A Hip Spring Road Trip Starts at the Simsbury Free Library!

We’re not fooling when we tell you Simsbury Free Library kicks off a month of adventure in April! We have the scoop on Connecticut’s amusements, architecture, food shacks, diners and roadside oddities from Mary Donohue, Assistant Publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine. “A Hip Road Trip” on April 24th is a grand tour of our wonderful state, past and present, that will inspire you to set out on a course of new discoveries.

Celebrate National Library Week happening April 7 – 13th by exploring everything the Simsbury Free Library has to offer, starting with the monthly Drop In Book Club on April 9th. Although this month’s book, Snow in August by Pete Hamill, is set in another time, it examines the timely topic of prejudice. We invite everyone to join us for what is sure to be an engaging and important discussion.

End the commemorative week on April 13th with a journey into your own family’s past with Genealogist Alison Watson Maston as your guide. She will use her 40+ years of experience as a genealogist to help you research family history using the rich resources available at the Simsbury Free Library.

Amazing April events include:

Tuesday, April 9th: Drop In Book Club: Snow in August (11:15a)
New members in search of great book discussions and even better company are always welcome at the SFL’s Drop In Book Club any time they are interested in the monthly selection. This month’s book, Snow in August by Pete Hamill, is set in Brooklyn in 1947. An eleven-year-old Irish Catholic boy has just made friends with a lonely rabbi from Prague. Like their hero, baseball player Jackie Robinson, neither can escape from the swirling prejudices of the time. The unlikely friendship is a deeply affecting, brilliant fable for our time and all time. For more information, call 860-408-1336 or email programs@simsburyfreelibrary.org.

Saturday, April 13th and April 27th: Drop In Genealogy (10:00a – 2:00p)
Researching your family tree and don't know where else to look to find missing ancestors? Bring any information you have and let genealogist Alison Watson Maston help. Alison has over 40 years of experience. She specializes in researching vital records, land records, immigration and naturalization records as well as probate records. She has particular expertise in New England, New York City and Ireland. Free for members; $5 for non-members. To make a reservation or for more information, call (860) 408-1336 or email programs@simsburyfreelibrary.org.

Wednesday, April 24th: A Hip Road Trip: Roadside Architecture (6:30p)
Roadside enthusiasts, Baby Boomers and pop-culture fans will all enjoy an entertaining and nostalgic tour of some of Connecticut’s beloved roadside attractions. Mary Donohue, award-winning architectural historian and Assistant Publisher of Connecticut Explored magazine will take attendees on “A Hip Road Trip”. The grand tour of Connecticut’s roadside architecture features vintage postcards, rare brochures and matchbooks, early automotive maps and contemporary photographs. Donahue explores our state’s two-lane highways—including the Berlin Turnpike, Route 1, and the Albany Turnpike—in search of vintage diners, tourist cabins, neon signs, gas stations, and 1950’s amusements such as miniature golf courses and drive-in movies.

Donohue is the President of Grant House Heritage Services and was the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the State Historic Preservation Office of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. She has written often on Connecticut’s road side architecture, food shacks, mid-century Modern motels, streamlined diners and roadside oddities. Donahue has co-authored three award-winning publications including A Life of the Land: Connecticut's Jewish Farmers.

About Simsbury Free Library
The Simsbury Free Library (the Simsbury Genealogical and Historical Research Library), located at 749 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, promotes interest in genealogy and history by providing access to research material and expertise, artifacts, and educational and cultural programs, to help visitors develop the skills required to create family trees, search local histories, look up census records, explore vital records, etc.

The Simsbury Free Library – the Gracious Yellow Lady – is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. as well as by appointment. To RSVP or for more information, visit www.simsburyfreelibrary.org or call (860) 408-1336.