Chester is a great town to explore on foot. Not only does it have some spectacular architecture, but you never know when you’re going to turn a corner and find an interesting place to have a bite to eat or do some spur-of-the-moment shopping.

There’s a new and different emporium in Chester — Juwil By The Sea. Owner Judith Rudderham not only sells her own lines of fine jewelry, but also has a number of merchants operating under her Pleasant Street roof.

“We’ve opened up our retail space to 16 small businesses who rent from us,” she says. “Each space is their own little store, where they take 100 per cent of the sales. I would estimate that approximately 80 per cent of the goods for sale are Nova Scotia made and the products include artwork, clothing, collectables, and books. It’s a unique place to shop in downtown Chester.”

The Chester area is also home to a number of great events during the summer season.

“We had our May Fest from May 6-8,” says Becky Scott, of the Chester and Area Family Resource Centre. “The whole municipality was involved and one of the major events was the 100-mile-long yard sale. Throughout the community, there will be a number of Mother’s Day events this weekend including teas and bazaars.”

In June, Scott says there will be a Bike Rodeo on June 10 and then, the next weekend, Shatford Lake will be stocked in readiness for the annual Shatford Lake Fishing Derby on Father’s Day. She says there will be a number of prizes for the taking, including one for the biggest fish.

Chester is well known for hosting one of the major sailing events in the province each August. Scott says there will be a parade and children’s fair to kick off Race Week, which this year runs August 16-19.

Scott says the Family Resource Centre ( www.chesterfamilycentre.ca ) offers a wide variety of children’s programming during the summer months.

“We offer child care and day camps so, if parents are coming to Chester to go sailing or golfing, they can make arrangements for their children to participate in our programs,” Scott says.

Chester is ideally suited for day trips from Halifax, the Valley, or the South Shore either by car, or, for those coming from along the eastern coast of the province, by water. What better way to enjoy a summer day (or weekend) than by combining the spectacular scenery of Mahone Bay with shopping and dining in downtown Chester?