While it might take you a bit more effort to get out of the warm and cozy house in the winter than in the summer, you’ll find that when you do it is totally worth it. In Franklin County, we are so fortunate to have a bunch of beautiful outdoor places to enjoy a scenic wintry landscape, while we stay active. Here are some local favorite [...]
This holiday season, give the gift of a Franklin County Gift Card to your friends and loved ones. This versatile gift allows them to choose whether they want to dine out in Turners Falls, purchase a unique handcrafted item from a shop in Shelburne Falls, have an adventure in Charlemont, or spend it with any of the other participating [...]
The Franklin County Festival of Trees, a three-weekend holiday season event starts today, Friday, November 26, 2021. The festival, which began in 2016, had to take a year hiatus last year due to the pandemic, but is happily returning this year. For the next three weekends, on Fridays 5-8 pm and Saturdays 12-6 pm, the Festival of Trees will be at Aromatic Fillers, 253 Greenfield Road in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
There will be as many as 100 or more decorated trees which have been sponsored by local families, individuals, and businesses. Attend the festival and enjoy the beautiful display of trees, plus enjoy exciting performances throughout the event. Purchase raffle tickets and enter the raffle for your favorite trees. At the end of the three weeks, on Sunday, December 12, a winner for each tree will be chosen.
The idea behind the Festival of Trees, coordinated by April Healey and the Kiwanis Club, is to bring people together in a positive and joyous way while raising money for projects and programs which support the community. In previous years, the money raised benefited programs like Warm the Children, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter, United Way of Franklin County, Stone Soup Café, Community Action Pioneer Valley and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin. This year, the goal is to raise $30,000 for community grants.
Be sure not to miss this beautiful event and support local holiday fundraising. For more information, visit the Franklin County Festival of Trees Facebook page.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Get in the holiday spirit with a beautiful display of holiday lights at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. The Annual Light Up the Fairgrounds event returns this holiday season. Load up the car and drive to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield and you’ll be amazed by the fantastic lights display.
Light Up the Fairgrounds is happening November 26, 27, 28 and December 3, 4, 5, and 10, 11, 12. Cars are welcome from 5 pm to 9pm. The entrance fee is just a minimum donation of $5 per car. Proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Franklin County, Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter, and the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
For more information, check out the event page on Facebook.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Cider Days, Franklin County’s popular event for all things apple, happens every year during the first weekend of November. This fun and informative event brings together local cider producers and orchards to share their love for apples and apple products and to expand their passions outward into the community. This Friday through Sunday, November 5th to 7th, local cideries and orchards will open their doors to host workshops, demonstrations, and tours.
The events kick off Friday with a Pomological Exhibit at Ashfield Community Hall from 10 am to 5 pm. After the exhibition, there will be a cider makers gathering at Scott Farm Orchard in Dummerston, Vermont from 5-8 pm.
Then the events continue all day Saturday and Sunday at our local favorite orchards. Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield will host a cider pressing demonstration, an orchard tour, and several “Cooking with Apples” demos. Apex Orchards in Shelburne Falls will host a talk about Pollination for the Home Orchardist with Tim Smith. Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain is offering a workshop on pruning with David Shearer and William Shearer.
West County Cider in Shelburne Falls will talk about “Preserving and Increasing Our Botanical and Cultural Heritage” with Ben Watson and explore Wild Apple Foraging with Matt Kaminsky. Plus, New Salem Orchard in New Salem will host an outdoor presentation about the History of Cider in Early America with William Grote and show how to make bread overnight with Cider Lees. Historic Deerfield will also participate in the Cider Days fun with a Heritage Apple Workshop on both Saturday and Sunday.
There are 23 venues in total offering workshops, tastings, tours, and demos. View the Cider Day’s Trail Map and check out all the Cider Day’s events planned for this weekend at ciderdays.org/cider-trail-2021.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
You might already know that Franklin County is a great place to find antique, vintage, and upcycled items. But did you know that there is an actual trail to lead you to all the best places to find them?
Organized by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Vintage Valley Trail is a collection of local businesses who offer vintage, or high quality items from the past. You could spend a day or a weekend travelling around to these shops, exploring the clothes, jewelry, furniture, household items, games, books, and more. Embrace the nostalgia of items you’d forgotten about or discover something that’s old but new to you!
Much of the Vintage Valley Trail runs along the Mohawk Trail - a quintessential drive through Western Mass. Along the way, you can take in the beautiful vistas of the rolling hills and flowing rivers. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops on the trail for you to enjoy.
Go to vintagevalleytrail.com to find the list of participating shops. If you are a vintage shop owner, you can submit your listing on the website, as well, and join the trail.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
One of the benefits of living in Franklin County is having so many beautiful rivers to enjoy locally. Unfortunately, these rivers often suffer from pollution. Walking along the rivers or paddling down them can reveal certain areas where trash and debris has accumulated, interrupting the natural beauty of the river banks and harming wildlife. [...]
This weekend marks the 172nd Franklin County Fair in Greenfield, Massachusetts. From Thursday, September 9 through Sunday, September 12 the Franklin County Fairgrounds will be filled with fun for the whole family. This year’s fair features a great lineup of entertainment events and agricultural and craft shows. Be sure to check out the parade, power wheel demo, and demolition derby. Also returning this year is the Coleman Brothers Midway which offers fun and thrills.
The Franklin County Fair started in 1848 with the purpose of providing agricultural education to the community at a time when many immigrants were fleeing cases of famine in European countries. The fair offered a way to both demonstrate skills such as quilt-making, pie-baking, or cheese-making, as well as flaunt new agricultural innovations or breeds of sheep. Many of the events from the original county fair still continue today, with livestock shows and a display of handmade works at the Roundhouse and Youth Hall.
For the full lineup of events and to purchase your tickets, visit fcas.com.
Photo credit: Franklin County Fair Facebook Page
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Beautifully maintained classic c.1790 Colonial on 7.5 acres overlooking an open meadow and seasonal views of the hills beyond. This antique treasure has been loved and well cared for and represents the perfect balance blending the charm of yesteryear with modern convenience of today. Many renovations have been done, preserving the many period details complimented by a wonderful and spacious modern addition.
Upon entering you will find a welcoming entry, fabulous great room with cathedral ceiling and upper level sitting area, cheery eat-kitchen and an attached oversized two car garage. The main house features a dining room w/gas stove, living room with exterior access, master bedroom suite w/full bath, laundry, and sitting area, 3 additional bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and office/den. High speed fiber optic internet is on its way! Listed in the National Historic Registry, conveniently located only 15 min to Shelburne Falls, 30 min to Greenfield, and near many recreational activities.
Tour the house virtually in the video below and check out the listing here for more photos and details.
Contact Wanda at 413-768-9848 or Wanda@WandaMooney.com for more information.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
The Green River Festival has been a staple event of summer for Franklin County and Western Mass for over 30 years. After skipping last year due to the pandemic, music-lovers across the region are excited for the festival’s return this year.
The Green River Festival is known to always have a good lineup of artists and this year is no different. This year’s headlining musicians are Jon Batiste, Shakey Graves, Ani DiFranco, Drive-By Truckers, and Valerie June. There will be plenty of other amazing performances as well by artists from near and far including Son Little, Twisted Pine, Kimaya Diggs, Appalachian Still, and more.
As usual, there will be lots of vendors serving up delicious fresh foods, such as vegan dishes, Latin American foods, craft ice cream, craft beer, and more. The Maker’s Market will also be back with an assortment of craft vendors offering unique crafts and products for sale, such as glassworks, jewelry, CBD products, artwork, and more.
The Green River Festival returns this year on a new date in a new location! Normally, this annual event occurs in mid-July at the Greenfield Community College lawn. However, this year the Green River Festival returns at a later date to allow more opportunity for festival-goers to get vaccinated and in a new space to maintain a safe environment for all.
This year’s festival is this weekend - Friday, August 27 - Sunday, August 29th at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, MA.
Check out the full lineup of artists, vendors, and information on tickets, camping, and more at greenriverfestival.com.
--
For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Connect