlock and that Addler? The Brewer Boys and the Dance Hall girls were dancing and singing to no end until someone told them of a wedding that was to take place on the Bandstand. They all love weddings because of the parties that follow so they quickly ran to be guests. A fine gentleman in strange dress also attended the wedding. When he was asked if  he was family of friend of the bride or groom he replied neither. He had just heard of the fair and came to see it  and stayed for the party! (Cheeky I must say. He must have been from the Americas!)
The Queen and a visiting Princess stayed for the wedding. What a beautiful wedding it was. There almost wasn't one though. The bride took off afoot . Lord Button ran off after her and told her she must go through with it after all her Majesty the Queen was waiting to see the ceremony.
She was a beautiful bride and her groom was stately. The ceremony was the perfect ending for celebration. It will be one we all talk of for years to come.
And now I cannot wait to hear when our next holiday shall be.

This weekend is a must see!

Oh our little village, Puddle on the Marsh has only one more weekend of festivities this summer.
So please do visit us! This weekend we are sure will be our best yet.
the queen shall visit us again Saturday and Sunday, along with her escort, and perhaps intimate friend, John Brown. Lady Cordelia her best friend (how did that ever happen?) announced that her majesty is indeed returning. (Oh if only we could keep the Lady away from her Juniper tea!)

The village is all a buzz because on Sunday eve, there is to be a wedding! I have seen the bride's dress! It is so beautiful it could have belonged to royalty. The bride to be may not be a noble, but in her dress she will certainly appear as one!

The dance hall girls are in fine form and surely this weekend their shows will delight us all. 
The gypsy band is in fine tune, and their music and spirits beckon everyone to venture into their wooded camp.

This will be Sherlock's last weekend to find the ring that he has searched for these last 5 weeks. I do believe he should request of Dr. Watson some aid.

Magic abounds throughout the village. The Green Fairy dances through the village with Oscar Wilde chasing after her. Widget the dancing unicorn entertains us all with his step dancing on the tavern porch.
And the wonderful lad, Magical John , astounds us all with his slight of hand!

This is definitely THE weekend to JOIN us at Puddle on the Marsh at Erie Canal Village, Rt 46 , Rome New London Road, Rome, NY. Do come out. Hours of the Leisure Fair are Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Don't miss it

A beautiful weekened ahead

Oh I can't wait for this weekend! The forecast is for sunny days and our festival continues in Puddle on the Marsh. The past couple of Sundays the weather helped explain the origin of our village's name. But OH! This weekend sunshine will reign. (Do not tell the queen, she believes the word reign should only be used when talking in regards to her.)

You must come visit us. What a grand time we have. The green fairy dances through the village, (unbeknown to most the adults of the village.)

Sherlock Holmes and his handsome mate Dr. Watson are still in the village. Seems he is having quite a difficult time finding a ring or some such thing. (Personally I think he is not quite as witty as he claims to be or he would have found that ring by now!)

And that young lad Oscar Wilde! What a strange one is he! His part as The Mad Hatter in the village's play Alice in Wonderland, is a wonderful example of type-casting, I do say.

Lord and Lady Middleton are still living over the tavern. Therefore, those rabble-rousing Brewer Boys are staying on the tavern porch. And if that is not enough Mrs. Fenley keeps spying Mr. Fenley, her new husband,with the tavern girls. What a racket she makes when she catches up with him. They are enough to make one want to head to the Gypsy Camp for some piece and quiet!

I personally love the gypsy camp, even though I imagine it is quite unsightly for me to go there without a proper escort. I am fascinated by the fortune tellers and the dancing and singing, the incense and mystery of their ways. Not to mention, of course, their strange accents.

I think it is so amazing that her Majesty, Queen Victoria herself is going to visit the village again this weekend! And she has again agreed to have tea with village residents and visitors! This is unheard of! I do believe the company of John Brown agrees kindly with our monarch.

Although the Lord Mayor has again declared a holiday, some villagers rise early and toil before our holiday can begin. The village washerwoman is one of such. By the time the festivities of the day commence, she has washed and hung her days work. Such a peaceful woman she is. She celebrates in her little yard singing and crocheting and greeting all those who pass by.

And speaking of the Lord Mayor Button! Do you remember that little dear Sally? She who asked Lady Button if perhaps Lord Button could be her father! The lady was aghast by such a pretentious child. And since then Sally, Crazy Alice and Tallulah , --oh and Taka Gander have not been seen! Whatever happened to them? Perhaps Mr. Holmes could be called upon to solve the mystery.

Well I do hope you will join us this weekend. I dare say you will be so very pleased you did!

A mystery in the village of Puddle on the Marsh

Perhaps you met Crazy Alice's little friend, Sally, last weekend. She was only in Puddle on the Marsh for an hour or two. (Crazy Alice is that strange lady that walks around with a silly goose that she claims is a Flamingo. Quite daft she is!)
As I was saying, Crazy Alice was with sweet Little Sally. Her's is a sad story; it is true. Sally has never known her father. She came to Puddle on the Marsh for the Leisure Fair. Sally was in such a jovial mood. She couldn't wait until the Lord Mayor Button declared the Fair officially open. She listened with anticipation as he gave his welcoming speech. Then she heard the words that began to haunt her. The Lord mayor said his name was Button because of his button nose. Why she has a button nose! Could it be possible? Could he indeed be her long lost father? Her mother did live in Puddle on the Marsh at one time.

The poor lass approached Lady button and asked her if it could be so. The Lady did not answer her but glared at the Lord instead.
This really distressed Sally, and she passed on her depression to Taka Gander, Tallulah and Crazy Alice. Now we have not seen any of them in the village for days now. Could something have happened to them?

A loverly weekend at the fair!

Mr Fenley, daughter and new wife

What a grand weekend it was!
The Mayor of Rome proved he was worthy of being knighted by bravely venturing with his dog into the Gypsy Woods ignoring the warning of one of Puddle on the Marsh's fine young lads that dogs seldom come out of the woods. The mayor and his dog returned to the village safely after visiting the gypsies. After his visit some of the villagers went to the woods to see what was cooking at the gypsies campfire. It was a hearty vegetable stew. It was a nice stew but they said it wasn't savory as their mystery meat goulash. Seems their supply of mystery meat has run out.

On Sunday The day began with Lord and Lady Button welcoming the crowd to Puddle on the Marsh. As we crossed the bridge into town there was the tallest man I have ever seen! Then someone told me it was Magic John on stilts. Why he was juggling and skipping. the stilts were so high! I am sure he was taller than any of the buildings in town. Well---almost---well--- He was tall!
Later on we were blessed with an abundance of liquid sunshine. But it did not dampen our celebration a bit. The Queen arrived and paraded through town despite the raindrops. And all the plays went on as scheduled.
Despite the rain Mrs. Fenley marched around town searching for Mr. Fenley. A young visitor told Mrs. Fenley she had spied him with some dance hall girls. Oh she was fit to be tied!
When the rain began to thoroughly wash the village, we moved on over to the tavern, where everyone was of high spirits, thanks partly to that wonderful ale the Lord mayor ordered.
Many of the villagers were standing on the porch when the children began to dance in the rain. the children said they were dancing with the green fairy, but the only adults that have claimed to see the fairy are Oscar Wilde and some who had just a wee bit much ale!
As the day ended we all agreed that even a downpour could not deter the festivities of our little village.
And there is wonderful news. The festival shall continue! The Lord Mayor Button has declared three more weekends of music, dance and entertainment.
Hope you come and join us.
It is just a little village but it is easily found on the Rome New London Road (also called route 46) Rome, New York. You'll see signs for Erie Canal Village. Stop there. That is where you will find Puddle on the Marsh.

The MAYOR IS COMING! THE QUEEN IS COMING!

Oh! Everyone in Puddle on the Marsh is so excited! This very Saturday,
August 14, we will be graced by the presence of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. Not only that but the honorable Mayor Jim Brown all the way from Rome will also be visiting our humble little town!
Mayor Brown is to have tea with the Queen at 11:00 A.M. And rumor has it that the Queen plans to knight him right there.

Our own Mayor Button has declared the next 4 weekends holidays and ordered the closing of the textile mill and the newly discovered coal mine so all could celebrate and come out to greet the Queen. He also ordered the brewery to make sure to supply the tavern with enough ale for all to enjoy.

The news must have spread wide for gypsies have set up camp on the outskirts of the village green. Also some have said that Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have been spied around town.

What a grand time this weekend will be! There will be plays and musicians, a magician, henna painting and so much more.

We will be celebrating both Saturdays and Sundays for the next 4 weeks. We do hope you will join us.

The Victorian leisure Fair in Beautiful Central New York State

This summer, take a step back in time to the age of innovation and industry that was known as the Victorian Era. Historic Events LLC presents the first Victorian Leisure Fair at the Erie Canal Village in Rome. The Victorian Leisure Fair is scheduled to open July 31 and will run every Saturday and Sunday through September 5.

The Victorian Leisure Faire will be a cultural and entertainment venue with shows, games, shopping, dining, and living history. Sherlock Holmes and other costumed characters will roam the streets interacting with visitors while re-enactors portray daily life in the Victorian era. Original stage shows, such as "The Gilbert and Sullivan Review," and "Peter Pan and Wendy" will be performed live. Ride the steam train or journey down the canal on a horse drawn packet boat. Children will get the opportunity to get knighted when Queen Victoria arrives in the afternoon to tour the fair. With something for each member of the family, The Victorian Leisure Fair is setting out to become the weekend destination for families throughout Central and Upstate New York this summer.

Historic Events LLC is a new entertainment company headed by Edwin R. Williams, a 20 year veteran of the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Southern California. "Owning a fair has always been a dream of mine. I have a great passion for history, and it has been my experience over the years that learning through entertainment is a great way to get both children and adults interested in our past." Drawing inspiration from Civil War reenactments, living history museums and events such as Renaissance and Medieval Fairs, the concept of the nation's first full run Victorian era fair was created. Ed chose the Victorian Era partially because there was so much innovation and diversity, but also because this area of New York is so richly influenced by the architecture of the era.

A great partnership was formed when Historic Events LLC joined forces with The Erie Canal Village as the site to host the Victorian Leisure Fair. "The Erie Canal Village was a perfect fit for us," says Williams, "it came with the perfect backdrop and buildings to tell our tale of a little town being visited by Queen Victoria on her way to Scotland. It also came with an amazingly dedicated staff and volunteers who have embraced our vision and our crew. Together we are working to infuse new life into this enchanting museum."