There’s many fun things to do in Greenfield, Mass.
We had never been or heard of Greenfield, Massachusetts. It’s out near Amherst, Mass, off of Rt. 91, along the Mohawk Trail. When we looked for things to do one weekend, we came across “Greenfield Vintage Days.” We unexpectedly found many fun things to do in the city of Greenfield, Mass.
Greenfield Vintage Days, Greenfield, Mass.
Greenfield Vintage Days event was on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We went on Saturday as there were the most things to do. The core of the event, and where we started exploring Greenfield, was in Court Square. Free parking was available in nearby city lots. Several of the shops lining Main Street had Sidewalk Sales. It’s easy to navigate across streets with pedestrian traffic signals. We hopped a free Trolley Ride to visit historic and vintage places around the city.
The Farmer’s Market is a fun thing to do in Greenfield, Mass.
The Farmer’s Market boasted several stalls of freshly harvested local produce as well as crafters. The Taco Food Truck attracted a long line of customers. During Greenfield’s Vintage Days, a group of vintage tractors attracted a lot of interest. There was also a blacksmith demonstrating his craft over an open flame. Members of the Historical Commission were in period costume.
Finding art on Main Street is a fun thing to do in Downtown Greenfield, Mass.
The Downtown is alive with color: sidewalks, parking meters, the sides of buildings are all brightened by vivid paintings of all kinds. Even parking meters pop with color.
Chairs in the park offer a bright rainbow of seats:
Then there’s the sidewalks. Here’s one with a bee theme:
The sides of buildings with wide alleys beckon the eyes with their murals:
A Fun thing to do in Greenfield, Mass. is to “bee” on the lookout for bees in painting and sculpture
Why bees? Greenfield was the home of Lorenzo Langstroth, pastor of the Second Congregational Church during the mid-1800s, who is known worldwide as the “father of modern beekeeping.”
Reverend Langstroth was the inventor of a revolutionary moveable-frame beehive, patented in 1852. The hive made it easier to inspect the hive and harvest honey. He wrote the first American manual on honeybees and beekeeping. First published in 1853, and reprinted multiple times since, it’s still considered the “Beekeeper’s Bible.”
We discovered that a Langstroth Bee Fest is celebrated downtown with a parade, children’s activities, bee-related displays and talks, and more fun. In 2021, six large bee sculptures painted by local artists were installed around the downtown area and were unveiled during the Bee Fest. More have been added since then.
Here’s the Celtic Bee:
There are other bee-related features, such as the cross-walk shown earlier in this post, as well as paintings like this incorporating bees:
Browsing vintage, secondhand, and thrift shops is another fun thing to do in Greenfield, Mass.
There are several vintage, secondhand, and thrift shops within walking distance of each other in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Many are on Main St. Each of them has their own personality. During Greenfield Vintage Days, many had sidewalk sales and specials. They all had unique personalities and plenty to browse. One, John Doe, Jr. specializes in vintage vinyl records.
Down on Hope Street, which is off Main Street, you will find a Salvation Army Thrift Store and Innovintage, a woman-owned vintage and artisan collective. Innovintage is located in an old brick mill complex. The vendors offer a variety of vintage and antique furniture and furnishings, vintage accessories, upcycled wedding decor, and handmade items. Unfortunately, the trolley tour we were on only allowed us time for a brief peek at the goodies. We thought the prices we saw on vintage wooden items along the deck were very reasonably priced. There was plenty of parking and the day we were there there were also several vendors set up in the parking lot.
The Historical Society in Greenfield, Mass. is a fun place to stop in
The Greenfield Historical Society is housed in a well-kept Victorian building. The displays are well thought out with lots of informative signage. For a small museum, it packed in a lot of items. I’ve owned a vintage shop, bought and sold antiques and collectibles for decades , attended auctions since I was eight, and I saw things there I’ve never seen elsewhere.
This self-propelled wheel chair, circa 1890, is unique in my experience.
One room is devoted to children’s items and pastimes. They are invited to sit at a wooden desk and look at stereoscope slides.
Here’s a few other displays at the Historical Society in Greenfield:
The Museum of Our Industrial Heritage is another fun thing to visit in Greenfield, Mass.
The Museum is rather small, tucked into one part of an old mill building, but makes good use of the space with family friendly displays.
Call ahead as it’s open Summer Saturday afternoons and by appointment. Visit industrialhistory.org for information and group programs. The museum has a library of past technology that researchers may request access to.
Dining out is a fun thing to do in Greenfield, Mass.
Some restaurants in Greenfield, Mass. may have bee or honey-themed art or specialties. The ones we saw popped with personality and pride.
There’s Bonnie B’s Restaurant:
It was hard not to stop in at the colorful Rise Above Bakery and Cafe, but we wanted to be on time for the Trolley Tour:
We did end up having bread from the Rise Above Bakery when we had a late lunch at The People’s Pint, a family-friendly brewpub, on a side street in Downtown Greenfield.
They offered sidewalk seating, as well as indoor booths. Sorry that the sun was so bright that day, it affected my outdoor photo. Here’s some photos of the interior, food, and a beer flight:
They brew their own beer, bake their own desserts, and source from local farmers and suppliers. They are very environmentally conscious, not using disposable plastic, minimal paper goods, composting or recycling everything they can. The brewery grain is fed to pigs and goats in Gill, Mass.
So many fun things to see and do, you’ll “bee” sure to have a fun time in Greenfield, Mass.
Know before you go:
We went when there was a special event and many venues were open for it that have limited hours. We also went in early fall on a bright warm day. The Trolley Tour was a special part of the event and not regularly offered. Greenfield Vintage Days was a brand-new event and it will probably return with many new features. For those who like old fire department equipment, Greenfield is planning on a museum and raising money for it.
Check the City of Greenfield’s website for any events. Also be sure to check this website: Visit Greenfield, MA.
Plan ahead by checking to see if the places mentioned in this post are indeed open, or schedule an appointment, if they offer that option.
There are many more things to see and do than we knew about, or had time for. OH, and the Franklin County Fairgrounds are nearby, so you could coordinate a trip to the fair and the city. See also Wikipedia for more information about Greenfield, Mass.
Also check the local newspaper, the Greenfield Recorder, for information about special events and venues.
If you go…please let me know and leave a comment below.
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Keeping Track of Craft Beers
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