The town of Goshen is located in the near center of Litchfield County and is bordered by Litchfield to the South, Torrington to the East, Cornwall to the West and Norfolk to the North. It is one of the smallest communities in Litchfield County with a charming town center boasting a simple traffic circle, well-preserved historic architecture, and a few municipal buildings including the Goshen Historical Society and the Goshen Public Library.

The small town center gives Goshen its current charm, but the expanse of Goshen’s land covers approximately 46 square miles of sweeping vistas, state and private forest. Goshen is also home to several lakes and ponds including Woodridge Lake, one of Connecticut’s premier private lake communities - boasting a five-mile shoreline, sandy swimming beaches, generous private lots and a new clubhouse www.woodridgelake.com. Many consider Goshen to be the true Gateway to the Berkshires as North Goshen offers beautiful views of those mountains.

Residents and visitors have come to Goshen to experience the natural beauty, the privacy and quiet way of life it offers. They also come to experience events that make it unique. The center of Goshen is the home of the Goshen Players Playhouse. Since 1949 the performances of this small stage company have been a springtime tradition in Goshen. Musicals have continued to be the group’s dramatic focus with 46 different shows presented over the last fifty years. The Goshen Players are proud to be the second oldest continuously performing theater group in the state, Simsbury Light Opera being older by one year www.goshenplayers.org.

Each Labor Day Weekend, the Goshen Agricultural Society hosts the town’s largest event - the Goshen Fair. This is an incredibly entertaining family event in the traditional fair style! Come witness draft horse pulls, crafting demonstrations in the antique barn, animal judging, live music, carnival rides, games and of course, standard fair food! This year’s fair runs Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1st. For more information visit www.goshenfair.org. (Picture to Right: Goshen Fair c. 1935 lithograph by Ann Nooney 1900-1970)

Also at the Goshen Fair Grounds is one of Connecticut’s premier live music events: The Litchfield Jazz Festival www.litchfieldjazzfest.com/jazzfest_home.htm. This 12 year old event is run by Litchfield Performing Arts a non profit dedicated to arts and arts education including the Litchfield Jazz Camp, Project Poetry Live, the Belsky Piano Competition and more. This August 1-3 the Litchfield Jazz Festical will celebrate its 13th year with performances by Paquito D’Rivera, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, John Pizzarelli and more. This is not just great jazz, it’s a great summer experience! (Picture: Eartha Kitt performs live at the Litchfield Jazz Festival).

In addition to these great events, the Goshen Parks and Recreation Department has plenty of sports, programs, camps and day trips for children, adults and seniors. Please visit www.goshenct.gov/Pages/GoshenCT_Recreation/programs for more information about these programs. Also visit www.goshenct.gov for information pertaining to town government, demographics, the library and regional school district 6.