Whizzing Wonders in New Milford & Cooking Class at the Silo

The New Milford Chamber of Commerce is once again hosting a special railroad display that provides special fun for families this year in  the Litchfield Hills community of New Milford where visitors will find a  lavish display of working model trains.

The 27th Annual Hands On Train Display will again transform the waiting room of New Milford's restored vintage train station. Four big layouts covering almost 100 feet of track will traverse a Lilliputian landscape of hills, valleys and villages.

Here, visitors are invited actually to take the controls, starting and stopping the action and operating signals and lights. The trains operate daily from noon to 4 p.m. December 22 to 28. This yearly free event is sponsored by the Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce, 860-354-6080, www.newmilford-chamber.org.  The display is closed Christmas Day.  

While in New Milford, don't miss a visit to Hunt Hill Farm Trust where you will find a 50 foot Christmas Tree beautifully decorated in the gallery.  In addition to crafts and artwork, the Silo at Hunt Hill Farm offers a series of cooking classes. On Saturday, December 27, just in time for New Years, the Silo is offering a Champagne and Tapas class at 6:30 p.m.  This full participation class with Chef Jessie Riley and Kathryn Gordon will feature a full menu of tapas plus a sampling of sparkling wines and champagne.  To sign up for the calls visit http://www.hunthillfarmtrust.org/index.php?/silo/cooking#December

For area information on Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

7th Annual Danbury Railway Day – Free Train Rides

The Danbury Railway Museum is pleased to host the 7th annual Danbury Railroad Day on Saturday, August 3. A day full of educational activities and FREE train rides for the whole family is planned. The fun will begin at 10am and end at 4:00 PM, with train rides hourly from 10:25 to 2:25. Admission to the museum is $7.00 for ages 3 and up. The museum will be operating the Railyard Local a short FREE trip being pulled by the GE 44-Ton switch engine, built in 1947, with locomotive cab rides available. Ride in vintage caboose or a 1920's coach. The train will stop at the old New Haven RR turntable, built circa 1914, where visitors can detrain and take a ride on the only power-operated turntable in Connecticut. Leaving the turntable, take a tour of the Tonawanda Valley, a 20th Century Limited observation car a restoration in progress. This car recently took part in the Parade of Trains display for the Grand Central Terminal centennial celebration. As a special visual treat, periodically during the day a vintage freight train will be running. At 11:25 and 1:25, visitors can ride in a special caboose train. In the Danbury museum building, visitors can explore railroad history exhibits, operating electric train layouts, static model displays of the station and railyard, many one-of-a-kind artifacts of railroading history, a wonderful gift shop, and many other items of interest. Outside in the historic railyard, guests will find walk-through exhibits, an operating New Haven RR forge with a blacksmith on duty and a vast assortment of train cars and locomotives, many that ran in Danbury during its railroading heyday. A recent restoration project, the old water tank pump house and water pump originally situated near the Danbury Fair Mall, will be open for inspection. About the Danbury Railway Museum The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further information, visit the Web site at http://www.danburyrail.org, email info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com