| APRIL 5, 2010 -- Historic Sites of Connecticut's Farmington Valley announces Historic Barns/ Working Farms: A Bus Tour, taking place on Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Visit four historic barns dotted throughout the scenic Farmington Valley, journeying back in time to the farming communities of the area. Hear descriptions and anecdotes on the way to each location. At noon, relax and enjoy an al fresco lunch on the scenic, historic grounds of Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, where there will also be time to visit the Museum Shop.
The adventure begins on Thursday, April 29 at 7:00 pm at the Canton Community Center, 40 Dyer Avenue, Canton, with an engaging lecture on the area's historic barns by Todd Levine of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The lecture is open to the public; admission is $3 per person (not including the bus tour).
With Mr. Levine's fascinating facts in mind, participants will board the bus on Saturday, May 1, departing from Thompson Brook School, Thompson Road, Avon, promptly at 9:30 am. The first stop will be Fisher Farm, a working dairy farm in Farmington. On the way from Fisher Farm to Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, tour-goers will hear stories of the farmland and forests along the Farmington River, and the old Farmington Canal that took barges from Long Island Sound all the way to Northampton, MA. After exploring Hill-Stead's farm complex and enjoying a picnic lunch on the museum's scenic grounds, the tour is on its way to Cold Spring Farm in Avon, hearing en route a history of J.C. Thompson Sunrise Farm, built in 1876. After touring Perry Farm in Canton, participants can relax on the return trip to Avon with a bonus history of Sweeton Farm and a glimpse of the house where renowned abolitionist John Brown's grandfather lived and his father was born.
The tour is recommended for adults and children 13 and older. Admission is $30 per person and includes the April 29 lecture, bus tour and lunch. Reservations are required. Call the Farmington Valley Visitors Association at 860.676.8878 by April 21 to reserve your seat.
The proceeds benefit Historic Sites of Connecticut's Farmington Valley, a non-profit corporation, whose mission is to open the eyes of residents and visitors to four centuries of the "American Experience," as seen through local factories, farmers, financiers and felons. Historic Sites is part of the Farmington Valley Visitors Association, whose mission is to serve as a resource for residents, and to promote the Farmington Valley to individuals and businesses wishing to relocate to the area, and tourists wishing to experience all that the Farmington Valley has to offer.
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