Presented by Maureen O’Brien

This daylong program will explore guided journaling as a path toward deepening our relationship with God. Themed prompts, built upon focused reflections from the Psalms, the Miracles of Jesus, insights from saints, and other spiritual writings, will inspire retreatants to respond with writing full of truth and beauty. Whether familiar with journaling, or just emerging, this program will provide support and space to fill pages and find, within them, the Beloved. All seekers welcome! 

Lunch is included.

Kick off your Saturday and build Lego's with Noah!

For grades 1st-4th

Theme: Summer Party

Check out our website for our summer full of actitivites for kids and family!

The Litchfield Farmers Market is one of the few year-round markets in the Connecticut. The weekly Saturday market offers fresh seasonal produce, fruit, berries, herbs, sustainably sourced fish; artisanal cheeses, breads and baked goods, local honey, maple syrup and gifts - all raised, grown or crafted by 15+ local vendors. 

The market occasionally hosts live music and supports non-profits from throughout the Litchfield area.

INDOOR MARKET - November through mid-June (intermittent Saturdays through the winter months -- check the website for dates.) Open Saturdays 10am - 1pm at the Litchfield Community Center located at 421 Litchfield Road, Litchfield, CT.

OUTDOOR MARKET - mid- June through October located at Center School, Litchfield.

Join Litchfield Hills Audubon Nature Explorers at Kalmia LHAS Sanctuary in Harwinton, Ct to celebrate birds, bees, butterflies, and all the other creatures that make our gardens grow. Gather by the beautiful butterfly garden to watch them in action. Learn about the vital role they play in our environment and how we can protect them.

Enjoy fun activities and yummy snacks! Take home a free plant for your pollinators!

Saturday, June 21, 2025 10:00am (rain date Sunday, June 22, 2025 10:00am)

Pre-registration appreciated at lhasjunior@gmail.com.

Questions: Vickie Dauphinais 860-805-9167

Kalmia Butterfly Garden is on the Harwinton Pollinator Pathway

Bring your own chair and join us at the The Station, home of the Litchfield Land Trust, for Music on the Solstice.

We are delighted to show you our office in the renovated train station, our maps of protected regional land, the new plantings and the caboose being renovated along the Greenway and our non-profit campus.

Live music will feature some very talented regional musicians, including John Stey with Al Cattey and Jim Katzin. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided.

This event is rain or shine!

Step right up to our delightful BLT - Bagels. Lox. Tefillin. event! Join us on Sundays from 10:00 to 10:45 AM, running from July 4th to August 25th, for a heartwarming experience.

Wrap Tefillin, recite a prayer, and relish in the scrumptious bagels, lox cream cheese, paired perfectly with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. It's more than just a meal; it's a chance to truly connect, to embrace your Jewish traditions, and simply enjoy each other's company. Don't worry if you don't have your own Tefillin - we've got you covered with our guidance and equipment.

No prior knowledge required - just bring yourself and an open heart. This event is family-friendly, so bring along the little ones for a meaningful and delicious experience. Come hungry, leave happy - we'll take care of the rest!

🌻 Join Us This Summer at Arethusa Farm 4-H Camp! 🌻

Located on a beautiful 140-acre nonprofit farm in Litchfield, CT, Arethusa Farm 4-H Camp is more than just summer fun—it’s a hands-on journey into sustainable agriculture, animal care, and environmental science!

🧒 Open to youth ages 5–13

📅 10 weeks of weekday camps | June 16 – August 22, 2025

🕘 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM daily

• 🌿 Discovery Camps (First 6 weeks): Explore farm animals, horticulture, environmental science, ag mechanics, and more!
• 🐑 Specialty Camps (Last 4 weeks):Choose from Vet Science Camp or Farm Camp for a deeper dive into animal care and sustainable farming.

This camp is part of a larger mission to reconnect youth and families with the land, promote food security, and build a healthier, more resilient community.

🔗 Register now

📧 Questions? Email us at arethusafarm4Hcamp@gmail.com

🌐 Learn more: www.arethusafarmfoundation.org

Let’s grow, learn, and thrive—together! 🌾

June 23 - August 30 - Registration link will be available mid-June!

OWL’s Fully Booked Summer Reading Challenge is back for 2025!

Register online, then come to the library to receive your challenge card. Starting Monday, June 23, the first 30 people who register AND come to the library to pick up their challenge card will receive a $5 gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts.

Your challenge card includes a list of 16 different prompts for you to try throughout the summer. However, you are not required to complete all of them. Participate at your own pace in whatever way works best for your reading habits!

One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a bookish prize basket. For each completed challenge, participants earn one entry towards the prize. Be sure to visit the library before the end of the program to enter your prize slips for the drawing.

Participants who complete at least 6 challenges will gain entry to an exclusive finale event on Tuesday, September 2nd at 6 PM. At this event, Vanessa Fasanella will help attendees create their own floral grapevine wreaths!

Presented by Rev. Dr. Eileen Epperson

We all react differently to the loss of a loved one. Whether it be from old age, terminal illness or accident, we are never prepared for the tsunami of feelings and the shattered sense of life. In this support group, “Grieving With Wisdom,” we take one day at a time accompanied by a caring facilitator and others who know what this journey is like. You are not alone. There are resources to help you along your journey.

This is an 8-session grief support group starting Monday, May 19 through July 7. Participants are urged to commit to all 8 weeks to receive the full benefit of the content. Signing up for May 19 registers you for all sessions.

10:30 AM-11:45 AM

We will gather within the comforting space of Wisdom House with a seasoned facilitator and have the opportunity to speak and listen and discover we are not alone at all.

“This group means the world to me at present. It is a safe place to come and let my real feelings out. I don’t have to pretend to be stronger than I am. I can just be myself.”

A grief group participant after eight months.

Eight Mondays: May 19-July 7

limited to 12 participants

This program is offered on a donation basis, and your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Donations can be made at online registration via the Wisdom Fund or in-person upon arrival.

On Zoom: June 2 - July 14

Monday Scholars combines the best of online learning and engaging discussion!

Join us for the full 6-weeks or drop in to explore your favorite topics. Each week, we will watch two video lectures together and then engage in lively conversation afterwards. The conversation will be facilitated by OWL's Caroline Ugurlu. 

About the course:

Join us as we explore 12 insightful, informative, illuminating, and (yes) humorous lectures. Professor Steven Gimbel of Gettysburg College will take you through the philosophical theories and explanations of humor, from blatantly obvious puns to complex narratives to sly twists of language. Drawing from both analytical and continental philosophy, the natural and social sciences, and the observations of thinkers ranging from Aristotle and Jonathan Swift to Sigmund Freud and Immanuel Kant, this course will leave you with a stronger appreciation of the jokes you tell and the jokes you hear. What's more, it may just leave you with a clearer idea of the true meaning of life. And that's no laughing matter.

About the professor:

Professor Steven Gimbel holds the Edwin T. Johnson and Cynthia Shearer Johnson Distinguished Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Chair of the Philosophy Department. He received his bachelor's degree in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and his doctoral degree in Philosophy from the Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on the philosophy of science, particularly the nature of scientific reasoning and the ways that science and culture interact. He has published many scholarly articles and four books, including Einstein’s Jewish Science: Physics at the Intersection of Politics and Religion; and Einstein: His Space and Times.

Come join us for a FREE COMMUNITY YOGA class at Charym in Litchfield every Monday at 5pm. This class is for both the young, and not so young, designed to help you release aches and pains while building strength and flexibility. Whether you're new to yoga or looking for a gentle practice, this class offers a sequence of basic postures that stretch and strengthen the body. The flow is moderately paced, allowing you to move with ease while focusing on proper alignment and mindfulness. Each posture is taught with an emphasis on safety and awareness, helping you feel more grounded, centered, and stronger with each class. Come as you are and experience the benefits of yoga in a supportive, welcoming environment.

Join local historical costuming enthusiast Abigail Yanaway to...

• Ask questions about 18th century sewing Access resources related to 18th century sewing
• Get help with your own 18th century projects
• Meet other people interested in historical sewing
• Join other historical sewing enthusiasts to work on projects together

Tuesday, June 24 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Ice Cream at OWL!

Celebrate the start of Summer Reading with a premium ice cream truck serving soft serve vanilla, 2-3 flavors of scoops, sundaes, waffle cones, and classic novelty ice creams! Everyone who registers for Summer Reading is eligible for this special treat.

Wednesday June 25 10:30 AM -

just one meeting this June - Returning to weekly in July

Perfect for 18 - 36 months, but fun for everyone!

Lots of rhymes, a sprinkling of songs, and one or two shared board books round out this library program that is perfect for little ones who need to get those wiggles out. Stay to PLAY! After the rhymes, stay for some unstructured play time with other kiddos.

Twister Baseball Camp with Coach Hunt

STEVE PARLATO BIO

Middlebury artist Steven Parlato’s work has graced theater posters and book covers, and he’s exhibited his collage series, They Are Not Disposable, throughout CT and in NJ, PA, and OH. An award-winning poet and college professor emeritus, Parlato is the author of two young adult novels, The Namesake (winner of the 2011 Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in YA Fiction) and The Precious Dreadful. Both explore grief, loss, and hope. His poetry has appeared in Freshwater, MARGIE, Borderlands, Peregrine, CT River Review, and other journals. On stage, he’s played roles ranging from the Scarecrow to Macbeth. Parlato offers writing workshops at venues throughout CT and creates artwork on commission. Follow him on FB at Steven Parlato Author and IG: @stevenparlato.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

They Are Not Disposable should not need to exist. However, the persistent plague of systemic racism in America (and beyond) makes this artwork necessary. With the collage series complete, the sixteen initials within the works unite to make the declaration, “BLACK LIVES MATTER.” It is absurd this statement should need to be made; tragic it should still be met with resistance. 

Since this is the reality of our world, I ask that you meet threats to justice with your own resistance, in whatever creative form you choose. The only wrong way to approach racism, and all other forms of evil, is to remain silent. As I reflect on the creation of these images, I’m daunted by the work to be done—and overwhelmed by the fact that there are a near-infinite number of potential subjects, countless lives stolen by the evil of white supremacy. 

My hope is that this work leaves an impression, reminding viewers of the intrinsic humanity of each subject, and that of each individual we encounter. If my portraits of the stolen have touched you, I encourage you to learn more about these sixteen people, to keep their memories alive as I’ve attempted to do. And together, let’s confront the issues of inequity and racial violence that continue to claim innocent lives.

Litchfield Historical Society Summer Camps 2025

Twister Baseball Camp with Coach Hunt

STEVE PARLATO BIO

Middlebury artist Steven Parlato’s work has graced theater posters and book covers, and he’s exhibited his collage series, They Are Not Disposable, throughout CT and in NJ, PA, and OH. An award-winning poet and college professor emeritus, Parlato is the author of two young adult novels, The Namesake (winner of the 2011 Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in YA Fiction) and The Precious Dreadful. Both explore grief, loss, and hope. His poetry has appeared in Freshwater, MARGIE, Borderlands, Peregrine, CT River Review, and other journals. On stage, he’s played roles ranging from the Scarecrow to Macbeth. Parlato offers writing workshops at venues throughout CT and creates artwork on commission. Follow him on FB at Steven Parlato Author and IG: @stevenparlato.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

They Are Not Disposable should not need to exist. However, the persistent plague of systemic racism in America (and beyond) makes this artwork necessary. With the collage series complete, the sixteen initials within the works unite to make the declaration, “BLACK LIVES MATTER.” It is absurd this statement should need to be made; tragic it should still be met with resistance. 

Since this is the reality of our world, I ask that you meet threats to justice with your own resistance, in whatever creative form you choose. The only wrong way to approach racism, and all other forms of evil, is to remain silent. As I reflect on the creation of these images, I’m daunted by the work to be done—and overwhelmed by the fact that there are a near-infinite number of potential subjects, countless lives stolen by the evil of white supremacy. 

My hope is that this work leaves an impression, reminding viewers of the intrinsic humanity of each subject, and that of each individual we encounter. If my portraits of the stolen have touched you, I encourage you to learn more about these sixteen people, to keep their memories alive as I’ve attempted to do. And together, let’s confront the issues of inequity and racial violence that continue to claim innocent lives.

Litchfield Historical Society Summer Camps 2025