Wow! I am in awe…read more The city of Torrington does a great job with this event. I just went today with my kids and we are so happy we did. There was street parking as well as a free parking lot in the back. Today is Wednesday December 10; we got there around 1:40 and waited in about a 30-40 minute line. I'm sure it gets crazy in the evening and weekends. Once we walked in, we waited briefly inside. The door opened and there was Santa Claus. The place was decked out and magical. There was a fireplace and Santa even gave the kids toys, wow. Did I mention this was FREE? Then the next room is Mrs. Claus'. She handed us some candy canes. Outside, was also beautifully decorated. There were elves, a hot chocolate stand, Santa's workshop with real elves, nativity scene, Santa's sleigh, and even real reindeer! I had so much fun and I felt like a kid again. The village started in 1947 by the former parks and recreation director of Torrington, Carl Bozenski. It's been a tradition since then and attracts thousands of people each year. It's worth a visit. It's free but they accept donations. This is definitely going to be our new family tradition!

The experience when we got inside was lovely and free. Very cute and efficient. My kid loved it. We…read moreloved the reindeer outside and they had some cute picture spots like a big sleigh. What I will say is we waited in for over 3 hours to get in. The line was insane and slow moving. It was very cold. The Batchy Brew truck was there so we grabbed some coffee and they had a big fire pit but it was only up front and didn't throw much heat. If you're going for this experience be prepared to wait a very long time. If you are okay missing Santa and Mrs. Claus then the reindeer and the toy shop in the back is way quicker.

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.

Running through Bristol, there's a stretch of Route 72 named Memorial Boulevard. It's pretty much…read morebetween Main Street and Blakeslee Avenue. It's a lovely area with parkland and trails on both sides of the road. Memorial Boulevard is quite the appropriate name for this stretch, because the grassy areas bisected by the boulevard contain eight monuments honoring veterans from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. This review is about one of those monuments; but trust me, this gets confusing. "The Hiker" statue is a copy of a pre-existing statue depicting a soldier from one war, but it's dedicated to the soldiers of a different war. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Let me explain. This "Hiker Statue" on Memorial Boulevard is a 1983 replica of the same statue used in Bristol's 1929 Spanish American War monument over on Park Street at Muzzy Field. When the Memorial Boulevard version was dedicated in 1983, it was meant to honor all soldiers killed in WW II. It's a very detailed bronze statue of a Spanish American War soldier hiking with a rifle held in his right arm. He's dressed in the manner of his time (1898), wearing a wide brimmed hat, a military jacket, and knee high boots. Check out the jaunty angle of his hat. He looks like a bad-ass Indiana Jones. The plaque's inscription reads: The Hiker Spanish American War Soldier Given By The Vanesse Family In Memory Of Deceased World War II Veterans November 12, 1984

Memorial Boulevard Park is a beautiful spot both to walk your dog, or just to walk through by…read moreyourself. One of the parking lots has a large picnic table if you just want to stop by for a quick bite instead of eating your car or at work. All in all, it is maintained beautifully MOST of the time. BUT Bristol's goose population keeps getting bigger & bigger and they do have a hard time occasionally, keeping up with the droppings, mostly near the East end of the park (by the pond). It is usually very well maintained though. If you walk around the whole three to four block area, it's approximately 2 miles from Barnes Spring to Downes Street. Personally, since getting my high energy doggie, just from walking this area, I've lost 52 lbs (& have clocked 1350 mi per my GPS). It's especially beautiful in the Spring & Fall!!

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?

"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!!

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!

When I was a senior in high school I wrote a research paper on the Underground Railroad, I was…read morepretty happy with the way it came out (I got an A or an A+). I remember that the paper was pretty popular among my friends, because a few years later it ended up being copied and made appearances at colleges in Texas and Florida. I hadn't really thought much about the Underground Railroad in a long time. But I came face-to-face with this incredible chapter of American history when I stumbled upon this monument on the grounds of the New Milford Historical Society. Litchfield County CT was a hotbed of abolitionist activity - both Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Brown lived here. There were railroad "stations" throughout the area, including New Milford, on the secretive route to Canada. This somber monument to the Underground Railroad was dedicated on November 17, 2013. That date was chosen because it represented the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It is an 18-inch high and 20-inch wide marker carved of granite with a broken chain over the marker. The marker is directly in front of a large monument honoring President Lincoln and New Milford's Civil War veterans. The broken chain sculpture was created by local artist Ray Crawford, and he entitled it "A Rough Road to Freedom". The marker contains a plaque whose inscription reads: History of the Underground Railroad This plaque is dedicated to the memory of slaves. In the middle of the 1800's, the Underground Railroad was organized with a true commitment to freedom. New Milford, Connecticut was a road to freedom used to escape into Canada. In 1865 the Civil War ends, and also the Underground Railroad. The 13th Amendment was added to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery permanently. The plaque ends with line from the chorus of an old spiritual (circa 1865) "Slavery Chain Done Broke At Last"

This is one classy group of ladies!…read more Last night the Boston Derby Dames B team (The Boston B Party) packed up our skates and headed down for a scrimmage. They were awesome on and off the track and it was definitely worth the 2.5 hour drive each way. I hope we get to play them again soon!!! If you haven't seen them in action yet you're totally missing out! Their 2nd season starts January 27th. Check out their website for more info. xo Jennasaurus Wrecks # r04r Boston Derby Dames- Cosmonaughtie & Boston B Party

I signed-up last minute for their roller derby bootcamp and had an absolute blast. With no prior…read moreroller derby experience, I was a bit nervous but the girls were friendly and welcoming. After all the skills and drills ended - I rolled off the track feeling more confident and excited for more. If you're looking to get into roller derby, check out the CT RollerGirls!