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Tuesday, April 16 @ 10:00 am 11:00 am EDT

“Ridgefield Restaurants, Past and Present” is the topic for the next gathering of the Ridgefield History Club at 10am on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in the Historical Society’s Scott House at 4 Sunset Lane in Ridgefield, CT. Jack Sanders, who has written over 10 books on Ridgefield’s history will be on hand and he tallied 17 Ridgefield restaurants in existence in 1955, 35 in 1993, and 46 in 2015. Ridgefield History Club programs are free and open to everyone; new participants are welcome at any time. Come to share memories or just to listen.

We’re asking participants to bring their memories of favorite places to “eat out” in Ridgefield over the years, whether it was the venue for a very special occasion or the familiar spot “where everybody knows your name.” Think diners, drive-ins, dives, luncheonettes, soda fountains, delis, pizza parlors, hot dog carts, etc! We want to hear about old-time restaurants as well as what are the favorites these days (in 50 years, we’ll have a record of what was the hot thing in 2024). Did you, a friend, or family member own or work in one of Ridgefield’s restaurants? If so, we want to hear from you. What were your favorite Italian, French, Irish, German, etc dishes in town? Bring your related objects (advertisements, signs, ashtrays, matchbooks, china, glasses, silverware, etc), photographs, and documents (menus and receipts) for show and tell!

Nina’s Restaurant, owned by Gene Lavatori, was a popular gathering place for breakfast and lunch.

The Ridgefield History Club, an informal community storytelling program (it’s not a presentation or lecture) of the Historical Society, meets for an hour the third Tuesday of every month to share memories and stories related to a specific topic in Ridgefield’s history. The discussion is recorded and cataloged in the Historical Society’s archive to preserve all the stories of Ridgefield’s people, places, and events for future generations. It’s also streamed live on Facebook and is uploaded to our YouTube channel.

Everyone is invited, just bring your love of history and your curiosity. Some people come to every session while others attend when the topic is of special interest to them. This is a great opportunity to connect with other history enthusiasts and learn something new about our wonderful town. Both longtime residents and newcomers contribute.

For more information about this free program, and to register, visit www.ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org or contact the Historical Society at 203-438-5821 or [email protected].

Upcoming