Lawn Party at Nook Farm to Be Held on Saturday, June 8

Press release

A Free Fun-Filled Community Celebration and CT Open House Day at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and The Mark Twain House & Museum

The Mark Twain House & Museum, Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Team Up to Present a Day of Family Fun!

Hartford, CT… Join the fun at the Lawn Party at Nook Farm: A Community Celebration presented by The Mark Twain House & Museum, Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. This fun event will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the lawn between the Stowe House (77 Forest Street, Hartford) and Twain Houses (351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford). Parking is available on the street on Forest Street and at the Mark Twain Parking lot at 385 Farmington Ave. Hartford).

The Lawn Party is free to attend, with free station tours in The Mark Twain House and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, as part of the 20th annual Connecticut Open House Day. In addition, guests can visit the Stowe Visitor Center and Mark Twain Museum Center to peruse exhibits and the museums’ gift shops. The first floor of the ornate Katharine Seymour Day House at the Stowe Center and both properties’ historic gardens will also be free for guests to explore and enjoy. Courtesy of the Stowe Center, three-hundred lucky guests will receive a free one-hour, one-mile audio tour of the historic Nook Farm neighborhood that Stowe, Twain, and other luminaries called home.

Music, free hot dogs and Slushees, hands-on activities, and entertainment provided! During this event, guests will celebrate the birthdays of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Twain’s daughter, Clara Clemens, with a cake cutting at 12:00 pm. The Twain House is debuting its new Mark Twain giant puppet created by renowned Hartford artist Anne Cubberly. Throughout the party, organizations working towards social justice will be onsite to engage with visitors and share valuable information on how folks can impact their community.

The Mark Twain House & Museum Living History Ensemble will present free performances of A Love-Chase, based on Susy Clemens’ original play that was written and performed by the family and neighbors during the period when the Clemens Family was in residence. The performances are at 11am and 1:30pm in The MTH&M’s historic carriage barn. The 3pm performance will be in the Drawing Room of The Mark Twain House, the site where the children debuted the show in 1889.

“The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, The Mark Twain House & Museum, and Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association are thrilled to collaborate for an afternoon of fun and community!” said Michael Campbell, Interim Executive Director of The Mark Twain House & Museum.

About the Nook Farm Neighborhood

Once a hub of civic engagement, Pulitzer Prize-winning Biographer Joan Hendrick describes Nook Farm as a place where “there was no pot left unstirred.” Neighbors of Nook Farm like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe often engaged in spirited discussions there. Through the Lawn Party, the MTH&M, AHNA, and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center honor that tradition by bringing community together for this special event.

Karen Fisk, Executive Director of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center remarked: “The Lawn Party gives us a chance to engage in meaningful conversation about civic engagement, continuing the storied legacy of Nook Farm.”

The Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association believes that collaboration with neighboring partners such as The Mark Twain House & Museum, and the Stowe Center is critical to building community and improving the quality of life in Asylum Hill. “AHNA believes it is important to celebrate the rich history of Asylum Hill and we hope this partnership continues to grow and benefit Asylum Hill for many years to come,” commented David MacDonald, Executive Director.