10 Things To Love About Falls Village, CT
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2014 and has been edited to include some recent updates and additions to the region. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, access to some areas and local businesses has been shuttered. While COVID-19 is in our midst, we suggest you check the hours and accessibility of these locations if you're planning a vist.
Each town in Connecticut has its own character, and Falls Village is no exception. Falls Village, a part of Canaan, Conn., is a distinctive blend of farmers, home-schooling iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, homesteaders, locals and irreverent creatives. The town is a snapshot of country quiet and town folks appreciate the simple grace of this small community. There's everything from a renovated church that is now a home, to ultra-modern abodes, to 18th- and 19th-Century architectural styles. Here are a few reasons to praise the noble hamlet.
1. The great outdoors. Great Mountain Forest is the place to go if you want to immerse yourself in an incredibly beautiful landscape. Led by Executive Director Tamara Muruetagoiena, this property is a bucolic place to hike, bike, cross-country ski, or snowshoe. Although programming is canceled during the pandemic, the trails are open to the public. The property features approximately 6,000 acres of protected land (crossing from Canaan into Norfolk) that serves as a learning environment, as well as functioning as a National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station. The Yale School of Forestry, and other schools and conservation organizations use the land to learn more about our natural habitat. And if you're not getting out much but still want a peek of our local nature at its most amusing, take a look at the video some current forest interns took.
2. The Falls Village Inn. Built 175 years ago, the inn rests at the heart of the small center of town and has been a significant part of its evolution. Ten years ago, the Falls Village Inn was purchased, renovated and updated in a fresh, welcoming aesthetic. With the talent of local folks such as the Cockerlines and interior designer Bunny Williams, the inn was imbued with a new luster and has become the go-to watering hole. It features a welcoming front hall, freshly designed guest rooms, a taproom for more casual fare, and a wraparound porch and formal dining room. While the inn is closed due to the pandemic, the tap room is serving at tables on the grass, and the full menu is available for curbside pickup.
3. 100 Main. Speaking of Bunny Williams, last year, the esteemed decorator and gardener who has lived in Falls Village for decades, opened 100 Main, a cooperative selling art, furniture, housewares, garden accessories, baby clothes and minimalist women’s fashion. Williams decided to open the emporium after she bought a woebegone one-time grocery store on Main Street that she considered an eyesore. She hired local builder Seth Churchill to discreetly renovate it, and now it's a lofty space with chic cement floors and handsome steel trusses that hold up the roof. The store features the works of over 40 local artisans who are not nobodies (Dan Bellow pottery, Susan Schneider lampshades, Guy Wolff Pottery) but who are thrilled to have been plucked by Williams for her showroom. And thrilled is what anybody you gift with a beautiful, handmade item from 100 Main will be, too.
4. The flora and fauna. The Falls Village Flower Farm is a favorite place to find native and non-native plants. The farm has been growing, gardening, and advising for 20 years. Whether you’re seeking perennials or just want to talk plants, the learned team here is always available.
5. The sounds. Music Mountain is well known for its long-standing chamber music events throughout the summer, but it also features jazz, folk, cabaret, big band and opera events during the season. The Festival has been offering livestream performances this summer, with opportunities to participate in Q&As with the performers.
6. Education and community. Isabella Freedman and Adamah Farm are part of a vibrant learning organization that practices sustainability, environmental education and spiritual practice. Adamah is run by Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, which offers workshops, as well as providing community events and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture shares). The retreat center is situated on a beautiful piece of land populated by happy goats and folks of all ages.
7. Mountainside Café. Wholesome, delicious farm-to-table dishes from soups to sweets are on the menu here. Mountainside Treatment Center, a large employer in neighboring Canaan, is a thriving organization that offers substance abuse treatment and awareness programming. One of the ways Mountainside serves this goal is through their café. The restaurant employs newly sober people as a way to assist in their recovery process. The food, locally provided by local farms, is delicious. This is another enticing spot where folks congregate.
8. The water. No discussion of the area would be complete without touching on the raw beauty of this Northwestern Connecticut town and the Housatonic River that punctuates the landscape. Right now, unfortunately, due to current conditions and COVID-19, the river access is closed indefinitely. Affectionately called “the Housy" by locals, the river features the dramatic Great Falls (hence the name) of the town that provides dynamic river features for kayakers, tubers and nature enthusiasts alike.
9. The land. The legendary Appalachian Trail runs directly through Falls Village and each summer sees thru-hikers stopping for a rest. Taking time to enjoy the Connecticut section of this iconic trail is a must and provides for some scenic vistas, as well as time along the Housatonic River, including the rugged Great Falls section.
10. The hub of it all. The late-Victorian David M. Hunt Library is a true hub for the town. The library was founded in 1889. It's an active place, with book groups, knitting groups, story hours, art exhibits and a fun holiday fundraiser. During the late spring, an annual plant sale provides a venue for lively discussions of heirlooms, the latest town meeting, or to simply find starter plants for the garden.
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