Infinity Hall

NORFOLK-Yale University's chamber music festival and the town's proximity to a wealth of other seasonal cultural offerings have long made Norfolk a summer destination. Keeping the vibrant vibe going in late autumn, winter and spring has been a difficult challenge, but one prominent addition to the landscape is making a world of difference.
The arrival of Infinity Music Hall&Bistro is turning the town into an all-seasons destination in upper Litchfield County, and in the process creating a happy economic ripple effect for area merchants. Even Yale's Norfolk Chamber Music Festival has gotten in on the synergy and is hosting The Norfolk Festival Winter Series at Infinity Hall, with The Yale Whiffenpoofs celebrating a 100th anniversary season Jan. 17 and other concerts scheduled in February and April.Since finishing restorations and opening in October 2008, Infinity Hall has offered primarily pop, folk and blues concerts that have drawn an "overwhelmingly positive" response from locals and surrounding towns, according to Infinity Hall owner Dan Hincks. An architecturally intriguing building in Norfolk center that dates to 1883 and once hosted a talk by Mark Twain, Infinity Hall has been through various incarnations-notably as a drugstore and general store before it was restored to its former glory. "The town is just filled with arts-oriented people and many music lovers, so there's been a tremendous amount of support from the town and the neighboring towns," said Mr. Hincks. "When I opened, I started booking bands with a great deal of faith that it would work, and sure enough, people came out in big numbers and seemed to like it a lot."It is a challenge to find acts people will drive into the woods of Northwest Connecticut to see, but Mr. Hincks has been successful so far, logging more than 35,000 guests and nearly 200 shows in the first year of business. "We're committed to a wide range of genres," Mr. Hincks said. "We select bands on firsthand knowledge of the popularity of particular bands, we research how they've done in similar venues across the country, and if they're a regional band, and how they draw regionally. Our first listener test is quality; we really want our customers to know that even if they aren't familiar with the band, they'll get a very high quality performance. In 2010 I'm hoping to branch out from just music; I'm planning a speaker series and a few other things I can't talk about yet."While the concerts are currently held at night, Mr. Hincks plans in the near future to host children-themed matinee shows, and hopes that this helps area businesses that operate during daylight hours.The economic ripple effect is noticeable among area businesses. Dean Johnson, co-owner of the nearby Mountain View Inn, has seen bookings rise "around 15 percent" overall since Infinity Hall opened-something especially appreciated during the coldest months of the year when business is slow in the so-called "Icebox of Connecticut."The inn's visitors are still largely from the New York area, but Mr. Johnson has seen more patrons from Boston, Philadelphia, and even Pittsburgh arrive to see Infinity's concerts."What's happened with Infinity [is that] it's made this town more of a year-round destination," Mr. Johnson said. "Norfolk was always a summer destination, but as soon as [Yale's chamber music festival] and Lime Rock [Park] racing ended, people come up here hiking and leaf peeping, and by November it gets quiet. There are some people coming in to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with friends, but the business really slows down after the leaves drop off. This year it has slowed too, but we're still getting business as a result of Infinity. For example, previously we'd have one or two guests for New Year's, but this year, there was a group that performed at Infinity and the whole inn was filled."Infinity's positive impact has not just been due to its concerts, said Mr. Johnson-guests at the inn no longer have to drive to another town to enjoy a good restaurant."There was the pub if you were looking to celebrate, but for people looking for a nice dinner, we'd have to send them to Pastorale in Lakeville," Mr. Johnson said, referring to the popular French restaurant. "We've never really had a good restaurant in town and the [Infinity] bistro is very good."There are limits to how much one business can economically benefit from collaborating with another, however. While Mr. Johnson trades promotional material with Infinity Hall, he has not tried to offer vacation package deals linked to concerts because he feels it is better to tailor vacation experiences to the individual."The whole package thing doesn't really work in the hospitality industry," said Mr. Johnson. "When people call me, I give them a rundown of all the things they can do in Norfolk, and I can't anticipate all the things that might be of interest to them. There's hiking, sleigh rides, a massage therapist around the corner ... we run through a whole bunch of options for them, and if you put a package together you guess what things are going to draw them here. Maybe I'm just not mastering that art of packaging, but it isn't as good an idea as one would think."Mr. Johnson has, however, largely reversed a former policy at the inn of requiring a two-night minimum stay during summer. "We broke that rule because people want to have dinner, see a performance, and stay one night. So that's changed and I think other inns in the area have done the same. You have to be flexible, and we're still in a recession, despite what the government may claim."Robin Yuran, co-director of The Norfolk Library, which is a stone's throw from Infinity Hall, says the impact of the venture has been immense, and has increased interest in the library's unique architecture. "It's insane, it really is," said Ms. Yuran. "We've had a lot more out-of-towners stop in to view the library, whether passing through or before an event, and they're very curious. That's hugely impacted the town. I'm so happy to see that, because when I was little growing up in Norfolk, the town was a little grocery store, and it just died for a while. People have tried to revamp it a number of times, but this is the first time it's really gotten its due through the new owners."The library, which often hosts events of its own, has been careful to schedule them on separate days from Infinity's concerts to avoid competing for patrons. Infinity Hall is hosting a benefit concert March 13 featuring an Irish folk band called Kara, in commemoration of St. Patrick's day, with the majority of proceeds going to the library."They're doing this au gratis for us so that we can reach a larger crowd, since the library can't seat more than 100 people comfortably," Ms. Yuran said. "My events coordinator has been working heavily with them and we have a great working relationship."Norfolk First Selectman Sue Dyer said the town doesn't track economic data that would quantify the impact of Infinity Hall, but added that Mr. Hincks' business has been "terrific for the town." Parking has always been an issue in Norfolk center and the influx of concert-goers has made the issue more serious, but Ms. Dyer says the matter is being taken care of as best it can."We are trying to get a handle on that, but there's no room to have municipal parking," she said. "We're just trying to make sure people who visit are aware of where they can park."For further information about Infinity Hall, the box office can be reached at 866-666-6306, and the Web site is www.infinityhall.com. For more information on the Mountainview Inn, call 860-542-6991 or see the Web site at www.mvinn.com.