Railroad Days celebrates 60th year

Railroad Days celebrates 60th year

Each July since 1964, Railroad Days has pulled into North Canaan to promote all the town has to offer.

Year 60 of the summertime tradition brought two weeks of activities for locals and visitors to enjoy. From railroad tours to carnival games, North Canaan Events Committee put forth a calendar full to the brim with fun.

The Canaan Country Club Car Show opened the festivities on July 7. Vintage vehicles shined in the afternoon and then attendees cooled off with trivia at Great Falls Brewing Co.

Throughout the two weeks, downtown businesses put on special promotions for the occasion. NBT Bank gave out free popcorn and Olde School Deli’s Railroad Burger was a hit with a free bag of chips.

The Railroad Days Vendor Market was held at Lawrence Field on Saturday, July 13. A total of 67 merchandisers signed up to market their products.

Before the COVID-19 shutdown, this Railroad Days market was known as the ‘Craft Fair.’ With the name change, the market expanded from crafts to all types of marketed goods.

Customers discovered handmade jewelry, refurbished home decor, antique products, art pieces, thrift clothing, baked goods and farm stand goods to purchase. Throughout the shopping experience, visitors could stop by the food trucks to enjoy some fresh lemonade and snacks from the Blazin’ Poppers and Food 4 Friends.

Vendors from across the region attended and the selection drew big crowds. The broadened category of products contributed to NCEC’s main priority to indulge in “family-friendly activities,” as committee chair Jenn Crane described them.

Volunteer Alicia Whiting explained that she was drawn to the Railroad Days events to “help support the community and local businesses.” All volunteers worked tirelessly to make the wide variety of events possible.

The annual Bed Race was held outside North Canaan Elementary School July 13. A tradition of Railroad Days from decades past, the race was reinstated last year and now features any homemade, four-wheeled, man-powered racing machine.

The carts are pushed by four runners with a fifth teammate sitting on the vehicle. The course begins on Pease Street, turns into the drop-off circle at the school’s entrance, then turns back down Pease Street to cross the finish line.

Perotti Plumbing’s team completed the lap in 31.02 seconds and won for the second straight year. The fan-favorite “Royal Flush” cart, fit with a pipe wrench for a fender and a toilet for a seat, held up well through the sharp turn back onto Pease. Firefighters operated the only competing vehicle and finished the course in 37.41 seconds.

The team at Freund’s Farm hosted Sip & Clip on July 17 and 18. Guests were invited to the farm to create flower arrangements from homegrown blooms.

Flowers were pre-cut before the rain on day one of the event, so the visitors could choose from them while keeping dry in the greenhouse. Rachel Freund informed everyone about the types of flowers available, their Latin names, and how they work best in each arrangement.

From there, it was time to choose a vase and create a masterpiece of your own. With snacks, drinks, and other materials needed for the arrangements offered to the customers.

Canaan Carnival took over Lawrence Field beginning Thursday, July 18. Games of chance, thrilling rides and fried delicacies enamored the crowds.

The grand finale of the 60th anniversary of Railroad Days on July 20 came to a close with a bang.

It was a jam-packed day full of memorable events, starting with the 2nd annual Triumph field fly-in, the boot drive fundraiser, and the carnival.

The firefighter’s parade marched down Main Street as the evening approached. Departments from across the region joined in the bright occasion.

The day continued as crowds filled the town with cheer and communal enthusiasm, awaiting the arrival of the drone and fireworks shows.

LED-lit drones created spectacular displays in the sky such as a smiley face, fire truck, American flag, railroad crossing sign, and a symbol of unity for the community.

Latest News

State intervenes in sale of Torrington Transfer Station

The entrance to Torrington Transfer Station.

Photo by Jennifer Almquist

TORRINGTON — Municipalities holding out for a public solid waste solution in the Northwest Corner have new hope.

An amendment to House Bill No. 7287, known as the Implementor Bill, signed by Governor Ned Lamont, has put the $3.25 million sale of the Torrington Transfer Station to USA Waste & Recycling on hold.

Keep ReadingShow less
Juneteenth and Mumbet’s legacy
Sheffield resident, singer Wanda Houston will play Mumbet in "1781" on June 19 at 7 p.m. at The Center on Main, Falls Village.
Jeffery Serratt

In August of 1781, after spending thirty years as an enslaved woman in the household of Colonel John Ashley in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mumbet, was the first enslaved person to sue for her freedom in court. At the time of her trial there were 5,000 enslaved people in the state. MumBet’s legal victory set a precedent for the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1790, the first in the nation. She took the name Elizabeth Freeman.

Local playwrights Lonnie Carter and Linda Rossi will tell her story in a staged reading of “1781” to celebrate Juneteenth, ay 7 p.m. at The Center on Main in Falls Village, Connecticut.Singer Wanda Houston will play MumBet, joined by actors Chantell McCulloch, Tarik Shah, Kim Canning, Sherie Berk, Howard Platt, Gloria Parker and Ruby Cameron Miller. Musical composer Donald Sosin added, “MumBet is an American hero whose story deserves to be known much more widely.”

Keep ReadingShow less
In the company of artists

Curator Henry Klimowicz, left, with artists Brigitta Varadi and Amy Podmore at The Re Institute

Aida Laleian

For anyone who wants a deeper glimpse into how art comes about, an on-site artist talk is a rich experience worth the trip.On Saturday, June 14, Henry Klimowicz’s cavernous Re Institute — a vast, converted 1960’s barn north of Millerton — hosted Amy Podmore and Brigitta Varadi, who elucidated their process to a small but engaged crowd amid the installation of sculptures and two remarkable videos.

Though they were all there at different times, a common thread among Klimowicz, Podmore and Varadi is their experience of New Hampshire’s famed MacDowell Colony. The silence, the safety of being able to walk in the woods at night, and the camaraderie of other working artists are precious goads to hardworking creativity. For his part, for fifteen years, Klimowicz has promoted community among thousands of participating artists, in the hope that the pairs or groups he shows together will always be linked. “To be an artist,” he stressed, “is to be among other artists.”

Keep ReadingShow less