The gourmet food was pronounced fantastic, the juried art work by 35 of the region's artists wonderful and the music by Russell Scott and Lisa Watson added up to a memorable Headwaters Arts Festival gala at the Alton Mill.

Features included an outdoor sculpture exhibit and two curated exhibitions in partnership with the Alton Mill and Headwaters Arts plus works from more than 30 artists' studios.

The fifth annual Armchairs, Authors and Art featured authors Margaret Wente, John Bemrose, Robert Rotenberg and Catherine Gildiner, and as usual, Nancy Frater at BookLore served up a great evening of literature and laughs.

There was also a Kids' Fest with fun-filled activities for all kids of all ages, and a Rik Emmett music workshop where aspiring musicians came out to learn key steps to becoming a more accomplished performer.