We’re still buzzing from the incredible energy of Snowfort’s grand opening! Even though the forecast promised rain (we checked it obsessively all week), nothing could dampen the joy and community spirit that filled the space all day long.
Right at 11am, a crowd had already gathered—dozens of friends, neighbors, and supporters. We were honored to have our Town Supervisor Ike and the new president of the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance, Alyssa, join us to hold the ribbon as Amy and I officially cut it. Just like that, Snowfort Books was open.
Here’s what Amy shared during the ribbon cutting:
Welcome to Snowfort Books, everyone! My name is Amy Robinson, and this is Adam, Grace, and Cleo. We moved to Westport three years ago this summer, and knew we’d found our home. It’s impossible to imagine a more welcoming and supportive community…
We have a line of poetry painted on the beams inside that says, “Love is so hard / and it’s all we came or do.” Well, we certainly feel the love, but so far it’s been easy. There’s so much good energy in Westport right now, and we couldn’t have picked a better time to start our business here.
More than anything, Adam and I want to extend to others the kind of hospitality that has been shown to us. That’s what today is about, really… Today is our way to say thank you. Thank you for coming on this adventure with us!
The space was beautiful, thanks to the work of Teddi and Kit & Syl Studio. There was something green and lovely everywhere you looked. And also thanks to Rich Stockwell, who hustled and built us the beautiful front deck just in time.
Grace passed out donuts, Cleo helped stamp bags with our logo, and our staff—Sadie and Kathy—kept everything running smoothly at the register. Josh served up fresh tamales and, as always, surprised people with delicious, hearty food for free. Amy Guglielmo led a fantastic children’s program based on her book How to Build a Hug—complete with hilarious face drawings and DIY “hug yourself” bracelets.
Later, Slow Wasps brought the noise in the Ski-Doo shop out back, marking Snowfort’s first-ever live music event. The vibes were spot on despite the weather: chill dancing, chatting, and parking lot hangs in full force. After we closed up, the party rolled over to The Mill, where Sadie’s bespoke and innovative cocktails and Taylor’s literary-themed playlist got everyone smiling—me especially, when Josh leaned over to belt out the line from Dylan’s “Desolation Row” about “Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot / fighting in the captain’s tower.”
To top things off, Amy and I read poems we’d published 15 years ago, long before Snowfort, and before we were even married. Then we went home, blissed out and exhausted, and fell right to sleep.
To everyone who came, supported, danced, pitched in, shopped, hugged, or said hello—thank you. You made the day unforgettable.
Here are a few photos from the event 💛 with thanks to Catherine Seidenberg for taking the documentation off our hands.
