Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13
Saturday, November 12
Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6 - Colrain will host four of the CiderDays events. (Download the CiderDays Event Schedule.)
Saturday, October 22 - Forts of Colrain Hike
Friday, October 7 - "One Town…Many Stories"
Sunday, September 25 - Hymn Sing
Saturday, September 17 - Old Home Day
A grand parade kicks off at 10 am, followed by an Old Home Day Gala Celebration with entertainment, food and booths of all kinds on the grounds of Colrain Central School at 22 Jacksonville Road, and at the Pitt House and Memorial Hall on Main Road in Colrain Center. The day culminates with a fireworks display.
- Crafts of Colrain Annual November Studio Tour. A self-guided tour to visit 17 Colrain artists, artisans and farmers. Please see the Crafts of Colrain website for more information: http://www.craftsofcolrain.com/
Saturday, November 12
- Colrain Central School's Annual PTO Craft Fair at the school on Saturday, November 12th from 10am-3pm. Crafts, raffles, bake sale, lunch, coffee, children's shopping room. More information.
Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6 - Colrain will host four of the CiderDays events. (Download the CiderDays Event Schedule.)
- Cider Making Workshop on Saturday morning at 9:00 am at Pine Hill Orchards; $75 registration fee covers instruction and materials to make your first batch of cider
- Cider Mussels Cooking Demo with Chef Michael Collins, Saturday, 10:30-11:30 am at the Green Emporium Restaurant
- Cooking with Cider Demo with author Amy Traverso, Saturday, 11:00 am to noon at the Green Emporium Restaurant
- Orchard Rides will be given at Pine Hill Orchards on Saturday at 11:15 am and Sunday at 11:00 am.
Saturday, October 22 - Forts of Colrain Hike
With Muriel Russell, hike leader. Meet at Chandler Cemetery (junction of Greenfield and West Leyden Roads) at 9:30 am and carpool to the site of Fort Morrison, now the Avery farm. Here Muriel will give participants a brief overview of the several French and Indian Wars-era forts in Colrain. Returning to our starting point, we will then begin a hike to South Fort Morris (near Pine Hill Orchards), then down Jurek Rd to Fort Lt John Clark, also known as Fort Lucas, and finish up at Fort McDowell. Bring your lunch and wear comfortable clothes. This moderate hike is free and will last about four hours. To register, call Muriel at (413) 624-3311. This hike is sponsored by Greenfield Community College's Pioneer Valley Institute. (Rain date Saturday, October 29)
Friday, October 7 - "One Town…Many Stories"
Join us around the campfire (weather permitting) behind the library from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm for a Fall Celebration at the Griswold Memorial Library. "One Town…Many Stories" with Rebekka Tippens, stories from Colrain & villages near and far... Free hot chocolate, hot cider, and popcorn. A fun chance to spend time with family and friends! Remember to bring your chairs. In case of inclement weather, storytelling will move inside. Stay for Game Night ‘til 9:00 p.m. For more information call 624-3619 or visit the library.
Sunday, September 25 - Hymn Sing
Highlighting one of Colrain’s oldest churches as part of the town’s 250th celebration, a hymn sing will be held at the Second Baptist Church on Christian Hill (near the intersection of Ed Clark and Thompson roads) on Sunday at 3 p.m. Guest violinist and hymnologist Don Lundgren of Amherst will explain the origin and meaning of some of the old favorites. Musicians will include Dennis Ainsworth on the organ and Seth Ainsworth and Mickey Butler on violin.
Photos by Patrick duBreuil of the Second Baptist Church in late winter: http://www.patricdubreuil.com/gallery/dub3/050303/index.htm
The following information is taken from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879 (http://www.franklincountyhistory.com/colrain/everts/12.html): "The Second Baptist Church was organized in 1786, and some time thereafter a house of worship was erected just north of Christian Hill, where there is now a neat and substantial edifice. Some of the early ministers were Rev. Edmond Littlefield (who preached eighteen years), Rev. Edward Davenport (who served nearly thirty-five years), and Revs. Mr. Smith, Arad Hall, D. H. Grant, Nathaniel Ripley, E. L. Baker, and A. W. Goodenow. For some time past the church has been without regular preaching."
Saturday, September 17 - Old Home Day
A grand parade kicks off at 10 am, followed by an Old Home Day Gala Celebration with entertainment, food and booths of all kinds on the grounds of Colrain Central School at 22 Jacksonville Road, and at the Pitt House and Memorial Hall on Main Road in Colrain Center. The day culminates with a fireworks display.
10:00 am - Parade - from the Colrain Fire Station to Colrain Central School - Grand Marshalls: Lillian and Larry Shearer
Events at Colrain Central School - Rain or Shine!
11:30 am - Colrain City Cloggers12:00 pm - Opening Ceremony-Master of Ceremonies-Eileen Saugaveau-Opening remarks-Song-James Stewart-Flag raising-Poem-Bekki Tippens-Remarks by State Representative Paul Mark and State Senator Stan Rosenberg-Ringing of school bell12:30 pm - Wright Brothers Two with Lenny Zarcone1:30 pm - Jody Scalise2:30 pm - Celtic Heels Dance Troupe3:00 pm - Dusti Dufresne4:00 pm - Colrain members of the Wholesale Klezmer Band6:00 pm - Zydeco Connection8:00 pm - Fireworks (raindate Sunday, September 18)
Strolling Barbershop Quartet
Festivities throughout the day
-Tours - Pitt House and Colrain Historical Society (8 Main Road in Colrain Center)-Book Sale - Griswold Memorial Library's Annual Book Sale (10 am - 3 pm) at two locations: Memorial Hall (17 Main Road, across from the Post Office) and in front of Colrain Central School (22 Jacksonville Road)
On the school grounds-Student Agricultural Exhibit-Children’s Games: bead bracelet making, balloons, dunking booth, bubbles, lawn twister, sack race, water balloon toss, egg and spoon race-Storytelling Tent-Vendors-Colrain Fire and EMS-DemonstrationsWood Turnings on a lathe with Kenny Noyes
Food Fair-Coffee and donuts in front of the Pitt House-Colrain Community Club Hamburgers & Hotdogs-Hager’s Fried Dough-Halifax Ice Cream-B-B-Q-...and more!
Free Parking and Shuttle BusFree Parking is available at the former Truss Shop on Foundry Village Road near the intersection of Rt. 112, at the Brick Meetinghouse at the intersection of Rte.112 and Greenfield Road, and at the Fire Station at 55 Main Road. Free Shuttle Bus service (9:30am-4:00pm) between all parking areas and the school. Handicap parking is available behind Colrain Central School at 22 Jacksonville Road.
Sunday, September 11 - Re-lighting Glowing Glory
Re-lighting of the Glowing Glory Flag at the Shearer farm at the intersection of Greenfield Road and Coombs Hill Road at 8:00 pm. (more information)(photos of the repairs and renovations of Glowing Glory)
Saturday, September 10 - Catamount Hike
Thursday, September 8 - Forts of ColrainThe Deerfield River Watershed Association offers a hike on Saturday, Sept. 10 in the Catamount Hills of Colrain. This is a new hike which was scheduled for the Spring but had to be cancelled because of rain. This a loop hike and hikers should be prepared to hike the four and a half miles of easy terrain. Hikers should meet at 10:00 at the end of East Catamount Road. From Rte. 112 in Griswoldville, Colrain, take Adamsville Road to Lively Road, then quick left onto East Catamount Road (steep and dirt) to end where there is parking. Bring unscented bug repellent, and lunch to enjoy at McLeod Pond. Please register with Muriel Russell 413-624-3311.
Colrain's historic forts will be discussed in a program presented at the meeting of the Colrain Historical Society at 7:30 pm at the Pitt House on Main Road in Colrain. The focus is on an early period of the town’s history when, during the French-Indian Wars of the 1750s, the town built and maintained four forts for the protection of its isolated and vulnerable frontier citizens.
Liz Sonnenberg and Muriel Russell will describe the four forts, two fortified farmhouses and two palisaded block houses, the Indians who lived in the area and events of the war in this area. They will also relate stories involving the forts.This is a free program. A business meeting will be at 7 p.m.Refreshments will be served. The public is invited.For further information, call 624-3453.
Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 - Chili Festival
Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 - African Inspired Events at the RoundhouseHeld at the Green Emporium. Special dishes featuring chilis harvested from Tony's garden will be served.
Sunday, August 28 - Hymn SingSongs, stories, dancing, food and open air market of homemade crafts. Held at the Roundhouse on Van Nuys Road in Colrain.
This event was cancelled due to the weather forecast (Tropical Storm Irene).
Hymn Sing at the Second Baptist Church on Christian Hill (near the intersection of Ed Clark and Thompson Roads). Sunday August 28th at 4 p.m. Guest violinist-Don Lundgren. Experience Colrain history with music!
Photos by Patrick duBreuil of the church in late winter: http://www.patricdubreuil.com/gallery/dub3/050303/index.htm
The following information is taken from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879. (http://www.franklincountyhistory.com/colrain/everts/12.html): "The Second Baptist Church was organized in 1786, and some time thereafter a house of worship was erected just north of Christian Hill, where there is now a neat and substantial edifice. Some of the early ministers were Rev. Edmond Littlefield (who preached eighteen years), Rev. Edward Davenport (who served nearly thirty-five years), and Revs. Mr. Smith, Arad Hall, D. H. Grant, Nathaniel Ripley, E. L. Baker, and A. W. Goodenow. For some time past the church has been without regular preaching."
Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 - Colrain Fire/EMS 250th Celebration Weekend
Colrain Firefighters' Association Facebook page
Saturday August 13th
- 10 am - 3 pm Open House at the Fire Station, 51 Main Road, Colrain (map)
- Hands-only CPR training throughout the day (Colrain is a Heart Safe Community! The Fire Department is giving hands-only CPR training both days this weekend to increase the numbers of people who can lend a helping hand.)
- 12 pm – 3 pm Fire Association Chicken BBQ (chicken breast, corn on cob, and potato salad - $12)
- 3pm Softball game (Colrain vs. Halifax, VT)
- 5 pm - 9 pm "Tracy and Company", playing a mix of Classic Rock/Country/Southern Rock
- 8:30 pm Bonfire
- Quilt raffle tickets will be sold
Sunday August 14th
- 9 am Fire/EMS Parade Lineup
- 10 am Parade (starting at Colrain Central School and ending at Fire Station)
- 11:30 am Firefighter’s Muster (5 or 6 teams will compete)
- 11 am - 7 pm Colrain Community Club Food Booth
- 11 am Open House at the Fire Station (map)
- 12 Noon CPR Mass Training
- 1 pm Kubota Trak Demo and Fund Drive
- CPR machine demo and Fund Drive
- 2 pm Softball game (Colrain vs. Charlemont Fire/EMS)
- 6 pm Shelburne Falls Military Band Concert
- Quilt raffle tickets will be sold
An account of growing up on Catamount Hill in the 1830s by Dr. Ammon Davenport, will have a dramatic reading at the meeting of the Colrain Historical Society Thursday at the Pitt House in Colrain Center. Davenport was born on Catamount Hill in 1827 to a family of six, three of whom became physicians. His account, written in 1900 for a meeting of the Catamount Association, recalls family life, school and community customs in “the tallow candle age,” before such conveniences as electricity, cook stoves or even friction matches reached Meadow Place, his childhood home. Christmas hardly existed, but there was plenty of excitement on the annual Muster Day in Colrain City. Jesus McClean, curator at the Brookline Historical Society and a professional actor, will give the reading, which is suitable for children as well as adults.
The program will start at 7:30 p.m. after a 7 p.m. business meeting.
The public is welcome, and refreshments will be served. Donations will help the Colrain Historical Society present more programs celebrating our region’s history.
For further information, call Belden at (413) 624-3453.
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| Dr. Ammon Davenport |
Saturday, July 16 - Softball Games
Inaugural softball games at the new ball field behind the Fire Station at 51 Main Road, Colrain.
Bring your own picnic and lawn chairs. Parking is available in the area between the Fire Station and the Salt Shed.
- 3 p.m. Colrain Women vs. Halifax
- 4:30 p.m. Colrain Men vs. Franklin County All-Stars
Friday, July 15 - Colrain Grain Festival
Join us at the Colrain Grain Festival to share knowledge and skills for small-scale grain growing, saving seed and traditional harvest arts. Discover the delicious almost-lost heritage wheat varieties that nourished 1800s New England, that yielded the highest at our UMass trials over three years. Learn how to build a traditional brick oven, how to cook delicious foods in a wood-fire oven, brew home-made beer, and how to bake artisan bread. Bring your favorite dish for our potluck dinner - yumm! Don't forget to bring home-baked bread and the recipe to share for a community tasting.
This event is part of the year-long celebration of Colrain, inspired by the traditional arts and community values of rural life in New England of yesterday that can inspire a sustainable future for tomorrow.
July 14 - UMass Farm, 89-91 River Rd, north off 116, Deerfield,
July 15 - Colrain Seed Farm, 400 Adamsville Rd, Colrain
See growseed.org for more information and a detailed event schedule for both days.
Contact Eli Rogosa: growseed@yahoo.com
Thursday, July 14 - History of the Cary Cider Mill and beekeeping
The Colrain Historical Society's July meeting will include a presentation about the history of the Cary Cider Mill and beekeeping.The meeting will be held at the Cary Cider Mill at 63 Foundry Village Road in Colrain at 7PM, hosted by Jonathan Lagreze and Judith Roberts. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. Call 624-5534 for more information.
Belden Merims wrote in Colrain: A History: "Cider was the beverage of choice in early New England, sweet or fermented, and Colrain had numerous cider mills. The most successful of these was the Cary Cider Mill in Foundry Village. In 1879 Cary produced 1,000 barrels of cider, marketing the beverage and vinegar from Springfield to Boston to New York. The mill employed local men through the 1950s."
Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10 - Farm and Garden Tour
Farm and Garden tour with workshops and storytelling. Sixteen family farms and gardens will be part of the tour. Download a Colrain Farm and Garden Tour brochure and map from the 'Our Town!' Colrain Massachusetts website: brochure and map. The Green Emporium will be coordinating food events with a lavender flavor. Cabot Cheese samples will be available for tasting at the Coombs Hill Farm.
Thursday, June 30 - 250th anniversary of the incorporation of Colrain in 1761
Saturday, June 18 - Readings on Chandler Hill, followed by a Strawberry Supper
- Readings on Chandler Hill (3:30pm) -- Come to Chandler Hill, site of the town's first Meeting House (map). We will be celebrating the Incorporation of the Township of Colrain, beginning with a reading of the Declaration of the Town of Colrain by Paul Mark, State Representative of the 2nd Berkshire district in Massachusetts, followed by readings of letters and petitions written during the 1750s to government officials. The letters were pleas for help sent during the French & Indian Wars. Hugh Morrison (fort),Rev. McDowell (fort), and Joseph McKown, who was taken captive, and committees representing the settlers sent letters to military leaders and Governor Shirley, the General Court, and the House of representatives of Massachusetts Bay Province.
This program will be presented at the site where the first church stood on Chandler Hill just above the cemetery at the corner of Greenfield and West Leyden Roads. If it is raining, the program will be held at the East Colrain Chapel near Green River Bridge on West Leyden Road.
Parking: Except for handicap, parking is limited up at the old church site, so cars should be left in the lot across from David Nims’ house at the top of the hill. Please bring lawn chairs and low-scented bug dope. After the presentation, we invite people to take a stroll through the Chandler Hill Cemetery.
- Strawberry Supper (5:00pm-7:00pm) -- A Strawberry Supper benefiting the Colrain Community Club will be served under a tent outside the East Colrain Chapel (map), rain or shine. Enjoy music in the Chapel, and storytelling and exhibits in the Four Corners School.
Muriel Russell will lead a hike on Catamount as part of the RiverFest celebration. This event is co-sponsored by the Deerfield River Watershed Association and the Colrain Town 250th celebration committee.
Please meet at 1 pm at the pullout next to the bridge at the corner of Rt 112 and Charlemont Rd on the South end of Catamount in Shattuckville. (Meeting location map)
We will walk up South Catamount Rd, cross Broadhurst Bridge, and then follow Houghton Brook looking for plants and wildlife that depend upon wetlands. After reaching the road again, we will investigate a large beaver pond and cross the dam if it looks passable.
Catamount is known for the 1812 Schoolhouse Flag raising, so we visit that site (photo of the memorial stone marker) before turning East on the West end of the Adnah Bass trail which will take us to MacLeod Pond. From there we will walk down Holden Trail to the Holden homesite, and then down to the cars.
Moderate hiking difficulty; about 3 - 4 hours.Please bring non scented bug dope, extra socks, a snack if you need it, and ski poles for walking the dam.
Call Muriel Russell at 624-3311 for information and to register.
Saturday, June 11 - Open House at the Brick Schoolhouse
Open House at the Brick Schoolhouse (map) (photos of the schoolhouse on Facebook) (Shelburne Line Road, Colrain) from 2 pm to 4 pm. Photos of the event on Facebook.
Margaret Smith (Jones), who taught at the Brick Schoolhouse from 1931-1932, will be there to talk and answer questions. She also taught at the South Schoolhouse during WWII and at the Center School sometime after WWII.Thursday, June 9 - Colrain's old neighborhood schoolhouses
Call Muriel Russell at 624-3311 for more information. The Brick Schoolhouse is located on Shelburne Line Road in Colrain, slightly south of the intersection with East Corain Road.
Colrain Central School's 3rd and 4th grade students will report on Colrain's old neighborhood schoolhouses at a meeting of the Colrain Historical Society at 7 pm in the Abbey behind the Pitt House on Main Street in Colrain Center. The class has been studying Colrain history and recently visited some of the old one-room and two-room schoolhouses. The Colrain Historical Society will have its business meeting following the children's presentation. refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend. For further information call 624-3453.
Saturday, June 4- Colrain Boundary Marker Hike
Hike with Muriel Russell to the three boundary markers delineating the border between Massachusetts and Vermont in the northwest corner of Colrain. This event is co-sponsored by the Deerfield River Watershed Association and the Colrain Town 250th celebration committee.
Meet at 10:00am at the Brick Meeting House in Colrain Center (map) (intersection of Main Road and Greenfield Road). We will drive from there to a parking location near the H. O. Cook State Forest where the hike begins. Moderate hiking difficulty; about 4 - 5 hours. Please bring non scented bug dope, extra socks, and a lunch.
Call Muriel Russell at 624-3311 for information and to register.
Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day Parade and Services
Memorial Day Parade and services at the West Branch Cemetery (map). The parade begins at 10:00 am at the West Branch Cemetery and will proceed down Adamsville Road to the bridge, and back into the cemetery, where Memorial Day exercises will be held.
Julie Olearcek, a Colrain resident and U. S. Air Force Reserve pilot, will participate in a flag-raising ceremony with an American flag that was flown in Afghanistan.
At the completion of Memorial Day services the parade will reform and march down Foundry Village Road to Lyonsville Road and then across the Arthur A. Smith covered bridge. The Mohawk Middle School Marching Band will perform, followed by a community picnic. Plenty of food will be available for sale: the Colrain Community Club will be providing hot dogs, hamburgers, onion rings, and French fries, the Baker’s Oven will be there with their portable wood-fired pizza oven, and Halifax Ice Cream will be served. Al Ladd and his band will play music. Ed the Wizard will perform. The Colrain Firefighters' Association will have their large tent set up to provide a shady area to enjoy the festivities.
U.S. Flag hanging in a plane in Afghanistan. Julie Olearcek is standing at the far right in the photo,
The West Branch Cemetery is located at the intersection of Adamsville Road and Foundry Village Road. The Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge crosses the North River on Lyonsville Road between Foundry Village Road and Route 112.
Saturday, May 14 - Hike on Catamount's East Loop
Hike on Catamount's East Loop, lead by Muriel Russell. Featuring spring wildflowers, a cave, and the lake (MacLeod Pond). We will also visit the vernal pools that we didn't hike to on April 23 due to the slushy snow. This hike is offered by the Deerfield River Watershed Association and is free of charge.
Meet at the top of East Catamount Hill Road, Colrain at 10 am.Thursday, May 12 - An Evening in the Orchard
To reach the trail head from Route 112 in Griswoldville, Colrain, take Adamsville Road to Lively Lane, then a quick left onto East Catamount Hill Road (steep and dirt) to the end where there is parking. (Meeting location map)
Moderate hiking difficulty; about 3 1/2 hours. Please bring a flashlight, extra socks, unscented bug dope,and lunch.
Call Muriel Russell at 624-3311 for information and to register.
A celebration of apple trees in bloom and a wine and cheese tasting at Pine Hill Orchards, 248 Greenfield Road, Colrain, from 7-9:30 pm. Pine Hill Orchards and West County Winery will provide ciders and wines. The Hillman Farm goat cheeses will be available. Dancing Sheaves Farm Bakery and The Bakers Oven will provide breads baked in their traveling ovens. The event will include music by Co-op Jazz, a six-member band, and stories of Colrain's apple orchard history, cider-making and our collective love of apples. Wagon tours will be offered in the orchard. This event is a fundraiser for the Colrain's 250th Anniversary Celebration. The cost is $15 per person. Tickets are on sale now at Pine Hill Orchards, World Eye Book Shop, and Boswell's Books. Call 413-624-3378 or 413-624-5140 for more information.
Saturday, April 30 - Colrain Cares: Community Pride Day.
(Update 5/11/2011) Colrain Cleanup a SuccessThe town’s 250th anniversary year began with a massive spring cleaning, as 40 residents turned out on Saturday, April 30 to “clean up Colrain.” One of the organizers, Mo Grossberger, said at least 75 large trash bags were filled with litter and debris gathered along town roadsides.The town’s salt shed was painted by Ellen Weeks, Jonathan Lagreze and Susan Wyant. Also, flowers were planted in front of the Town Offices and near the Arthur A. Smith covered bridge.The day ended with a potluck supper, attended by at least 20 of the volunteers.
The Shelburne Farm and Garden Center donated annuals and the town Highway Department provided the dump truck and the stain and tools for the salt shed fix-up. Pine Hill Orchards donated fresh-from-the-oven donuts and a flat of beautiful flowers.
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Projects will include painting the Highway Department building and the salt shed doors, cleaning up around all of the town buildings, planting flowers at the library and town buildings, picking up trash along roadsides — and the list is growing, according to organizer Mo Grossberger.
Volunteers are being asked to bring work gloves and tools if they have them. Volunteers may sign in at the Fire Station (map) between 8 and 9 a.m.
Rain date is Sunday, May 1.
A potluck supper will be held afterwards, at 6 p.m. at the Colrain Community Church (map). Diners are asked to bring their own place setting and something to share: appetizers if the last name begins with A-E; entrees for those whose names begin with F-O; salads and side dishes for those whose names begin with P-T; and desserts for those whose names begin with U-Z.
For more information, or to volunteer for a particular project, call Mo Grossberger at 624-3954 or email: mo.grossberger@gmail.com.
Saturday, April 23 - Catamount Vernal Pool Hike
This event was cancelled due to the 2"-3" of slushy snow that fell in the morning.
Hike to the vernal pools on Catamount, lead by Muriel Russell. Sites of interest include several vernal pools, MacLeod Pond, Devil's Oven and Dens. This hike is offered by the Deerfield River Watershed Association and is free of charge.
Meet at the top of East Catamount Hill Road, Colrain at 10 am.
To reach the trail head from Route 112 in Griswoldville, Colrain, take Adamsville Road to Lively Lane, then a quick left onto East Catamount Hill Road (steep and dirt) to the end where there is parking. (Meeting location map)
Hike distance is about 4 1/2 miles. Moderate hiking difficulty; about 5 hours. Please bring a flashlight, extra socks, unscented bug dope, and a lunch.
Please register for the hike by calling Muriel Russell at 413-624-3311
