Torrington CT Main St (Franklin St ) Market Place a Big Hit Thursday Nights!

 Congratulations on the inaugural festive opening of the Thursday Nights Market Place event on Franklin St not far from the Warner Theatre on Main St! After ushering at the Theatre(and The Sharon Playhouse in CT) for many years, I have gotten to know a few local faces (including my rather large family on my mom's Coury side who lived there for decades) and it's a great feeling to see the greater show we're all part of when people can mingle and enjoy a summer evening with some inspiration, good food available from baked goods to hot dishes, fresh produce, crafts, jazzy items and live music.

Chime in with cool local events and community networking efforts in your area and let the good ideas catch on whether hosted at libraries (which I still enjoy sharing as Lion-braries with kids to pique their interest and see whose lyin' around reading or which critter stories may intrigue us as a segue to other good stories and ventures).

Many places offer events worth checking their websites for and finding a friend to go with or even have take your own children to if you are not available to do so. Summer carnivals and arts offerings--outdoor concerts or those such at the Hotchkiss School (classical piano and more in a lovely hall, generally no charge), at Folk Festivals such as Falcon Ridge in Hillsdale NY or www.homeofthehoot.com or org which allows folks to pay what they'd like (and can afford) in Olive Bridge NY in August 2015.

In Great Barrington MA there's music and picnicking venues at the www.gbfg.org Great Barrington Fair Grounds from noon to 4pm each Saturday and a great Farmer's Market from 9 am to 1pm on Saturdays on Church St, just off Main near the Congregational Church. Other Farm Markets include Cornwall CT,  Norfolk and Goshen CT on Saturday mornings along with Millerton NY and Litchfield CT. Sheffield Farmer's Market is Fridays from 3 to 6pm, which is across from the Bushnell Sage Library (where the giraffes on the kids wall in the back are worth a visit a long with their lovely indoor and outdoor gazebo and books.)

Why not get a few parents in each town to head to the library an hour before or after a farmer's market to network with others. Parents with children under age 5, then those with kids ages 5 to 10 and  then those 11 and up could likely find ways to help all parents and others caring for kids or helping parents find resources know about what's going on and how to stay involved. The more libraries allow parents to use their spaces as hubs in the community along with schools and other venues such as faith groups and community centers, the more those parents who need support for their families can get it.

Thanks for sharing and doing what you can to make your area user-friendly for people of all ages, especially the younger and olders and even the in-betweeners (and those yet to come..with some due gratitude and time to reflect on those who have journeyed on... a memorial gathering informally or more organized with a concert or time to share posters and  written if not spoken reflections about those who no longer walk the earth but dwell in our hearts as lifelong friends and inspirations.) Enjoy JULY--with Jewels for US-All of Liberty for Years to come!