recreation

Art, Theater and Live Music for One Winter Weekend in Norfolk

In its seventh year, A Weekend in Norfolk (WIN) is a celebration of the creative community in Norfolk, Conn. In keeping with the historical legacy of Ellen Battell Stoeckel, who helped bring the arts to Norfolk by donating portions of her 78-acre estate to Yale University’s School of Music, A Weekend In Norfolk was first conceived by women.

WIN co-founder, Sue Frisch, explained, “I had worked with a group to put out the Norfolk Map and Guide on paper. It had pictures of places and things to do in Norfolk, and it occurred to me one day as I was going to the post office that we should do something to get people here to sample everything in the guide. I walked into the post office, met Holly Gill, and started talking to her about it. She liked the idea and the two of us walked up to the library, still talking about it. There we met Ruth Melville, who loved the idea, so the three of us went to work, proposing the concept to people and groups, and here we are! Our first WIN was in the summer of 2016. We started the winter version in February 2018.”

This year’s winter Weekend in Norfolk, held on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, features guided wildlife tracking in Great Mountain Forest, the Farmers Market in Battell Chapel, art shows by Caryn King, Lilly Woodworth, and Ani Jenkins, tours of the five Tiffany stained glass windows at Battell Chapel which were installed in 1929 as a gift from Ellen Battell Stoeckel, the premiere of two one-act plays by Sara Heller and Marinelle Crippen at the Norfolk Library, a 100-year retrospective of Main Street at the Historical Society, and all-day ice skating capped off with a bonfire and hot chocolate at the town ice rink.

When asked about challenges and successes in producing WIN, Frisch replied, “Everyone supports WIN, both with donations that cover the expenses and by putting on events. Donors have been very generous and so have the event organizers. The town itself has been very helpful; for example, it acts as our fiscal agent, and the Economic Development Committee has helped with money.”

“Perhaps the biggest challenge was Covid, but we came up with the idea of doing a virtual festival to keep WIN and Norfolk in people’s minds. Today we have a YouTube channel with more than 65 videos on it and are adding more. Videos are accessible from the virtual events page on our website or directly on our YouTube channel,” Frisch continues.

What do Frisch and her co-producers on the WIN committee want the public to know? “Norfolk is a friendly place and it likes visitors, so almost all the events are free. Our website address has all the events and descriptions posted, as well as a printable program and other information.”

 

A Weekend in Norfolk, a two-day winter festival, will host free events on Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26, with a ticketed evening live music featuring Mike Cobb and Trina Hamlin on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Manor House Inn. For a listing of scheduled events go to www.weekendinnorfolk.org.

recreation

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete.It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
bike route

North East town records brought into the digital age

North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Correction: the Millerton News Street Fair was a collaborative effort between the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center.

MILLERTON — Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Keep ReadingShow less