Moonlight Magic returns to Shelburne Falls to kick off the holiday season in a joyous way. Moonlight Magic is held on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) every year as a way to bring the community together in excitement for the holidays, while supporting our local shops, businesses, and artisans. This Friday, November 26th, 2021 the events start at 4 pm, when shops stay open later, vendors line the streets, and the holiday lights turn on throughout the village. 

The events continue through 9 pm with a Moonlight Magic Parade through downtown, plus a boat parade on the river! There will also be a special lighting of the community tree, visits with Santa, carolers, and performances. Especially fun this year will be Mo’s Fudge Factor’s Truffle Shuffle, a truffle scavenger hunt through the village! Be sure to buy tickets in advance for the Truffle Shuffle as there are only a limited number available.

Moonlight Magic is a great opportunity to do your holiday shopping. Be sure to stop by the book sale at the Arms Library, the craft fair at the Eagles Club, and the Makers and Artists Pop-Up Shop at The Mill on Conway Street. Not to mention, all the vendors and shops to explore throughout the village.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Moonlight Magic without lots of delicious food. Be sure to visit the many food vendors along the street or check out the local restaurants and eateries. 

For the full schedule of events and other information, go to shelburnefalls.com. 

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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.

Every year, the artists of Colrain open up their doors to the public for gallery viewings, demonstrations, workshops, sales, and to meet and greet. Studio-goers are invited to print a map, hop in the car, and drive around to the various artists over the course of the weekend. This year, the Crafts of Colrain is coming to Shelburne Falls with a special pop-up event on Saturday, October 9th and Sunday, October 10th from 10 am to 4 pm. 

Go to Shelburne Falls this weekend to check out the works of various participating artists. The following artists will be included in this special pop-up event at 50 State Street in Shelburne Falls: Carole Adams, Peggy Davis/Joe Kurland, Kevin French, Cynthia Herbert, Jim/Jill Horton-Lyons, Inge Jockers, Jen Kapitulik, Al Ladd/Marilyn Beal, Bob/Helen Olson, Tony Palumbo, Sarah Schoedel, and Olga Solomita. Check out the variety of hand-crafted works made from new and reused materials, including woodburning, hand-crafted jewelry, lamps and lights, planters, accessories, and more.

If you love the pop-up event, you’ll really love the open studio tours next month - November 13-14. Check out the event website for more details at craftsofcolrain.com. Follow Crafts of Colrain on Facebook for event updates and to preview some of the artists' works.

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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog. 

Last month, the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum finally reopened its doors after skipping its 2020 season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Trolley Museum is a staple of Shelburne Falls and the community is so overjoyed to see its [...]

One of the draws of Shelburne Falls is the rich artistic community within the village. Walking down the streets of the village center, you’ll find many galleries, artists’ shops, crafts stores, and other unique places for creating and buying [...]

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.com/blog. 

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 [...]

In Shelburne Falls, businesses are accustomed to the ups and downs of tourism in the village. Summertime usually brings buses and cars full of tourists from around the world to come and marvel at the magical village with the river running through it. Visitors love to walk across the world famous Bridge of Flowers, a volunteer-run garden on [...]

Resident makers and artist tenants at The Mill at Shelburne Falls are hosting a Harvest Makers and Art Market on

Saturday, October 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The outdoor market features work in a multiple of mediums including oil and acrylic, fine woodworking, glass, pottery, textile arts, handwoven goods, weathervanes, metal [...]

The temporary closure of restaurants and eateries was hard on both the businesses and the locals in Shelburne Falls, who would normally frequent these places for delicious food and to see their fellow townspeople. Many people are excited to see some restaurants in Shelburne Falls slowly re-opening and even a new restaurant opening. These [...]

Here in Franklin County, we are lucky to have a variety of special restaurants offering delicious food. These restaurants are owned by locals and use locally sourced ingredients, as well. You can expect the vibe at these places to be true to The Valley and that the food will always be fresh and of the season. While the list of wonderful [...]