At long last, after consulting with the Central Connecticut Health District, the Town of Wethersfield, members of our Governing Board, and participating restaurants, Wethersfield Historical Society is proud to announce the triumphal return of The XVth Annual Taste of Wethersfield on Saturday, April 1st from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, 200 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109. The Keeney Center comes alive with the flavors and aromas of the area’s finest food and drink. Wendell Edwards, morning anchor for WFSB, will serve as the honorary event chair and master of ceremonies. As a resident of Wethersfield, he knows firsthand the importance of celebrating the local food culture, chefs, and restaurant owners and the boon that Wethersfield Historical Society is to the community.
Wendell will lend his expertise and enthusiasm to make this year’s Taste of Wethersfield the best yet. He will guide us through and evening of culinary delights, and help us celebrate everything that makes Wethersfield such a special place.
Long-time “Taste” favorites, the Hot Cat Jazz Band, will be on hand to provide the soundtrack for the evening’s festivities. The process of “Taste” remains the same: Attendees pay one admission and can try offerings from several local restaurants, caterers, breweries, and wine vendors, all under one roof. Samples of signature dishes and beverages are available at every station. All your local favorites will be there with many more additions arriving daily. Throughout the evening, a silent auction is conducted, offering guests the opportunity to bid on unique goods and services from local vendors. Throughout the evening, a silent auction is conducted, offering guests the opportunity to bid on unique goods and services from local vendors. The online portion of the silent auction goes live on Saturday, March 25 at 1:00 pm. Click HERE to get an early look at the wares on the block and get a jump on the bidding.
“Taste” is a party for those 21 and over only. Tickets are on sale now. Purchased in advance, tickets are $35. At the door on the night of the event, the price jumps to $40. A $60 “Patron” ticket entitles the bearer to early admission (6:00 pm) with full access to all food and drink, as well as entry in the exclusive Patron drawing. ($25 of each “Patron” ticket purchased is tax deductible). Tickets can be purchased HERE or in person at the Wethersfield Historical Society’s office in the Old Academy at 150 Main Street, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Tuesday through Friday.
Taste of Wethersfield helps fund Wethersfield Historical Society’s free or low cost educational and cultural programming for children and adults. Generous corporate sponsors include City Fish Market, D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Restaurant Supply, LLC, Sammy’s Buy Rite Liquors, Shop Rite of Manchester, East Hartford, and Vernon, Shop-Rite Hardware II, INC and Wethersfield Travel.
In 1830, with watercolors, pastels, pen & ink, and gouache, John James Audubon set out to paint every bird in America. Eighteen years later, his monumental effort resulted in the massive tome, Birds of America consisting of 435 life-size, hand-colored prints. In 2012, illustrator, Edgar Allan Slothman (Don Carter) set out with an Apple computer to reinterpret Audubon’s Birds of America in his own simplified, graphic style. When he met baker turned watercolorist Dora Dylanne Reyes in 2021, a friendship and mutual interest in each other’s art led to a very unique collaboration and pairing — birds and desserts. Birds and Their Just Desserts / Let Them Eat Cake was born from this artistic partnership. For more information about the artists and this exhibit, visit our “2023 Calendar of Events” page 
Wethersfield Historical Society is proud to announce the opening of Treasures of the Francis House, the latest addition to the Wethersfield Museum’s Watson Gallery. Thanks to the generosity of Chauncey D. Stillman and his daughters, Elizabeth Stillman Shafer and Theodora Stillman Budnik (direct descendants of the original owner), Wethersfield Historical Society took possession of the Captain James Francis House at 120 Hartford Avenue in 1969. After a half century of successful stewardship, the society made the difficult decision to sell the Captain James Francis House and return the home to private ownership. All of the family possessions held in that house were relocated to storage at the Keeney Center and these objects form the core of the new exhibit. Visitors will learn about the owners of the Captain James Francis House from 1793 through present day, and through material culture will learn about life in 19th century Wethersfield.
As last Saturday’s Witch of Blackbird Pond Ball fades into pleasant memory, it’s nice to take a look at the digital scrapbook and relive some of the evening’s highlights; Melinda Robidoux’s atmospheric decoration of the Keeney Ballroom, Ascot Catering’s amazing food, emcee Renee Di Nino overseeing the evening’s festivities, DJ Joey Brooks providing the perfect soundtrack, and the amazing costumes. To see some of what your friends and neighbors are talking about, visit the photo galleries toward the bottom of the dedicated