Thursday, March 31, 2016

Hickory, Ash, & Reed: Traditional Baskets, Contemporary Makers @ Wilton Historical Society

The Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Road is hosting a new exhibition through October 15 that will feature both old and contemporary baskets. 

This exhibition showcases the work of select contemporary basket makers including Jonathan Kline, Stephen Zeh, Lois Russell, Kari Lonning, and Marion Hildebrandt and contrasts them with historic baskets from the Society's permanent collection. The work of these artists is grounded in the use of natural materials including brown ash,
black ash, hickory, willow and reed.

Working with familiar forms ranging from wide, shallow baskets to lidded baskets; large rectangular, loosely woven baskets to upright hampers; baskets designed for use in harvesting vegetables and fruit; carrying or storing a variety of household objects, their beautifully crafted work shows the influence of Shakers, Native Americans, and the traditions of the Northeast.
A highlight of the exhibition are the  contemporary Nantucket baskets made by Harry A. Hilbert and Gail Halvorsen.
For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

LAKE COMPOUNCE TO AWARD FIRST RIDE ON PHOBIA PHEAR COASTER TO 12 FANS WITH MAJOR PHEARS

Starting today, Lake Compounce Family Theme Park is inviting guests to share their deepest, darkest phobias with park officials via www.lakecompounce.com/phobiaphearcontest.Twelve terrified riders will be chosen to be the first to experience Phobia Phear Coaster on the park’s opening day, May 7th at 11am. The 12 chosen guests will be highlighted on the park’s social media pages starting May 1st along with their phobias. The general public is encouraged to attend this event on May 7th to watch the 12 brave riders and to then ride Phobia themselves.





Lake Compounce announced this innovative and record breaking rollercoaster in July of last year. Phobia features an inversion at 150 feet in the air—one of the highest in existence and the tallest in the Northeast.  Guests will experience speeds of 65 mile per hour with many exciting and unique elements including multiple launches, a twisting heart-line inversion, and ascending and descending twists.

This rollercoaster, manufactured by Premier Rides, is both technologically innovative and environmentally sound including the most advanced magnetic launch system and a highly innovative power modulation system that represents cutting-edge green technology. This Smart Energy System uses high-tech military grade hardware designed to dramatically reduce high-end power requirements in order to lower peak demands to the regional power grid. 

About Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce, part of the Palace Entertainment family of parks and New England's premier family theme park opens May 7th for the 2016 season. Celebrating its 170th season, Lake Compounce is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America. Summer Season Passes are currently on sale for the 2016 season starting at $55. More information and the park's operating schedule can be found at lakecompounce.com.

 

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Westport's National Hall Historic District Walking Tour April 2

Join Bob Mitchell and the Westport Historical Society on April 2 from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.  for a walking tour of the town's Business Center District and discover facts about such historic sites as National Hall and the former Westport Bank & Trust Company building. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The one-hour walk kicks off at 3 p.m. at Jesup Green and will be led by Bob Mitchell.  This tour shows how important the Saugatuck River was to commercial economic development of Westport.

The riverbank area near Jesup Green is where Ebenezer Jesup, one of the town's most successful early businessmen, had his wharf, warehouse and store. In 1807, Jesup donated some of his land to the Connecticut Turnpike Company for the Post Road bridge over the river.
From Jesup Green the history tour will cross the Saugatuck to National Hall, built in 1870 by another prominent Westport entrepreneur, Horace Staples, to house his bank. Over the years this red-brick and cast-iron building has also been home to a newspaper, a furniture company, a plumbing store and the Inn at National Hall.
The tour will then return to the east side of the river, where Mitchell will discuss the old Westport Library, the former YMCA, and the wedge-shaped Westport Bank & Trust Company Building. The Y was built by Westport philanthropist Edward T. Bedford in 1923 on the site of the old Westport Hotel. The bank, also constructed in 1923, was purchased by a local developer in 2005 and is now occupied by Patagonia. The tour will go inside to view two murals that Westport artist Robert L. Lambdin painted for the bank in the 1960's.
On the way back to Jesup Green, Mitchell will talk about No. 76 Post Road East, which was formerly the site of Petrie's Ice Cream Parlor and the Fine Arts Theater. The first theater in the area to show foreign films, the Fine Arts, was closed in 1999 and its building remodeled by Restoration Hardware.
There is a $10 suggested donation. No charge for children 12 and under. Meet at Jesup Green in front of Westport Public Library's lower entrance. Parking is available at the town lot on Jesup Green (Taylor Public Parking Lot). For more information about the tour and to register, call (203) 222-1424. 
For more area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Monday, March 28, 2016

Learn baking tips @ cooking class hosted by Kent Historical Society

The Kent Historical Society is hosting a baking workshop with Patsy Stroble on April 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Kent's Parish House kitchen on 97 Main St. North in the center of Kent. Participants will take home treasured recipes, pick up valuable baking tips, and learn fancy decorating techniques. 

A $75 ticket to either of the baking workshops, April 15 or 16, also includes a ticket to the April 17 Musicale and Spirited Tea Party featuring music from the 19th century performed by the Rosewood Chamber Ensemble. Proceeds from both events will go toward the restoration of the Seven Hearths Museum. While exterior work is already underway, KHS must raise funds to match a generous grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to help complete the exterior phase of the planned restoration work before other work can take place.
The April 15 session will focus on the preparation of molded patés, savory tartes, the baking of miniature cupcakes and petit fours (for decoration the following day), and preparation of cake and cream puff fillings.
The April 16 session will be dedicated to the decoration of sweet treats with Patsy and her daughter, both professional decorators for many years. Learn techniques from the pros and help prepare gorgeous creations for the benefit in the process.
Space is limited and will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Registration is available online at www.kenthistoricalsociety.org or by sending in a check to PO Box 651 Kent CT 06757. For more information, email reservations@kenthistoricalsociety.org. For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com
Mission of Kent Historical Society
The Kent Historical Society's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and present the rich history of Kent, as well as to provide educational and research material to enrich the public understanding of Kent's artistic and cultural heritage.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

All Aboard with the Easter Bunny

The Naugatuck Railroad will start running trains for 2016 season on the day before Easter, Saturday, March 26th, from Thomaston Station along the restored Naugatuck River to Waterville, up into the beautiful Litchfield Hills to the Thomaston dam, and back to the station.



The excursion is 17 miles and lasts about an hour and a quarter. This is a great way to say good-bye to Old Man Winter and to celebrate the beginning of spring. Every child will be greeted by the Bunny after the train leaves the station. The Bunny even welcomes selfies with all the kids and their families.  The Naugatuck Railroad offers one of the few opportunities for individuals, friends, and families to take a ride into our past, passengers collect their tickets in a 1881 classical late 19th century train station before boarding the 1920 antique coaches. The Naugatuck Railroad offers a great opportunity to experience the heritage of rail travel when the railroads were considered to be the most modern form of transportation as they predated modern air travel for the public.

Three train rides are scheduled on March 26th at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Fares for children 2 years old and younger are free, children from 3 to 12 are $16, adults are $18, and seniors 62 and older are $16. Tickets can be purchased online at www.rmne.org or phone 860-283-7245 anytime (24/7).



All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. Trains depart from Thomaston Station at 242 East Main Street, Thomaston. Passengers can pick up tickets at the Thomaston Station's “Will Call” window on the day of the event. Tickets are printed with your name.  Please arrive at the Station 30 minutes before departure time. Trains depart promptly at the scheduled times.

For more area information www.litchfieldhills.com

From birthday parties to corporate events, contact the RMNE to find out how the Thomaston Station and the Naugatuck Railroad can offer you a unique experience. The RMNE, located at the landmark Thomaston Train Station, is a not-for-profit, all volunteer, educational and historical organization that dates back to January 1968. The mission of the RMNE is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Do you know what is happening at the Glass House this spring?

The Glass House located in New Canaan Connecticut is celebrating its tenth year of offering tours of this magnificent property that was once the home of Philip Johnson and is now a National Trust Historic Site. The pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent collection of 20th-century painting and sculpture, along with temporary exhibitions. Tours of the site are available in May through November and advance reservations are recommended.

On May 1 through November 30 the Glass House will present an of Philip Johnson's birth, the Glass House will present Yayoi Kusama: Narcissus Garden. On view will be a new iteration of Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden (1966/2016). Comprising 1,400 mirrored globes, each approximately 11 inches in diameter, the Narcissus Garden will be installed within the pastoral 49-acre landscape of the Glass House campus.

Another exhibition that runs from May 1 - August 15 by Robert Rauschenberg: Spreads and Related Works is a group of paintings and works on paper chosen to compliment the painting Recital (Spread), 1980 which Philip Johnson purchased that same year and is now included in the permanent collection of the Glass House. This exhibition is organized by David White, Senior Curator of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

Two performances are planned for May.  The first one takes place on May 13 and 14 and is a new project by Gerard & Kelly, that brings into dialogue two homes lived in by the architects who built them - the landmark Schindler House in West Hollywood, California, and Philip Johnson's Glass House. The project explores themes of queer intimacy and domestic space within legacies of modernist architecture.

On May 22, there will be the first performance by Ivy Baldwin, a new piece commissioned by the Glass House, brings a powerful yet often hidden emotion to life within the Glass House and its dramatic grounds. Keen (Part 1) embodies the emotional and physical experience of loss, memory and holding love, and filters it through the lens of serene Modernism and chaotic wilderness.
The 2016 Glass House tour season will begin on May 1 and ends on November 30. Tickets for the 2016 tour season are on sale now. Tickets are required for admission. Advance reservations are highly recommended as tours often sell out. Please check ticket availability prior to your visit. For tickets by phone, please call 866.811.4111.
For more area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Learn about Iceland at Flanders Nature Center

On Tuesday, March 22nd, join area naturalists Peter and Barbara Rzasa

as they present a slide show of Iceland's geological features, flowers, wildlife and people that they encountered while traveling Iceland’s 832-mile long Ring Road.  On display will be samples of volcanic rocks, ash and basalt collected in Iceland along with samples of wool from Icelandic sheep.



Resting on the edge of the Arctic Circle and sitting atop one of the world’s most volcanically active hot spots, Iceland is a mix of majestic glaciers, bubbling hot springs, rugged fjords and towering waterfalls. Icelanders are a resilient people, living in active volcanic areas and enduring long, cold winter nights and summers where the sun shines at midnight. The country is a noted birder’s paradise famous for its population of Atlantic puffins, ptarmigan, artic terns, harlequin ducks and white-tailed eagles that are found along its 3,700 miles of coast. Iceland is also the home to hundreds of flowering plants including several varieties of orchids. The evening will include information, interesting stories, and a brief overview of Iceland and its natural history.

The program will be held at 7PM at the Flanders’ Studio which is located on the corner of Flanders Road and Church Hill Road in Woodbury. The cost is $10 for members or $15 for non-members. Those interested can register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org.or call (203) 263-3711, Ext. 10.

For more area information on what to see and do www.litchfieldhills.com

Friday, March 18, 2016

The Covered Bridges of Litchfield Hills

The Kent Historical Society is hosting a talk on the Covered Bridges of Litchfield Hills. Covered bridges that date back to colonial times are an iconic image of Northwest Connecticut, and the Kent/Cornwall area boasts some of the oldest of these structures still in existence in New England. On Sunday, March 20, 2016, at 2:00 PM at the Kent Town Hall, these beloved landmarks will be explored by an expert who knows their history and their engineering.

Author William S. Caswell Jr. will share many historic photographs and information gathered for his book, Connecticut and Rhode Island Covered Bridges, which boasts rare vintage images and postcard memories of days gone by.
During their heyday in the 1800s, more than 150 covered bridges dotted the landscape of Connecticut and Rhode Island, with many concentrated in the hills of northwestern Connecticut. Since then, fires, floods, and progress have claimed all but three of the historic structures.
Connecticut was the birthplace of two of the nation's best­ known covered bridge designers: Ithiel Town and Theodore Burr. Half of the covered bridges currently standing in the United States are supported by trusses patented by Town or Burr.
Kent's Bulls Bridge is an example of a modification of Town's lattice truss design, for which he received his first patent in 1820. The covered bridge in West Cornwall is another example of the modified truss design. They are two of the remaining three covered bridges in the state.
Caswell, an engineer for the NH Department of Transportation, is president and historian for the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, and also maintains a website dedicated to gathering and sharing covered bridge photographs and information.
Free to members; $5 suggested donation for non­members. For more information please call 860.927.4587 or email info@kenthistoricalsociety.org. For more information about the Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Take a ride on a vintage railroad in Danbury

The Easter Bunny will once again pay a visit to the Danbury Railway Museum and you can take a ride in a vintage train through the historic railyard to visit him. This popular annual family event will take place on March 19 & 20, and Friday & Saturday, March 25 & 26. Museum hours are 10:00-4:00 on Friday and Saturday; noon-4:00 on Sunday.



Trains leave every 30 minutes from 12:30 to 3:30. Admission is $10.00 (age 2 and over); each child will receive a small gift from the Bunny. Reservations are suggested and may be made by visiting the museum's Web site at http://www.danburyrail.org.
The short train ride in a fully-restored 1953 New Haven RR Rail Diesel Car (Budd RDC), will take visitors past the fully operational turntable, over 70 vintage railroad cars and locomotives, and many unique pieces of railroad history, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive built in 1907. The train ride will stop at the Easter Bunny's special railroad car. The museum's beautifully restored circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car will also be open.
Of course, the exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be open, along with a coloring station, temporary tattoos, Thomas® play table, and the operating model train layouts. A fully-stocked gift shop will also be open.
The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further information, http://www.danburyrail.org or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Artifact Identification Day at the Institute of American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut is hosting an artifact identification day on March 20 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This event is perfect for people looking for information about an artifact that you have you found or inherited.  Everyone is invited to bring their mysterious treasure to the Institute's Artifact Identification Day!
The  Institutes Director of Research & Collections, Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D.  will be on hand to identify objects and provide interesting commentary about your local stone objects and Native American cultural items.
Although, the Institute for American Indian Studies can't appraise or speculate about the value of an object, they  can certainly talk about the who, what, when, where, and how of your mystery items!
Please limit 12 artifacts per person. Museum Admission: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors; $5 Children (3-12 yrs.); IAIS Members Free.

After visiting the Institute be sure to stop in at one of the many wonderful restaurants in Washington including: GW TavernThe Pantry and the Mayflower Inn.
For more event information about Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Monday, March 14, 2016

Westport Playhouse Family Festivities

Westport Playhouse Family Festivities shows are presented on selected Sundays from November through April. Family Festivities Corporate Sponsors are Pitney Bowes and Northwestern Mutual. Family Festivities Partner is Darlene Krenz. The Family Festivities Series is also supported by the Westport Young Woman’s League.


Upcoming Family Festivities presentations are “Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey,” on Sunday, March 20, 1 and 4 p.m., a cosmic adventure with music about Marvin, the mouse, produced by Lightwire Theater; and “Are You My Mother?,” on Sunday, April 10, 1 and 4 p.m., a musical based on P. D. Eastman’s whimsical and well-loved picture book, produced by ArtsPower.
In conjunction with the Family Festivities Series, the Playhouse will once again host a book collection for Read to Grow, Inc., a statewide nonprofit organization that helps parents take an active role in their children’s literacy development by providing free children’s books to families with limited access and to community resources that serve them. At each Family Festivities performance, bins will be located in the Playhouse lobby for donations of gently used and new children’s books which will be given to families and programs in the greater Fairfield County area through Read to Grow. During last season’s Family Festivities series, the Playhouse collected nearly 300 books.
Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube 
For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

Friday, March 11, 2016

New Exhibition at the Bruce Museum Mianus River Gorge

The new exhibition at The Bruce Museum located on One Museum Drive in Greenwich is hosting a show celebrating Connecticut's Mianus River Gorge from March 12 through May 29, 2016. 

In 2013, in order to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its founding, the Mianus River Gorge organization gave renowned photographer William Abranowicz unrestricted access to the Gorge over the course of a year. This exhibition features selected photos from the book published to mark that anniversary. In his photographs, Abranowicz has captured the profound beauty and myriad faces of this primeval forest in our midst.
Only forty miles from New York City, the Mianus River Gorge is a 1000-acre island of forest and fields in suburban Westchester and Fairfield Counties, a rare, surviving remnant of this original, primeval forest found by colonial explorers. Steeped in history, the Mianus River Gorge or "the Gorge," is the first land project of the Nature Conservancy. It is also the nation's first registered Natural Landmark, as designated by the Federal Government in 1964.
Founded in 1953, Mianus River Gorge, Inc. is an independent, not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to preserve, protect and promote appreciation of the natural heritage of the Mianus River watershed through land acquisition and conservation, scientific research and public education throughout the region.
Mr. Abranowicz's photographs enable viewers who are already familiar with the Gorge a chance to see it year round, including when it is closed to the public for the winter season -- when the frozen trails crunch underfoot and the ice-covered river meanders through the deep hemlock valley. They also give viewers who have never visited the Gorge a real sense of what it is like to walk in this protected place, a place of rushing water, abundant wildlife and, of course, ancient trees.

About William Abranowicz
William Abranowicz has been a photographer for nearly 40 years.
His work is included in public, corporate, and private collections throughout the world, including The National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, The National Portrait Gallery in London, The Getty Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Menil Collection Library, Bibliothèque Nationale, The International Center of Photography, The Museum of Art at RISD, The Newark Museum, The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, and the Goulandris Museum in Greece.
His exhibitions include: Bonni Benrubi Gallery (NY), The Witkin Gallery (NY), Photographer's Gallery (LA), Afterimage (Dallas), The Thessaloniki Museum of Photography (Greece), The Skopelos Center for Photography (Greece), Batagianni Gallery (Greece), and Camerawork (Berlin).
He has been a contributing photographer to Condé Nast Traveler for 25 years, and his work has appeared in nearly every major publication in the United States, Europe, and Asia including The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, Vogue, Town and Country, Bon Appetit, Martha Stewart Living, and Gourmet.
A graduate of The School of Visual Arts in New York, early in his career he assisted famed photographers Horst P. Horst and George Tice. As a master printer, Abranowicz printed the work of Edward Steichen, Horst, George Hoyningen-Huene, and Michael Disfarmer. He taught photography at Parsons School of Design and The New School, and was an artist-in-residence at Peters Valley in Layton, New Jersey.
For more area information on Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Beardsley Zoo's Newest Arrival - A New Baby Anteater !

A Giant Anteater was born for the first time ever at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 13. The new addition and weighed 2.4 pounds at birth and is just over 14 inches.



Proud parents are first time dad "EO" and second time mom, "Pana." The pair was brought to Connecticut's only zoo with the hopes of successful breeding.

"Our fingers were crossed that our Giant anteaters would have babies and we couldn't be happier that the breeding was successful," Gregg Dancho, zoo director said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to follow the baby's growth and progress on our social media pages until the time comes for it to meet the public."



Female anteaters give birth to one offspring and the baby rides on mom's back for the first several months of life, occasional venturing off not too far from mom to explore its surroundings.

Anteaters can live up to 26 years old in captivity and are usually solitary animals. They can weigh up to 100 pounds, and are 5 to 7 feet long. Mother and baby are off exhibit, but should make their debut in the late spring.



Beardsley Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission (ages 12 & older) is $14, children (ages 3 -11) and senior admission (62 and older) is $11, and children under 3-years-old are free.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

CONNfection - food festival in Waterbury on March 9

The Palace Theater and Waterbury Neighborhood Council present the return of their third CONNfection event, a showcase featuring Connecticut made food, wine and craft beer, on Wednesday, Mar. 9, from 5:30p.m. – 8:30p.m. at the Palace Theater in Waterbury.  Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St. in Waterbury.



CONNfection attendees will have the delight of sampling some of the best locally sourced products that Connecticut has to offer, including pastas, sausages, artisanal breads, gourmet olive oils, smoked cheeses, specialty condiments, cookies, chocolates, cupcakes and more. Guests will also have the opportunity to sample an array of craft beers and fine wines from a variety of local breweries and vineyards.
Vendors scheduled to appear at this year’s event include 1249 Restaurant, Black Hog Brewery, Brass Works Brewing Company, Carrott Top Kitchens, The Cheesy Smoke House, Dottie’s Diner, Emelyn Sweets, Fascia’s Chocolates, Gift Baskets Galore, Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes, Hogan’s Cider Mill, Polly & Joan’s Cordial Company, Provender Catering, The Olive Oil Factory, The Pasta Gallery, Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Sweet Confections by Regina,  Sweet Maria's Bakery and others to be announced.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Palace Theater’s Annual Campaign, as well as the Waterbury Neighborhood Council’s work on behalf of all Waterbury neighborhoods.

For more area information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com