Community Nights will be held in May and June at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Community Center, and a special ‘Noah Webster Night’ is scheduled for GastroPark this summer.

Courtesy image

By Ronni Newton

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is bringing back Community Nights this spring, offering a safe way to interact with friends in an outdoor setting.

On both Thursday, May 13 and Thursday, June 10, Community Nights will offer an assortment of food trucks, local vendors, and lawn games like giant Jenga and Connect 4 which are appropriate for all ages. There will also be free custard samples from Shake Shack on both nights, and an opportunity to tour the Museum, which is a National Historic Landmark birthplace of founding father Noah Webster.

Like many cultural institutions, the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society has experienced significant loss of revenue due to pandemic-related event cancellations and closings, and Community Nights also serve as fundraisers.

Al fresco dining opportunities available for purchase will include the Iron & Grain food truck (both nights), serving some of their locally-sourced signature items like Black & Blue Burgers and Street Corn prepared on the wood-fired grill in their repurposed 1959 Chevy Viking. Iron & Grain will also offer draft beer and cocktails to those over 21 (valid ID required).

On May 13, the Craftbird Food Truck will also be on site, offering their unique “farm-to-truck” chicken sandwiches and side dishes.

On June 10, East-West Grille On Wheels – the food truck version of the former award-winning New Park Avenue restaurant – will offer traditional and “fusion” dishes from Laos, Thailand, China, Japan, and Vietnam.

The frozen custard will be available at no additional cost, both nights, courtesy of the West Hartford Shake Shack which makes the sweet treat fresh each day. Organizers noted: “What’s the difference between ice cream and frozen custard? Nelson Perez, the store’s general manager, explains that custard uses eggs, which gives it a different consistency and rich taste. (Custard, n. a pudding-like, usually sweetened, mixture made with eggs and milk.)”

Seating will be available both on the patio and on tables set up in the parking lot.

Each candle has a map of West Hartford sketched on the back, which glows when it’s lit. Courtesy WeHa Candle Company (we-ha.com file photo)

Local vendors (to date) on both nights will include WeHa Candle Co., Wildflower Art Space, WeHa Brewing, Knebels Kreations, the West Hartford Garden Club (May only), and the Farmington Farm Truck (June only). Additional vendors will likely be joining the line-up.

The Museum is requesting a $5 per person donation (free for Museum members or children under 5) to attend Community Nights at the Noah Webster House, all of which will directly benefit the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Food and beverages are available for purchase.

Pre-registration is available at noahwebster.yapsody.com and additional information will be available through that link. The wearing of masks is requested when unable to maintain 6-feet of distance from others, except while eating.

Later in the summer, GastroPark will also have its very own Noah Webster Night at the GastroPark.

GastroPark opened last fall at 637 New Park Ave. and on Thursday, July 8, Iron & Grain and other participating food vendors at the food truck park that day will be donating a portion of proceeds to the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society.

The GastroPark offers an outdoor venue appropriate for people of all ages, with available yard games such as bean bag toss, and is also dog-friendly. An ever-changing array of food trucks feature a wide variety of cuisine, and craft beer and wine is also available.

GastroPark offers an ever-changing variety of food trucks, and the opportunity for the community to “gather and graze” in a family- and dog-friendly outdoor setting. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

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