The Region's Sweetest Tour

It's almost time for the region's sweetest tour and this year's event promises to be bigger and sweeter than ever. The 18th annual Currier and Ives Cookie Tour takes place Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at a number of inns, restaurants, gift boutiques, historical societies and theaters in the Monadnock Region. The special venue stops on this year's tour will open their doors to share homemade holiday cookies, the cookie recipes, refreshments, beautiful holiday decorations and unique gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Plus, all tour-goers who visit at least 10 of the tour stops will be entered to win a monetary gift certificate that can be redeemed at any participating tour location. Maps will be provided with the purchase of a ticket. Tickets to this year's tour are $20 per person and can be purchased with cash only starting Dec. 1 at these select locations: The Park Theatre, Frogg Brewing and The Inn at East Hill Farm. But this tour doesn't just taste good, it also does good. A different nonprofit is chosen each year as a beneficiary and a portion of the proceeds from the 2023 tour will be donated to Feeding Tiny Tummies, a 501c3 nonprofit program that fights childhood hunger. The nonprofit works with local schools to provide meals to children on weekends, school breaks and during summer vacation. Established in 2017 when it served about 35 families, the program has grown rapidly to 550-plus families and expanded to include a community resource center that offers open hours for the community. Volunteers fill the bags that are delivered to schools and include an educational item to feed tiny minds as well as tummies. The 16 cookie tour locations: Wildflowers Country Gift Shop: 76 Turnpike Road, New Ipswich Benjamin Prescott Inn: 433 Turnpike Road, Jaffrey Sleeping Monk Farm Alpacas: 116 Ashby Road, New Ipswich Terrapin Glassblowing Studio: 79 Hadley Road, Jaffrey The Optimist Café: 16 Colls Farm Road, Jaffrey The Park Theatre (ticket site): 19 Main St., Jaffrey Monadnock Country Café: 80 Peterborough St., Jaffrey Cabana Falls Winery: 80 Peterborough St., Jaffrey Knitty Gritty Yarn Shop: 16 Depot St., Peterborough Granite Roots Brewing: 244 North Main St., Troy Troy Historical Society: 1-5 Depot St., Troy The Inn at East Hill Farm (ticket site): 460 Monadnock St., Troy Feather Herb Farm: 147 West Lake Road, Fitzwilliam Frogg Brewing: (ticket site): 580 Sawyers Crossing Road, Swanzey The Cozy Cottage: 27 Central Square, Troy Gay-Kimball Library: 10 South Main St., Troy The tour is self-guided, and participants may begin at any of the tour stops once they have purchased a ticket. On average, stop times last between 10 to 15 minutes, although tour-goers may wish to linger longer for refreshments and to browse for gifts or to see what the location has to offer. In addition to a map and detailed information about the tour, the tour website offers a selection of past cookie recipes from various past participants, such as gingersnap gems, chocolate crinkles and salted oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate. Some locations will provide a facility sneak-peek and be available to answer visitor questions. If you get hungry along the way, the cookie tour website offers suggestions of restaurants and eateries for lunch at currierandivescookietour.com/dining. It's advised to bring along a good-sized cookie tin or plastic storage container in which to store the cookies received at each stop. Tour organizers believe that about half of the tour stops are handicapped-accessible locations and they suggest contacting specific locations for accessibility details. For more information, visit currierandivescookietour.com. For questions, visit the FAQs webpage or contact cookietour@yahoo.com. To learn more about Feeding Tiny Tummies, to donate or to volunteer, visit feedingtinytummies.com.