Doug Clement

Scenic, historic, and lifestyle amenity rich Litchfield is an all-seasons destination, as national and even international media have been sharing, and the summer of 2025 is especially packed with events and activities that are quintessentially Litchfield.

Some come and go quickly, while others linger like a long summer’s day to be enjoyed when the mood strikes. Here’s a dozen special things to enjoy during the summer of 2025 in Litchfield.

These are just some of the highlights, so to connect with more wonderful Litchfield experiences, follow Visit Litchfield CT on Facebook, and on Instagram, and sign up for our email newsletter at the bottom of the website homepage.

National Learn to Row Day at the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club

The Litchfield Hills Rowing Club and Litchfield CT Park & Recreation are teaming up to introduce folks to rowing on June 7 as part of National Rowing Day. It’s fun and it’s free. Walk-ups are accommodated if there’s room, but it’s best to pre-register here. Use the Show All Categories menu to find the event.

Participants will learn the fundamentals of rowing on one of the rowing machines, known as ergs, and then hop into a boat and experience Bantam Lake from a new angle while learning the sport from the rowing club’s athletes and coaches.

Litchfield Hills Road Race Weekend

The 48^th running of the Litchfield Hills Road Race is Sunday, June 8, and Road Race Weekend is a cultural phenomenon in Litchfield.

“Running the Litchfield Hills Road Race is not just running a race, but to experience the culture of our cherished town of Litchfield, CT, the course itself is a scenic tour of some of the best sites in New England,” the website says.

The race begins at 1 p.m. in Litchfield center, and the awards ceremony takes place on the Green at approximately 2:45 p.m. 

Observers can watch from many vantage points along the 7-mile route and are advised to arrive early and park strategically if they want to leave shortly after the race. The parking lots behind Town Hall on West Street, across from Litchfield Center School, and behind St. Anthony of Padua Church on South Street are good options.

Registration continues until 12:45 on the day of the race. Look for road race booklets around town with all the race details and follow the LHRR on Instagram for up-to-date notices. See the road race website for more.

Whether or not you watch the race, don’t miss the special Road Race Weekend events on the Saturday before the race.

The Rock the Block Party takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Green the Saturday evening before the race and will feature music by Future Heavies.

During the day Saturday, the Litchfield Marketplace, a craft and vendor fair, takes place on the Green. The juried event, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is held rain or shine, and features more than 60 artisans, artists, and makers.

 The Litchfield Marketplace is run entirely by volunteers and all proceeds go to local charities.

Free Concerts on the Green & at the Community Center

Summer concert season in Litchfield stretches from mid-June into September, and this year guests can attend a total of 13 free concerts from June 13 through Sept. 12 presented separately at the Litchfield Community Center and by Litchfield CT Park & Recreation on the Green.

The concerts on the Green happen on Wednesday evenings, from 6 to 8 p.m., from June 18 through Aug. 6. A Facebook post with this year’s lineup is here. Guests can bring picnics to the concerts on the Green or pick up dinner from any of the restaurants in Litchfield center. (Note that per Borough of Litchfield rules, no alcohol is allowed on the Green.)

The Summer Sunset Free Concert Series at the community center, being presented June 13, 19, July 25, Aug. 22, and Sept. 12, also features the Meraki, Bills Mobile Brick Oven pizza, and La Güera Foods Trucks on different dates. The shows are BYOB, and guests should bring lawn chairs and blankets. In the case of rain, the shows move indoors. Pre-registration is online using the event calendar.

Fireworks

Litchfield’s summer celebration that concludes with fireworks to celebrate Independence Day takes place June 27 at Plumb Hill Middle School, beginning at 6 p.m.

There will be music by Southern Voice from 7 to 9 p.m., as well as a food truck, ice cream truck, and a bounce house.

Create an account or log in and get parking passes here. The cost is $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents.

Litchfield Historical Society Walking Tours & Museums

The Litchfield Historical Society’s weekly walking tours are the perfect way to discover Litchfield’s vibrant history and explore the town’s celebrated Historic District. Each tour provides visitors with an overview of Litchfield’s history, from the stories behind famous landmarks to anecdote about past residents and an appreciation of prominent buildings.

This summer’s tours from June 7 through August 16 will focus on the architecture of Litchfield.

The approximately 1-hour tours begin at the Litchfield Historical Society (7 South Street). Wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water.

Walking tours are free for historical society members and $10 for non-members. See the calendar page for more information and to register for tours.

Before or after the walking tour, make sure to visit the Litchfield History Museum to see the current exhibits, “Litchfield Through a Lens, the Photography of Neal D. Benedict” and “Litchfield Remembers: The American Bicentennial & Beyond,” as well as the Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School, where guests experience the 19th century life of a student who came to Litchfield for an education at the Litchfield Law School or the Litchfield Female Academy.

The museums are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with free admission.

Topsmead Cottage Tours

The 2025 season for free tours of Miss Edith Morton Chase’s cottage at Topsmead State Forest begins Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15.

The tours are offered from noon to 4:30 p.m. on the second and fourth weekends of each month through October.

In 1917, according to the Friends of Topsmead State Forest, Miss Chase received from her father approximately 16 acres on Jefferson Hill in Litchfield. Here she built a rustic cabin, which was replaced with a more substantial summer home in 1923. She hired noted architect Richard Henry Dana, Jr. to help her design and build the English Tudor style house which was completed in 1925. The exterior woodwork is of cypress, the downspouts are lead, the walls of brick and stucco, and the roof is slate. The interior woodwork is oak, as is most of the flooring. The foyer, hallway and dining room floors are of polished terra cotta tile. Most of the interior walls are of the same type of stucco as is found on the exterior. Fine craftsmanship, an eye for detail and understated wealth are evident throughout the house, which is tastefully and simply furnished with 17th and 18th century English country antiques.

Tours of the cottage, led by Friends’ docents, are first come, first served and run every half-hour. Guests meet at the front door for the free 30-minute tours. Watch for announcements on the Friends’ Facebook page.

When you visit, make a cottage tour the highlight of a larger discovery.

The 510 acres of forests and meadows at Topsmead are open year-round for passive recreation including walking, picnicking, bird watching, sledding, and cross-country skiing. Don’t miss the Edith Chase Ecology Trail, a mile-long walk with interpretive signs.

Topsmead, located on Buell Road off Route 118, is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to sunset. ​Dogs on a leash are welcome, but open fires & grills are not allowed.

Take a Walk in The Woods

Litchfield is blessed with an abundance of preserved land, much of it etched with wonderful walking and hiking trails.

White Memorial has 4,000 acres of preserves and 40 miles of trails. The most popular is the Little Pond Boardwalk Trail, an elevated 1.2-mile boardwalk around Little Pond. Topsmead State Forest is a 510-acre gem with hiking trails through open meadows and woodlands. Mt. Tom State Park, located off Route 202 on the southwest edge of Litchfield, is a summer haven with a beach, swimming area, boat launch, and picnic tables. There’s a great all-season hike up to a stone tower with panoramic western views. Litchfield Hills Audubon Society’s Boyd Woods Sanctuary is a hidden gem located on Route 254, where more than four miles of trails cover the 106-acre sanctuary along Wigwam Brook. Litchfield Land Trust Preserves include the Medicine Rock Trail on the Upper Bantam Preserve, just minutes from Litchfield center, and the 340-acre Prospect Mountain Preserve with 4.3 miles of trails and summit views to the west/southwest. 

Bantam and Litchfield Farmers Markets

The Bantam Community Farmers Market returned for the new season May 16 and takes place on Fridays through October from 3 – 6 p.m.  at Alain White Field on Route 209.

The market has nearly 20 vendors, including Eagle Eye artisan pizza, and there will be music, too. See the vendors here and the music schedule here.

The Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market recently moved from its indoor late fall/winter/early spring location at Litchfield Community Center to its summer spot through in the Center School parking lot on Woodruff Lane, just below Litchfield center and the Green. It takes place each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Dine Al Fresco at Our Restaurants

The outdoor dining season starts the minute the weather warms up and extends into fall foliage season, with options ranging from casual spots like the picnic tables in front of Toast & Co. to the dining patio at Market Place Tavern in the Old Litchfield Jail. See the Visit Litchfield CT Outdoor Dining page to connect.

Shop & Stroll in Litchfield and Bantam Centers

Nothing is quite like strolling around Litchfield center, and Bantam center, on a nice day, enjoying the architecture, the arts & culture, the scenery, and the sophisticated hometown shops and restaurants. Use the Visit Litchfield CT website as a resource or pick up one of our pocket guides distributed around town.

Hometown Ice Cream & Gelato

Litchfield is fortunate to be one of those towns with a hometown ice cream shop – and not just one. Head to Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam and Peaches n’ Cream along Route 202 on the Torrington line for homemade ice cream. Espresso 59 for gelato, and Gooseboro Drive-In for classic soft serve. For more, including chocolate, see our Visit Litchfield CT page.

Enjoy The Lake (Swimming, Paddling) & the Bantam Lake Ski Club Show

Bantam Lake is Connecticut’s largest natural lake and a great place for swimming, boating, fishing, paddling, and more.

The White Memorial Foundation owns much of the property bordering the lake, and its hiking trails provide scenic views of the lake. White Memorial’s Point Folly Family Campground is a magical spot on a peninsula extending into the lake, where there’s also a marina.

Those with power boats can access the lake through the state boat launch off Route 209, and those who favor kayaks and canoes can access the lake in multiple places, including a popular spot with parking adjacent to the Bantam River along Whites Woods Road, near the intersection of Bissell Road.

Litchfield Town Beach off North Shore Road provides residents with access to a boat launch, a beach, swimming, and picnic tables. It’s open by permit through Park & Rec, and a limited number of daily passes are available to non-residents for $30 per vehicle per day.

Sandy Beach, the public beach on Bantam Lake, tucked into a lovely location off East Shore Road offers swimming, boating, volleyball, fishing, bathrooms, a picnic area, and even a concession stand—all of which makes it “the best kept secret on Bantam Lake.” Hours, fees and other information are on the website.

Learn to sail programs are offered by the Bantam Lake Yacht Club, and those who would like to kayak or canoe in the lake but don’t have boats can connect with Litchfield Paddle, which provides rental kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes and  delivers everything to the water.

Every year, the Bantam Lake Ski Club comes together to put on an awe-inspiring Cyprus Gardens style ski show with pyramids, ballet lines, boat O’s, jumping, mixed doubles, barefooting, trick skiing, wake boarding, surfing, kids’ lines and more.

The 2025 Bantam Lake Ski Show takes place August 2 and 3 at 2 p.m. each day at Sandy Beach, located on East Shore Road in Morris.

There are always great food vendors on site during the two-hour show, and families can swim in the lake before and after the show.

The cost is $25 for a carload of guests. Cash or Venmo are accepted. Guests are advised to arrive by 1:30 p.m. to have plenty of time to park and find a great spot on the beach.