Celtic Bee Sculpture, Greenfield, Mass.

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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.

Sidewalk Sale of vintage treasures in Greenfield, Mass.Greenfield, Mass. Trolley

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.

1955 Case tractor, Greenfield, Mass.Vintage Massey Ferguson tractor, Greenfield, Mass. Vintage John Deere tractors in Greenfield, Mass.

 

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.

Painted parking meter, Greenfield, Mass.Colorful traffic meters, Greenfield, Mass.

Chairs in the park offer a bright rainbow of seats:

Colorful chairs in park, Downtown Greenfield, Mass.

Then there’s the sidewalks. Here’s one with a bee theme:

Bee sidewalk, Downtown Greenfield, Mass.

The sides of buildings with wide alleys beckon the eyes with their murals:

Mural in Downtown Greenfield, Mass.portion of mural in Downtown Greenfield, Mass.portion of a mural in Downtown Greenfield, Mass.A mural in Downtown Greenfield Mass.

 

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.”

The Father of American Beekeepig brochure

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:

Celtic Bee Sculpture, Greenfield, Mass.About the Celtic Bee, Greenfield, Mass.

There are other bee-related features, such as the cross-walk shown earlier in this post, as well as paintings like this incorporating bees:

Early medical supplies, Greenfield Historical Society

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.

John Doe, Jr. Used Records, Greenfield, Mass.Antique Revival Collectibles, Greenfield, Mass.Lucky Bird Thrift Shop, Downtown Greenfield, Mass.

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.

Innovintage, Greenfield, Mass.Some shops inside Innovintage, Greenfield, Mass.Vintage treasures in Greenfield, Mass.I'm not a packrat, I'm a collector fun mug

The Historical Society in Greenfield, Mass. is a fun place to stop in

Historical Society of Greenfield, Mass.

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.

Victorian Hand-Powered Wheelchair Greenfield Historical Society

One room is devoted to children’s items and pastimes. They are invited to sit at a wooden desk and look at stereoscope slides.

Vintage children's items displayed at Greenfield Historical Society Vintage baseball equipment at Greenfield Historical SocietyInteresting fan at Greenfield (MA) Historical SocietyChildren's toys Greenfield Historical SocietyChildren's Clothing and toys at Greenfield Historical Society Another dog named Snoopy at Greenfield Historical Society

Here’s a few other displays at the Historical Society in Greenfield:

Early medical supplies, Greenfield Historical SocietyDisplay at Greenfield Historical SocietyCivil War surgeon's kit at Greenfield Historical Society

The Museum of Our Industrial Heritage is another fun thing to visit in Greenfield, Mass.

Museum of Our Industrial Heritage 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.

More displays at Display at Museum of Our Industrial Heritage, Greenfield, Mass.Display at Museum of Our Industrial Heritage, Greenfield, Mass. Display at Museum of Our Industrial Heritage, Greenfield, Mass. (2)Another Display at Museum of Our Industrial Heritage, Greenfield, Mass

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.

brochure for Museum of Our Industrial Heritage back of brochure for Museum of Our Industrial Heritage

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:

Bonnie B's Country Kitchen Restaurant, Downtown Greenfield, Mass.

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:

Rise Above Bakery and Cafe, Greenfield, Mass.

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.

The People's Pint Brewpub, Greenfield, Mass.

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:

Menu Board at The People's Pint, Greenfield, Mass.pulled pork taco at The People's Pint, Greefield, Mass.Ploughman at The People's Pint, Greenfield, Mass., minus some cheese

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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