Litchfield County, Connecticut is magical all year, but especially so as everything comes back to life each spring. Here are 25 fun things we can’t wait to do in Litchfield County this spring!

1. The town of Kent has planted tens of thousands of daffodils. Enjoy shopping, dining, and art galleries while enjoying the narcissus. kentct.com/daffodil-daysKentct.com for more info.
2. For a powerful nature fix, Kent Falls inside Kent Falls State Park is never more impressive during the spring runoff. But please resist getting into the water. It is dangerous.
3. ALL the peonies are at Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston … so many they’ve dubbed it Peony Heaven. 
4. Baseball season beckons. Take the family, or yourself to the Hit Club in Thomaston where you can hit 90 minutes for just $10.  
5. Naturally, the season calls for spring rolls. Try takeout from Thai Charm, or sit inside their cute orange Colonial along Kent Rd. in New Milford. 
6. The time is ripe to join a CSA. Search the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s CT Guide for the farm closest to you.  
7. There’s never an off-season for antiquing. Consider Charles Haver in Roxbury for a curated experience, and Housatonic Trading Co. in Bantam if you want volume.

   

8. For a less commercial brush with history, make an appointment to tour Seven Hearths, the pre-Revolutionary house museum in Kent.  
9. Try to fly fish or keep your canoe afloat at Housatonic Meadows State Park. 
10. Hit up Natureworks Garden Center in Northford for monarch-attracting plant seeds and all the advice you’d ever need to grow butterflies. Start now, and you’ll have plenty of flittering visitors come summer.  
11. See if you can spot the Blue-winged Warblers nesting in Southbury’s Bent of the River Audubon sanctuary.  
12. Shopping in New Preston is always a delight: Pergola, Privet House, Plain Goods, J. Seitz, The Smithy, Dawn Hill Antiques, DK Schulman… just make sure it’s not a Tuesday—that’s the day they’re all closed.

    

13. Don’t miss out on the annual Library Luminaries fundraiser for Gunn Memorial Library on June 8.
14. Fork over a $10 donation to take in all that is spring at the Hollister House Garden in Washington.
15. Celebrate the 7th Annual Spring Arts and Fine Crafts Show at Merwinsville Hotel in New Milford on April 26-28 and May 3-5.
16. Libraries are brimming with virtual events… gardening how-to sessions, and book talks. Check the calendar of the one closest to you.
17. Stop by the fourth annual Litchfield Art Festival featuring fine functional art and fine non-functional art. Free and open to the public.
18. Fish, hike, or picnic in one of the 25 preserves maintained by the Roxbury Land Trust. 
19. Practice for summer with a flight of four handcrafted beers at Housatonic River Brewing.
20. Don’t miss the gardening lover’s weekend of the year at Trade Secrets at Lime Rock Park. This philanthropic sale draws more than 60 vendors—specialized growers, small nursery owners, antique dealers, and artisans…with proceeds going to Project SAGE in northwestern Connecticut.

    

21. Bring your camera to Wigwam Road in Litchfield on a sunny day in April or May and take a walk through the 15 acres of daffodil plantings at Laurel Ridge Farm. 
22. Enjoy the sounds, sights, and smells of spring on a boardwalk hike through the wetlands at White Memorial Conservation Center.
23. Enjoy a picnic at one of our many wineries. Hopkins Vineyard, Spring Hill Vineyards, and Sunset Vineyard are some of our faves.
24. Support our local restaurants. Many have outdoor seating and provide take out.
25. Enjoy an ice cream cone! Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam is a very popular spot. People literally line up around the building. Peaches N’ Cream in Litchfield is another family favorite.

By Brandee Gilmore