Your Guide to Litchfield’s Blockbuster September Weekend:

This will be a blockbuster weekend in Litchfield for lovers of art, nature, history, fine lifestyles—and great deals.

Whether you’re engaging with the start of the Plein Air Litchfield painting festival, attending art gallery openings and events, taking free tours of the landmark cottage at Topsmead, or watching Revolutionary War history come alive on the Green, Litchfield is the place to be.

Add in events featuring raptors, a community tag sale, the weekly farmers markets and our staple town charms—like scratch bakeries, artisanal coffee, local shopping, and world-class dining—and you’re set for the perfect early late Summer/early Autumn Litchfield day trip, weekend escape, or happy hometown immersion experience.

Weekend Event Lineup

Free Historic Tours at Topsmead Cottage

• When: Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tours leave every 30 mins)
• Where: Topsmead State Forest, 46 Chase Road, Litchfield
• The Details: Step inside Miss Edith Chase’s 1925 Cotswold-style English cottage. Presented by CT DEEP and the Friends of Topsmead, free tours run on the second and fourth weekends of each month through mid-October. Groups are limited to 8 per tour; if there’s a wait, check out the formal gardens designed by pioneering landscape architect Ellen Shipman.

  🔗 https://www.friendsoftopsmead.org/visitor-info.html

• Good to Know: Cottage tours require stairs (not wheelchair accessible). Surrounding property trails, including the 1-mile Edith Chase Ecology Trail, are open daily to the public and welcome leashed dogs.
  
  

  Friends of Topsmead Annual Hawk Watch

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
• Where: Meadow behind Chase Cottage, Topsmead State Forest
• The Details: Grab a lawn chair and binoculars for an engaging talk on raptor migration led by veteran birder David Tripp of the Audubon Society. Following the talk, the group will scan the skies above the meadow for migrating hawks.

  https://www.friendsoftopsmead.org/events.html

  “Radical Raptors” Live Bird Program at White Memorial

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
• Where: White Memorial Conservation Center, 80 Whitehall Road, Litchfield
• The Details: Get up close with majestic birds of prey during an educational live raptor demonstration with wildlife educator Colleen Harrak. Perfect for families and nature enthusiasts.
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  America’s 250th: Living History & Monument Dedication

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Where: Litchfield Historic Green
• The Details: Step back into 1776 as Litchfield kicks off its year-long 250th Revolutionary War anniversary celebrations!
  • 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Living History Encampment on West Green with the 5th Connecticut Regiment.
  • 12:00 PM: Revolutionary Mini-Parade from West Green to Center Green.
  • 12:30 PM: Official Monument Dedication Ceremony on Center Green honoring Litchfield’s Revolutionary War patriots.

    🔗 https://www.a250litchfield.org/

Art & Music Reception: Jennifer Terzian Gallery at The Abner Hotel

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Where: The Abner Hotel, 15 West Street, Litchfield
• The Details: Celebrate a new contemporary art installation curated by Jennifer Terzian Gallery featuring works by Kirstin Lamb, Jessica Smolinski, and Fritz Horstman integrated into the hotel’s boutique spaces. Enjoy a champagne reception, meet the featured artists, and listen to a live cello performance by Oleana Dolak.

  🔗 https://www.theabnerhotel.com/eat-drink/happenings

Exhibition Opening: “The Living World” at Alofft Gallery

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Exhibition runs through Oct 4)
• Where: Alofft Gallery, 41 West Street, Litchfield
• The Details: Join Alofft Gallery for the opening of The Living World, featuring works by Matt Wood and Streeter Holden. Wood’s dynamic paintings capture the energy of horses and bulls, while Holden’s landscapes explore shifting light, water, and texture across nature.

  🔗 https://alofft.com/

  Plein Air Litchfield Painting Festival & Free Historical Society Programs

• When: Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13
• Where: Locations townwide & Litchfield History Museum (7 South Street)
• The Details: Watch landscape artists set up easels across Litchfield’s historic streets, fields, and hilltops all weekend long. Plus, dive into the town’s rich creative roots with two free programs hosted by the Litchfield Historical Society on Sunday, September 13:
  • 10:00 AM: Artists of Litchfield Walking Tour (Meet at Litchfield History Museum)
  • 3:00 PM: Landscape Visions: Artistic Depictions of Litchfield Lecture (at Litchfield History Museum.

    🔗https://www.pleinairlitchfield.com/

         Community Tag Sale with Litchfield Health & Wellness Resources

• When: Saturday, September 12 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Where: Community Field, Litchfield
• The Details: Hunt for incredible bargains, vintage finds, and household treasures at the annual community tag sale hosted at Community Field. Proceeds directly support local wellness initiatives organized by Litchfield Health & Wellness Resources, Inc.

  https://www.facebook.com/litchfieldhealthandwellnessresources/posts/pfbid0mi3c1WKMiLFpy9is21EeH4GcLecJ3dAjTb6wckwgNA5mk7SZHRRu6Mdos7efo7T2l

  Also don’t miss the Bantam Community Farmers Market from 3-6 Friday (9/11) at Alain White Field on Route 209 and the Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market on Saturday from 10-1 at the Litchfield Firehouse parking lot.