Fun times in Connecticut... and special times at Boothe Park

One of our favorites Connecticut treasures, Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford opens Sunday, May 16, with a free antique car show, art, music, drama and hands-on demonstrations from 1 to 4 p.m. at the estate on Main St. Putney. Classic cars will be among the attractions during opening day. The car show opens at 9 a.m. Other actitivies will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at the former estate on Main Street Putney. There is no charge for admission on this special day.

Entries into a car show will begin arriving the park at 9 a.m. This is the first official car show to be held in conjunction with opening day at Boothe Park. Connecticut Cruise News is the official media sponsor for the event, and the Eastern Packard Club and Connecticut Seaport Car Club expect close to 200 vintage and special interest cars from all over Connecticut as well as street rods, trucks, customs, stock original restored cars and antiques.

All 20 turn-of-the century buildings on the Boothe estate will be open to the public, many manned by tour guides, including the homestead, geological display, ice-house, out-house and chapel. Sheep shearing, spinning, weaving and turn-of-the century machines will be displayed. The Stratford Community Band will perform, and young artists will display their work. Visitors can also tour the elaborate model train collection and accessories; the blacksmith shop with working smithy; the observatory with its highly accurate telescope; the amateur radio clubhouse and equipment; and the genealogy library. The park was the estate of the Boothe family for many generations and was willed to the town in 1949. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes many buildings and attractions on the grounds. In the event of rain, the car show will be rescheduled to Sunday, May 23.

Opening day schedule 9 a.m.: Antique Car Show Opens, Main Street Putney, field 12:30 p.m.: “Arts in the Park” Student Art Exhibit, Coliseum 1:30 p.m.: Stratford Community Band, Band Shell 3 p.m.: Sheep Shearing Demonstration, pen east of Ice House Ongoing activities and exhibits (1-4 p.m.) • Museum tours of the buildings • Visit the sheep in their pens (behind the Carriage Barn) • Model Railroading (Railway Building) • Rug weaving demonstrations in the Americana Barn • Antique Car Show on the Main Street Putney open field • Demos in the Blacksmith Shop • Boothe photo exhibit in the Summer Cottage/Genealogy Library • Rose care talks in the Rose Garden • Astronomy talks in the Observatory • Amateur radio discussions in Clubhouse • Spinning demonstrations in the Homestead Refreshments will be served on the lawn outside of the Homestead and in the field with the antique auto show.

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More scenes and sights in Connecticut...

The library's extensive travel guide section has up-to-date travel guides on Shanghai, Latvia and Malaysia, but we also have a great selection of books on the hidden treasures and nearby adventures of Connecticut. 52 Weekends in Connecticut: Day Trips and Easy Getaways from the Litchfield Hills to Long Island Sound, by Andi Marie Cantele. Full of year-round activities and fun excursions for both first-time visitors and long-time residents, 52 Weekends in Connecticut traverses the entire state, from the bucolic Northwest Corner to the Quiet Corner in the northeast, along the shoreline facing Long Island Sound and dozens of points in between.

Connecticut: Off the Beaten Path, by Tom Bross.

Even if you've lived in Connecticut for many years, Connecticut Off the Beaten Path shows you a side of the Nutmeg State you never knew existed. Explore the beginnings of the American Impressionist art movement with a drive along the Connecticut Art Trail, tour one of Litchfield County’s little-known wineries, or answer the siren call of the bagpipes at the Annual Scottish Festival in Goshen.