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Established in 1971, the Hebron Fair has been a mainstay in the CT community for a while. Featuring livestock, fair food, local vendors, live music, rides, and plenty of entertainment, the Hebron Harvest Fair allows the community to come together annually to celebrate the end of summer. The Hebron Harvest Fair is produced by the Hebron Lions Agricultural Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization. With professional management and volunteer support from the Hebron Lions Club, net proceeds produced from the Hebron Harvest Fair are used to fund grants that support local and national charitable causes. The Hebron Lions Agricultural Society is a member of the Association of Connecticut Fairs (ACF) and the International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE). The fair's been steadily growing and caters to nearly every audience. It's grown to be one of the largest fairs in CT. ...most of the land at the Hebron Lions Fairgrounds has been cleared for the expansion of the Fair. Every year the attendance grew and so did the Fair. Additional 16 acres of land were purchased as the fair steadily grew. Various buildings were built to accommodate the growth of the fair such as; Antiques Building, Arts and Crafts Building, Better Living Building, Department of Environmental Protection Building, and other buildings and animal barns were built as needed. My roommate Madison and I decided to venture to Hebron and see what all the fuss was about. We aren't necessarily as into this type of agriculture stuff as most of the people in attendance, but we still had a good time. We watched the tractor pull for a while, and despite trying our hardest, we still couldn't understand it on a fundamental level, so we moved on the the fried dough stand. That was more of something we could get behind. Mostly we wandered around, checking out the cows and goats, and even a camel. We passed through the thoroughfare, stopping into interesting booths selling local honey and crafts. We passed by the traditional fair game booths and rides, but neither of us really trusts large metal contraptions that get folded up and put on trucks and then reassembled... We settled on chicken tenders and cheese fries (sensing a pattern?) and parked at a picnic table near some live music. The music wasn't necessarily something I'd pay to see on its own, but it certainly" added to the overall fair-type atmosphere. We left after a few hours, but not without stopping for some lemonade and kettle corn. I'm sure families with young children would find plenty to do all day, but we were tired from all the fried food and the walking, so we headed back to our apartment. 2015 Fair Dates Fair Hours General Admission Senior (65+) Parking Thursday September 10 4pm - 10:30pm $12.00 $12.00 FREE before 5pm $5.00 after 5pm Friday September 11 Noon - Midnight $12.00 FREE before 4pm FREE before 4pm $12.00 after 4pm $5.00 after 4pm September 12 9am - Midnight $13.00 $13.00 $5.00 Sunday September 13 9am - 8:30 pm $13.00 $13.00 $5.00 Next year's dates and prices will likely be similar, but check their website for updates.  A map of the grounds, but we recommend winging it.  Contrary to the clouds, there was not a single drop of rain.                      Note: all quotes from the Hebron Harvest Fair's website.
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With only three drive in theaters in CT, Mansfield Drive In was my first outdoor movie experience. With three large screens and each showing two movies each night, there's a lot to choose from. Located at 228 Stafford Road in Mansfield Center, CT, the field is easy to find coming from any direction. According to Drive In Movie's website where you can research drive in's near you by state: The Drive-in boom here in the Nutmeg State peaked a decade later than in most of America's Drive-in states. Mansfield shows movies currently in theaters, a fun way to see what's out now, while supporting local business. Mansfield also offers a full service snack bar with everything from fried dough, chicken tenders, popcorn, to even nachos. This drive in sounds like a trivial experience, but I'd highly suggest it to anyone looking for a fun night. It costs 10$ per person, younger children and seniors 7$, and on Wednesday nights for 20$ you can stuff a car with however many will fit.
Note: Photos from the Mansfield site, and not our own. I've only been at night, which wasn't conducive of good pictures.
This past weekend, Anna and I visited Susan at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. One stop we made was at the Mansfield Hollow State Park, a long walk between a beautiful body of water with plenty of greenery and a small airstrip. From the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection: “The damming of the Natchaug River by the Army Corps of Engineers has created a 500-acre lake for boating and fishing. No swimming is allowed since part of the lake is used for public water supply. Mansfield Hollow was established as a park in 1952.” There are several more trails deeper into the park on the right side, but we only explored the main trail. It was an easy walk along the path, filled with families, children, and an avid mother with a stroller who nearly pushed us off the path. We posted some of our pictures below, but it was definitely more spectacular in person.  How else would we travel to the park but in a convertible? (Courtesy of Madison, Susan’s roommate.)  This is the trail to the Dam. I found it interesting how the field was divided in half between the airspace (on the left side) and the lake (on the right side).  Here’s a picture of the lake. There were people kayaking, and it was an incredible blue color (even more so in person, but of course the camera never picks that up).  Here’s the small airstrip (we saw a plane taking off, it’s functional!). It was strange how close the path was to the strip, and how many planes were even on the strip (there were so many parked further down, not pictured.)
Definitely a fun day trip to the outdoors-inclined folks, but remember sunblock, snacks, and water, because once you start exploring, you're not going to want to leave. |
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April 2019
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