Two-Day Winter Festival Returns for Third Year

Text by Doug McDevitt
Photo by Bruce Frisch

Fall has a bittersweet flavor to it. It’s beautiful, the weather is perfect, but we know that cold days with fewer hours of daylight will soon be upon us. Once the holidays are over, our lives settle down, and after a couple of months we can become moody, down, at times feeling not very bright and cheery. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of us living in northern latitudes suffer from symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), caused by our pineal glands producing less melatonin, the hormone that helps prevent and relieve the symptoms of depression.

There are, fortunately, some remedies. We can go on an exotic tropical getaway, but that is expensive. We can purchase and stare into specially designed therapeutic light boxes instead of at our computer or phone screens, but who wants to be disconnected? Or we can embrace the very heart and soul of the Icebox of Connecticut and reconnect. 

Like its sister event, Weekend in Norfolk, which is held each summer, the wintertime WIN is put together by a dedicated committee of volunteers: Sue Frisch, Ned Barron, John Reideman, Tom McGowen, Celia McGowan, Larry Hannafin and, new to the committee, Valerie Johnson. According to Sue Frisch, showcasing what Norfolk has to offer only once a year wasn’t enough to get the message out. So the wintertime WIN is designed to display the warmth that can found in the Icebox even in its coldest season. 

This year’s Winter WIN, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22 and 23, will feature many businesses, organizations and artisans from Norfolk and nearby. The headquarters for the event will be at the HUB. Dawn Whalen, the executive director, says the HUB will be the information center for people to learn what, when and where events will be taking place. Whalen and her team of volunteers will also serve as ambassadors for visitors, offering all kinds of information about the town and the surrounding area.

Among the many varied events to be held this year are tours of Norfolk’s churches, with their beautiful stained glass jewels, and a concert at the library. If it’s cold enough, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department will supervise all-day ice skating with an afternoon bonfire. Hiking trails for the hearty will be open for biking, hiking, also skiing and snowshoeing if there’s snow. Visitors are invited to view competitions at the Curling Club, where members will be on hand to answer questions about the club or curling. Hands-on workshops and seminars on fly tying and fly-fishing, watercolor, paper crafting, handloom weaving and more are scheduled. There will be a number of exhibits as well, including astrophotography at the HUB and art exhibits at the library and the Artisans Guild. There will be an open sugarhouse in Great Mountain Forest, and the Norfolk Historical Society will feature a discussion about steeples at the library. Even the farmers market will sprout early with an indoor market at Botelle School featuring locally grown produce, baked goods and crafts. Also at the school, on Friday night, is a spaghetti dinner and game night. 

Winter is a special time in Norfolk, and the town has much to offer both inside and out. It’s serene, beautiful and, as visitors will discover, full of activities to be enjoyed.

As the daylight lasts just a bit longer each day and we creep ever closer to the sound of peepers or the sight of the first crocuses popping up, we still have a few months of hibernation left. So come out of your den and visit Winter WIN.

For more information, or to volunteer to help out, visit the Weekend in Norfolk Facebook page and website, weekendinnorfolk.org, or contact Sue Frisch (860-542-6076) or any member of the committee.