Looking for things to do in Springfield? Get hip to some of this city’s best offerings—farm-to-table restaurants, family-friendly parks and a charming town square—through the eyes of hometown artists Penny Gordon-Chumbley and Alicia Farris
End your day with the city’s best view Gordon-Chumbley says the 114-acre Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park is a great spot to spend the day, whether you’re in the mood to explore the Gray/Campbell Farmstead (the oldest house in Springfield), the serene Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden or the Springfield Botanical Gardens. The park also provides plenty of wide-open spaces where, after a full day of activity, you can just sit back, relax and admire a stunning sunset. It was from a perch here that Gordon-Chumbley created this colorful piece, “Springfield Summer Sky.”
Find a restaurant that puts fresh first One of Farris’ favorite things about her city is its growing roster of Springfield-born restaurants, many of which source local ingredients in an effort to support the broader community. She recommends that all visitors stop at Flame and Harvest. Gordon-Chumbley agrees. “I had the best soup of my life at Harvest,” she says. Another of Farris’ must-eats is Gilardi’s, which has an urban garden and a bustling outdoor patio, which the artist captured in her painting “Patio Seating.”
Taste the fruits of local farming Located about 11 miles east of town is Sunshine Valley Farm, a family-run fruit outfit where you can pick your own produce during the summer and fall months. Blueberries are available mid-June through mid-July, peaches begin ripening in late June, and more than 20 varieties of apples are ripe for the picking in mid-August. The farm is a favorite retreat and a source of inspiration for local artist Penny Gordon-Chumbley, who created “Bright Blueberries” after a recent picking trip. The artist even enjoys the ride to get to the property, saying that the picturesque, curvy wooded road “makes you feel as though you’re in another world.”
