Fall is upon us and Wednesday is October 1st, which in Norwich means it’s also Walktober. What is Walktober? Walktober is run by the Last Green Valley, a non-profit that promotes the 35 town National Heritage Park that Norwich is a part of. The event is run for the entire month of October and features walking tours led by locals. It also includes water events and bicycle rides. This year’s Walktober events were organized by groups all over the city coordinated by Dianne Brown of the Norwich Historical Society.
What do walks through Norwich have to do with economic development you may ask? Economic development is about concerted actions that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. The goal of the Walktober events that Norwich hosts is to educate people about all of the wonderful “hidden gems” the City has to offer. In doing this we hope to enable an economic impact for local businesses through increased traffic and awareness. For example did you know that Thayer’s Marine now rents kayaks? With three rivers all converging on the Norwich Harbor it makes Thayer’s the perfect place to rent a kayak. Thayer’s is sponsoring a Kayak/Canoe Tour of the Norwich Harbor on Saturday October 4th at 10 AM. If this is of interest to you call NCDC today to register, spots are limited.
Also, did you know that there is a non-profit working to create a Botanical Garden in Norwich? The Chelsea Botanical Garden has been in the planning stages for several years and they are now in the fundraising stage. You can hike through the woods of Mohegan Park on October 25th at 1PM as the leader presents the vision for this multi-million-dollar project. If you are interested meet the group at 25 Mahan Drive.
Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) has been powering Norwich since 1904. Our municipal utility provides reliable vital services to the community and uses revolutionary ideas to make projects happen. Have you seen the Shetucket River Fish Lift? Dams were built across Norwich tributaries in the 1800’s to help harness the power of water, but blocked spawning runs of shad, alewife and other species. NPU worked with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to install a lift at the Greenville Dam in 1996 in order to help the fish spawn up stream. Join NPU on a tour of the hydroelectric station on October 4th at 10 AM or October 22 at 10AM and observe the fish lift first hand. Meet the group at 7 Eighth Street.
How many restaurants do you think are in historic Downtown Norwich? How many have you been to? The 3rd Annual Grub Crawl in historic Downtown Norwich allows participants to tour several of them, get a sense of the history and learn about the diverse dining scene. You MUST REGISTER to take this free tour that includes samples from all the participating restaurants. Join the Grub Crawl on October 26th at 3PM by Calling NCDC to register.
These walks plus over 30 MORE are all being led by various organizations throughout the City of Norwich. With over 75 people attending the Downtown Zombie Walk last year and over 100 attending the Norwich Millionaires Triangle we are literally raising awareness about the great things in Norwich one step at a time.
Check out the calendar of Norwich walks so you too can join our amazing walk leaders to see all that Norwich has to offer!
