Creativity Connects Ridgefield
What fuels a vibrant, connected, and creative community? What makes people feel good about living in Ridgefield?
When locals share the creativity that they uncover in the nooks and crannies of their community it brings about connectivity and makes us all feel good. Believe it or not, you discover creativity every day as you walk, shop, work, and play in Ridgefield.
Creativity connects us.
Meet Diana Arfine, co-founder of The Rooted Plow.
Is there an organization in town that makes you feel good?
I am constantly inspired and impressed by the ingenuity I see amongst the many non-profits in our community. This spring I watched with sadness as our museums, theaters, arts organizations, musical groups and so many others were forced to shutter their doors. Then I watched in fascination as the groups very quickly began to pivot and find ways to work with the new restrictions they were forced to navigate. Keeler Tavern moved its major fundraiser online. The popular Concerts in the Park series resumed in July to much enthusiasm. Different? Yes. But wonderful just the same. We were outside, socially distancing, seeing our friends, and enjoying the arts that our community has become so well known for. ACT ran very successful online musical reviews early on and raised much needed funds to help sustain their mission. The Ridgefield Guild of Artists was just one of many groups that started offering online Zoom classes to their members, and worked quickly to move their art shows online – they even instituted their first ever Community Art Project, and Ridgefield adults and kids responded with some truly beautiful creations which were displayed on Main Street for all to see. It has been a different year for the local arts scene, for certain. But it is truly inspiring to see how these organizations have worked together and helped each other during these challenging times.
How does creativity connect you to Ridgefield?
Almost four years ago my business partner and I founded The Rooted Plow – a local business specializing in designing and selling hometown apparel, drinkware and decor. We had both lived in Ridgefield for more than 20 years. We raised our families here and were involved in everything from school PTAs, sports organizations, Boy Scouts, the National Charity League and local religious institutions. We loved our adopted hometown and wanted to share that affection for Ridgefield with others in our community. We initially started selling our products strictly online. We quickly branched out into local fairs and festivals – the Rotary Club’s popular BBQ Festival at the Lounsbury House, the Wreath Festival at Founder’s Hall, the Nutmeg Festival at St. Stephens, to name a few. Every time we attended one of these shows we connected with others who shared our love of Ridgefield. Whether lifelong residents or recent transfers, we found people were eager to bring a piece of Ridgefield into their homes. We built an amazing network of local artisans and entrepreneurs along the way, and with their help learned the ins-and-outs of being small business owners. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, The Rooted Plow has grown and now has hometown products in nine other towns as well, including North Salem, Wilton, Brookfield, Southbury, Larchmont and more.
Any place in town you go for creativity and inspiration?
The new Marketplace at Audrey Road is my latest source of inspiration. It opened this fall as an extension of the popular women’s clothing store on Bailey Avenue, and is filled with products created by local artisans – candle makers, knitters, a local author displaying her novel, handcrafted wooden signs, women who have dyed shoes, baby clothes, or the softest sweatshirts imaginable, I am awed by the creativity and talent of each of these vendors and thankful to AR for giving them a place to showcase their talents. Each visit to the store leaves me inspired to try my hand at some new skill. Candle-making? Probably beyond my level of expertise. But picking up my knitting needles that have been buried for years in the back of my closet? Yes, I think I will!
Creativity Connects Ridgefield is made possible by LIFEWTR.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of HamletHub or LIFEWTR.