PEPPINO D’ AGOSTINO COMING TO MEDALLION

Peppino D’ Agostino returns to the Medallion Opera House on Saturday, March 18 at 7 p. m. D’ Agostino was warmly received by the audience on his first appearance there in October 2014. Peppino demonstrated his considerable gift for the guitar while he engaged the listener with genuine humility.

A native of Italy, D’ Agostino has made his considerable international mark as a musical artist on the guitar since he arrived in America 31years ago. The readers of Guitar Player voted him Best Acoustic Guitarist, and Acoustic Guitar’ s People’ s Choice Awards graced him with a Bronze medal for Best Acoustic Album of All Time for his release“ Every Step of The Way”. His signature Seagull acoustic guitar has been voted among the ten best signature guitars by Guitar Player magazine.

Peppino gives guitar workshops, master classes and seminars worldwide. Top leading publishers such as Truefire, Alfred Publishing, Hal Leonard and Acoustic Guitar Magazine have published his compositions and instructional methods. To date Peppino has recorded 18 CD’ s and performed in over thirty countries in concert halls and international festivals. He has shared the stage with such greats as Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, Roland Dyens, David Tanenbaum and many more. D’ Agostino’ s latest solo CD“ Penumbra” was released by Mesa Blue Moon Recordings.

Admission is $ 12, available at the door online, along with more information, at www. medallionoperahouse. org.

LUNENBURG MAPLE FESTIVAL

The Lunenburg Annual Maple Festival celebrates an important heritage – an understanding and appreciation for all that goes into the process of“ sugaring” and the historical importance of sugaring in the town of Lunenburg Vermont. The Top of the Common Committee invites all to join in this celebration.

On Saturday, March 25, from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m., the Lunenburg Primary School, located above the Common off Route 2 on 49 Bobbin Mill Road, will serve as the hub for the Festival. There, visitors can enjoy homemade meals, sign up for a free door prize, pick up a scavenger hunt, and a map and directions to the local sugarhouses that are open for visitors. Photographs, interactive displays, and local antique sugaring equipment chronicle all that goes into the sugaring process and the local families as they have carried on the tradition over generations.

As in past years, visitors will have the opportunity to cast their vote for the People’ s Choice awards in the photo and quilt square contests, take chances on raffles, and purchase maple and Lunenburg theme products, including copies of“ A Wicked Good Run” and Lunenburg T- shirts.

At specific times during the day, the following additional activities are available at the school and nearby locations.

From 8 to 10:30 a. m. a pancake breakfast, including sausage, eggs, home fries, beverages and real maple syrup, will be offered by The Top of the Common Committee. $ 7 Adults, $ 3.50 ages 12-4, and under age 4 is free. Take-out is available.

From 9 a. m. to 3 p. m., there will be a rug hooking demo with the opportunity for folks to try it themselves. 10 a. m. to 4 p. m., visit the new Lunenburg student-run sugaring operation in the school parking lot.

At 10:30 a. m., the judging of the Maple-flavored Pie Contest will begin at the Pie Contest table. Whole pies and pieces will be available for purchase throughout the day, after the winners have been announced.($ 2 / piece, $ 8- $ 12 / whole pies)

From 10 a.. to 3 p. m., visitors, with maps in hand, can take self-guided tours through the participating local sugarhouses to visit with sugarmakers, purchase maple syrup and, weather permitting, watch syrup being made, all within three miles of the school. The sugarhouses provide a representation of the diverse methods of sap collection, fuel, and product sales.

From noon to 3 p. m., enjoy a luncheon with choice of homemade soups, breads, beverage, and a dessert for $ 5. At 11 a. m., at a tapping demonstration on the Common, folks can learn about backyard sugaring by seeing how to tap a tree and what makes the sap run.

Find more information online by visiting www. topofthecommon. org or calling Chris at 892-6654.

Internationally-renowned guitarist Peppino D’ Agustino will be performing March 18 at 7 p. m. at the Medallion Opera House in Gorham. More information can be found at www. medallionoperahouse. org.