Woodstock pg 1 9-3-15
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Woodstock
Fair's Main
Exhibition
Hall
restored
WOODSTOCK — The first building on the grounds of the Woodstock Fair, the Main Exhibition Hall, has received a face lift over the past year and fairgoers are invited to celebrate the reopening of the building Sept. 4.
“We felt it was necessary for the preservation, not only of the building, but of what has become the iconic symbol of the Woodstock Agricultural Society. We did it to preserve the Society’s history,” said the president of the Woodstock Agricultural Society, Susan Lloyd.
The reopening of the building will coincide with the opening of the 155th annual Woodstock Fair at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4. Ticket booths will be open at 8:45 a.m.
Fairgoers are invited to watch the brief festivities which will take place immediately following the national anthem. The Woodstock Agricultural Society Board of Directors and invited guests will take part.
“We want to give credit to the people who made this possible. It’s taken us a number of years to get here.
When other projects were done, we were thinking ahead,” Lloyd said.
The planning for the restoration actually began in 2010. The Agricultural Society provided all of the funding for the restoration.
“It was a significant financial investment, but also an investment in the future of the Society,” Lloyd said.
The Main Exhibition Hall was built with funds initiated by Henry Chandler Bowen in 1871. The 36-foot wide by 96-foot long timber frame building was put to use as an exhibition hall for the first time in 1874.
The original building was enlarged in 1885 when a 36-by-36, two-story addition was built. The Society leased the second and third floors of the building to the Senexet Grange (1912-1937) and Masonic Fraternity
.The façade of the building has changed a little over the years, but nothing of this extent had been attempted previously.
“It’s the first restoration that (the Society) has done of any of the buildings,” Lloyd said.
In the process of the restoration, charred wood was found in the building, believed to be evidence of a lightning strike that fortunately put itself out.
The exhibits inside the hall may be arranged a bit differently, but will remain consistent. Lloyd said the structure will continue to host fruits, vegetables, floral and photography displays. The local granges, Woodstock Historical Society and Roseland Cottage will also have their exhibits in the building this year.
Then and Now pg 2 9-3-15
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Then
This is the Main Exhibition Hall at the Woodstock Fair in the 1880s. Photos courtesy of the Woodstock Fair.
& Now
This is the hall today after extensive renovations. The grand reopening for the hall will be Friday morning, as the annual Woodstock Fair begins.
Graduates pg 2 9-3-15
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Graduates
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Two local students graduated from Binghamton University this past spring: Christopher Emerson of Pomfret, bachelor’s in management marketing and Sean Cunningham of Woodstock, bachelors of biological sciences.
Tastes pg 3 9-3-15
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
WOODSTOCK — Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho, Roasted Corn Chowder, Cider Braised Beef Brisket with Roasted Red Pepper, Nectarine Strudel with Bavarian Cream, Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Freshly Roasted Coffee, and Locally Crafted Brews and Wines – these are just a few of the menu items served at last year’s Tastes of the Valley event, and a tantalizing preview of the exciting possibilities to come this year.
Hosted by The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV), Tastes of the Valley is an annual feast and fund-raiser that will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at The Mansion at Bald Hill’s new royal banquet facility. A limited number of tickets for Tastes of the Valley are still available at $65 per person. To purchase tickets call 860-774-3300 or go online at www.thelastgreenvalley.org, click on “Shop” and then “Events.”
Tastes of the Valley features food grown and raised in the 35 towns of the National Heritage Corridor, expertly prepared by the finest chefs in the region. Tastes of the Valley showcases the skills of local farmers, chefs, cheese makers, vintners and brewers. This popular event raises funds and awareness for TLGV, and is sponsored by Fiberoptics Technology, Rebecca Harvey, Millennium Power, Savings Institute Bank & Trust, UNFI Helping Hands, Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, Keith & Elaine Knowlton, Putnam Bank, Southbridge Savings Bank, The Mansion at Bald Hill, Titan Energy, MaryLou Davis, Farm Credit East, Donna & Bruce Kosa, and Village Electric.
The evening includes drawing baskets and silent auction items highlighting the area’s businesses, farms and artists. There will also be a very lively live auction. Unique items from around the region will be offered including a one-of-a-kind Tastes of the Valley Apron signed by all the chefs, an instant wine cellar from the TLGV Board of Directors, a ride-along in an exotic car (Ferrari or Lamborghini) around Thompson Speedway’s 1.7 mile road course, an undercover dinner with a restaurant food critic, entertainment packages, and gift trees loaded with gift certificates, event tickets & more.
The Tastes of the Valley feast will be crafted by the talented chefs of: 85 Main, Bella’s Bistro, Cafémantic, Coriander Cafe & Country Store, G Seven Catering, Grill 37, Heirloom Food Company, Oliver Wight Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village, Publick House Historic Inn, Renee’s Working Girl Catering Service, The Farmer’s Cow, The Inn at Woodstock Hill, The Mansion at Bald Hill, and The Vanilla Bean Café.
Delicious farm-fresh products will be provided by: 18th Century Purity Farms, Baldwin Brook Farm, LLC, Blackmer Farm, Blue Slope Farm, Buell’s Orchard, Chase Road Growers, Couët Farm & Fromagerie, Creamery Brook Bison, Devon Point Farm, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, Good Bug Gardens, Hart’s Greenhouse & Florist LLC, Lapsley Orchard, Maple Lane Farms, Meadow Stone Farm, New Boston Beef, Palazzi Orchard, Raspberry Knoll Farm, Taylor Brooke Winery, The Farmer’s Cow, Turtle Ledge Farm, Unbound Glory, Wayne’s Organic Garden, We-Li-Kit Farm, Westford Hill Distillers, and Woodstock Farms.
The delectable offerings of the feast will be complemented by beverages from: Ben’s Beans, Bentley Brewing, Black Pond Brews, Hosmer Mountain Soda, Maple Lane Farms, Marty’s of Dudley, Mrs. Bridges Pantry, Sharpe Hill Vineyard, Taylor Brooke Winery, Westford Hill Distillers, and Willimantic Brewing Company.