Road Race Weekend in Litchfield 2024

The 47th annual Litchfield Hills Road Race takes place Sunday, June 9, at 1 p.m. and that means it’s Road Race Weekend in Litchfield with fun & festive events that create a special energy in town. Here’s the scoop of some of the key things happening.

Grill Days at Ace Hardware

The recent Men’s Event at Ace.

Ace Hardware is holding its annual Grill Days event on Saturday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring guest cooks @joseph_que_barbecue and @bigcountrygrillin, food samples, demos from @biggreenegg grills, @traegergrills, @webergrills, @gozney pizza ovens, and a special guest @sipmobilebarct.

Guests can enter to win a Weber Spirit Grill (no purchase necessary), and WZBG radio will be broadcasting live from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Watch the Ace Instagram page for any updates.

Litchfield Marketplace

The Litchfield Marketplace is an arts & craft and vendor fair held on the Litchfield Green the day before the Litchfield Hills Road Race.

Last year, the juried event, taking place rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featured more than 60 artisans, artists, and makers, as well as nonprofit organizations.

 

Weekly Walking Tour of Litchfield History

Another in the Litchfield Historical Society’s series of weekly walking tour takes place Saturday, June 8, at 1 p.m.

It’s 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 anecdotes about past residents to appreciation of prominent buildings.  

Tours leave from the Litchfield History Museum (7 South Street) and last approximately 1 hour. The Historical Society also offers special themed tours. To learn more, visit the online calendar for dates and times.  

Walking tours, sponsored by Berkshire Alarm, are free for members and $10 for non-members. For parties of 10 or more, contact [email protected] for group options.

Block Party

The flier says it all. Be there.

The Road Race

The Litchfield Hills Road Race, begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, with the awards ceremony taking place on the Green at approximately 2:45 p.m. The race begins and finishes on West Street in the town center.

Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend; just get to town early to get a parking spot. Good options for ease of access include the lot behind Litchfield Town Hall (74 West St.) and the lot behind St. Anthony of Padua Church (49 South St.).

Covering a 7-mile course with the grueling Gallows Hill toward the end, the race draws elite athletes from around the world, and the separate children’s races are popular and fun. There’s also live entertainment at different spots along the race course.

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 information.

Beyond Litchfield Center

East Litchfield Open House & Exhibit

The East Litchfield Village Improvement Society (ELVIS) is holding a free open house and exhibit at the 1868 East Litchfield Chapel (62 East Litchfield Road South) on June 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring art, artifacts, and home goods made in East Litchfield.

The exhibit will feature Native American artifacts found in East Litchfield, stained glass works and a MOMIX costume designed by Phoebe Katzin, pottery by Kristin Gallagher, metal sculpture by Asa Hall, fine furniture by Troy Brook Visions, a fire grate by Grate Wall of Fire, hand-hooked rugs, and paintings by artists including Austin Purves, Jr., Nancy Roman and Rob Nadeau.

To learn more about ELVIS, whose mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the community of East Litchfield, see the website and the Facebook page. Correspondence and questions may be emailed to [email protected].

Topsmead Cottage Tours

Free tours of Miss Edith Morton Chase’s cottage at Topsmead State Forest resume for the 2024 season on June 8 and 9 and are offered on the second and fourth weekend of each month through October.

Tours of the cottage, featuring a collection of art and antiques, are led by Friends of Topsmead State Forest docents. They are first come-first served and run every half-hour from noon to 4:30 p.m. Guests meet at the front door of the cottage.

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.