Mohawk Trail Concerts has been presenting high quality chamber music to Western Massachusetts in an informal, friendly setting since 1970. Catch the last two events of the Mohawk Trail Concert Series for the 2021 [...]
One of the greatest perks of living in the Pioneer Valley, is the abundance of farms and therefore farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products. Now that summer is officially in full swing, so too are the area Farmers’ Markets. Grab your reusable bag and get over to one of these markets to load up on fresh fruits and [...]
Historic Deerfield has reopened for the 2021 season! Now through November 28, step into the past by touring one of their historic homes, attending a history workshop, or simply strolling the tree-lined streets of this 17th century village. Visit historic-deerfied.org for pricing and hours. Admission includes historic house tours, entry to the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, walking tours, the History Workshop, the Apprentice’s workshop, and any special programs scheduled during your visit. Purchase your tickets online here or at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.
Deerfield’s first English settlers arrived in 1669, although Native Americans had inhabited the area for at least 8,000 years prior. The area was immediately attractive to settlers because of its fertile soil, due to its proximity to the Deerfield, Green, and Connecticut rivers. Over the years, the settlement was fought over many times, which is why the future generations took so much care in preserving the village’s history. Historic Deerfield, Inc. was founded in 1952 as an outdoor museum and the village has been on the National Register of Historic Landmarks since 1962.
Photo credit: facebook.com/HistoricDeerfield
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Whether you’ve strolled across the Bridge of Flowers one time or thousands of times, there’s no doubt you felt the heartbreak of the Bridge’s closing last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, life is moving on and the Bridge is once again open to its fans! As of June 1, 2021, the Bridge of Flower’s gates were opened for all to enter and surround themselves with the lovely flowers, vines, and blossoming trees that span the bridge.
The Bridge of Flowers was once a trolley bridge, which became outdated when automobile usage increased and freight was more frequently transported across the Deerfield River using the nearby Iron Bridge. The trolley company went bankrupt in 1927, leaving the trolley bridge covered in weeds, unable to be demolished since it carried the water main between the two towns. In 1929, Antoinette Burnham proposed the idea of converting the bridge into a garden and the Shelburne Falls Women’s Club sponsored the project.
For almost a century the bridge has hurdled challenges such as deterioration and flooding due to Hurricane Irene in 2011. However, the community has always stepped up for the bridge and pulled together efforts to raise funds to maintain the bridge and see to it that the plants were always cared for. To this day, the Bridge of Flowers remains a volunteer-run, donation-based project.
Head Gardener, Carol Laliberte DeLorenzo has held her position for the last 20 years, organizing the other volunteer gardeners, known as the Blossom Brigade. Along with her assistant, Elliston Bingham, Carol has made her gardening visions for the bridge a reality. This was made possible through monetary donations from supporters and friends of the Bridge, and through the hundreds of hours spent annually by the Brigade, planting, watering, and weeding the bridge in the early morning hours before the bridge becomes filled with visitors.
If you’re lucky enough to live in the village of Shelburne Falls, you might walk across the Bridge of Flowers on a regular basis, on your way to grab a coffee at Mocha Maya’s, or to pick up some groceries from McCusker’s Market, or maybe it’s part of your daily commute to work. If you’re traveling from farther away, the Bridge of Flowers could be the purpose of your visit, or just the cherry on top to your experience in such a lovely place. Either way, we are all grateful to have the Bridge of Flowers back into our lives this summer. Let’s all show our appreciation by making a donation, either small or large, to the Bridge’s donation box at our next visit or on their website, bridgeofflowersmass.org, and let’s see this magical garden over the river survive another century and more.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Photo Credit: Bridge of Flower's Facebook Page
The Bridge of Flowers is a landmark in Shelburne Falls which draws visitors each year from all over. Once a trolley bridge, the Bridge of Flowers runs across the Deerfield River, next to the Iron Bridge, connecting the towns of Shelburne and Buckland. A group of volunteers from the community, known as the Blossom Brigade, maintain the [...]
The Greenfield Farmers’ Market opens this Saturday, May 1, 2021 at the Court Square in downtown Greenfield. Since 1975, the Greenfield Farmers’ Market has been a wonderful resource for community members, giving them easy access to beautiful, fresh, [...]
Supporting Local Sugarhouses is Sweet!While the state is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, sugarhouses are still boiling their sap to make delicious maple syrup. Hager’s Farm Market in Shelburne has plenty of syrup available that is made directly from their farm at Hager Bros. Farm. Visit Hager's Farm Market located at 1232 Mohawk Trail, Shelburne Falls. Go to hagersfarmmarket.com for more information.
Davenport Maple Farm Restaurant will also be open this weekend. At the start of the year, the restaurant owners, Todd and Michelle Olanyk, were not even sure if they would be opening the restaurant this sugaring season. They made the decision one week before opening on March 6th, and will be open for dine-in and takeout Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 3 pm until the end of the month. Although the restaurant doesn’t have the usual amount of business as in past years, the Olanyks are pleased to see their customers happy to be there and that they are choosing to buy local maple syrup. Customers can also purchase the maple syrup during the week by calling the restaurant at 413-625-2866. You can also follow Davenport Maple Farm on Facebook at facebook.com/DavenportMaple/.
Another local favorite maple farm is Sunrise Farms, a 5th generation family-owned and operated maple farm in Colrain, Mass. Their syrup is boiled in an electrical evaporator that is offset with renewable, zero carbon solar arrays right on the farm. Plus their maple syrup is certified organic, as well as the other delicious maple products they offer such as maple cream, candy, and sugar. Sunrise Farms offers curbside pickup at 87 Thayer Road in Greenfield or right at the farm at 24 Heath Branch Road in Colrain. They also offer shipping! Call Sunrise Farms at 1 413-624-3210 to place an order. Visit their website, sunrisefarmsmaple.com, for more information and to make an appointment.
Discover more Massachusetts Maple Farms at massmaple.org!
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
The Franklin County community has always been there to support our local non-profits. Local community members volunteer their time, attend events, and donate money to support our local organizations which better our community and provide invaluable resources. This past year, with the Covid-19 pandemic, many local non-profit organizations [...]
Greenfield’s 99th Winter Carnival looks a little bit different this year than in past years. The Greenfield Recreation Department has cleverly themed this year’s carnival as an “Iceolation Celebration.” The Winter Carnival will run from February 5th through 7th and includes a series of socially distanced and virtual events which the community can participate in either from their home or around Greenfield, Mass.
The Winter Carnival Sleigh Bell Run will be held virtually this year. Runners can register online at runreg.com. Then choose your own route and walk or run anytime during Carnival weekend. Upload your time to RunReg and share photos and videos of your run on the Greenfield Winter Carnival 2021 Facebook event page.
Many of the other usual events have been altered this year to accommodate safe social distancing. Instead of the usual cardboard sled contest, this year the contest will be held virtually and be based purely on design. While the Keg Pull contest will be put on hold this year, people can still upload photos of their dogs pulling a keg and submit it to the photo contest. Other events include a Paper Snowflake Contest, a city-wide scavenger hunt, downtown ice carvings, and more.
Check out the rest of the events and more information about the Greenfield 99th Winter Carnival at greenfieldrecreation.com/wintercarnival.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Did you know that Greenfield Community College isn’t just for undergraduates? They also offer a wide variety of online non-credit courses, which are available to the public. These courses are part of their workforce development and community education program and are offered by GCC’s online education partner, ed2go. A new session begins monthly, so you can choose the session which suits your schedule. Plus, since these courses are not for credit, they are very affordable.
Wintertime is a great time to take an online class and expand your knowledge in a certain subject or skill. Improve your daily life with classes like Conversational French, Mindful Relationships, or Everyday Math. If you are a small business owner or looking to boost your skills in your current employment, you could take classes like Accounting Fundamentals, Creating Web Pages Using HTML, or Discover Digital Photography.
Browse GCC’s online course catalog at www.ed2go.com/greenfieldcc.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
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