Taste Of Southington Returns Next Month

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

July 21, 2022

Taste of Southington will return Aug. 4, bringing several local restaurants to a "food festival" at The Barnes Museum.

The Taste of Southington will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on the grounds of The Barnes Museum at 85 N. Main St. Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of foods from participating restaurants.

Restaurants lined up to attend the Taste of Southington include Endless Sweets, Hop Haus, Ideal Tavern, La Catrina, Namaste India, Polish Plate, Smokin' with Chris and The Art of Yum. More restaurants may be announced leading up to the event.

Kristi Sadowski, executive director of The Barnes Museum, said that museum staff is excited to bring the event back.

"The Taste has always been a way to showcase the local community and bring that community to the Barnes Museum," Sadowski said. “We hope that this will be a fun way to bring people together as a destination for the night and to showcase our museum as an asset to the community.”

While people are visiting The Barnes Museum, they can also participate in walkthrough tours of the main level of the museum.

The Barnes Museum was donated to the town in the will of Bradley Barnes, the last member of his influential family, when he died in 1973 at 90 years old. The historic home, which contains numerous antiques that belonged to the family, has since been converted into a museum, which highlights various items from the family’s collection as exhibits.

“Right now we have an exhibit of 20th century, colorized post cards which feature some of the most historically iconic parts of Connecticut,” said Sadowski. “It’s a walk-around exhibit so you will be able to see the fronts of the postcards in one room and then go into another to see the backs.”

The 17 rooms of the 1836 homestead are also home to art, antique furniture, pressed glass, unique textiles, and personal belongings from the Edwardian and Victorian eras.

Parking can be accessed via Riccio Way behind Southington Coffee House. Guests can then walk through the open path to the rear grounds of the museum. Some street parking is also available on Merrell Ave and at the YMCA across the street.

For more information, call The Barnes Museum at 860-628-5426, email thebarnesmuseum@southington.org or visit theBarnesMuseum.org

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.