Posts Tagged ‘summer events’

The Garlic Farm in West Granby CT Is a Unique Destination for All!

August 23rd, 2011 by nancyross

Garlic Farm Braid

The Best Garlic Ever!

The Garlic Farm in West Granby CT is a destination not to be missed!  In June, they tease you with their harvest of garlic scapes (stay tuned for more on that subject next June), and then the big season soon begins thereafter with the most wonderful bounty of fresh vegetables and, of course, GARLIC! 

The Garlic Farm market is located in a vintage barn on the property, with beautiful fields of pick-your-own zinnias out back.  Bushels and baskets overflow with bright colorful vegetables, all of which are grown pesticide-free in accordance with the Northeast Organic Farming Association. 

Garlic is sold by the head, by the bunch, by the pound or by the bag, and garlic braids are available in late summer.  At the Dutch Iris Inn, we use all of the Garlic Farm’s delicious produce in our breakfasts as often as possible.  As a matter of fact, we always use locally grown and seasonal ingredients to start your day at the inn – everyone becomes a locavore at our breakfast table!

When you visit the Garlic Farm, you will find freshly harvested vegetables as they become available throughout the season:  onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, hot and sweet peppers of many varieties (love those cubanelles!), eggplant, tomatoes (heirloom and modern – try the Fourth of July sweeties early in the season and the German Stripe beauties later on – heavenly and tomato-y!), summer and winter squash of all kinds, pumpkins, basil and more.  As for the garlic, it is flavorful beyond belief.  Once you taste it, whether fresh in vinaigrettes and the like, cooked into savory dishes, or roasted and spread on fresh baked bread, you will truly be amazed at the difference locally grown garlic makes. 

Garlic Farm Barn

The Garlic Farm Barn

…and speaking of bread, Collinsville Bakery offers some of their special breads at the Garlic Farm as well.  One of our favorite summer suppers to make at home is a Caponata Panini, full of sautéed Garlic Farm produce, sandwiched and grilled on Collinsville Bakery bread.  Yum! 

Selected conventionally grown produce from nearby family farms is also available, including sweet corn, berries, melons and seasonal orchard fruits.  So, what better way to spend your day than to come out and support your local farms?  Visit the Garlic Farm at 76 Simsbury Road in West Granby CT, open daily into October from 10am – 6pm.  They are just 8 minutes away from the Dutch Iris Inn …we’re spoiled by being so close!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Area Activities | Comments Off

Last Blast of Summer – Celebrate at The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts

August 19th, 2011 by nancyross

The Big E, the largest fair in the Northeast, is home to The Big E Cream Puff & Craz-E Burger.  It’s a New England extravaganza with top name entertainment, The Big E Super Circus, The Avenue of States, Storrowton Village Museum, animals, competitive exhibits, adrenaline pumping rides, shopping, crafts, daily parades and Mardi Gras parades, and mouth-watering foods from around the world.  The 2011 Big E is proud to host a diverse line-up of talent this year, including Reba, Blake Shelton and Darius Rucker.  The Big E runs September 16-October 2, 2011, and is only 30 minutes from the Dutch Iris Inn!   

The Big E

NEW ENGLAND NAVY WEEK runs Sept. 24 through Oct. 2 and allows fairgoers to meet Navy personnel and learn about the Navy’s critical mission and broad ranging capabilities, while participating in engaging activities.

BIXBY’S RAINFOREST RESCUE, at the North End of the Avenue of States, is an exotic animal show that brings a message of preservation and conservation to The Big E through a variety of live rainforest animals, including a Burmese python, a singing toucan, and a kinkajou!

THE BIG EASY MEETS THE BIG E.  Fat Tuesday comes to life with music, lights, and beads galore at The Big E’s signature Mardi Gras Parade.  Want to take part in the festivities? Be a costumed reveler and toss beads to fairgoers on the parade route for just $10!

THE BIG E CORN CHALLENGE… The Big E challenges the food vendors to create a delicious concoction using corn. Try them all and find your favorite! You’ll find Red’s Tutti Frutti Popcorn at Red’s Red Apples, Corn Poppers at Osborne Mushroom Farm, Country Fried Shepherd’s Pie at EB’s in the Food Court and Corn Cake Pulled Pork Muffin at Scirrotto’s Cinnamon City behind the Stroh building.

ANIMALS GALORE!  The Big E’s roots are in agriculture and that tradition continues today with competitions for prize-winning animals from across the country in the largest livestock show in the East. In the Mallary Complex, animal lovers will observe cows, sheep and llamas as well as demonstrations on spinning, weaving and milking.  In Farm-A-Rama, look for pigs, the famous chick hatching exhibit, Hallamore Clydesdales, FFA exhibits and more.

SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND!  If you need a break from the hustle and bustle, visit the new Shoppes at Mallary Garden outside the Mallary Complex.  Winning cheeses from The Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition are displayed, sampled and sold.  Winning wines from The Big E Northeast Gold Wine Competition will also be on display.

CAPTURE THE PAST… Storrowton Village Museum is an authentic reconstructed 19th century, New England village arranged around a classic Village green. Special activities planned on the green include 19th century craft demonstrations, children’s games and tours of its historic buildings.

TAKE A WALK THROUGH NEW ENGLAND.  The Avenue of States is a broad boulevard featuring replicas of each New England state capitol with local products, crafts and vacation information within.  Experience what makes each state so special!

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Local Events | Comments Off

Spectacular Garden Tour – Open Garden Days at O’Brien Nurserymen

May 24th, 2011 by nancyross

We always enjoy working in our gardens, digging in the earth and watching nature take its course. Over the past few years of owning the Dutch Iris Inn, a good friend of ours, John O’Brien, has helped us plan beautiful landscaped gardens and borders around our property. His artistic abilities and never-ending knowledge of horticulture makes him very well known in our neck of the woods…and he’s a great guy all around! He specializes in hosta, America’s #1 selling perennial, but he offers so much more to complement all gardens.
John’s home is also his business location – O’Brien Nurserymen, a specialty nursery here in Granby CT. His property is landscaped to the hilt (of course!), and a trip to his place is like visiting an arboretum – only better. John opens his grounds to the public on “Open Garden Days” during designated weekends April – October, and it is truly like strolling through a fairy tale when you visit. We spend hours roaming the lawns, walking among the trees and woods, stopping to admire the streams and pond. There is so much more to absorb when you visit, and John truly makes you feel at home. We would like to share with you some excerpts from John’s annual newsletter for 2011:

“We [have assembled] a plentiful array of fantastic plants to tempt you with. Actually, it’s a year round job acquiring plants to have new and exciting selections on hand. Our extensive display gardens feature over 1,900 hosta varieties as well as other shady characters including epimediums, woodland peonies, primroses, spring ephemerals, tricyrtis and arisaemas. The gardens also include a wide variety of unusual dwarf conifers as well as over a hundred varieties of Japanese maples. We also carry other gems, such as coralbells, daylilies, sedums, and daphnes.” …and don’t forget ferns, alliums, ornamental grasses, flowering trees, and on and on we go. “We continue to add new display gardens for your viewing pleasure. On occasion, we have customers arrive in the morning when we open, and then we are amazed when they reappear from the display gardens in the afternoon.”

O’Brien Nurserymen’s Open Garden Days have themed weekends – highlighting what is in season, offering expert advice on all things wonderful. His 2011 Open Garden Day Weekends run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and Memorial Day) on the following weekends: April 22, April 29, May 13, May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17, July 1, July 8, July 15, July 29, August 12, August 19, September 2, September 16, September 30, October 14. Visit O’Brien Nurserymen online at http://www.obrienhosta.comfor more information and to view a listing of his beautiful garden temptations.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Area Activities | Comments Off

TRAiLS-in-MOTiON Event June 5th!

May 30th, 2010 by nancyross

Get set for another TRAiLS-in-MOTiON event for cylcists, walkers, skaters and runners!  Bike tours available for all ages and abilities.  The Farmington River Trail and Farmington Canal Heritage Trail offer wonderful scenic opportunities to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.  The trail runs through Granby CT, so Dutch Iris Inn  guests should bring their bicycles anytime when visiting.  Extensions of the trail also take you up into Massachusetts (don’t forget…Granby CT is on the MA border!).   The Farmington Valley Trails Council  highlights all trail activities and summer events on their website.

Tags:
Posted in Local Events | Comments Off

The Big E at the Eastern States Exposition

August 20th, 2009 by nancyross

Where else can you visit all 6 New England States in one day, with only a 30 minute drive from the Dutch Iris Inn?  The Big E!  Sep 18 – Oct 4, 2009.  Stroll down the Avenue of the States, visit agriculture and livestock exhibits, food contests, and more…all in grand state fair style.  Enjoy free live musical entertainment, The Big E Super Circus, and indulge in a Big E cream puff – the signature tasty treat of The Big E!

The Big E cream puff is a spectacular treat!

The Big E cream puff is a spectacular treat!

Dutch Iris Inn Special:  Stay with us on Wednesday September 23rd, attend Connecticut Day at The Big E, and get a second night free (Sep 22 or Sep 24).  Simply mention this blog post when reserving online or by phone, and show us your Big E ticket receipt before check-out.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Area Activities | Comments Off