I-Park celebrating Connecticut Trails Day June 6

Submitted by I-Park

I-Park, an international, multi-disciplinary artists’ colony set within a 450-acre nature preserve in East Haddam, will be participating in Connecticut Trails Day on June 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 428 Hopyard Rd.

This will mark I-Park’s first Open Trails Day of our 25^th anniversary season, featuring live music, a guided hike, crafting and a garden educational session. This is a free, family‑friendly event. Walk-in registration will be allowed, but advance reservations are recommended for a smooth check-in. A suggested donation of $10 per adult supports the ongoing maintenance of I‑Park’s trails and gardens. To register, please visit www.i-park.org.

Connecticut Trails Day is a statewide initiative organized by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association. It is the largest celebration of trails in the state, with hundreds of events and activities taking place across various parks, forests and nature preserves.

I-Park offers a particularly unique experience on this day, blending an exploration of art as well as nature. Visitors will encounter a diverse range of art installations nestled along I-Park’s 25 open trails. The trails are varied in length and difficulty, though most are easy or moderate, featuring an array of forested areas, fields and meadows, ponds, streams and vernal pools – as well as interesting topographical features.

Guests may wander at their will or participate in varied activities for visitors of all ages. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., there will be a crafting activity in I-Park’s common area and an educational session in the pollinator garden.

The craft on June 6 is inspired by I-Park Fellow Alice Momm. We craft our spin on her project, “The Flock.” Upcycled cardboard is repurposed as whimsical and colorful birds in flight. In the pollinator garden, volunteers will host an educational session on native plant species that support pollinators in Connecticut and provide a scavenger hunt (complete with prizes!) to test our youngest explorers' botanical knowledge.

At 10 a.m., a guided hike will depart. This approximate two-hour excursion will lead visitors to view artworks along some of I-Park’s lesser-ventured paths - a special opportunity to learn about the artists and their sculptures from a knowledgeable I-Park guide. Please be sure to register for this guided hike in advance.

e music was a well-received addition to select Open Trails Days during our 2025 season. So this year, we are scheduling an exciting line-up of live musical performances at each of our Open Trails events. During the June 6 event, we kick-off with the “The Jolly Beggars” who will perform from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 pm. “The Jolly Beggars” bring the rich tradition of Celtic folk music and storytelling to modern day audiences. They tell traditional stories from Irish folklore and intersperse their musical arrangements with traditional reels and jigs. Bring along your picnic basket, join in a jig and enjoy the lively performance.

By participating in Connecticut Trails Day, I-Park aims to inspire individuals to appreciate the often symbiotic relationship between art and nature, and in hand with that, foster an understanding of the importance of preserving and protecting our precious natural resources.

I-Park’s first Open Studios session of the season, inviting visitors to meet the artists in residence, will take place on June 27 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Additional Open Trails events will take place on July 11, Sept. 12, Oct. 10 and Nov. 7.

A sure highlight of this milestone 25th anniversary season, I-Park will be hosting its biennial Composers + Musicians Collaborative Residency in August. This special residency will culminate with a premiere concert at I-Park on Aug. 21 and a second performance at Merkin Hall in New York City on Aug. 23. More information about upcoming events can be found at www.i-park.org.

I-Park’s mission: To nurture artists of exceptional talent, celebrate the creative process and inspire the greater culture. I-Park fulfills these aspirations through its international artists-in-residence program and the stewardship and aesthetic engagement of its natural and imagined environments.

I-Park is a 501(c)3 public charity that awards four-week onsite residencies in the visual arts, creative writing, music composition, moving image, architecture, interdisciplinary practice and landscape design. Since its founding in 2001, I-Park has sponsored over 1,300 fully-funded residencies. For more information or to make a donation, visit i-park.org.