Meet You in Annapolis Royal!

Town Announces “Meet you in Annapolis Royal” Video Series

When they decided to create a series of five new promotional videos, the Town of Annapolis Royal had a great challenge. How do you capture more than 400 years of community and natural beauty in an attractive and engaging video production? With its particular mix of history, arts and gardens, Annapolis Royal is a community unlike any other. From the energy of the Saturday morning farmer’s market to the mystery of the candlelight tour at the Garrison Burial Grounds to the serenity of a walk through the roses at the Historic Gardens, Annapolis Royal offers a wide variety of experiences for visitors and residents. Capturing the spirit of the town was the task given to Edifice Media when the Town of Annapolis Royal partnered with various community groups to create the “Meet you in Annapolis Royal” promotional videos.

“My family and I have been spending summers in the Annapolis Royal area since 2006 and have always been drawn to this perfect little town” said Edifice Media CEO, Dr Christopher Cooper. “This past summer we filmed a series of promotional videos based on the Branded Entertainment model of short episodic snap shots of the best Annapolis Royal has to offer – as always just a pleasure to work with the core people taking on this initiative and what better canvas to paint with than Annapolis Royal!

This video project was funded by the Town of Annapolis Royal with support from the Historic Gardens, Parks Canada, The Historical Association of Annapolis Royal, Explorer Visitors Guide, Annapolis Heritage Society and Annapolis Region Community Arts Council. “It was such a pleasure to work with Christopher Cooper and all the community partners who collaborated on this project” said Trish Fry, Manager of the Historic Gardens. “With social media marketing at the forefront, it is vitally important to have visual and engaging media as part of our internet marketing, and Edifice Media delivered just that.”

The first of the videos in the “Meet you in Annapolis Royal” series was released in the autumn. This video featured Laura Lowe riding a bicycle along St George Street while greeting merchants and residents along the way. The remainder of the videos will be released March 3 through April 14 to build momentum leading into the 2014 visitor season. “Thanks to the Town of Annapolis Royal for leading this effort to get us this far” Fry adds. “Now it is up to all of us to ensure that this tool is used to its maximum potential.”

Check it out!    Meet You in Annapolis Royal

Calling All Shutterbugs!

The time is upon us to start collecting our best photos for the 2013 Annapolis Royal Photo Contest & Exhibit.

• Got some great shots of people enjoying Natal Day? If not, make sure you take your camera everywhere with you this year!
• Got some great photos in the Historic Gardens? Well, c’mon down and get some more!
• Got some other cool shots from around Annapolis Royal? I bet there are more special scenes awaiting you and your camera!

So… grab that camera and get out there. Shoot, shoot, shoot and then select your best and submit them for our annual Photo Contest. There are various competitive categories, and we accept non-competitive entries as well for exhibit.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday August 7, 2013.

Download Rules/Guidelines and Entry Form HERE.

 

Annapolis Royal Photo Contest & Exhibit – Until September 3!

For several years, the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens has hosted an annual Photo Contest & Exhibit, encouraging visitors to share their best photos of the Gardens. This year, staff at the Gardens joined forces with the Annapolis Heritage Society and created an expanded contest, broadening the scope to include photos of heritage and the community as well. The results were very positive, with more than 100 photographs of the Gardens and the Town being entered. These photos are on display in the Historic Gardens Interpretive Centre (garden shots) and at the O’Dell House Museum (heritage & community shots). In addition to the contest entries, there are a number of exhibit-only entries, including many by staff members of the two organizations.

Photographs were judged by a visiting professional who generously gave of his time and expertise while he was in the area! Winners of the 14 categories were Beverley Hudson (4), Terry Murphy (4), Grant Lohnes (2), Jane DeWolfe (1), Matt Dill (1), Keith Doucet (1) and Cameron Wagner (1). The Grand Prize Winners in each division were Beverley Hudson (Historic Gardens division) and Terry Murphy (Annapolis Heritage Society divison).

Full Winners List.

People’s Choice voting is currently open for each division and will be awarded at the end of the Exhibit period.

Also of interest, at the O’Dell House Museum, is a display dedicated to “Project 365”, an effort by three local photographers in 2011 to take and share a community photo every single day of the year!

The Annapolis Royal Photo Exhibit is open at the Historic Gardens and the O’Dell House Museum until September 3. Have a look at your community through the eyes of more than a dozen photographers, and be sure to place your votes for People’s Choice awards in each division!

2012 Photo Contest – Calling All Shutterbugs!

The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens is having its 7th annual Photography Contest & Exhibit in celebration of these wonderful Gardens. And this year, we are joined by the Annapolis Heritage Society in our efforts. Together, we will have a photo contest and exhibit that showcases the Gardens AND the Town of Annapolis Royal.

·    The contest is open to all amateur photographers.
·    The exhibit is open to all photographers, amateur and professional, who would just like to put their photos on display.

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Entry of Photos:    Must be received by Wed, August 15 at the Gardens office.

Judging:         To take place Friday, August 17.

Exhibit:         From Saturday, August 18 to Monday, September 3

Entry Categories

Historic Gardens Division – Garden Photos
Photos must be taken in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens

Categories

1.    Specimen photo of a rose
2.    Specimen photo of a lily
3.    Any other specimen photo
4.    Overall scenes/views of the Gardens
5.    Photos of people enjoying the Gardens
6.    Children’s category:  photograph by a young person (12 or younger)
7.    Black & White
8.    Garden Critters

Annapolis Heritage Society Division – Heritage & Community Photos
Photos must be taken in the Town of Annapolis Royal.

Categories

1.    Windows & Doors
2.    Landscape
3.    Heritage in the Community / Community Events
4.    The Shoreline
5.    Buildings of Annapolis Royal
6.    Children’s category:  photograph by a young person (12 or younger)
7.    Black & White

All photo entries must be delivered to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens on or before August 15.

Photos will be displayed August 18 – September 3
in the Gardens Interpretive Centre and the O’Dell House Museum.

DOWNLOAD Entry Information and Entry Form HERE.
Further Information:
532-7018 or admin@historicgardens.com

Acadian Kitchen Party – Tuesday August 7, 2012

Join us in the Historic Gardens on Tuesday August 7, 5pm-8pm, for a toe tapping time at our Acadian Kitchen Party!

Acadian band Unisson will treat us to an evening of great music, along with fiddler Daniel LeBlanc and guitarist Charles Robicheau from Le Grand Dérangement. You won’t be able to sit still! Check out Unisson’s My Space page for a sample of their music!

Add great food with an Acadian flair and some of Nova Scotia’s finest wines, beer and juices… and well, we’ve got a great party in the making! All we need is YOU!

Tickets are $20, and include admission, entertainment and food. Cash Bar.

Please note: due to NS Liquor Regulations, this event is open for adults 19 and over.

Buy Your Tickets Now!

Annapolis Royal House & Garden Tour – July 7, 2012

Join us in historic Annapolis Royal as the community showcases some of its unique gardens and houses in a special Annapolis Royal House & Garden Tour on Saturday, July 7, 2012.

The event will include a visit to 5 private properties where residents have made use of unique designs and materials to create wonderful gardens and landscapes.  In addition, some of the featured properties are inviting guests to tour parts of their unique homes. The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens will be a centerpiece of the tour, in prime rose season, with the Horticulturist on hand to provide a guided tour.

Start your weekend experience in Annapolis Royal with “Wine & Roses”, Friday, July 6, 7-9pm, a unique opportunity to explore the Historic Gardens with a glass of wine in hand! Add a visit to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning, stroll through the waterfront shopping district, hike along the French Basin Trail, and experience our attractions and museums.

In Annapolis Royal we are proud of our heritage buildings and for the history held within their walls.  We are equally proud to share our gardens and homes, and the stories that they tell.

We hope that you will join us for this unique event.

House & Garden Tour Tickets are $25. (Historic Gardens members can buy at a reduced rate of $20).

Tickets for Wine & Roses are $15. Members and House & Garden Tour Participants can purchase Wine & Roses Tickets at a reduced rate of $10.

Tickets may be purchased via our Online Store or by calling (902) 532-7018.

For  further information, call 902-532-7018, contact us by email, or visit www.historicgardens.com.

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Historic Gardens Publishes Rose List 2012

DID YOU KNOW???

DID YOU KNOW???

• That the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens’ Rose Collection has more than 270 cultivars? WOW!
• That the Historic Gardens boasts one of the largest Rose Collections in Canada? WOW!
• That currently, at the end of June 2012, they are at their peak – a feast for the senses and a shutterbug’s paradise? WOW!

Historic Gardens 2012 Rose List…  DOWNLOAD HERE.

Visit Soon!

(More info: www.historicgardens.com)

 

Heritage in Unusual Places – June 8-10

Explore historic Annapolis Royal this weekend, June 8-10 2012, during “Heritage in Unusual Places”.

A great selection of events and activities celebrate community and heritage, and we welcome you to join us!

Download Schedule here!

Annapolis Royal becomes a GHOST TOWN!

Annapolis Royal becomes a GHOST TOWN!

While it is not normally a title to brag about, the Town ofAnnapolis Royalwill proudly call itself a GHOST TOWN this October!

From October 21 to November 1, Annapolis Royalwill take on ghostly aura as the spirits of the past take over the Town for a Halloween-inspired festival. There will be a spook-tacular array of activities including a Haunted House at the Sinclair Inn Museum, A Skeleton Revealed at Fort Anne, and Ghostly Gardens After Dark at the Historic Gardens. Goblets & Goblins, on October 28, promises a bewitching evening of wine & scotch in the hauntingly boo-tiful Historic Gardens. Alan Melanson will lead his renowned Candlelight Graveyard Tours, and there will be a special launch of Wayne Kerr’s book about theGarrisonCemetery.

Add to that some great Halloween parties, a Haunted Seek & Find, Ghostly Geo-Caches, and some ghoulish sales and specials byAnnapolis Royal’s businesses… and you are sure to have a grand time when you visit… if you dare!

For further information, and the very latest schedule of events, visit www.ExploreGhostTown.com or call 532-7018.

www.ExploreGhostTown.com

 

Welcome Wharf Rat Rally – August 31 – Sept 5

It is time to haul out the leather and rev up the engine for another edition of Digby’s famous Wharf Rat Rally.  This event has quickly grown to become an important part of the local tourist season and Annapolis Royal is ready to welcome the Wharf Rats to town.  As in previous years, some of the local businesses and attractions have planned events to compliment the large gathering in Digby.

If you are looking for a chance to ride, there will be a couple of opportunities to experience our region.  The Annapolis Royal to Bridgetown Rat Run is a self guided tour that takes riders through some of the prettiest countryside in Nova Scotia.  The Rat Run works as a treasure hunt where riders search through participating locations to find the Roger Rat logo.   Participating locations include Bainton’s Tannery, Ye Olde Towne Pub, End of the Line Pub, the O’Dell House Museum, HistoricGardens, FortAnne, The Leather Barn and more.  For those looking for a guided tour, on Saturday and Sunday a group will leave Digby and travel to various destinations around Annapolis Royal.  Registration for this tour takes place at the  2 Canadian Army Veterans motorcycle club (2CAV) Booth, shared with the 74th Crusaders motorcycle club which is Located Across from The Wharf Rat Rally headquarters.

Annapolis Royal also offers Wharf Rats the greatest photo opp ever! At the Historic Gardens you and your bike will have the chance to go “Hawg Wild in the Gardens”.  Imagine rumbling in to get your photograph taken among the flowers.  For the ‘You & Your Bike” photo opp, here are two options: Self Serve & Full Service. Self Serve allows you to bring your motorcycle into the Gardens and take your own photos, while Full Service provides VIP treatment with preferred locations and a photographer to accompany you. It’s a terrific and unique opportunity in one of Nova Scotia’s treasures.

If you are looking for some all ages fun there will be a Cow Patty Bingo at the Legion. At 2pm on September 3 the cow will be let loose in the field behind the Legion.  When the cow lets loose (the cow patty) a winner will be declared.  For those who like their vehicles with three wheels and without motors, Kings Theatre will be showing the Smurfs on Friday night at 7:00pm and again on Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm.

Check out our Annapolis Royal Welcomes Wharf Rats Schedule of Events!

And then be sure to visit the official Wharf Rat Rally Website for information on all the great activities!