Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

Byrde + the b Relocates to Litchfield

By Clementina Verge

Photo by Lora Karam

The most gorgeous hair in town has a new address—on the Litchfield Green. 

At its new location, the award-winning Byrde + the b and BYRDEMAN, a luxury salon and barbershop, has doubled in square footage, “creating a revitalized space that has returned us back to our roots,” states founder and co-owner Scott Bond. “We are laser-focused on hair care.” 

The relocation has been bittersweet but exhilarating, according to Bond and managing director-partner Danielle Torres.

“We’re so grateful for the support we received in Washington for the past six years and were sad to leave, but we’re also so happy to be in Litchfield,” reflects Bond, an award-winning celebrity stylist, who found “renewed gusto” at 43 West Street. “We’re grateful for the clients who followed us here and the new ones who have walked through our doors.”

In an “expanded and elevated environment” accommodating 12 stations, five shampoo sinks, and a ground floor dedicated to styling, reigning members of the Byrde family continue to be senior colorist/stylist Lucy Callaway, affectionately nicknamed Queen of Blonde for her exquisite coloring skills, and master barber James Serra, highly in demand for his signature hot shaves and beard sculpting. 

Joining the beauty squad is Alyssa D’Amico, whose “transformative work,” Bond remarks, is enhanced by a keen eye for styles, whether classic or trendy, sharpened by more than a decade in the industry. Rachel Di Giovanni brings 18 years of experience with color, cuts, and “everything bridal,” from makeup, updos, and braiding.

“Rising star” assistants Kira Hoadley and Tori Brown keep tasks running on time and provide excellent shampoos and blowouts. Intensive hands-on training, including weekly classes with live models, fuel their creativity and knowledge, preparing them to advance their careers behind the chair and allow their talent to blossom with confidence and control.

Besides enhancing functionality, the new space accommodates a more beautiful environment featuring a permanent showcase of rotating artworks by Steven Miller. 

In the retail space aptly named The Beauty Souk, the vibe is part New York City apothecary, part Marrakech market. Finds range from Moroccan-imported fashions and accessories to mid-century ceramics, handmade luxury candles by House of Good, unique jewelry, Pop Ups featuring WKND and Depot Dog, and—of course—beauty products including anti-aging and hair-protecting silk goodies, styling aides, soaps, masks, and body scrubs that make perfect gifts for self or others.

Preserving the “fresh out of the salon” tresses is easier with superior products, including Shu Uemura, Olaplex, the exclusive Byrde + the b hair and body line made without synthetic ingredients, Environ skincare, and Proraso men’s grooming necessities.   

“I came aboard a year and a half ago and immediately saw Scott’s vision and what he had built,” reflects Torres. “The move to Litchfield cemented that we were ready for the next step: our new home lends space for growth, opportunity, and availability to make hair dreams happen. Every day, I’m lucky to feel excited to come work with our amazing team that delivers flawless services with passion for the industry and the guests we welcome.”—byrdeandtheb.com 

‘’Now that you have read our story, the best team I have ever had and I wish all of you a joyous, peaceful and love-filled Holiday Season. Big Kiss.”—Scott Bond 

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Arethusa’s Seasonal Eggnog Bottles Are a Holiday Collectible

By Zachary Schwartz 

On a recent visit to Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, I overheard a young lady at the dairy counter tell her parents, “I wish they carried eggnog year-round.” Sweet tooths like her wait all year for Arethusa Farm’s seasonal eggnog, a creamy rich formula that tastes like melted vanilla ice cream blended with egg yolk and spices. It is truly delectable.

Litchfield-based Arethusa Farm has been producing its eggnog for over a decade. Each year, they prepare a limited batch of sweet eggnog that flies off the refrigerated shelves. “Our eggnog is a wonderful seasonal dairy offering. We love the holiday spirit it brings,” says Arethusa Farm co-founder Tony Yurgaitis. “We have a great formula, and we use great milk, which is the beginning of any of our dairy products.” It is freshly bottled weekly during the holidays and includes no artificial fillers.

Arethusa Farm started producing 5,000 bottles of eggnog 12 years ago. Since then, this delightful beverage has skyrocketed in popularity, yielding up to 60,000 bottles per holiday season. Holidaymakers from all over travel to Arethusa Farm’s retail stores for the bottled treat, enjoyed spiked or straight. “Arethusa eggnog over the holidays is part of what customers want at their tables to celebrate with their friends. I find this very inspirational that they think of us, and sharing this wonderful product with their friends,” says Yurgaitis.

True Arethusa Farm fanatics know the eggnog not only as an annual delicacy, but also as a coveted collector’s item. Each year, Arethusa Farm distributes the eggnog in custom glass bottles, reminiscent of vintage American milk bottle deliveries. “Our concept was having glass bottles that are collectibles. Each year we put the date and we change the bottle up, including the colorations and the images on the bottle,” says Yurgaitis. “It’s a fun way of marketing. Thinking back how milk used to be in bottles, and now people collect a lot of bottles from the past. It keeps our name and legacy in people’s homes.”

The glass vessels vary annually in design, and are illustrated by the in-house team at Arethusa Farm. “We don’t just have a generic bottle design,” explains Yurgaitis. “We have a little image of a cow. We try to make it seasonal, and relatable to Arethusa Farm. Our inspiration is the farm.” The bottles are visually appealing on their own, but look better in multiples as cheery holiday décor. Prior bottle illustrations have included the Arethusa Farm barn nestled between two evergreen firs, a Jersey breed cow poking its head through a holiday wreath, and a Holstein breed cow wrapped snugly in a red bow. Yurgaitis’ favorite design to-date was for the tenth anniversary of the eggnog, featuring a silver bottle cap and a wreathed calf’s head drawing. Each year, the slogan is always printed onto the bottle: “Eggnog like it used to taste.”

So, how many seasonal Arethusa Farm eggnog bottles have you collected?

By Wendy Carlson

The Trinity Milton Church in Litchfield holds claim to having the oldest functioning tracker organ in the country and the only one in Connecticut. The tiny church on the Milton green dates back to 1799 and looks straight out of a Currier and Ives calendar. But what makes it extra special is its tracker organ. The entirely mechanical organ was built in New York in 1823 and restored about a decade ago.Trinity acquired the organ for $300 in 1866 from St. Michael’s Church in Litchfield. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that its builder was identified and its historic value internationally recognized. 

To play a tracker organ, the organist presses keys and pulls stops that control the pipes and couplers through a complex matrix of levers and values. Considered a national treasure, the Trinity organ features large decorative wooden pipes in front of the case and a carved wooden flame agave, both gilded in real gold leaf. Services are  held each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., when the organ is played by Grammy-nominated music director Micheal Ford. On Christmas Eve, the church will hold a candle-lit service and choral program at 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend, though seating can be limited. —trinitychurchmilton.org

Photos by Phil Dutton

Sure, Santa loves cookies and milk. But truth be told, he also has a big appetite for pizza. Which is a good thing, because on Dec. 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Washington Volunteer Fire Department holds its 15th annual “Slices with Santa” event.

The event is a fundraiser for the Washington Community Fund, which supports Washington families and individuals who face unforeseen emergencies and who require assistance with paying heating and utility bills, rent or mortgage payments, food, clothing, and medical bills. To date, the event has given $216,000 to the fund. 

The holiday tradition dates back 15 years, when Darryl Wright, a 23-year veteran of the department, and a few other firefighters came up with the idea.

 “We realized we are extremely lucky to be a very well-funded department and we thought we should give back to the community. We wanted to show the younger generation of men in the department that it isn’t always about taking, it’s about giving back too,” said Wright.

The whole department pitches in making the pizzas and by 5:15, the firehouse is packed. Santa arrives about 6:30 and takes a seat on the antique fire truck, where children can share a slice of his favorite pizza, which, by the way, is cheese. At $10 per person and $5 for children, the BYOB all-you-can-eat pizza and salad dinner is a holiday bargain. 

A Century of Tobogganing on the Snowy Streets of Litchfield Is Recalled in a Postcard Photo and More

By Gavi Klein

Photo credit: Courtesy of Litchfield Historical Society

Snow days might be a thing of the past, but hopefully Litchfield’s legacy of tobogganing down snowy streets is not. Our first big snow of the year harkens back to the days of sledding down town streets in chilly glee—this 20th century postcard photograph, depicting Litchfielders tobogganing down East Street behind St. Michael’s church, represents a nostalgia that born-and-bred Litchfield folks know well. Long-time residents recall tobogganing down Litchfield streets back in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s after massive snow storms—but the above postcard photo was likely taken sometime in the ‘20s, as it is addressed in 1924. However, even before that, tobogganing has been a wintertime Litchfield tradition on those white-blanket days. The Toboggan Club was founded in 1886, leading to the building of a massive slide down Prospect Street. The club was so popular that young people as far as Woodbury were known to come to Litchfield for a spin. Even before that, in 1799 Jane Watkinson, a Litchfield resident, recalls to her brother in a letter (currently at the Litchfield Historical Society), “Hannah, and one of our boarders and myself went yesterday after school and bespoke a sledge to slide down hill on, and I promise myself much pleasure this evening from that amusement.” Here’s hoping that this year we’ll get enough snow to bring back this cherished Litchfield tradition!

By Brandee Coleman Gilmore

Photos by Tony Vengrove

We all define the holidays differently, but for most the core element is love — of family, of friends, of the wider world. This time of year we might hold the door a little longer and give the benefit of the doubt a little more easily. The communities of Litchfield County arguably reflect that spirit year-round, and nowhere is it more obvious than in the small businesses serving us. Show them the love this season!

All That Glitters

Vintage Leaping Rudolph Reindeer Brooch by Tiffany & Company in 18 Karat Yellow Gold, Ruby nose and Diamond Harness c 1980

If you’ve got a jewelry lover on your list, Hays Worthington is your source for one-of-a-kind baubles that will turn heads. They specialize in fine and period jewelry, curating a beautiful and unique collection from around the world. Select an exquisite ring, necklace, earrings, brooch, or bracelet from as far back as the Victorian era or up through the various periods of the 20th century. Offerings include rare and signed pieces by Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany, Seaman Schepps, Verdura, and Van Cleef & Arpels. These are pieces that come with a story, and become part of yours! 

13 East Shore Road, New Preston, 860-619-0714 —haysworthington.com
@haysworthington

Dashing through the Litchfield Hills

There are precious few places to let high-end, more-than-capable performance cars show you what they can do. Fortunately, Litchfield County is blessed with one of those spots! Lime Rock Drivers Club lets sports car owners handle their unique vehicles the way their engineers imagined. It’s a “no speed limit, ticket-free” opportunity to drive! Whether drivers are seasoned or novice, you can purchase four hours of track time with LRDC that include in-car coaching delivered by world-class professionals. LRDC is private and for members only. Try a onetime visit to see if it’s a fit! Starting at $895.

60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville,  860-671-1458 —limerockclub.com
@limerockclub

Debonair + Flair

An appointment here is a cosmopolitan experience. This salon has art and sophistication coursing through its new Litchfield confines and by extension, its clients. Your Byrde + the b / BYRDEMAN gift card recipient can book a haircut/color/highlight with their stylist of choice, or tend facial manes with a hot shave, beard sculpting, and a beard or shave membership. You can stuff stockings with favorite product lines such as

Shu Uemura, Olaplex, Proraso, or their namesake hair + body bio products. Your significant other already look fabulous? They can shop the well-curated wares and fine art peppering this swanky space. $50-500.

43 West St., Litchfield, 860-619-0422 —byrdeandtheb.com
@byrdeandtheb

Festive Finds

Fido, Fifi, and Figaro need to know they’re loved this holiday season, too! Depot Dog curates quality items for your pet in their inviting, modern country boutique. You’ll find a beautiful array of sweaters and coats to keep pups warm and cozy all winter long. After you’ve picked the perfect plaid, stock up on treats, nutritious foods, beds, collars, and so much more! Also keep Depot Dog in mind for coiffing—they offer a dry bar salon and basic grooming services—perfect for sprucing them up between baths or before your holiday party! $40-75

11 Titus Road, Washington Depot, 860-619-0430 —depotdogboutique.com
@depotdogboutique

Holiday Cheer

Good Eats recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and if you haven’t enjoyed a meal cozied up in its well-appointed New Milford location along the Housatonic, make it your next night out; then pick up gift cards for everyone on your list! The menu centers on modern American cuisine with plenty of traditional favorites. Executive Chef Kevin Deluca branches into Korean, Mediterranean, British, and Indian flavors. The tap beers are locally brewed, and the fries are triple cooked!! Good Eats also serves up a delicious Sunday brunch, signature seasonal cocktails, and prides itself on superior service that keeps you coming back for more.

Good Eats Restaurant & Bar, 300 Kent Road, New Milford, 860-799-6611
@goodeatsrestaurant

Jingle + Mingle

At KPG Kitchen & Bar, they want to “make you feel at home, minus the cooking and dishes.” One of the best holiday gifts you can give is scrumptious food and drink, and KPG delivers it in a fun atmosphere right in the heart of Kent. Whether inside or on the seasonal patio and gazebo, be sure to try their craft beers, handcrafted signature cocktails, and an extensive menu of burgers, salads, pizza, and small plates. Takeout available. 

17 Railroad Street, Kent, 860-927-3733 —kentpizzagarden.com
@kpgkitchenbar

Making Memories

This holiday season, wrap your loved one in warmth and memories with a fabric keepsake quilt from Bitty Birdie Design. Take all the sports and school musical T-shirts you’ve hung on to over the years, and turn them into a treasured, one-of-a-kind quilt or pillow for your graduating senior. Just starting out with a newborn? Customize a quilt crafted from whimsical cotton fabrics. Bitty Birdie also stitches up pieces to memorialize loved ones—for the time of year you miss them most. These heartfelt and sophisticated works-of-fabric art start at $150, and are guaranteed to bring joy to anyone lucky enough to receive one!

95 Boggs Hill Rd, Newtown, 203-770-8537 —bittybirdie.com
@bittybirdiedesign

Merry Making

Some can’t wait for the carols to start, others can’t wait for Litchfield Distillery’s traditional holiday release! To celebrate the 2023 season, they’ve selected a six-year, bottled-in-bond straight bourbon whiskey. This special, limited expression was distilled from Connecticut-grown grains and aged to perfection. The flavors on the nose, palate, and finish explode with sweet complexity—just the sort of spirit you’d want to sip while sitting fireside this winter. Every Founders’ Reserve bottle is hand signed by all three Baker brothers, and comes packaged in a limited-edition wooden gift box with two rocks glasses. $89.95

569 Bantam Road, Litchfield, 860-361-6503 —LitchfieldDistillery.com
@litchfielddistillery

Peace on Earth

Your gifting checklist isn’t complete until you’ve picked up a gift certificate for a Spaliday in the Hills! This limited-edition spa package by The Spa at Litchfield Hills is the perfect holiday treat for a loved one (or yourself)! It features a 50-minute Cause+Medic CBD Massage, an OSEA Organic Spa Facial, a Spa Pedicure, and a Spa Manicure. Need a quicker version of reprieve? Try their new Restorative Body Scrub or Serene Scalp Ritual. Experience world-class bliss in the calm spaces of this Litchfield County fixture. Gift certificates are available online, by phone, or in the boutique. Both in-store pickup and shipping available. $430

The Spa at Litchfield Hills, 407A Bantam Rd., Litchfield, 860-567-8575 —litchfield-spa.com
@thespaatlitchfieldhills

Seeing Is Believing

It’s hard to think of something more practical yet personal than someone’s eyewear. What a gift it would be to custom craft a pair with the consummate professionals and artists at Friedrich’s Optik in Washington Depot. They pride themselves on making clients feel like family friends, and in their capable hands your recipient will come away with a precise fit and truly spectacular product. Lenses are cut in-house by experienced opticians, and an endless array of frames can be created from high-quality, sustainable materials like buffalo horn, titanium, and precious metal. It’s a distinctive gift they’ll use every day! $465

2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot 860-619-0724 —friedrichsoptik.com
@friedrichsoptik

Twinkling Bright

Whether you’re shopping for the one who has everything, the avid theatergoer, the young, the old, or the in-between, dazzle them with the gift of entertainment at the spectacular Warner Theatre! What could be more fabulous than rolling up to this historic Art Deco gem in downtown Torrington with tickets to a thrilling stage production, or a one-night-only live music show? An endless lineup of options throughout the year means there’s something for everyone! You can also pick up a festive ornament—the perfect local stocking stuffer! Gift cards may be used toward any box office purchase (excludes concessions & bar).

68 Main Street, Torrington, 860-489-7180 —warnertheatre.org
@warnertheatrect

Wrapping It Up

At DK Schulman in New Preston, you can literally start and finish your shopping in one place. This premier gift and stationery store carries unique and whimsical items for babies, home, him and her! This year, be sure to check out a line of handmade pottery from Cape Town, South Africa — an exclusive design for the holidays. Once you’ve found something for everyone, take advantage of DK Schulman’s wrapping service and eliminate that stress, too. Holiday rush? What holiday rush? Take all that time you’ve saved to whip up some bespoke stationery for yourself  — a treat you’ll enjoy throughout the year! $40-200

15 East Shore Road, New Preston  860-868-4300 —DKShulmanDesign.com
@dkschulmandesign

On Saturday September 9, 2023, friends and supporters gathered for Gunn Memorial Library and Museum’s annual fall fundraiser, BOOKED!, held at the home of generous hosts, Whitney & Raja Chatterjee. Everyone enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres catered by Executive Cuisine, pizza from Pizzeria Marzano’s pizza truck, and music courtesy of the Conor Brennan Quartet. Funds raised from this annual event are an important source of operating income, allowing the library and museum to continue providing free public library services, cultural and current event programming, historical exhibits, and educational outreach to the residents of Washington and surrounding communities.

Artist Peter Greenwood Welcomes Visitors to His Glass Blowing Studio

By Zachary Schwartz

Photos by Ryan Lavine

Artisans have manipulated glass for many centuries. Sources and styles vary, but the same pellucid material has taken the form of ecumenical stained glass windows, Venetian glass decorative objects, and Dale Chihuly’s whimsical sculptures. Today, glass artists continue to experiment with the medium. Peter Greenwood is one such artist.

Greenwood took an interest in glass art during late adolescence. “I was attracted to the challenge of working with glass and the spontaneity of working with it,” he says. He left the Rhode Island School of Design to pursue his interest in glass blowing, then landed at the Pilchuck Glass School, where he worked with an Italian master. “It’s a life learning process. I’ve been working with glass for 44 years now, and I’m still learning every time I’m working. It’s all about time at the furnace and experimentation.”

Greenwood’s glass work has manifested through many forms. He has created blown glass vessels, chandeliers, dining room tables, wall sculptures, and more. His work varies in style and technique, from reticello to lace glass to modern freeform. “There’s so much that can be done with glass. You can sculpt it, cast it, make a stained glass piece, and incorporate it in a blown glass piece. There are endless possibilities of working with glass,” says Greenwood.

In search of a large enough space to accommodate a furnace, Greenwood happened upon an unused church in Riverton. The chapel was built in 1829, functioned as a place of worship for well over a century, then changed hands in 1972 to the Hitchcock Chair Company who converted it into a chair museum. Greenwood purchased the building in 2005, renovated it for a year, then opened his art studio and gallery in 2006.

The stone church’s interior is punctuated by stained glass panels and remnant organ pipes. As a glass artist who used to build stone fireplaces, the building was inspirational for Greenwood. He transformed the bottom floor into his glass, metal, and woodworking studio, then built a second floor as an art gallery. Greenwood’s glass artwork is displayed alongside his wife Christine Chaise Greenwood’s paintings.

Greenwood teaches glass blowing courses and creates commissioned installations. Private clients, decorators, and architects have commissioned custom glass furniture and sculptures, including a 2023 installation on view at Connecticut’s Bradley Airport.

Greenwood welcomes local students of all ages to his chapel-turned-studio for hands-on workshops. “The youngest I’ve had is a five-year-old and the oldest I’ve had is a 95-year-old,” he says. Depending on the workshop, visitors have the option to sculpt a glass paper weight, flower, or blown vase, then tint them with colorful glass beads he sources from New Zealand and Germany.

For creatives interested in experimenting with a new medium, Greenwood is an encouraging teacher. “For people who have any interest in glass and feel like they’re afraid to try it, they have no need to be afraid. People that are shy and intimidated are surprised how easy it is to make a piece.”

HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’

Litchfield County talents help bring it to life 

By Linda Tuccio-Koonz

The much-anticipated second season of HBO’s historical drama “The Gilded Age” arrives Oct. 29. But did you know three Litchfield County residents, including actors Christine Baranski and Jack Gilpin, are part of what makes it so binge-worthy?

“Gilded Age,” from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, tells a tale of the clash between old money and new in 1880s New York. Baranski, a “Downton” fan who relishes her role as aristocrat Agnes van Rhijn, says, “I always longed to do a period film.” 

Years ago, after learning Fellowes wanted to dream up an American version of “Downton,” she approached him at an HBO after-party. “We had a great talk about the Drexels, my late husband’s family on his mother’s side. They were prominent in the Gilded Age,” says the Emmy and Tony winner, known recently for TV’s “The Good Fight.” 

Gilpin, who plays Church (the loyal butler of a nouveau riche family, the Russells), enjoys that his character is multilayered. The stage, film, and TV actor (Showtime’s “Billions”) says he was drawn to “Gilded Age” because it takes place during “a fascinating historical period, with a lot of strong parallels to contemporary American society and politics.” 

Wealth inequality is among them, but another involves traffic. That’s where Terryville’s Ken Wood comes in; he’s among the series’ many drivers of horse-drawn vehicles. “It’s New York City in the 1880s when there were no cars—it was all horses and carriages,” says Wood, who has filmed in locations from Troy, N.Y., to Newport, R.I.

Wood, of Wood Acres Farm, drives everything from produce wagons to passenger carriages. “We really don’t get to talk to the major actors because they’re focused on what they’re doing. They know their lines so well, it’s unbelievable.”

Baranski and Gilpin have performed in the same projects before, but they weren’t exactly “together.”

Gilpin explains: “Christine and I were in a movie [“Reversal of Fortune,” about the Claus von Bulow case, in 1990] and I did an episode of ‘The Good Wife’ about ten years ago, and we were in the same evening of one-act plays at the Ensemble Studio Theater in New York about 35 years ago, but in none of those were we actually in any scenes together. So ‘The Gilded Age’ is the first time that’s happened (and so far, it was only her storming past me in the front hall of the Russell House).”

So, what can fans expect when the new eight-episode season debuts? Fearsome van Rhijn will still be wearing her beautiful jewel-toned corset dresses, but changes are coming. 

“The character had to start off very rigid since it is her class that is being threatened by the nouveau riche,” Baranski says. “We see her struggle to cope with the changing world and the entrance of her rebellious niece into the family.” 

Gilpin adds, “I can’t share anything about season two, except that I’m absolutely sure you’ll enjoy it at least as much as you did season one.”