MAHONE BAY, Nova Scotia — The Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival , the largest event of its kind in Canada, is slated to begin August 1 and will run for three days. Starting with a reception and dinner for registered boaters, the 13-year-old event will include three days events and activities from demonstrations by Nova Scotia's top wooden boat builders to unusual boat races.

Guided tours of the harbor, which will feature an array of wooden boats and remote-controlled model ships, will be offered. Highlights will include workshops and a parade for families and children, as well as a refreshment tent and entertainment for adults. There will also be a re-enactment of the burning of The Teazer, a privateer vessel torched by a British deserter aboard to escape a British Man-O'-War, which had pursued and trapped the vessel in Mahone Bay in 1813. According to a press release from festival organizers, witnesses along the coast have reported seeing the "ghost ship" ever since it was burned and sank.

Moorings and docking facilities are available in Mahone Bay Harbour for people traveling to the Festival in their own boats. Lodging options include bed & breakfasts, inns, cottages and motels in Mahone Bay and the nearby towns of Chester and Lunenburg (where there are yacht club and marina facilities).

For more information about the Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival, call (902) 624-0348 or go to www.woodenboatfestival.org