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Date: 8/18/2021
SOMERS, CT – The Story Barn located at 952 Main St. in Somers has been described as joyful and whimsical: full of opportunities for exploration and imagination. It is a renovated horse barn with seven acres of land including a brook, pond, gazebo and swing. The Story Barn is also the home of Frieda B. books, owned and operated by two Somers families whose sole mission is to use the power of stories to inspire.
“The work that we do is to help kids and adults realize they are free to be the one-of-a kind story within them," said Author/co-owner Renata Bowers. “All the events we do here for all ages are designed to help people believe three things: I matter, I belong and I can."
Bowers explained the Story Barn further, “It all started with the Frieda B. book series which I author, centered around a girl whose name is Frieda B. who believes she is free to be what she dreams. I was under contract back in 2007 for that series to be published through a publishing house. With the economy in 2008 becoming unstable, that contract fell through.”
She went on to say, “Out of that, Frieda B., LLC was born, a company owned by myself, my husband, and Paula and Dave LaJoie. We are dear friends from Somers, Connecticut and we decided to start publishing books ourselves in 2010.”
The Bowers and LaJoie family have now published a total of seven books in the series. They had been operating the business out of their homes individually in Somers and got to a point where they knew it was time to move into a dedicated space. They wanted to have a property that allowed them to house the business, but also allow events for children, families, schools and groups.
"We found this sweet renovated horse barn on Main Street in Somers with seven acres of land including beautiful woods, a brook, a pond and a gazebo. We just knew it was the right place. And so, the Story Barn was born," Bowers replied.
The Story Barn opened in August of 2019, running numerous events in the upstairs workshop, which was their working model. In Spring of 2020, the families had to rethink that model due to COVID-19. That's when and why they created the outdoor Wonder & Wander experience, and it has become one of their very favorite offerings ever since. The Story Barn has also allowed us them expand their offerings to schools. “I’ve always done work within schools in-person and virtually through our PK-5 ELA/SEL curriculum called Frieda B. The Whole Child, author visits, professional development (PD) and artist-in-residences,” Bowers added. “The Story Barn now allows us to invite staff, students and families to come to us for field trips and PD. We love the ability that it gives us to create a truly special and personalized experience."
In addition to elementary offerings, the Bowers and LaJoie family are building and currently piloting a fun, active and engaging program for middle-school-aged youth, called F2B, which focuses on using stories and games/activities to build resilience and sustainable confidence within boys and girls as they move toward their teen years. In the fall, Bowers will again begin offering her Zoom Writers Workshop, a virtual workshop for ages 18 and up who simply enjoy the art of writing.
Another one of Story Barn’s events that they host between April and October is called “Wander & Wonder,” a process art/outdoor experience for children and the adults who love them. Participants get a dedicated space on the property, a basket full of supplies and three hours to explore and create. Every week is a different theme, supplies and suggestions on what to make and do. Wonder & Wander is $20 per child; parents and children under three years of age are free with a registered child.
In addition, they host “Neighborly Night,” a monthly event that offers live music under the open sky, lawn games, trails to hike, a fire pit, s’mores and snacks. All ages are welcomed. Adults are $10 each, children 17 years of age and under are free.
“We hope that with time more and more people will come to know what we offer here, and that those who find value in it will be delighted to come,” Bowers concluded. “We have this facility to do work in a very authentic and loving way that builds community and makes people feel seen, loved and heard. We’re starting to become known as a place where you can have a really personalized and valuable experience for either an individual, family or group. And we are thrilled to be just that, to anyone seeking it.”
The Story Barn has a monthly schedule of events open for registration to the public and is available for private events as well. Learn more at www.FriedaB.com. To view a current schedule of events, visit www.FriedaB.com/Calendar.