Once a year over the past 45 years! The Town of Canton and its hard working Volunteer Fire…read moreDepartment as well as a crew of other volunteers step on up and deliver a family friendly two day Lobster Festival. All to benefit the Department for the year to come. The lobster, chowder, and FRESH CORN on the cob absolutely worth the ticket and knowing you're helping out a life saving cause. My fess-up confession: My wife shamed this grumpy old guy into going. It was a hot day, I had a list of to-do's, and it had all ready been a long day. So, I gave in, I wouldn't let selfishness win. From the moment we arrive I took immediately to the live music ringing out, the kiddo's playing games, eating hotdogs, and petting our dog. The lobster tent packed with other happy attendees wiping butter from their cheeks, sipping on a beer, and chatting with others. This year was my first experience attending. Yup, this shall be an annual favorite from here forward.

Today I attended the 33rd Annual Canton Lobsterfest- a three day festival and fundraiser for the…read moreCanton Volunteer Fire Company. A meal costs $18. You pay for a meal ticket and get on a line that runs through a large service tent. You pick up a tray and start moving toward the back of the tent. The food is cooked behind the scenes, so all you see are volunteers coming out of the kitchen with your food, A tray with cups of clam chowder appeared first, then full plates with whole boiled lobsters, corn on the cob, and a small container of melted butter. AT the back of the tent you can get beer, or a soft drink. Some people paid for extra corn or extra chowder. Some people ordered their food "to go" and whisked it away to their cars. We ate under one of the adjacent dining tents. The chowder was very good- thick with clams and potatoes. The lobsters were pre-split, which made them easy to access; it would have been challenging to liberate them from their shells with just the plastic utensils we received. The lobster was good -fresh tasting and of a decent size. There is a separate room inside the fire station dedicated to desserts- where you could buy slices of cakes or pies. No dessert was included with the $18 meal - not even a cookie. Room for improvement? Well I guess I could debate the value of the $18 - but the more I thought about it (Beer plus chowder plus a lobster for the benefit of a local Fire Department) I really can't quibble. Toss in free music and a craft festival, and it really is a fun family activity. But I will say this, There was a woman volunteer working on crowd control and showing people where to line up that can use some work on her public relations skills.

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?

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.

This imposing outdoor sculpture is located near the Connecticut Army National Guard on Minuteman…read morePark. I found mention of it at https://www.ctexplored.org/elbert-weinbergs-enduring-monuments/, "In 1988, toward the end of Weinberg's life, one of his proposals received an award in Art for All, a contest sponsored by The Hartford Courant, and was purchased for the City of Hartford with funds donated by The Courant. Although more abstract than Weinberg's earlier works, the sculpture's shining steel forms still evoke forms drawn from nature. An early model for the sculpture was called Tropicale, and while the final work was officially untitled, it was--and is--commonly known as Pickles and Palm Trees." It is hard to miss the tall artwork and I stopped to check the caption. "This sculpture by Elbert Weinberg was commissioned by The Hartford Courant as part of a program initiated by Northeast magazine to bring works by distinguished Connecticut artists into the public domain. The abstract composition is made of stainless steel and is untitled. Mr. Weinberg, a Hartford native and longtime resident, who achieved international recognition, died on December 27, 1991 at the age of 63." The sweeping arcs make for a beautiful piece of art that is worthy of a stop. [Review 15179 overall, 681 of 2021, number 31 in Connecticut.]

I'm a new resident to CT but from my short time of being here, I can tell this is a great town…read more Canton is a small town situated right on the Farmington River. For one, when it snows, the roads are cleared and salted quickly. The town itself is very beautiful and nicely maintained. There are good parks and trails throughout. Downtown Canton is on Albany Turnpike, which has everything you would need. There's an Aldi's, CVS, Midas, Farmington Shoppes, gas stations, restaurants, and various of other businesses; and just like that, you can drive 5 minutes and you're back in the quiet countryside/farmland. Collinsville is a hot spot and was named "Ten Coolest Small Towns In America" by Budget Travel Magazine in 2007. It definitely has a small town New England charm for sure!

"If I were a painter And could paint a memory…read moreI'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you" (Norah Jones) In the vicinity of the Avon Village Center shopping complex, roughly between Avon's Whole Foods and Police Station, you'll find a paved path. Its the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail portion of the East Coast Greenway. And as you walk the path towards Route 44, you'll come across an underpass with a very pretty decorative mural. It a sunrise/sunset nature pictorial with hand painted flowers, vines, stars, mushrooms, and even rock walls The mural is the creation of local artists Christy Hickey and her daughter Olivia. The mural was commissioned by Bike Walk Avon CT and I read that several anonymous Avon residents donated the paint and assorted materials to craft the mural. The best way to see it is to park in the extreme right side (facing the store) of the Whole Food lot, take the iron railed staircase down, and walk to the right towards Route 44. It's an unexpected splash of color and creativity that was badly needed inside a drab concrete underpass!

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!

During the spring and summer months, once a month, the Vietnamese night market springs into life…read more Local aunties and uncles toil away in makeshift kitchens to bring a taste of their home to the community. Pho, bahn mi, and milk tea are the tip of the iceberg of what's offered here. There's a plethora of delicious food options, loads of vendors and lots of people. They got a band playing in the main thoroughfare and karaoke towards the tail end of the night. We tried a smattering of dishes, ranging from mini shrimp pancakes, scallop noodles served in the shell, Takoyaki and meat skewers, grass jelly and lotus sticky rice. Each one very fresh, lots of flavor and a good price for the portion. The only dilemma being parking and the crowds. It's gotten very popular as of late, so if you don't go early they can run out of food. During our brief stint, they were out of sesame balls and onigiri, with lots of places running low on supplies. It's a fun experience and worth a try if you manage to get a chance to come there. It's a great community deserving of the popularity and it's a great fundraiser for the local church. Go in with an open mind and enjoy the adventure!

So much fun! I went with a group of friends who had been before and was glad I did. We arrived over…read morean hour before opening and the lines were already starting to grow. I tried a little bit of everything and took some food home for tomorrow! I will definitely be back next year as everything I ate was delicious and I ate until I was stuffed. The music was hopping, the vendors were friendly and quick considering the crowd (which was insane by the time we left two hours later) and the food was reasonably priced.

we absolutely LOVE Buon appetito. This intimate restaurant serves each dish hot and fresh made per…read moreorder. the food is always delicious and their garlic bread can't be beat :)

This used to be one of my very favorite restaurants. We arrived as their first guests at 5pm, and…read moreeverything was off to a great start. Our food arrived as the place began to fill up to capacity... still only the chef and his wife running the entire restaurant. My food was dropped off an I waited and waited for the waitress to be back to see how things were, so I could request a soup spoon to use while eating my angel hair pasta. 15-20 min later still no check in, so I used the tiny teaspoon that came with the shredded Parmesan. My lemon chicken was too lemony and not enough other flavors to be entirely enjoyable, but it was cooked perfectly. My friends enjoyed their meals too, but again with en entirely full restaurant and one server, there wasn't a lot of attention paid. We had to wait over 25 minutes just to receive our check. I was left with so many mixed feelings. It was a Wednesday night, but they should have known their reservations were full. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. Atmosphere is nice i side and yes the owner and his wife are very nice... but checking back with your tables moments after bringing their food to see if all is as expected or whether something else is needed, an important part of the dining experience. I don't know if I'll be back.

I was honestly surprised at Pasta Vita - I mean, I didn't really know what to expect when I first…read morecame in. But this store is nice and roomy and this is one of the places that there is something for everyone! Being a newbie to CT, that's been something hard to find and I'm glad that Pasta Vita meets that mark. I loved everything that was laid out - from the cured meats, to the cheeses, to the pasta. Everything was awesome! My favorite thing of the night was the truffle honey though. I went around convincing others to give it a try, haha. Once I find something perfect to pair it with, I'm coming back and adding that $40 bottle of honey to my own private collection! Anywho, the pasta was awesome. It's fresh made and tastes like it. The chicken we sampled was also loved - rolled with pesto, sun dried tomatoes with good texture. The yelp perks were also nice! I got a tiramisu with the 10 dollar dessert coupon that was BOMB. It's pretty up there with the best tiramisus I've had. It was also an extremely generous helping. Additionally, for the one free entree, I took home a sausage pasta w/ pink sauce. The pink sauce was divine! My favorite part of that entree was how it fit perfectly well in my countertop toaster oven. I mean, that probably doesn't mean much to other people, but that makes me happier knowing I won't be turning on a huge oven to reheat the pasta. Prices are pretty fair for the portions - the individual entree was enough to fill me and my BF. My only thing about this place is that it's a bit of a drive for me. So I probably won't visit this location, but they are opening one up in East Windsor which is a lot closer. Can't wait till that one opens!

I've heard so many great things about Pasta Vita over the years but sadly had never been to any of…read moretheir locations. So I was happy when I got my confirmation that I would be attending this event. The store is open, clean and inviting. The staff and general manager Dan are kind, informative and knowledgeable about their product. They went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and answered any questions we had. They gifted us with awesome goodie bags and a complimentary entrees. I was definitely impressed with the selection, and pricing of the products. I do plan on returning to any one of their locations. It was great seeing familiar faces and making new connections. Thank you Emily S., Michael P. and the Pasta Vita staff for a great event!