12 Best Things to Do in New Hartford, Connecticut

By VI Staff on October 29, 2019

New Hartford, CT is a small town that’s absolutely bursting with character and interesting attractions to visit. Fall and winter brings an equally unique charm to town with fantastic ski slopes, and spectacular foliage. One suggestion you may hear is to head over to the Farmington River for some incredible scenery, or to head to over to the lake for some spring fly fishing.

1.Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area

The name of this state recreation area may have a knack at scaring people off, but don’t let it do the same to you. You won’t find any fallen angels or demon’s at Satan’s Kingdom State Recreation Area, but you will find some beautiful lush greenery and a popular river for tubing within it. On warm days, locals love heading down to the area, which is home to the Farmington River, and enjoy an afternoon of tubing and cooling off in the water. What’s great is that access to the recreational area is free, though you will have to pay a small fee to rent a tube if you don’t have your own. Make sure to bring a picnic lunch with you to make it a whole-day occasion.

92 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut

2.Connecticut Valley Winery

Boasting a record-breaking 25 medals at the Big E Northeast Gold Wine Competition, the Connecticut Valley Winery is a great place to visit for wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts. The winery is also open to people who are just starting to learn about wines, as visitors are welcome to take tours of the vineyard to learn about how wine is made. Sample some of their award winning vintages, some of their newer bottles, and get to know some great people all at the same time! We recommend tasting some of their red and estate bottled wines like the Black Tie Cabernet Franc, the Chianti the Olè Sangria or the Deep Purple.

1480 Litchfield Turnpike, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-489-9463

3.Farmington River Tubing

Experience incredible thrills as you splash your way down a river on top of a tube with Farmington River Tubing. You’ll take a 2.5 mile trip down a set of rapids, which you can do linked with your companions or, if you’re brave enough, alone. Not quite sure if you’re ready for the rapids? Don’ worry about it! You can take a milder route down that’s just as fun. Just make sure to call on the day that you plan to come by. Farmington River Tubing operations vary daily depending on the river’s conditions to make sure that you and your buddies have a ride that is as safe as it is enjoyable.

92 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-693-6465

4.Ski Sundown

With awesome conditions, trails that groomed twice daily, amazing views and even more spectacular sunsets, winter is made even better at Ski Sundown. Whether you’re an avid skier, in love with snowboarding, or just starting out with winter sports, you’re welcome at the beautiful powder white courses of Ski Sundown. Other amenities of the park include a terrain park for people who want to work on their tricks, an Après-ski in tavern, which is exclusive for people skiing in and out, family fun races, and lessons for first timers. The best part? The parks are open until 10pm at night so you can make the most out of every single day out on the slopes.

126 Ratlum Road, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-379-7669

5.Jerram Winery

Located in New Hartford’s historic Town Hill area, the Jerram Winery is both a culturally and historically rich destination in Connecticut. What makes Jerram Winery special is its longer-than-usual growing season. Their longer growing season means that grapes are able to mature on the vine longer, which results in a more mature and sophisticated quality of wine. It’s also a farm winery, which means that grapes were grown during the off season of farmers as a supplement to their usual income. Visitors can learn more about these special qualities with the Jerram Winery’s tours and cozy wine-tasting sessions.

535 Town Hill Road, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-379-8749

6.Main Stream Canoes and Kayaks

The Farmington River is a beacon of natural wonder, breathtaking beauty and adventure for the town of New Hartford, and one of the best ways to see all that it has to offer is aboard a canoe or kayak. Now, if you’re looking for the river experts in town, look no further than Main Stream Canoes and Kayaks. Specializing in river trips, boat rentals and even boat sales, Main Stream Canoes and Kayaks has got you covered if you’re in the mood to take a paddle down the river. Go on a group canoe or kayak trip if you’re a seasoned boater, or try taking one of the kayaking and canoeing classes that Main Stream’s exceptional instructors teach to learn the basics (and some advanced techniques, too!).

170 Main Street, Route 44, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-693-6791

7.Gresczyk Farms

Known for providing spectacular produce to northwest Connecticut, Gresczyk Farms is a family owned and operated farm that is beloved by locals and visitors alike. The farm boasts of 130 acres of crops, a whopping 600 egg laying chickens, and 1.5 acres of gorgeous berries growing on their farm. What’s great about Gresczyk is that they use an integrated pest management technique that allows them to grow high quality and sustainable produce. If you’re looking for top notch and affordable bedding plants, Gresczyk has them, too! Visitors are welcome to stop by their garden center to check out their wide selection of perennials, mixed hanging baskets and other produce.

860 Litchfield Turnpike, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-482-3925

8.The Collinsville Antiques Co.

Say hello to New England’s largest antiques shop when you visit The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford. Featuring 22,000 square feet of shopping heaven, The Collinsville Antiques Company is your gateway to hundreds of thousands of cool and unique items such as jewelry, furniture, lighting, collectibles or just some awesome knick-knacks. With plenty of parking onsite, you don’t have to worry about missing out on a trip to this antiques bonanza. Make sure to come with a list of stuff that you’re eager to find and an open mind. You never know what treasure you’re going to come across at The Collinsville Antiques Company.

283 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-379-2290

9.Blue Sky Foods

You can’t go wrong when you eat at Blue Sky Foods. This cute little restaurant, which is located in an eye catching and funky beach cottage, is run by the husband and wife duo of Michael and Deb. Together, Michael and Deb have 60 years of hospitality experience combined and they use this experience to create a unique dining atmosphere. Blue Sky Foods specializes in casual coastal cuisine, fondly referred to as beach food by locals, of course, and are known for taking a slightly irreverent approach to food as a whole. Sample some of the crowd pleasers from their unusual menu, and enjoy watching the planned chaos unfold the second you step through their doors.

431 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-379-0000

10.Portabello Pizzeria Italiano

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for lunch, dinner, drinks or a party, Portabello Pizzeria Italiano definitely knows how to please. Working hard to create a welcoming environment and a community feel, Portabello was built with one mission mind: delivering outstanding food at unbeatably reasonable prices. They accomplish this by instilling their family values in every single person in the wait staff and kitchen staff. Try some of their crowd pleasing lunch entrees like the chicken or veal parmigiana, or sink your teeth into their many different varieties of pasta, burgers and pizzas. Whatever you decide to chomp on, we’re sure you’ll love it at Portabello Pizzzeria Italiano.

107 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-693-2598

11.Passiflora

Established in 2000, Passiflora is a tea room and herbal apothecary owned and operated by Karen Tyson. With a passion for herbal medicine, Karen uses her knowledge and background in medical sciences, nutrition, Ayurveda certification and Herbal certification to help people craft holistic approaches to their health. Stop by the café to enjoy organic and nutrient-dense meals, or sit in the tea room to enjoy a warm cup of tea alongside old and new friends. Additionally, Passiflora is a favorite meeting spot for artists, musicians and writers in the New Hartford art community, so you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll meet some cool people when you stop by.

526 Main Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-379-8327

12.Bridgestreet Libations and Temptations

Thinking of dining at Bridgestreet Libations and Temptations? If yes, then make sure you come with an open mind and an empty stomach, because this is one dining experience that will blow your socks off. Unique and eclectic, this restaurant offers their guests patio seating, dining room seating or bar seating depending on their preference. The main draw at Bridgestreet Libations and Temptations, or BLT for short, is their constantly evolving menu and the hands of the chefs that make them. At BLT, they believe that recipes are a great place to start, but that ultimately, it is the hands of the chef and those around him that truly make a dish delicious. With their menu changing every week, you never really know what to expect, but what you can bank on is that it’s going to be something delicious.

2 Bridge Street, New Hartford, Connecticut 06057, Phone: 860-238-7444