Fisherman’s Fair And More

    The annual Fisherman’s Fair takes over the Ashawagh Hall green in Springs on Saturday, offering fun, fare, shopping, crafts, and camaraderie for the 79th year.

    From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the grounds surrounding the hall, the Springs Library, and the Parsons Blacksmith Shop will be full, rain or shine.

    Food will range from mussels and clam chowder to hot dogs, corn on the cob, and baked goods. For children, there will be pony rides, a water slide, crafts, and games. Artisans and crafters will sell their creations, and on the library grounds there will be a big book sale.

    Produce and other locally produced foods will be for sale, as they are every Saturday, at the Springs Farmers Market, which will set up by the blacksmith shop.

    Inside Ashawagh Hall, visitors can see the 44th annual Artists of the Springs Invitational exhibit. Posters from past exhibits, signed by well-known Springs artists including John Little, Elaine de Kooning, and Arnold Hoffmann, and limited-edition posters by Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Lee Krasner will be for sale.

    For the first time this year, there will be a number of recreational opportunities offered in conjunction with the fair. At 9 a.m., an hour before things really get going, Jim Zajac of the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society will offer a guided tour from the Parsons Blacksmith Shop through the Lassaw Preserve and to Green River Cemetery, where visitors can see the graves of some of its illustrious and less-well-known tenants.

    At 11 a.m., Ray Hartjen will present plans for the construction of a new bridge across Pussy’s Pond and lead a short excursion to the site. At 1 p.m. there will be a guided hike, by Nancy Kelley of the Nature Conservancy, to the Merrill Lake Sanctuary along Accabonac Harbor, and at 2:30 p.m., Mike Bottini will lead a kayak and canoe tour of the harbor, departing from Landing Lane and focusing on open-space acquisitions and existing nature preserves.