Savor the beauty of the blooming mountain laurels at Newburyport's Maudslay State Park - as poet John Greenleaf Whittier did years before - during Saturday's annual Feast of Flowers celebration.

This year's event honors the 200th birthday of the Quaker poet from Amesbury. Whittier was a frequent guest at the laurel parties at Maudslay that date back to 1849.

The Maudslay State Park Association, Whittier Home in Amesbury and the Powow River Poets are teaming up to host the free event, which runs from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at the park on Curzon Mill Road.

The afternoon will feature narrated hayrides followed by guided walks through the laurels beginning at 1 p.m. and continuing every 45 minutes. The rides will take the public to view the extensive mountain laurel grounds on the former Moseley family estate, once the site of annual picnics hosted by William Ashby's family and friends. The guest lists boasted poets and artists, including Whittier, who wrote a poem about the laurels.

The last hayride, scheduled to depart at 2:30 p.m., will feature Whittier Home representatives reciting some of Whittier's poems written for the laurel picnics.

Poetry readings with the Powow River Poets and refreshments of strawberries and lemonade will follow at the park headquarters from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to share a poem as well.

Donations to support the event will be accepted. For more, call the park headquarters at 978-465-7223.

Artisans in the Open weekend in Newburyport

Artisans in the Open takes to the outdoors for its annual show and sale this weekend in the garden backyard of 4 Allen St. in Newburyport.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and will feature artists and crafts people working in a variety of media as well as jewelers, photographs and tarot readers.

Painter Sam Kimball of Amesbury is the featured artist. Other participants are Tobin Eckian of Newton, N.H., paintings; Ingrid Regina of Newburyport, painted furniture; Charlene Hurst of Hampton, N.H., paintings; Paulette Schnut of Onset, photography; Heidi Newfell of Newburyport, silk painting and embellishments; David Short of Rowley, pottery and collage; Dorothy Short of Rowley, jewelry; Judith Kamber of Newburyport, painted gourds; Andrea McGuiness of Newburyport, beaded boxes; Lisa Victoria of Merrimac, pottery; Sara Matias of Maynard, button jewelry; Donna Marbet of Florida, puppets; Susan Olson of Newburyport, jewelry; and Judith Miles of Newburyport, tarot readings.

Admission is free.

Humorous walk down the aisle at Playhouse

Take a wacky wedding planner, out-of-control guest list, uppity in-laws, a quirky florist and a father who isn't quite ready to let go and you have the makings of a wedding fit for Amesbury Playhouse Dinner Theatre. The theater opens Caroline Francke's family comedy "Father of the Bride" tomorrow for a two-week run.

The Valley Players cast features Jamie Tucker of Methuen as soon-to-be-bride Kay Banks and Rick Andrade of Amesbury as her fiance, Buckley Dunstan.

.The show runs through July 1. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights with dinner at 7 and the curtain at 8:30. There are two shows Sundays, a matinee with the meal at noon and performance at 1:30 p.m. and an evening offering with dinner at 5 and the curtain at 6:30. A weekday matinee is also planned for Wednesday, June 20, with dinner at noon and the show at 1:30 p.m.

Reservations are required by calling the Playhouse, 194 Main St., at 978-388-9444. For more, visit www.amesburyplayhouse.com.

A Little Garden Tour makes the rounds

A Little Garden Tour, a casual, family-friendly event, sets out Saturday around Newburyport and Newbury from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.

The gardens of several local families as well as the grounds of Central Congregational Church on Titcomb Street in Newburyport will be open for viewing.

Gardeners seeking new ideas will have plenty to draw inspiration from. A variety of gardens will be featured, including an open meadow, shady glen, terraced lawns bordered with perennials, traditional flower beds, patio and kitchen gardens as well as two well-established ponds.

Proceeds benefit the general fund of Central Congregational. Tickets, which include a map of garden sites and description of the gardens, are $5 for adults, $1 for children and $10 for families. They are available in advance at the church, and on the day of the tour at the gardens at 10 North Atkinson St. in Newburyport and 110 Middle Road in Newbury as well as the church. Call 978-465-0533 or 978-462-8059 for more.

Common Pasture focus of Audubon exhibit

An exhibition on the Common Pasture that runs through Newbury, Newburyport and West Newbury is the focus of an exhibit at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport.

The display includes panoramas, photographs and historical items such as pictures of the former children's amusement park in Newbury that was active 50 years ago.

The Common Pasture's 1,500 acres of primarily privately owned open fields extend from Scotland Road in Newbury to Newburyport's Hale Street in the south and Crow Lane in the north. It is bordered on the east by residential and industrial development and stretches west into West Newbury.

The exhibit runs through June 23. Call 978-462-9998 or visit www.massaudubon.org for more.

'An Artful Feast' art auction on tap

The Newburyport Art Association is gearing up for its sixth annual art auction - "An Artful Feast" - on Saturday, June 23, at its headquarters at 65 Water St. in Newburyport.

The event will feature more than 80 lots of 21st century and contemporary works of art as well as Red Sox tickets and a coastal sightseeing flight for two up for grabs in the live auction, which starts at 7:30 p.m.

The silent auction that runs from 6 to 7 p.m. will have another 40 lots of artwork as well as non-art items available.

The live auction items are available for preview at the art association's Web site, www.newburyportart.org. They will also be available for viewing at the art association on Friday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and before the auction on Saturday, June 23, from noon to 4 p.m.

The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the art association. It will feature a first-ever VIP champagne reception from 5 to 6 p.m. It opens to general admission at 6. Food and wine will be served throughout the night.

Tickets for the champagne reception and auction are $50. General admission tickets are $20. Seating is limited. For more, call 978-465-8769.

Watercolor artist exhibiting paintings

Artist Marie Crone shows off her watercolor paintings.in an exhibit this month at Chase and Lunt Insurance, 47 State St., Newburyport.

The show, which is part of the Newburyport Art Association's Wings Program, runs through June 30.

Crone is fascinated by the elusive quality of watercolor, painting fleeting moments and atmospheric light. Her subjects include a variety of images, interesting places florals, and figures.

A member of the Newburyport Art Association, Crone has also been active in the Pennsylvania, Central New York and Cazenovia watercolor societies. She continues to teach at Brooksby Village in Peabody, where she lives.

For more on the show, call the Newburyport Art Association at 978-465-8769.

Night of kirtan at Yoga Center

An evening of kirtan, interactive devotional chanting, takes place tomorrow from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Yoga Center of Newburyport, 12 Maple St., Newburyport.

Kurt Bruder, also known as Kailash, has been leading kirtan throughout New England for several years. The practice offers a musical/meditative technology for moving beyond oneself and deepening one's compassion. The chants are drawn from the Hindu, Buddhist and other wisdom traditions, and are supplemented by Bruder's stories and instruction built on years of study and practice.

Admission is $15. For more, visit www.omkailash.com.

Historical thriller at Jabberwocky

Best-selling Massachusetts novelist William Martin highlights his new psychological thriller, "The Lost Constitution," at a reading tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Jabberwocky Bookshop in the Tannery, 50 Water St., Newburyport.

The story follows rare book experts Peter Fallon and his girlfriend, Evangeline, on the trail of an early, annotated draft of the Constitution. Hidden for more than 200 years, the original document contains notes drafted by the founding fathers that could alter the interpretation of the Bill of Rights.

Martin is the author of several best-selling novels, including "Back Bay," "Cape Cod," "Harvard Yard," "Citizen Washington" and "Annapolis." He was the recipient of the 2005 New England Book Award, presented by the New England Booksellers Association. For more, call Jabberwocky at 978-465-9359 or visit http://jabberwocky.booksense.com.

Port author out in paperback

Newburyport's Elisabeth Brink shares her book, "Save Your Own," at a reading and book-signing on Thursday, June 21, at 7 p.m. at The Book Rack, 52 State St., Newburyport.

Just out in paperback, "Save Your Own" is a satire as well as a rewarding story of self-transformation. It is the first novel for the mother of two. For more, call The Book Rack at 978-462-8615 or visit www.bookrackbookstore.com.

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