.…Swampy Acre Farm friends at last year’s Old Home Day….
Mark your calendar. As always, our goal for this annual fall celebration on Canterbury green is to bring together local practitioners of traditional crafts and trades, historical reenactors, farmers, and a variety of nonprofit groups and other exhibitors to celebrate our town.
The historic one-room Green Schoolhouse will feature exhibits on the town’s past, and area musicians will perform throughout the day.
Canterbury Old Home Day has proved to be a popular fall event and we look forward to seeing you there. Admission and parking are always free. We will keep this page up to date; please check back.
Interested in possibly exhibiting at Old Home Day? If you are interested in possibly becoming an Old Home Day exhibitor, please click here for the OHD 2018 Exhibitor Application. Questions? Email to CanterburyOHD@gmail.com or contact Steve at 860-546-6669. We are especially seeking historical reenactors, farmers, exhibitors who will bring friendly animals, and plyers of traditional crafts and trades.
Parking To ease congestion and improve safety, Old Home Day on-site parking on the town green around the First Congregational Church will be limited to visitors with handicapped permits only. General parking will be at the Dr. Helen Baldwin Middle School on Westminster Road (Rte. 14), with a free shuttle provided by the town of Canterbury running all day, 10:00 to 4:00. If you choose, you can also walk from the parking area in about five minutes.
Live Music Schedule, times are approximate
Confirmed Exhibitors as of October 11
Baldwin Brook Studio, David Costanzo, landscapes and historic landmarks in a variety of paint media
BZB Farm, Amy and Andy Burroughs, showing miniature horses and goats; calves; and donkeys and offering local fresh produce
Cait’s Crochet Shop, hand-made yarn items
CANTERBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY—your Old Home Day hosts—offering home-baked goods, Canterbury-themed items, and exhibits inside the restored one-room Green district schoolhouse, including old school photos and this year, the annotated scrapbooks of longtime Canterbury resident, the late Ida Clark. At our booth,you can also purchase 50/50 tickets to benefit the Canterbury Historical Society and a lucky ticket buyer. $1 a ticket, or six for $5.
Canterbury Lions, serving hamburgers, hot dogs, water, soda, and chips
Canterbury Seniors, available to discuss their programs and trips and why eligible people should join their organization
Canterbury VFW, Post 10688
Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department, displaying trucks and other equipment
Celtic Hill Alpaca, Rob Rautio showing alpacas and goats, demonstrating spinning, and offering ceramics, alpaca yarn, fiber, and knitted goods
Glenn Cheney, local author and artist, offering his books and paintings
Children’s activities–FREE! Have fun with the First Congregational Church youth group
Ray Clauson, displaying antique lanterns and a vintage auto
James Easton, traditional hand-made wood carvings
Ernie’s Custom Woodcrafts, Ernest Provencher offering hand-crafted cutting boards and other woodenware
Finnish American Heritage Society, offering traditional pulla bread
First Congregational Church of Canterbury, selling homemade pies
Fran Grab, offering hand-crafted items
Friends of the Canterbury Public Library, with used books for sale
Friends of the Prudence Crandall Museum, dedicated to Connecticut’s state heroine and Canterbury’s own hometown acclaimed educator
Gooseneck Hill Quilt Company, Sarah Noiseux, with heirloom quilts, kits, and quilting fabric
Hay Burr Inn equine rescue, showing miniature horses
His Majesty’s 9th Regiment of Foot, Rev War reenactors
His Majesty’s 54th Regiment of Foot, Rev War reenactors
Honey Pickle Farms, Lori Veit Fenner, offering handcraft knitted and crocheted items
Hundred Acre Jams, Denise Lippy, with Canterbury-made jams, jellies, fruit butters, and applesauce
The Huntington Homestead, Gov. Samuel Huntington Trust, preserving the birthplace of Samuel Huntington, American patriot, governor of Connecticut, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and president of the Continental Congress
Bill Kivic, waffle and wafer making over an open fire
Mike Kotowski, playing his accordion inside the Green schoolhouse
Pat’s Fleece, Pat Tracy with custom fleece items including themed-blankets – animals, sports teams, etc.
Plainfield Historical Society
Robert’s Wooden Creations, wooden toys, shelves, racks, and other items, all hand-crafted from local wood produced by local sawmills
Roseland Cottage, a Historic New England property, historical reenactors
Brain Sear and/or Molly Arnio, demonstrating a traditional printing press
She’s Sew Obsessed, Amy Arnio, hand-made bags and small treasures
Swampy Acre Farm, offering local farm products and showing a friendly farm animal or two
Deirdre Tetreault, with cold process soaps, crafted table linens, and more
The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor
26th Yankee Division, WWI reenactors
Viking Pottery, selling handcrafted earthenwares
Vintage Revisited, offering eclectic collectibles for sale
Whisper Willow Farm, Amanda Gavitt, showing bunnies, chickens, and ducks
Wilkinson Farm, maple syrup and hand-made wooden toys
Yankee Yesteryear Car Club, displaying vintage vehicles
Denis Yaworski, showing a 1942 Doodlebug
Special Honoree Raymond Coombs Sr.
Old Home Day 2018 is dedicated to the memory of Ray Coombs Sr.
This year’s Old Home Day fall celebration is gratefully dedicated to the memory of Raymond Coombs Sr., life-long Canterbury resident, knowledgeable outdoorsman, history enthusiast, and tireless volunteer in the community. He was also a snappy dresser, nearly always sporting American flag suspenders and a historical-style hat of some type. Among the Canterbury organizations that benefitted from his volunteer service over the years are the Prudence Crandall Museum, the Canterbury Lions Club, and fortunately for us—the Canterbury Historical Society. We miss him and are pleased to honor him and celebrate his life in this small way.
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James Easton, traditional hand-made wood carvings
