Big Weekend for Litchfield Historical Society; Scarecrows Coming
It’s prime season for the Litchfield Historical Society, which is offering one of its most compelling walking tours Saturday, holding its Annual Fall Fundraiser Saturday evening, presenting a new exhibit on the Red Cross in Litchfield, and getting ready for the popular Scarecrows in the Meadow for the Halloween season.
Annual Fall Fundraiser
Held in the lovely Tapping Reeve Meadow from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday (9/9), the Annual Fall Fundraiser, which benefits the historical society’s education mission, features live music, small plates, and a signature drink by Litchfield Distillery.
New this year is a live auction at the event with donated items that include four nights in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in a condo just outside Grand Teton National Park. The package includes a trip with a Sheldon Canvas Tote donated by J. McLaughlin of Litchfield and two Yeti Tumblers donated by Ace Hardware of Litchfield.
Another signature auction item is a folk-art eagle hand-carved by Vernon DePauw, which is the artist’s interpretation of a campaign poster illustration announcing one of the notable 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen A. Douglas.
See the auction items online and purchase tickets, which are still available and start at $100 per person.
Torrington Savings Bank , Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP and The Housatonic Trading Co. are among the event sponsors.
The Tapping Reeve Meadow is located at 82 South St., behind the Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School, the first in the nation.
Life of William Grimes Walking Tour
One of the historical society’s most popular walking tours is this Saturday (9/9) at 10 a.m. “Slavery Here: The Life of William Grimes” will explore Litchfield sites connected to the life of William Grimes, a man who escaped from slavery in Georgia and wrote his autobiography in Litchfield in 1825.
The tour is free for historical society members and $10 for non-members. Online registration is requested.
The walking tour will begin at the Litchfield Historical Society (7 South St. in Litchfield center) and lasts approximately one hour. Guests are advised to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water.
Ready for the Call: The Red Cross in Litchfield
The historical society’s Ready for the Call exhibit examines the history of Red Cross activity in Litchfield through photographs, documents, uniforms, and posters.
Formed in 1898 and active for over a century, the Litchfield Chapter of the American Red Cross provided valuable services to residents of our town and neighboring communities in both times of war and peace. Ready for the Call tells the stories of the dedicated volunteers who made this work possible and acted, in the words of one volunteer, “in the best Red Cross tradition.”
Ready for the Call remains on display through November 26 at the Litchfield History Museum, located at 7 South St. in Litchfield Center.
4th Annual Scarecrows in the Meadow Returns Oct. 14
The Scarecrows are coming back!
The historical society’s 4th Annual Scarecrows in the Meadows, a community event for families to celebrate the end of the harvest season, will be on display in the Tapping Reeve Meadow from Oct. 14 – 31 and open for visiting every day from dawn to dusk.
An Opening Celebration will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1 – 3 p.m. in the Tapping Reeve Meadow. Everyone is invited to explore the assembly of more than 50 scarecrows created by local businesses, non-profits, and families. The Opening Celebration will feature a scarecrow-making challenge and storytelling with KidsPlay Children’s Museum, along with fall crafts and activities.
William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty sponsors Scarecrows in the Meadow.
This event is free and open to the public. The Tapping Reeve Meadow is located at 82 South St. For more information about the event or if you are interested in making a scarecrow (limited spots available), see the Scarecrows in the Meadow page on the historical society website: www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/scarecrows
Sit and Sip with the New Director
All are welcome to stop by the historical society Sept. 13 from 5 – 6 p.m. for a glass of wine to meet new Executive Director Jessica Jenkins and welcome her back to Litchfield.
If you can’t make it Sept. 13, join Jessica for cider at the Tapping Reeve Meadow on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.