SPRING BIRDWALK, Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM Denise Animani will lead us on a 1 1/2 hour walk on the trails at Valley Falls park to identify birds migrating through and residing at the Park.  Bring your birding apps, binoculars and shoes for walking!  Meet at the pavilion in Valley Falls Park.

HISTORY WALK, Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 9:30 AM Don Sierakowski will lead a “Rocks, Rails and History” walk that explores the history and development of industry at Valley Falls.  A “gentle” walk, meet at the pavilion.

WILDFLOWER WALK, Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 10:30 AM.  Carol Hatch will help us find and identify the many spring wildflowers that grow in Valley Falls Park.  Meet at the pavilion.

OPENING DAY, VALLEY FALLS FARM AND HERITAGE CENTER Saturday, June 14, 1-4 PM.  Museum includes an elegant stable, 1911 dairy barn, root cellar, and 3 additional historic buildings.  Items on display are original to the 8-acre property.  Interpretive information panels, tools and household items tell the story of an early 20th century “Gentleman’s Farm”, it’s owners and the Valley Falls area.  One hour guided tour is offered at 2 PM.  Begin at the “Welcome” table in the basement of the Red Barn. Limited handicap parking is offered at 345 Valley Falls Road.  Please park in the Parking Lot at Valley Falls Park.

SUNDAYS AT THE HERITAGE CENTER  June 29 through October 19., the Heritage Center will be open on Sunday afternoons from 1-4 PM.  Find us at the “Welcome table” in the basement of the Red Barn, and pick up a TOUR GUIDE.  You can ramble on your own, or be part of guided tours offered at 2PM each Sunday.  June 29, July 13, July 27, Aug 10, Aug 24, Sept 7, Sept 21, Oct 5, and Oct 19.

ARTISTS’ DAY Sunday, Sept 7, 2025, 12-4 PM.  Local artists are invited to paint in “Plein Air” capturing the Farm’s scenic views.  Finished paintings and other works by the artists are for sale in the basement of the Red Barn.  Music by Handler and Levesque from 1-3 PM.  Tour the Heritage Center and watch the artists at work.  Picnic lunches and sketch pads are encouraged!  Join us!

FRIENDS OF VALLEY FALLS ANNUAL MEETING Sunday, Sept 28, 1-3 PM  Everyone is welcome to attend!  A brief business meeting, followed by a nature- themed presentation.  Meet in the basement of the Red Barn, 345 Valley Falls Road.

FRIENDS OF VALLEY FALLS are excited to bring you our yearly “Spring Walk” series once again.  PLEASE JOIN US!  All walks meet at the pavilion at Valley Falls Park, 300 Valley Falls Road, Vernon, CT 06066.  They are free of charge, leisurely and always informative and fun!

SUNDAY, May 5, at 8:00 am, Denise Animani will lead us through the various trails at the Park to view and identify the native and migrating birds that frequent the Park trails in springtime.  Bring your binoculars and bird apps (MERLIN is very popular) for an exciting view of the field, forest and migrating birds to be found here in spring.  The walk lasts about 1 1/2 hours.  Fingers crossed for good weather, if pouring rain we will cancel the walk on FaceBook by 7 am.

May 13, 2023

SUNDAY, May 19, 10-11 am WILDFLOWER WALK, led by Carol Hatch.  Who would guess the plethora of early spring wildflowers along the Park trails in early spring?  Carol is so familiar with where to find the hidden beauties along the trails at Valley Falls!  Wild orchids, who knew?  In case of pouring rain, we will post on Facebook by 9 am.

SUNDAY, May 19, 1-2 pm ROCKS, RAILS and INDUSTRY, led by Don Sierakowski.  Don will walk us through the history of the area with a focus on the history of the place and the importance of the introduction of the railroad industry to Vernon in the mid 19th century. In case of pouring rain, we will post to cancel on Facebook by noon.

May, 2018

volunteer flyer(2)

Artists’ Day, September 10, 2023  postponed until Oct 1, 2023

Artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to bring their paints and easels to ARTISTS’ DAY at Valley Falls Farm, 345 Valley falls Road, Vernon, CT 06066, on  September 10.  Sunday, October 1, 2023.  Artists can come in the morning and choose a spot to set up, somewhere on the scenic grounds of the Farm to paint in “Plein Aire.”  Visitors are invited to come from 12-3 pm to watch the artists paint, enjoy the vistas and music provided by the group “Oh, Brother,” and perhaps purchase a painting by one of our talented local artists.  Dorothy Hall will speak in the Stable at 2 pm on “AI in the Art Community.”  The Heritage Center will be open as well.  Come with your family and friends and spend a lovely fall afternoon at Valley Falls Farm and Heritage Center.  Check in at the Red Barn basement for info.  Admission is free!

Parking is limited for artists at the barn lot.  Public Parking is available at Valley Falls Park, just a short path away from the action at the Farm and the Red Barn.

It has been a dream of Board Members and lots of current members over the years to open a museum quality exhibit to the public telling the story of Valley Falls, and the history of what we’re trying to preserve on these 8 acres.  Finally, in June of 2023, Vernon Mayor Daniel Champagne joined with FVF members to celebrate the completion and opening of the new Heritage Center, located at 345 Valley Falls Rd in Vernon.

The museum is now open on Sunday afternoons in June, July and August, from 1-4 PM.  The 8-acre property features a circa 1911 stable, dairy barn, root cellar, piggery, ice house and manure shed.  The buildings are complete with information panels and articles found within that tell the story of the previous owners, the tools they used, and the contributions they made while working and playing at Valley Falls.

We hope you are able to spend some time on a Sunday afternoon with family and friends to take a look at the history being preserved here!  Parking is available at the Barn.  Begin your tour in the basement of the barn at our welcome table.  Pick up a “Walking Tour Guide” and follow the map to enjoy all the buildings and their displays. End your tour back at the street level of the barn. 

Another really fun birdwalk, led by Denise Animani, (demibeli17@gmail.com) on May 13 at Valley Falls Park.  We spotted more than 30 species on “Annual Bird Migration Day”!

Birdwalk, 2023

May 13, 2023

Valley-Falls-2023-LIST

Friends of Valley Falls board of directors has been planning for 2023.  Much of the work revolves around the opening of the Heritage Center.  Our year began with good news:  we were awarded a $6,200 grant from CT Humanities!  The grant will help to mount the final displays and exhibits, as we continue to try to create a new year of experiences  and events to facilitate our Vernon community connection.  “Preserving  History and Nature at Valley Falls”

May 13 – Birdwalk, 8 am with Denise Animani, meet at the pavilion at Valley Falls Park.

May 28 – Wildflower Walk, 10 am with Carol Hatch, meet at the pavilion at Valley Falls Park.
June 3 – Tree Walk  10 am led by Nicholas Cranmer, meet at the pavilion at Valley Falls Park.  National Trails Day

June 10 – Grand Opening of the Heritage Center, CT Open House Day, 12-4 pm

September 10 – Artists’ Day

September 24 – Annual Meeting of The Friends of Valley Falls, Bev York presents “Rachel Carson”

September 30 – National Public Lands Day, Volunteer Appreciation

Please join us for the Annual Meeting of The Friends of Valley Falls on Sunday, September 25, at 1 PM, in the basement of the red barn at 300 Valley Falls Road.  During a brief business meeting, annual reports will be distributed.  Jean Luddy, Director of the Vernon Historical Society Museum, will tell us about her research into Vernon’s oldest and newest burial grounds, each has a story to tell.  The Old Burial Ground, located on Bamforth Road has stones that reflect Puritan attitudes toward life and death and offers clues to the lives of our earliest residents.  Valley Falls Cemetery–established in the late 20th century–serves a different type of community.

“The Friends of Valley Falls” began in 1972 as a small group of environmentally concerned Vernon residents determined to make an impact on the preservation of this beautiful place and its natural resources……50 years later, thanks to all of us, come and see what can happen!    Refreshments, and time to chat, follow the meeting as always on a lovely fall day at Valley Falls.

Parking is available at the Park, 300 Valley Falls Road.  Limited handicapped parking is available at the barn.

FRIENDS OF VALLEY FALLS will host an Open House and Farm Tours on the hour at 12, 1 and 2 PM in co-operation with the State of CT Open House Day (https://www.ctvisit.com/CTOpenHouseDay#section-185 ) annual celebration of Ct Museums and local attractions……Scenic Valley Falls Farm, soon to house the Heritage Center Museum, is an example of a “Gentleman’s Farm” from the early 20th century.  It consists of an 1850’s farmhouse, a stable, piggery, woodshed, manure cellar, root cellar, and a 1911 barn, across Valley Falls Road–owned by the Town of Vernon.

Tours of the farm buildings (except the farmhouse, which is a private residence), complete with stories of the previous owners, and our interpretation of the “workings” of the buildings long ago, are always a fun way to spend time in a glorious, bucolic setting.

The Farm is located at 345 Valley Falls Road, Vernon.  Parking is available at Valley Falls Park, just down the road.  Limited handicap parking is available at the Barn.

Valley Falls Farm, 2016

Denise and fellow birders, 2022

We really enjoyed the “Birdwalk” with Denise Animani on Saturday, May 7….after two years of COVID avoidance, we were able to resume FVF’s popular “3-Walk Weekend” series this year!  Birders got to the Park at 7:30AM on a freezing early May morning to see what migrating birds were passing through Valley Falls Park in the early spring.  Denise Animani shared her wealth of information on bird migration patterns, bird songs, and bird-spotting once again.  We saw, or heard: Birdwalk, 2022 (2)nearly 40 species of birds!  A wonderful way to resume our series of walks at Valley Falls Park!