Colorful Weekend in Nofolk

Stained glass lovers, rejoice! All three of Norfolk’s churches will be open at various times during Weekend in Norfolk, August 2,3 and 4, to allow visitors to see their fabulous stained glass windows.  There will be stained glass window tours on Aug. 2 from 10 to noon at the Immaculate Conception Church and Tours of the Stained Glass Windows at 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm at the Battell Chapel.

Battell Chapel windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany depict the seasons of Norfolk and a mountain stream.

Church of Christ Congregational plans to have its Battell Chapel open most of the day on Saturday for viewing windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Maitland Armstrong. The Tiffany windows, located in a curved wall, depict the four seasons, two on either side of a woodland stream scene.

Also on Saturday, Church of the Immaculate Conception will be opening to visitors who want to see its windows. These are by Franz Meyer & Co. of Munich and were shipped to Norfolk from the factory in the mid-1920’s. The windows may also be seen after the church service on Sunday.

These splendid Franz Mayer windows adorn the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The church will be open for tours during Weekend in Norfolk 

On Sunday, Church of the Transfiguration is having an open house for window viewing immediately after its service, which all are invited to attend. The windows are by several different artists; subjects include the innkeeper in the story of the Good Samaritan and the Transfiguration from noon to 12:30 p.m. 

Other stained glass will be on view at the Norfolk Library during its art show and other events, and the Manor House Inn, especially on Sunday afternoon when the Inn will be serving lemonade on the lawn.

This window is a memorial to Olivia Langdon Clemens, wife of Mark Twain, and the gift of her daughter, Clara. Miss Clemens made her debut as a professional concert singer in Norfolk on September 22, 1906, and donated the proceeds of her concert for the window. The church will be open for tours during Weekend in Norfolk 

Weekend in Norfolk, August 2, 3 and 4, is a three-day, town-wide art, music and nature festival. Events run the gamut from art exhibits to hiking, world-class music to two ice cream socials, farm tours and kite-making lessons to the opportunity to get married on the Village Green. New events are being added all the time. Visit weekendinnorfolk.org for details.

WIN is Aug. 2,3,4, 2019

Fun for all is the watchword in Norfolk, Conn.! Weekend in Norfolk, the town’s fourth annual three-day summer festival, is coming up August 2, 3 and 4 with all kinds of activities, most of them free.

On Friday, see magnificent stained glass windows, get married or renew your vows on the village green, enter a hiking contest, attend the Norfolk Artists & Friends 11th annual exhibition, go to concerts at Infinity Hall and the Yale Music Shed.

On Saturday, take a tour of Norfolk’s industrial past. The farmers market is celebrating with a variety of special events including chef demonstrations, live music and several activities especially for kids. The evening will be crowned with food and music at the Manor House Inn, a family fun night and concerts.

Sunday is no time to go home—there are more tours including Whitehouse (the former Stoeckel mansion), samples of a getaway day at the Mountain View Green Retreat, more stained glass window viewings, an open house at the country club showing off its famed 9-hole golf course, three farm open houses, art workshops, a special concert for kids, fly tying and casting on the green, outdoor music, a 5K trail run, a hotdog eating contest and more.

We didn’t mention everything—the open house at the Blackberry River Inn, the photography exhibition at the historical society museum, the ice cream social, the silent movies with live accompaniment, and more—or that many events are multi-day affairs. Visit weekendinnorfolk.org, check out the Music, Art, Nature, Kids and &More pages, download the schedule and be sure to come the first weekend in August (August 2, 3 and 4). You’ll have all the fun you could imagine and more!

WINter Weekend in Norfolk Feb. 22 & 25, 2019

It’s the perfect winter celebration: outdoor sports; a tour of stained glass windows, a brunch crawl, and a pancake breakfast; concerts and art shows; kids’ activities, tours, and open houses, ice carving, tea tasting, a look at the stars, and much more will be featured during Norfolk’s Second WINter Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, February 24 and 25. What’s even better, most of the events are free.

Event Highlights

Music and art will be strongly represented. The Doobie Others Band will perform at Infinity Hall Saturday night at 8 p.m. and, early birds take note, Will Evans of Barefoot Truth will be at Infinity on Friday evening. For classical music lovers, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival is sponsoring a free performance, Music among Friends, with composer Krists Auznieks and the Yale School of Music Piano Quintet in the library on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 3:30 p.m. And the library plans fun entertainment for the whole family by hosting the Traveling Lantern Theater Puppet Show on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., free of charge.

As for art, there is a show by painter Victor Leger at the library on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The Norfolk Artisans Guild is hosting a variety of artisan demonstrations and an art show by watercolorist Pamela Harnois from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Norfolk Historical Society will be open with a fabulous display of work by 19th-century photographer Marie Kendall on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. New this year at the Norfolk Hub in the center of town, will be video showings of Haystack Book Talks on Saturday at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m.; the videos will run again on Sunday at 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. Another highlight offered at the Hub is a demonstration on how to make handmade art journals by Leslie Watkins on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Revelers won’t go hungry. Don't miss out on all the goodies at the indoor Farmers Market, inside Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Norfolk volunteer ambulance squad will serve up hot cider and donuts free of charge on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Great Mountain Forest will open its sugar shack on Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Mother Nature permitting. The restaurants in Norfolk have organized a brunch crawl, the Manor House Inn will host a Murder Mystery on Sunday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Mountain View Green Retreat will offer visitors tea, food tastings, and mini spa services on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Immaculate Conception Church will host a free pancake breakfast on Sunday. And, of course, sit-down meals will be readily available at almost any time of day.

Stefanie Gouey, chef/owner of Station Place Cafe, just told me she’s going to be holding a cooking class on Sunday afternoon, Feb 24, during Winter WIN! She will teach participants how to make chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust; participants get to take their pies home. Spaces for hands-on participants are limited to 12 and there will be a $10 fee to cover ingredients but others are welcome to come watch and learn. At Station Place Cafe, 10 Station Place, Norfolk. Sunday afternoon time to be announced. Call 860-542-2555 to make a reservation for a spot in the class.

  

A perennial favorite of WINter Weekend are the tours offered by the Norfolk Curling Club that will have an open house on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you like stained glass, don't miss the stained glass window tours of Church of Christ on Saturday and Sunday. The tours of these beautiful stained glass windows by Tiffany and Armstrong begin on Saturday and run on the hour from 10 am to 3 pm and on Sunday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Immaculate Conception Church will also have docents on hand each day to talk about its own gorgeous stained glass.

Interested in sports? There will be plenty—skating on the town ice rink with lessons on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., there is all day cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing on one of Norfolk’s many trails including the beautiful North Brook Trail and sledding for all ages on the hill behind the Congregational Church on the green (bring your own sled). There will be an owl prowl from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. and then a wildlife walk on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, both at Aton Forest. New this year is the Astronomy Night on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for a look at the winter constellations, complete with a bonfire and hot chocolate to take the chill out of the air. To round things out, the Norfolk Land Trust is hosting a slide talk on wolf trees by Michael Gaige at the Norfolk Library from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Revelers won’t go hungry.  Don't miss out on all the goodies at the indoor Farmers Market, inside Town Hall from 10 am to 1 pm.  The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department will serve up coffee and donuts free of charge on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and Great Mountain Forest will open its sugar shack on Sat. and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm.  The restaurants in Norfolk have organized a Sunday Brunch crawl, the Manor House Inn will host a Murder Mystery on Sunday evening from 5 pm to 7 pm, and Mountain View Inn will offer visitors a tea tasting and mini spa services on Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm. The Immaculate Conception Church will host a free pancake breakfast on Sunday. And of course, sit-down meals will be readily available at almost any time of day.

A perennial favorite of WINter Weekend are the tours offered by the Norfolk Curling Club that will have an Open House on Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 9 am.  If you like stained glass, don't miss the Stained glass window tours of the Church of Christ on Saturday and Sunday.  The tours of these beautiful stained glass windows by Tiffany begin on Saturday and run on the hour from 10 am to 3 pm and on Sunday from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Interested in sports? There will be plenty—skating on the town ice rink with lessons on Saturday from 10 am to 11 am, there is all day cross-country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing on one of Norfolk’s many trails including the beautiful North Brook Trail and sledding for all ages on the hill behind the Congregational Church on the green (bring your own sled). There will be an owl prowl from 4 am to 6 am. and a wildlife walk at Aton Forest on Saturday from 9 am to noon.  New this year is the Astronomy Night on Saturday from 7 pm to 11 pm for a look at the winter constellations, there will be a bonfire and hot chocolate to take the chill out of the air.  To round things out, the Norfolk Land Trust is hosting a discussion with Michael Gaige at the Norfolk Library from 4 pm to 5:30 pm on wolf trees.

To see a full schedule of events and times, go to weekendinnorfolk.orghttp://weekendinnorfolk.org/ or call 860-542-5829. For updates, follow Weekend in Norfolk on Facebook. And save the date: the annual Weekend in Norfolk is coming up August 2, 3 and 4, 2019, for three days of summer fun.

An Extraordinary Legacy: The Photographs of Marie Hartig Kendall @ Norfolk Historical Society

Each season the Norfolk Historical Society organizes a major exhibition, and this summer's exhibit displays the photography of Marie Hartig Kendall from 1854 when few women practiced this art form.  The Historical Society will be open for Weekend in Norfolk and this exhibition will run through Columbus Day on weekends from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Kendall, a self-taught photographer moved to Norfolk with her husband in 1878 where she opened her photography business. She took many images of life in Norfolk showcasing its development, natural beauty, the relationship of the people living in this town to the landscape and the surrounding environment.

This exhibition includes many notable images such as the photo of Sarah Bishop's Cave, a landmark on West Mountain. Bishop was a hermit that escaped to this cave after the Revolutionary War until her death. Another image, the facade of the Norfolk Public Library with its barrel tile roof, scalloped shingles and window boxes overflowing with summer flowers shows the bucolic aspect of Norfolk that the town still exudes today.

Other images capture locomotives, historic weather events, economic development and bucolic pastimes as the town flourished as a summer resort at the turn of the century.  Images include those that won her top honors at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  The Marie Kendall Exhibition runs weekends from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. through Columbus Day at the Norfolk Historical Society located on 13 Village Green.

Weekend in Norfolk is a Go- Rain or Not!

If you woke up to rain, we’d like you to know that Weekend in Norfolk spirits are not dampened and all the indoor events will take place as scheduled. Here’s a rundown on what we know about the outdoor events now, and we will update this page as information comes in.

BEING HELD AS SCHEDULED

All indoor events (stained glass tours, Curling Club open house, art shows at historical society and Infinity, informational session about the Downtown Norfolk plan, all library events, Whitehouse tours, Music Shed concerts, etc.)

9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The landscaping workshop at Aton Forest (270 Colebrook Road) will take place indoors with some walking in the rain.

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Land Trust trails are still open but note that they will be wet and probably will be be muddy and slippery in places. The Hike-the-Peaks challenge continues tomorrow.

10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The walk on Stoney Lonesome is taking place as planned. Bring boots and rainwear!

10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. The farmers market at 19 Maple Avenue is rain or shine.

12:00 to 3:00 p.m. The water soccer is being held outdoors at the Mountain Road billfold as planned (what’s a little rain compared to a firehose?).

12:30 to 1:30 Billy Bunce will perform rain or shine. (So will Moon Matrix and Soul Case.)

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The hotdog eating contest is being held as scheduled, under a tent. Better bring an umbrella in case the tent overflows.

2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Moon Matrix will perform rain or shine. (So will Billy Bunce and Soul Case.)

4:0 to 6:00 p.m. Soul Case will perform rain or shine. (So will Moon Matrix and Billy Bunce.)

CONTINGENCY PLANS

1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The leaf printing event will move to Battell Chapel on the west side of the green if it’s still raining; if you don’t see it on the green (at the Route 44 end), then go to the chapel and look for signs to tell you which room.

1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Similarly, the sewing class will move to the historical society museum on the east side of the green in case of rain.

1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The fishing events will move to Sunday at the same time and place (the Village Green) if it’s raining at 1:00.

ALL OTHER OUTDOOR EVENT PLANS TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS WE GET WORD FROM EVENT SPONSORS

Farm Tours Enhance Sunday Afternoon During Weekend in Norfolk, August 3, 4 and 5

Three of Norfolk’s farms are opening their doors during Weekend in Norfolk. On Sunday afternoon, August 5, Husky Meadows Farm, Broad Field Farm and Lost Ruby Farm will be welcoming visitors for field and greenhouse tours, cheese tasting and goat petting. Husky Meadows, an organic farm, also produces soups and baked goods. Broad Field Farm, which specializes in heirloom tomatoes, will open its greenhouses and explain its growing methods to anyone interested. Lost Ruby Farm raises goats and milks them to make chevre and several other types of goat cheese. All three farms sell their products at the farmers market held in front of Norfolk’s town hall every Saturday during the summer…you can visit them there too.

Broad Field and Lost Ruby farms are located on (or just off) Winchester Road in south Norfolk; Husky Meadows is on Doolittle Drive in north Norfolk.  For details and exact locations, see weekendinnorfolk.org/&more/; maps will be available in town.

Weekend in Norfolk, August 3, 4 and 5, is a three-day, town-wide art, music and nature festival. Events run the gamut from art exhibits to hiking, world-class music to two ice cream socials, farm tours and kite-making lessons to the opportunity to get married on the Village Green. New events are still being added. Visit weekendinnorfolk.org for event times and details.