Semiseptcentennial (that’s the 350th) events include plenty to do along the waterfront of the Yantic, Shetucket, and Thames rivers and around the walkable city.
The Downtown Farmers Market takes place at Brown Park on the historic Norwich waterfront, 10 a.m. through 1 p.m., Chelsea Harbor Drive. Call (860) 886-4683 for more information.
This weekend, Harbor Days, sponsored by the Connecticut Defenders, take place at Brown Park and the marina Friday, June 26, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free. Highlights include live entertainment, vendor booths, and a laser light show each night at 9 p.m. (across from the harbor area).
The Mystic Whaler schooner will be dockside at the American Wharf on Saturday, 9 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Admission is $2 and includes a steaming cup of clam chowder with oyster crackers. Listen to pirate story-telling sessions, watch knot-tying demonstrations, or try out the mechanical advantage station.
A limited number of tickets are available for an evening moonlight cruise on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28. Tickets are $80 each and include a chicken dinner. Call (860) 447-1249 or (800) 697-8420 for reservations or more information.
Plenty more celebration-related events will be served up over the weekend. Norwich served as a major seaport and was a powerful manufacturing city due to its location on power-producing rivers.
The Colonial Tombstones Walking Tour steps off at Norwichtown Cemetery (meet on Norwichtown Green), on Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. to noon. Free. Local historian David Oat, a retired research scientist and an active member of the Norwich Historical Society and Guns of Norwich Historical Society, will lead a tour to unlock the stories about people and history that the beautifully carved headstones reveal.
