7 minute read
STORROWTON VILLAGE'S
STORROWTON VILLAGE'S winter wonderland
Yuletide at Storrowton Village Museum, a department of the Eastern States Exposition is preparing this December to bring the community together to celebrate the season with traditional Yuletide activities, entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides and shopping in the Village.
The festivities begin on Dec. 3-4 with the Yuletide Festival, a free weekend of beautifully decorated buildings, entertainment, farm animals, kids’ activities and visits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Next is the Yuletide Open House Tours on Dec. 6-10. Admission is $8 per person and free for children 6 and under. Interested participants can reserve your tour time ahead or drop in on the hour from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Then on Dec. 7 there will be the Yuletide Lantern Light Evening, and on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m., the Spirits of Christmas Past, uncovering the history of Christmas ghost stories.
The Yuletide Festival has been going on for over 40 years. It was started by June Cook, the first full-time director of the Village in the ‘70s and ‘80s, with the premise of focusing on what the holiday season looked like in New England in the mid-19th century.
The word “Yuletide” comes from the Norse name for the turning time of the sun, Hweolor-tid, or the winter solstice. The
SUBMITTED term was used to describe that time of the calendar around the winter solstice. During that time, the ancients rejoiced because the sun had triumphed, and days began to grow longer. Over hundreds of years honoring the change of season has evolved into what is now known as a traditional holiday celebration.
Jessica K. Fontaine, director of Storrowton Village Museum said, "Our goal for any event is to make the 19th century relevant in the 21st century, so we are always finding fun and creative ways to bring history and traditions to our 21st century audience in a way that is engaging, entertaining and educational."
Yuletide has become an important family event for many of their visitors who share with them they are in attendance to kick off their holiday season and fulfill the tradition among generations of their families. "It is truly a beautiful event that could not happen without the generous donation of time, creativity and materials from the local garden clubs, florists, and private designers who decorate each of our museum spaces," Fontaine replied. "We take great pride in our ability to put on events that welcome in all members of our community to be a part of the holiday magic in the Village."
Located at 1305 Memorial Ave., the Storrowton Village Museum is a reconstructed village of nine authentic 18th and 19th century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, assembled around a traditional town green. The buildings were moved to West Springfield between 1927 to 1930. Originally
called the Old New England Village in 1930, it was officially named Storrowton Village Museum in honor of founder and donor Helen Osborne Storrow who was an active trustee of the Eastern States Exposition and chairwoman of the Home Department. Her dream was to move the handicraft exhibit to an actual home on site, a building with its own kitchen.
All the buildings were originally a part of the museum; however, a functional restaurant was always a part of Helen Storrow’s vision. The Storrowton Tavern is a landmark restaurant located on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition and part of the historic Storrowton Village serving New England and continental cuisine. The main facility features five different dining rooms for banquets, weddings and other special occasions. Across the Storrowton Green is the Carriage House, a modern banquet facility with a covered patio, ample parking, two full bars, chandeliers, on-site wedding options and a private bridal suite. Originally the Potter Mansion included a Tavern area. In the 1950s, Storrowton Tavern was established and has been operated by a number of different families throughout its 60-plus year history.
The Calvanese family have been running the restaurant for 19 years. Prior to that, they ran the Suffield Country Club in Suffield, CT for 17 years. Owner/chef Vinnie Calvanese recalled, "When we first got here, we took the big four off of the original menu: baked Boston scrod, homemade chicken pot pie, roast turkey with herb stuffing and Yankee pot roast which
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are our biggest sellers."
They explained they want to continue serving the public with a gracious staff and keep the connections they've made. Though it was tough getting through COVID-19, the Storrowton Tavern was able to stay in business because of their loyal followers. On Dec. 17, the Tavern will have lunch with Santa from 12- 2 p.m. "I believe the history of the Village and this restaurant is the thing that keeps patrons coming back," Calvanese stated. "People talk about how they got married in this building, how they like the food and the service. Everyone has stories that are special to them, so there's a lot of history here and we've just become a part of it for the last 19 years."
The Storrowton Tavern is open Wednesday and Thursday with lunch from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and dinner 4 p.m.- 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday with lunch 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and dinner 4 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch at 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Visit their website at www.Storrowton.com to view their menus. For questions, call 413-732-4188.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORROWTON VILLAGE MUSEUM AND THEIR EVENTS, GO TO WWW.STORROWTONVILLAGE.COM. THEY CAN ALSO BE FOUND @STORROWTONVILLAGE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
DEC 17
DEC 16
December Line-Up
FRI 12/2 ........Brooklyn Charmers - The Music of Steely Dan FRI 12/9 ........Bearly Dead SAT 12/10 ....Friends of the Brothers - The Premier Celebrations of the Allman Brothers Band FRI 12/16 ......Sage King & Co. with Special Guest Alex Rohan SAT 12/17 .....Twas The Laugh Before Christmas featuring Denny Corby, Mark Riccadonna, Justin Gonzalez
DEC 2 DEC 9 DEC 10
For information & Tickets: BBOHCT.com
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