9th Annual Weekend in Norfolk - Old Fashioned Fun, Art, Music and More! August 2, 3, and 4, 2024

At the 9th annual Weekend in Norfolk (WIN) old-fashioned fun is not out of style! This town-wide celebration makes the most out of the long summer days of August by hosting a wide variety of activities that are sure to banish boredom; without breaking the bank, because most events are free! This year WIN is taking place on Friday, August 2nd, Saturday, August 3rd, and Sunday, August 4th. Events are located conveniently throughout town making them easy to find and enjoy at your own pace. 

All are welcome for old-fashioned fun

While other festivals may focus on thrill rides or big entertainment, Summer WIN focuses on traditional events, both old and new, reflecting simpler times. For example, there are events repeated by popular demand like getting married or renewing your wedding vows on the Green, tours of Tiffany stained glass windows, the rugged Hike the Peaks Challenge, Art Show openings, Music on Robertson Plaza, and self-guided walking tours around Connecticut’s most beautiful Historic District. New events that are sure to intrigue and amuse are added every year to complement popular mainstay events. To find out about everything, or to get the latest updates and directions, visit WIN's website weekendinnorfolk.org. 

You are invited to tour private gardens

 New This Year… 

If you have rhythm, feel free to join the drum circle on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Village Green. On Saturday, August 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, kids will have the opportunity to meet Smokey the Bear, play in a bounce house, ride a big wooden train, and participate in a coloring contest. Another event for kids, on Saturday, August 3, at 1 p.m. brings the Amazing Diverman, dressed in scuba gear to advocate for our oceans and marine animals. 

Kids Meet Smokey the Bear!

History buffs, should head to the Little Red School House on Saturday, August 4th from 10 am to 2 p.m. and, afterward visit the Norfolk Historical Society’s evocative new exhibit on the fascinating life of noted inventor Michael Pupin on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Little Red School House courtesy Norfolk Historical Society

On all three days, there will be pop-up shopping along Station Place plus an Open Mic Session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday night. Garden and landscape lovers don’t miss the chance to stroll through two magnificent private gardens linked by an artful network of pathways and shade plantings on Sunday, August 4, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Watch a Dragon Dance at the Connecticut-Asia Cultural Center

On Saturday, August 3, festivities at the Connecticut-Asia Culture Center include complimentary Asian food from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., a performance by the Dragon Dance Team at 1 p.m., Dragon Boat cart races from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and museum tours that include the new Christian Cultural Exhibit, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Old-Fashioned Fun 

Don’t miss the chance to try Blueberry Betty and ice cream along with live music on Saturday, August 3 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on the lawn of the Meadowbrook Apartments at 9 Shepard Road. This historic dessert dates to colonial times and is part of New England’s heritage celebrated at WIN. 

Blueberries are good for you and scrumptious

Another traditional event, Ice Cream Socials, dates back to the 18th century with the first one recorded in Maryland in 1744. Ice cream socials are rarely found these days, but at WIN we are fortunate to have one at the Yale Summer School of Music’s Music Shed from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is also an open house that includes tours of Whitehouse from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and a special concert for kids from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. 

Ice cream social at the Music Shed

Dating back to the 11th century, knitting, an old-fashioned skill, is trending today. If you enjoy this centuries-old craft, don’t miss the yarn sale on August 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hub where you can go on a treasure hunt for fabulous one-of-a-kind yarns, kits, notions, patterns, and more offered by the Norfolk Knitters. 

Go on a treasure hunt for yarn and more

Nature Lovers

If you have always wanted to learn how to fly fish or want to sharpen your skills, join one of expert fisherman Doug McDevitt’s seminars on Saturday, August 3rd, and Sunday, August 4th from 9 to 11 a.m., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Wood Creek Pond, a sportsman’s paradise. He will demonstrate the art of casting and share many tips and tricks for successful fly fishing. Participants are limited to five people per session; equipment will be loaned courtesy of Orvis's store in Avon. This is the ideal event for fish enthusiasts of all ages and levels. Doug will also hold special Spey casting clinics on both days from 11 a.m. to noon.

Gone Fishin!

If your interest in nature extends to the stars, then head to the top of Dennis Hill State Park on the evening of August 3 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. to learn about astronomy led by Aton Forest's  Matthew Johnson, writer of the Celestial Sphere column in Norfolk Now. He will also hold sun-gazing sessions that afternoon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Inspired By Art 

Norfolk boasts so many talented artists and craftsmen, and two will be sharing their skills with WIN guests. 

Leslie Watkins

Leslie Watkins of Dandelion Cottage Design, Arts and Crafts is offering free art lessons and demonstrations in watercolors and paper crafting on all three days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Hilary VanWright

On Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 3 p.m. visit the studio of artist Hilary VanWright and share her visually compelling work. Attend an opening reception on Friday of the 17th Anniversary Norfolk Artists and Friends show in the Art Barn, which will be open all three days at the Battell Stoeckel Estate. On Saturday, head to the show at the Norfolk Library celebrating 50 years of art exhibition by displaying the work of 27 artists. 

Dodi Wexler

There is even an art show of all three days of intricate mixed media collages at the Norfolk Hub, which is information central, by Dodi Wexler. 

Music Shed

Music Galore 

Music has always been a feature of Weekend in Norfolk, and this year there is even more. At the famed Music Shed on the Battell-Stoeckel Estate, there are ticketed concerts starting at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and, as a special treat, there is a free Emerging Artists Showcase concert on Saturday, August 3, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Infinity Hall is holding two ticketed concerts on Friday and Saturday, featuring the Yacht Lobsters and Ruthie Foster. At 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, the Litchfield County Choral Union will present its annual concert (also ticketed). To top it all off, throughout the three-day weekend, there will be free live music at Robertson Plaza, including the open mic session on Saturday evening, all sponsored by the National Iron Bank. 

ABOUT THE WIN (WEEKEND IN NORFOLK) COMMITTEE 

Now in its ninth year, the all-volunteer WIN Committee organizes two town-wide events annually: the Summer WIN and the Winter WIN. Norfolk’s town officials, the Economic Development Commission, and many local organizations, institutions, and individuals support these two town-wide festivals to welcome people from near and far to this lovely town in the Litchfield Hills. "The WIN weekend is important to the town and the bank because it allows us all to showcase what Norfolk has to offer," said Steven Cornell, President of National Iron Bank.