Norma Panzine, of Affairs Catering, shows off her delicious butter tarts. -- Photos by Tracy McLaughlin

Summer's over. It's time for a ride to the country, along winding back roads that meander past rustic barns and farmland dotted with golden ripening wheat and the fiery colours of fall.

It's time for a road trip to Creemore.

Creemore is just a 1 1/2-hour drive from Toronto, tucked away in the valley of the Mad River, surrounded by what everyone calls the Purple Hills.

Artists have been coming here for years to set up studios and paint the beautiful scenery of these purplish blue hills.

Once I got there I was hungry, and decided I needed a snack. That was a tough choice because this adorable, quaint little main street is dotted with folksy restaurants and cafes with good things to eat.

FOLKSY CAFE

I walked into the Affaires Bakery just to have a look -- but the friendly, bubbly owner, Norma Panzine, charmed me with her smile, and a tray full of butter tarts and I just couldn't get away. The folksy little cafe with Santa Lucia playing in the background had a friendly old-style Italian feel to it and the lunch menu with juicy homemade meatballs called to me from the counter.

"It's all homemade," she said with pride, as she tried to fatten me up with another pecan tart. I just couldn't. Well, I did ... but she insisted.

From there I strolled along Mill Street to the Mad & Noisy Art Gallery where another friendly soul, artist Kevin MacLean, shook my hand and showed me around this artists co-op where 38 local artists from the Georgian Bay area show their creations from oils and watercolours, to bronze sculptures and abstract creations -- like the pieces from metal scrap that Kevin creates.

"I get to be a junk collector, an artist and an antique collector all in one," he said as he showed me around the gallery, pointing out other artists' creations as well.

There are too many quaint little shops to mention here and each has its own flavour. I love browsing in artsy garden shops like the Artful Gardener, also on the main street, with neat garden trinkets and trickling fountains and hilarious garden gnomes.

The uniqueness of it all is what makes Tricia Jeffery passionate about Creemore.

"I love this town, there's no other like it," said the owner of Dovetail Interiors, one of the largest interior design firms north of Toronto.

"What's special about Creemore is that each business has its own identity -- no big box stores here," she said.

Approaching Creemore.

Creemore's pretty locale also makes it a natural setting for festivals and events. There is an annual Copper Kettle Festival each August.

It's like an old-time village fair with local musicians, specialty foods and a beer garden.

Most of the artists participate in the annual Purple Hills Fall Colour studio tour, which runs each September and combines spectacular fall scenery with a chance to meet more than 20 of the area's talented artisans at work in their home studios.

HOMEGROWN FUN

It's not too late to catch the next big event in Creemore on Thanksgiving weekend - the Creemore Mocks Filmfest hosted by the Creemore Springs Brewery.

The town's tiny jail.

It promises to be a blast. Members of the public are invited to show their short, homemade comic documentaries.

"It's all very home-grown and everything will be funny," says Karen Gaudino of the Brewery.

The filmfest kicks off Oct. 6 with an outdoor evening screening at the brewery.

When I stopped at the popular 100-year-old Creemore Springs Brewery, the folks there were eager to provide samples of their frosty brew. Visitors can stay for a tour and pick up a fresh case of the award-winning elixir to take home.

For more information on the brewery, see creemore.com. For filmfest information, see creemore-mocks.com.

A gnome at the Artful Garden store.

Last, I walked over to the jail house. Built in 1892 at a cost of $425.20, Creemore's jail is the smallest 3-cell brig in Ontario and possibly all of North America.

The stone building is open to the public and it was pretty cool to just walk into a jail house and see the three little cells with cots and blankets just as it probably looked a hundred years ago.

No criminals in there though, and I wasn't surprised -- everybody in Creemore is really nice.