It's Officially Official — Store That Was Part Of Manchester For Nearly A Century Fades Into Retirement

MANCHESTER, CT — It's officially official — Farr's in Manchester has officially faded into retirement.

After 80 years — 15 as Manchester Surplus and 65 as Farr's — the store that had been embedded in the Manchester "is officially reaching the end of the road," its owners said.

"Many of you already know we’ve been in the process of closing for about a year now — but this is truly the final stretch," they said.

Over the weekend, while most of the inventory had "already moved," a handful of discounted new and used bicycle parts, miscellaneous sporting goods, accessories, plus store displays, shelving, and other remaining items were made available for anyone who could use them.

"Thank you for decades of support, stories and community," the owners said.

Farr's, was considered the go-to store in Manchester for campers, outdoors enthusiasts and those who needed sporting goods quickly in north Central Connecticut.

In Aug. 2024, co-owner Patty Farr delivered the news that she and sisters Lisa, Deb and Jamie have decided to head into retirement.

There was no definitive closing date, she said.

The plan was "to sell as much inventory as possible and then decide on the future," she said.

The decision has not been made.

A popular local saying was always, "Farr's has to have it."

Farr's roots roots go back to 1955, when Jim Farr opened Manchester Surplus, a general merchandise store store squeezed in between a TV repair shop and package store. In 1971, amid a renewal project to spruce up the north part of town, Farr expanded his business and opened Farr's Sporting Goods at 2 Main St. in the north end.

The family business quickly became a staple for a wide variety of products and services like:

• Skateboards & Bicycles
• Fishing & Live Bait
• Disc Golf & Yard Games
• Darts
• Camping
• Bicycle repair
• Ice Skate Sharpening
• Propane and CO2 Refills
• Key Cutting
• Recreational Sports Equipment

In the warmer months, hard-core campers knew that Farr's would likely have hard-to-find accessories needed in a pinch. In the winter, when the big box stores had no sleds, it was usually off to Farr's to get one.

Said one longtime customer on social media, "The store will be missed and a piece of Manchester is fading into the past and will remain in the memories of thousands."

Said Another. "I met some of you in the late '60s and you knew my grandfather, who was a shoe cobbler on Main Street, and my aunt who owned a real estate company in Vernon/Rockville and father who owned the TV repair store and antique business. I come from a family of small business owners. Yours was always kind and professional. It is not only bittersweet for the closure, but your business style also."