06/08/24: First time at this huge event hosted by Town of West Hartford! It's a two day event; June…read more8, 10-6 and June 9, 12-6. My family and I had a great time. There were rides, food trucks/tents, vendor/arts/craft booths, and music. First we started off at the carnival rides. They had a ferris wheel, huge slide, and various of other rides my little one enjoyed. Then we had food; so many options to to choose from. We had the fried potato/cheese/corn balls from Chompers food truck. My husband and son had hot dogs at another vendor. I had pad Thai from a Thai booth. All were good and decently priced. There's ice cream for dessert; something for everyone! There were over 150 vendor booths. We bought some art from various vendors. The quality and craftsmanship at these booths were great. I am happy to support small businesses! The turn out was great, there were hundreds of people. Overall, a fun family event and can't be missed!

Fun event. Tasty, too. This year June 1 marked the 7th annual Strawberry Festival at Coe Park in…read moreTorrington. With dozens of vendors, lots of fresh strawberries, decent weather and quite easily accessible, this year's celebration turned out very nicely. We couldn't count all the vendors -- maybe 50 or so? -- but there were lots of things for sale, from homemade candies and jams to myriad craft items and booths offering face paintings and pet products. There several food trucks; we wished for more and more choices. The big deal is, of course, strawberries. They ran out of strawberry pies early, but we enjoyed our shortcakes made with fresh biscuits topped by strawberries and whipped cream ($5). There was also a strawberry-rhubarb salad ($6) and strawberry lemonade ($3) which was kind of thin and not very strawberry-tasting. The festival directors (thank you, Ed!) made sure there was plenty of seating scattered around the park. It was a bit chilly, overcast and windy, so no one complained of sunburn. Lots of free parking around the park, and the area is small enough so no one gets exhausted walking from one end of the event to the other. We didn't and we enjoyed it.

3.5 stars. The City of Torrington hosts the annual Strawberry Festival in Coe Memorial Park. This…read moreyear we went on June 1, 2024. There were vendors with booths selling various arts/crafts, honey, face paint, etc. The park setting was lovely; plenty of shade and memorial monuments. There were a few food trucks. We found paid on-street parking. The line to buy strawberry shortcake was kind of confusing. We had to ask someone in line for information. First you wait in line at the cashier booth and buy tokens; $7 for strawberry shortcake and $3 for strawberry lemonade. Then you wait in another line in the middle that goes inside the building. This line was a little long; took about 20 minutes to get the food/drinks. I actually liked the strawberry shortcake and lemonade. The biscuit was really warm and chewy with the fresh strawberries and whipped cream. I think it's a little on the small side for $7 but I know it's inflation and hard times. Overall, it's a fun little festival and glad to have checked it out.

Finally got to the Food Truck gathering here at the Know Good Market. Great summer night with lots…read moreof food trucks to choose from. I ended up at Craft Bird Food Truck and it was the first time eating here [and not the last]. I wasn't super hungry but had the delicious Street Corn Salad and Truffle Mac and Cheese Bites. What a great combination. From mellow corn, spicy cherry pepper aioli and smooth jicama to the salty and crunchy coated super creamy mac and cheese. Great people, great food and super hot weather with a happy cloud giving a bit of shade.

I came by for this season's grand opening. There was definitely a solid group of people here and a…read moregood vibe overall. This market is small but special. There were only two savory food trucks, NoRA, N2 coffee, and River Hog brewery with a limited number of samples this opening Thursday. I guess I would have liked more food variety. It was neat touring River Hog's space, though it sounds like it'll be a few months until they're up and running. But at least we can say, "We saw it when...!" There were some interesting tables with accessories and clothes to buy, but the selection was a bit limited. Worth checking out for sure, though I'll probably wait until deeper in the summer when there may be more vendors around.

Fun small festival with some good food. Nice to have shuttles available from parking areasread more

"Has anyone seen lightning Has anyone looked lovely…read moreAnd the daffodils looked lovely today" (Dolores O'Riordan -The Cranberries) This is a mixed review for a few reasons. The first reason may not be the Daffodil Festival's fault, but our initial impression of the festival took a serious hit when our GPS told us where to exit I-691 and immediately ran into a detour that prevented us from taking the necessary right turn to get to the designated parking lots. Where were the detour signs from/for the Daffodil Festival helping would be customers figure out how to get there? Where were the LED message boards that I see every year at the Traveler's Open helping to direct traffic? Where was anything that would have helped us a perplexed would be visitor like me? We ended up getting back onto 691 and the next exit took us to the parking lots, but we just kind of lucked into that on our own. And to be honest, we came THISCLOSE to saying "screw it" and bailing. Then things went a lot better. There is no parking on the festival grounds, but shuttle buses can pick you up at either the Meriden Mall or one of three schools. We parked at the high school and after a short wait, got onto a school bus for the ride to Hubbard Park and the festival. We walked in around 1:00 and the festival was very crowded, nothing more crowded than the massive line to get tickets for the food stations. The line was so big, we looked at each other and agreed on the spot it wasn't worth the wait to get a burger or a dog or a slice. But we did spend a lot of time walking through the festival grounds, visiting with the vendors, and strolling around beautiful Hubbard Park. I'm glad we went, the daffodils were in full bloom and were quite beautiful, we enjoyed chatting with the vendors and some of the live music, and the sights around Hubbard Park and Craig Castle. Hope you have a better experience than we did.

I'm always at Mills Pond Park and the Canton Gate is near the entrance to this park. Thanks to Dan…read moreR.'s (FTR) review, I will add my input. It's on top of a small hill so it's not hard to miss. When I first saw it, I was curious and had to investigate. The structure looked old with quite a bit of rust on it; it looked like an abstract artwork because I couldn't tell what it's supposed to be. I saw fish engraved on it and what looked like a doorway. In the early 1990s, this 17-ft sculpture was created by David Boyajian; it was a gift to the town by the Canton Creative Arts Council. It was dedicated in September 1992. The town of Canton's notable landmarks are the Collins axe Factory and the Farmington River; this was where the inspiration for the sculpture came from per the sculptor. Overall, a decent structure where I like to take a moment, ponder, and reflect.

"Brown eyed girl, precious flower We have come to this…read morefateful hour And our love cannot wait Meet me at the gate" (Black Crowes) When you drive up the entrance to Mills Pond Park, you'll see an imposing structure on a hill to your right. There sits a 17-foot-high bronze and steel sculpture known as the Canton Gate. Its backstory dates to the '90's when the Canton Creative Arts Council decided to build something to thank their supporters. They sponsored a competition for local artists to submit their public art entries. The 1992 winning entry was crafted by David Boyajian, an artist and teacher from Hartford. His abstract design honors and incorporates historical, natural, and architectural elements of Canton, the Farmington River and the Collins Company factory. I saw a limestone block that represents the river bottom, images of birds, fish, cascading waters, and a door inspired by the one at an old local axe factory. While researching this review, I learned a cool fact - the artwork is listed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database. Now that's pretty cool, don't you think?

Police in general have been getting a bad rap in the news lately but I would not include the…read moreWindsor Police in the light of the majority. I'm not involved with the municipality in any way but I have to say our cops are the best in the business. Normal everyday men and women that really do protect and serve. Nice job people.

"We've taken all you've given It's gettin' hard to make a…read morelivin' Mr. President, have pity on the working man" (Randy Newman) The American Mural Project is a 2001 nonprofit that honors and dignifies the American worker with the largest indoor collaborative artwork display in the world. The three-dimensional mural is a staggering 120 feet long and five stories high and it visualizes the last 100 years of American history through images of its workers. Some of the images you'll see are heart surgeons, farmers, steel workers, athletes, farmers, assembly workers, musicians, police and fire first responders, and even jet airplane builders. So how is it collaborative? It's visionary artist and creator Ellen Griesdieck saw an opportunity to involve over 15,000 individuals (mostly students) across the country to participate in specific art projects and the results of those projects were incorporated into the gigantic finished mural. A video we watched gave a terrific example of this collaboration. We learned that scores of students at an American Indian school meticulously hand painted red and white mosaic tiles that became the shirt of a blue jean wearing mechanic you'll find near the bottom left corner of the mural. Another great video interviewed Melissa, a Brooklyn firefighter represented on the mural. The American Mural Project campus is undergoing expansion and improvements, starting with the parking lot and entry areas. An adjacent mill building will be renovated and eventually connected to the mural room with an atrium. You can visit the mural on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-5pm and on Sunday from 12-5pm. Admissions are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and veterans, $5 for students, and free for children age 4 and younger. I have to give a shout out to Abigail, the young lady who checked us in, gave us some background on the project, and answered our questions. She was so enthusiastic about the mural and the stories about it, she was almost evangelical. What a great and passionate ambassador! If you love art, creativity, and want a real "wow factor" you won't be disappointed by the AMP.

American mural project is the largest collaborative artwork in the world 120ft long and 5 stories…read morehigh. It took 21yrs to complete it. The mural is a tribute to the American worker from heart surgeons to steel workers, athletes , farmers, assembly workers, Boeing 747 fabricators...and more.It seeks to inspire, to educate, to invite collaboration, and to reveal to people of all ages the many contributions they can make to American culture. That said, I loved walking through the gallery and the best view for a panoramic photo is probably the 2nd or 3rd level. And not to forget the 10000 watch mural on an aluminum frame... quite impressive!!

"You used to call me the top You put me up on the throne…read moreYou let me fall with a drop And now I'm out on my own" (Billie Holiday) Fans of Game of Thrones know the Iron Throne in Westeros was made from the surrendered swords of enemies. Today I learned the White Oak Leaf Throne in Hartford's Bushnell Park was made from the Hoadley Oak. It was a dead 180-year-old White Oak tree that was a park eyesore. On September 10, 2024, it became the latest piece of public art to join the dozens of attractions and monuments spread across the park. Local artist Tao LaBossiere transformed that huge dead tree into a 9 1/2-foot-tall throne with ornate carvings all over its surface. The structure was sealed with five coats of marine-grade urethane to protect it from the elements. You'll find it on the east side of the park by Jewell Street. The throne has landing steps at the front, so you can climb up, and have a seat for a few minutes of solitude or an epic photo op. PRO TIP The Hoadley Oak is believed to be a descendant of Connecticut's historic Charter Oak. In an early act of resistance against the British, in 1662, Connecticut colonists hid their colony's Royal Charter in that tree to keep it safe.