The Lower Mill at Salmon Falls in Rollinsford is now open the first Thursday evening of each month with a marketplace of arts and crafts, specialty products, and locally produced food.

Visitors to the restored, historic mill on March 4 could also sit in the Elysium Arts Folk Club and listen to live acoustic guitar music by Mercury Hat, take free flamenco dance lessons with Maya Gracia, check out a rug hooking demonstration at Wool and Goods, and sample organic tea from White Heron or fresh brewed coffee from Red Rover Coffee Roasting.

Unlike a typical art walk or open studio event, First Thursday at the Falls has a farmers’ market element with booths. Karen Spillane Blakeslee of Maine Herb Farm in South Berwick, Maine, offered soaps made with organic herbs from her passive solar greenhouse. She hopes to have more greens for sale next month. Her son, Jonathan Blakeslee, moved his White Heron Tea operation into the mills last month and has room in the large space to also display the sterling jewelry his wife makes.

Sofie Larsen of Applegard Farm in North Berwick, Maine, was selling farm-fresh eggs for $5 a dozen from her free range “precious chickens,” which are grass fed in the summer months. She also sold some of the paintings she made over the winter. She is now offering shares of her vegetable crop.
Amelia Maes and Company won a blind taste test in New Hampshire Magazine last month for its Golden Hot Pepper Jelly, made in Strafford with yellow bell peppers, red Thai peppers and garlic. There were samples of this and other jellies on hand.

Fantastic Fortunes makes giant gourmet fortune cookies in three different sizes for special events.

The tasty batter is covered with chocolate and other toppings. Owner Cindy Francis said she likes to take things out of proportion.

Artists participating in the event include photographer Jeremy Heflin, painter Taintor Child, Tom’s Thumb Pottery and Johanna Finnegan Topitzer of Selkie Bindery.

The next event is scheduled for April 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Lower Mill at Salmon Falls on Front Street in Rollinsford. For more information, visit www.firstthursdayatthefalls.com.