06/15/24 9:30-8: This street festival was located in Collinsville and Main St. was blocked off for…read moreit. There were chalk artists drawing wonderful art on the street, live music at different spots, axe throwing on a truck, an Art Fair. There were food and beer at the local restaurants such as Grindstone, Lasalle's, and Lisa's Crown. Parking can be found on street, the church lot, and the town hall lot. The art fair had a few artists, authors, and various vendors selling apparel, jewelry, and art. There was a beer/seltzer cart in front of Lisa's Crown. Music on Main on The Collinsville Green started at 6 pm to 9 pm. This event overlaped with the festival. There were no porta potties, you would have to use the restrooms in the nearby establishments. The weather was perfect and the view was great; overall a great day well spent.

I don't see the date of this balloon event posted anywhere, other than another poster that says to…read morearrive on the 1st day = Friday night...? I really want to go to this festival too.

The evening glow was really underwhelming. There were only five balloons. The park was so crowded…read moreyou could hardly move. The food vendors seemed overwhelmed. My son waited over one hour for a Philly cheesesteak. The fireworks were awesome. The logistic support for the parking and shuttle system were handled really well. Been there, saw the balloons. Don't need to go back.

Local love at this fantastic annual arts and crafts festival!!…read more The Avon Arts Association creates and runs a perfect festival, set in the upper parking area (between two separate [but connected] lots) in between the small businesses in Old Avon Village. It is very easy to ambulate (and thus wheelchair accessible, which is hard to find in local festivals and farmers markets)!! The festival is very well advertised, with huge stand-up signs along the roads near the main streets of Avon and colorful flags and balloons bordering the entrance to the lots. You are led the way in!! You are able to see a number of local artists and their showcase works. From woodwork to jewelry to hand-dyed tie-dye to photography to paintings, you will see a little of everything here. I was really impressed by the number of vendors here!! I saw the talent and passion with each vendor as I passed through. It is really fun to see the excitement vendors have when they show their work. I was able to interact with the vendors, too, and chatted with a few about their items. Each vendor--including the shop owners at the antique shop that is in the center of the festival--was incredibly kind and, again, very passionate. I purchased a beautiful and unique ring at Two Birds Jewelers (opening a storefront in Ashford soon) and gorgeous tie-dye scarf and t-shirt from Deena's DDJ Designs ("tie-dyed clothing with a heart and a twist"). I spoke with the jeweler who crafted my ring and learned about the stone and setting; then I later chatted with Deena who made my tie-dyed pieces and who told me how to care for my funky one-of-a-kind wardrobe items. I really enjoyed strolling through, seeing local artists and their talents. There really is nothing like seeing local artists showcase their work and their passion. The only problem with this festival is the parking. There are small and windy roads in this village's parking, so it can be tricky to navigate to find a space in the limited number of spaces it has. You may want to go early--though you may want to anyway to miss the crowds and see the items showcased by each vendor more closely before anyone else--to grab a close parking spot. When I went mid-morning, I lucked out by grabbing a space down a flight of stairs from the center of the festival. I saw others though parking in the lower lots behind the larger complex and walking uphill to the tents. Overall, I very much like the smooth and accessible space this festival is set in, so it is worth the walk. There were a considerable number of people there when I went, but the festival is perfectly spread out so foot-traffic is not an issue. If you are not able to make one day, do not worry--this festival is open two days. Even if arts and crafts are not your thing, definitely stop by. You will see the local talent and may get a free sample of ice cream!! Why not support local every chance you can?

Very disappointed. Came today with my family, paid $8 per…read moreadult and $5 parking fee. The event claimed to have over 300 vendors. "Beer and wine selections will be available from local breweries and wineries" is what the Facebook event page claimed. There was no beer at this event, 1 wine vendor. How strategic that the wine vendor was one of the first booths you see upon entering. If you are going to charge admission and a parking fee, there should be what is advertised or event info updated to reflect actual vendors who attended so people like myself aren't misled upon arriving. To top it off, I commented (as well as I saw another people who attended also comment) about the lack of beer and wine and magically our posts were deleted. Instead of being replied with a sorry, they got deleted.... not pleased.

Support local!! The…read moreMade in Connecticut expo--held annually for one weekend in the spring--has absolutely every type of small business you can imagine. From jewelry to wooden signs and greeting cards, coffee to hot sauces, you will easily find a local business to support. There was also face-painting, goats from a local farm, henna tattoos. Really everything to make for a fun day. There are literally hundreds of vendors here. It took me a solid hour and a half to walk through with a few stops. My purchases included a unique and gorgeous pair of mixed metal earrings from Elias Designs (a jewelry crafter who only does expos like this one, no storefront and no Etsy shop); a branch wreath decorated with beautiful silk flowers from The Red Door Gift Shop (located in Milldale); sweet handcrafted greeting cards from Send A Smile Cards (located in Bethel); and a liquer scented candle from Brand Your Candle (run by two kind and welcoming guys who sell their fantastic concept candles--wax crafted by on alcohol scents and then placed back into the original bottles--on Etsy). The expo has lines of food trucks, both savory and sweet. There were gyros, tacos, shaved ice, cannoli, and mini donuts. I tried a HotScreamer spicy ice cream sandwich from Escape Brands (located in Cheshire), featuring eight different kinds of peppers mixed in into vanilla ice cream infused with a strawberry swirl. While I was not a fan of the fire in my mouth, I appreciated the artisanal crafting and kindness of the two gentlemen at the booth. I also [FINALLY] got to try Four Flours Chillwich Truck, a cookie and ice cream sandwich truck. The server/driver was very nice, and these creations are absolutely fantastic!! After I learned that he loves coffee ice cream as much as I do, the driver/server (whom I believe may have been Tony, the co-owner) made a fantastic suggestion--the toffee coffee chillwich. It. Was. Spectacular. It was a little expensive ($6) but well worth it for fresh quality deliciousness. This truck offers the option of cookies (singles and packages) of your classic cookies, like chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry, as well as biscotti. Go full force, though, and add ice cream in between two delicious cookies in a chillwich. You will love it!! I thoroughly enjoyed mine, walking around and peeking at the vendors, even on a cold spring day. My absolute favorite [edible product] vendor--Albas Cafecitos, a new coffee caterer. Along with croissants topped with chocolate and dulce de leche syrups, the family-owned and run business served up hot, locally-roasted coffee with a hint of dulce de leche syrup in it for a café con leche, which you had the choice of topping with whipped cream and freshly shaved chocolate. Being a coffee and a hint of sweet lover, I, of course, asked for all the toppings. This too was absolutely. Spectacular. The owner of Albas made a fresh pour over batch of coffee for me, and chatted while she crafted it. It smelled heavenly. Then she artfully added a little drizzle of dulce de leche into a mason jar of milk, shook it, and added it to the fresh coffee before spiraling whipped cream and grating chocolate on top. Perfection. The expo itself was very well-organized and run!! I am astounded at how the staff kept the immense foot-traffic together. It was set up nicely in two sizable tents, too, so it was safe from the weather elements, with a nice seating area near the food trucks. The aisles were wide enough, too, so it was [relatively] easy to maneuver among the lines of booths [until more people come in]. (I arrived right after the expo opened at 11am and there were already numerous rows of cars and large numbers of people; with more people coming inside, it became slightly more difficult to move.) The only drawback of this expo is that there is seemingly no rhyme or reason to where the vendors are placed. There are numerous food and coffee vendors mixed in with jewelry and soap (one with goats) and other non-edible product vendors. There were food trucks lined up along the corners of the massive tents, but only the food trucks and not the smaller booths featuring other edibles. All of the food and drink vendors should be in one area. All-in-all, I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed seeing the local talent and buying local goods, both consumable and not. I am always amazed at the pride and dedication that small business owners hold. You will not see anything like it until you see their products and hear them discuss their work. Again, I say, support local!! Who wouldn't want to give back to people that are so close to home? It is literally your neighbor you are supporting when you purchase local goods. Big businesses don't need your money; small businesses, which feature products created with love and enthusiasm and which have owners who truly care about their work, do. Please--if you do not do anything else today--support a local business!! *Drops the mic, steps off soap box*

Septemberfest has gone through a few tweaks since we moved here 30 years ago. It used to be…read moresprawled through the big parking lot in front of Iron Horse Boulevard, with music, vendor booths, a big craft tent, and lots of food booths. Then the festival disappeared for a while, and a few years ago it reappeared in a different version on the grounds of the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. A lot of the features are the same, or at least similar. They still offer lots of musical entertainment (we heard a pretty good Creedence cover band tonight), there are still a lot of vendor booths at the Business Expo, for local businesses and banks, the town library, private schools, political parties, and civic groups. They still have a lot of food options from local restaurants and stores (Old Well Tavern, Attilio's, Benny's, Kane's Market, TCBY, Comfort Zone Food Truck, Ben & Jerry's, Simsbury Volunteer FD, Little India, Millwright's, and Pasticceria Italia) that are reasonably priced. I has a nice combination plate from Little India for $7 with Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Curry, rice and a vegetable samosa. The only negative thing we experienced were the dozens of bees that swarmed around our table and the trash cans. Since the new location spills out across the Performing Arts Center grounds, it provides room for more attractions. There are two small performing stages with kid friendly acts like magicians, puppeteers and jugglers, plus taekwondo and mountain bike exhibitions, a petting zoo, a stilt walking clown. There was a tethered hot air balloon ride, and over 20 inflatable bounce attractions and a kiddie railroad that snakes through the grounds. The old tent with the craft fair is gone, and this year was the first time I ever remember there being an admission charge. It was a modest $5 for adults (kids are free), and the admission wrist-band gets you in for all three days.

Should be renamed BounceFest. There was no hot air ballon ride, no train ride, and two uninspiring…read morefood trucks. That said, there were infinite bouncers. All in all, well suited for families with small kiddos but beyond that, the seasonal section at Costco is more engaging.

'Twas a fun and fantabulous time. With the rain looming, the crowds piled into the streets early,…read moreprobably at its peak at 7pm. There was plenty of seating - if you also include the benches and fountain - and great vendors to choose from. I appreciated the diversity, and it was great to be reminded - by smell and taste! - of the variety Glastonbury has to offer. For $7, the ribs at J. Gilbert's was a solid choice. They practically fell off the bone, and the sauce was complementary without being overwhelming. Some other items were a little pricey for the portions, though. There were only two beers to choose from - Sam Summer and Ten Penny - and a few more wines. I'm kind of surprised they charged $1 for the ID band. They don't even do that in NYC! A quintessential local event. It was very fun and tasty. Great people watching, as well.

Q1: - What did I see at the Farmington Food Truck Fest?…read more A1: - Over twenty food trucks, a DJ, kiddie rides, games of chance Q2:- What kind of food could you get there? A2: - Steak tips, fried dough, barbecue, burgers, dogs, brats, poutine, fried dough, kebabs, meatballs, baked potatoes, ice cream, kettle corn, tater tots, tacos, even fried cookie dough. Q3: -What food truck had the most provocative double entendre of a name? A3: - Just The Tip (steak Tips) The Farmington Food Fest was a blast! It was in an office park that was empty today, and there was a ton of parking with lot attendants to keep everything running smoothly. There was a big crowd, but the grounds were so spread out and there were so many food trucks we never really felt crowded in. We walked around the place a few times to get the lay of the land, see what trucks were there, and plan out our strategy for the day. We both went to the Tots Hots & Brats truck for a hot dog and a red hot .My Red Hot was excellent -big juicy with onions and peppers on a soft roll. I loved it. Dessert was an easy choice as we made a mutual beeline for the Shaved Ice truck. It was a different kind of shaved ice because you applied your own syrup to your personal mountain of shaved ice. The Food Fest was operated by USA Festivals out of Fort Myers, FL and they have a niche in organizing these events across the country. They sure did a great job with this one. Only negative is that it's just a 2-day affair -Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27. So tomorrow's your last chance.

"Come a little bit closer Hear what I have to say…read moreBecause I'm still in love with you On this harvest moon" (Neil Young) Want to experience a quintessential small town New England Fair? Well, you sure won't go wrong checking out the Granville Harvest Fair. It's open three days on the Columbus Day Holiday Weekend, from October 12-14, 2024. The fair is spread across multiple locations and there is a shuttle bus connecting the various lots and locations. You'll see hundreds of vendors selling crafts, food, woodworking, clothing, art, books, and more. Alcoholic drinks are well represented, with locally brewed beer from Skyline Beer Company, wine and "slush wines" from Hardwick Vineyard and Winery in Orange, and Mead and Honey Wine from Granville's own Daggers Meadery. Ever have a hankering for maple flavored cotton candy? Well, you can scratch that itch here. Ever want to take a tour of a 160-year-old drum factory? Granville has one. Want to check out a quilt display? Gotcha covered here. Want to hear a pretty good four-piece rock band belt out a very respectable live cover of Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good?" Yup, it's on their playlist. Want to spend a beautiful time in an old school New England town full of friendly people and gorgeous scenery? Well, by now you know where you can.

This Italian festival is located in Avon, CT and hosted by the Prince Thomas of Savoy Club. Parking…read moreis at the hotel but a free shuttle is provided and entry to the event is also free. It's a celebration of all things Italian. There was food, drinks, music, and vendors. I had a meatball sub and it was so good. Food prices were pretty affordable and it's definitely family friendly. I love these little community events and this one was pretty neat.