INTRIGUE IS AFOOT AS LITCHFIELD, CT CELEBRATES SPY WEEKEND

The serene and beautiful village green in Litchfield, Connecticut hardly seems the setting for spies and intrigue. But during the Revolutionary War, this classic New England town in Western Connecticut was a hotbed of activity.  This surprising history will come to life during the Litchfield History Museum's Spy Weekend, September 19 to 21.

The special activities are added reason to discover Litchfield, a town also noted for its early architecture, Colonial inns, fine dining and great shopping. 

The fun begins on Friday night when a showing of the film, The Scarlet Coat, a 1955 swashbuckling historical drama starring Michael Wilding, Cornel Wilde, and George Saunders.  The movie tells of the creation of the first "American Secret Service," with Litchfield's own Benjamin Tallmadge in the main role (though Hollywood has changed his name).  The film will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Litchfield Community Center. Admission is free and popcorn will be served!

Author Richard Welch will discuss his new book on Benjamin Tallmadge, "General Washington's Commando." on Sunday at 3 p.m.  Welch will describe Tallmadge's roles during the Revolutionary War, including his work as intelligence and counter-intelligence officer, as well as dragoon commander and master of combined land-sea operations.  The program is free for members; $5 for non-members.

 A guided walking tour on Saturday at 10 a.m. will relive Litchfield during the Revolution, when families were divided by those loyal to the British crown and those seeking independence and intrigue were in the air. Guides will point out historic sites where prisoners of war were jailed, and where a military presence guarded stores and provisions.  The tour is free to members, $10 for non-members. Registration is required for the Saturday and Sunday programs, by email at registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org or by phone at 860-567-4501.

On Sunday afternoon, there will be an added bonus as the Litchfield Fire Company hosts the 131st annual state Firefighter's Convention ending with a parade featuring over 1,000 firefighters from all over Connecticut.

For information about lodging, dining and other activities in the area and a free copy of UNWIND, a full-color, 163-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in Fairfield County and the Litchfield Hills of Western Connecticut, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Renowned Author to Lecture on Celebrated Gilded Age Romance at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

On Wednesday, September 10, 2014, 11 a.m., at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue in Norwalk, CT, author Jean Zimmerman will give a talk entitled, Love Fiercely: A Gilded Age Romance. A book signing courtesy of Elm Street Books in New Canaan will follow the lecture.

A famous John Singer Sargent portrait inspired Ms. Zimmerman to research its subjects and write their love story. Edith Minturn was a beautiful heiress and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes, a wealthy young architect. Contemporaries of the Astors and the Vanderbilts, Stokes became a passionate preserver of New York history, Minturn the supermodel of their day, and together they battled on behalf of New York's poor and powerless as reformers. This lecture will explore the couple's era and their world, one of fantastic wealth, when a Madison Avenue scion was moved to create model tenements and a beautiful heiress found herself cast in gold, floating above the modern landscape of America.

This will be the fourth in a series of lectures entitled, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion: Seventy-Four Years of Culture - Art, Life, and Love, 1864-1938 by curators and experts in the field of Victorian era material life. The lectures are $25 for members, $30 for non-members per session. Please RSVP by Friday, September 5, 2014. The price includes lecture, lunch and a first floor Mansion tour. Lunch is courtesy of Michael Gilmartin's Outdoor Cookers. The chair of the Lecture Committee is Mimi Findlay of New Canaan. Please contact info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or 203-838-9799, ext. 4 to purchase tickets.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on schedules and programs please visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Don't miss the 37th annual Norwalk Oyster Festival

Don't miss the 37th annual Norwalk Oyster Festival that promises to be the biggest and bester ever!

Fun for families and friends from nine to ninety, the 37th annual Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival will be held this year from Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7. This year's entertainment highlights include music from nationally known-bands on all three days including Scott Stapp of Creed on Friday and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on Saturday at 9 p.m..  Festival goers will enjoy a wide variety of rides, cooking competitions, arts and crafts and a diverse assortment of attractions and entertainment that promise unforgettable fun.

A festival favorite  will feature the action packed Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show that will feature world champion lumberjacks demonstrating their log rolling, axe throwing, chopping, sawing, tree climbing and dragster chainsaw skills. This show will take place on all three days: Friday at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The New England Fishing Village with demonstrations, samples and displays as well as the International Food Court offering a diverse selection of dining choices add to the fun. 

For the Kids

The festival’s Pirates Coast Adventure will wow children of all ages. Here, kids can meet real life pirates and look for booty in treasure hunts, hear storytelling and join in other fun-filled activities. New this year will be realistic demonstrations. The Kids' Cove includes games, rides and entertainment. This interactive pirate encampment gives kids a taste of what seafaring was like during the golden age of piracy from 1650-1750.  In addition, there will be an action-packed performance by Marvel Super Heroes.

Sunday is Family Day with special family and children's packages for entrance, rides and meals. The perk of family day on Sunday is that one child under 12 gets in free with each adult paid admission and for a mere $15 can ride all the amusement rides free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. To round out the family fun there will be live shows for kids on the festival's main stage.

For the Whole Family

The festival offers a wide array of attractions the whole family will enjoy, including continuous entertainment by local musicians and national acts.  A multitude of fine artists and crafters display whimsical as well as practical items that appeal to all tastes, budgets and ages.  For on the water fun, head to the festival docks to tour historic vessels and to cruise the scenic and historic Norwalk Harbor.

For the Foodies

Food demonstrations and competitions, including the always-popular chowder and chili cook-offs will take place throughout the festival.  A highlight of the Festival is the wide variety of great food from around the world that is available at the International Food Court. This culinary fare is prepared by dozens of local nonprofit organizations allowing them to raise vital funds for their charitable causes.   At the Oyster Pavilion, learn about Norwalk's oystering history while watching slurping and shucking contests. The celebrity Slurpoff will be held on Saturday at 3 p.m. in front of Oyster Pavilion.

The event is held at Veteran's Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Admission for adults is $10 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Senior tickets are $10 all days. Children 5-12 year's old are $5. Children under 5 and U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. Sunday is Family Day with special pricing on that day only -- 1 child (age 5-12) free with each paid adult admission. Tickets can be purchased at www.seaport.org.  Free Parking and Free Shuttle Bus service is provided from four (4) local parking lots, just follow the signs to Oyster Festival Parking.

Save on Metro-North Railroad/Norwalk Oyster Festival Tickets

Festivalgoers can save on admission and rail fare when they purchase the Metro-North Railroad/Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival discount package. Packages are available at all ticket offices and ticket machines (except South Norwalk Station).  On sale starting July 15.  Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: Adults, $27; Seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $21; Children 12, $22; Children 5-11, $5; Children under 5, free. - See more at: http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_oyster_fest.htm

Packages also run from other stations.

About the Norwalk Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk's maritime environment and heritage. The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival. In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse and its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. For more information, visit www.seaport.org or call (203) 838-9444.

West Cornwall Scenery, Shopping & More

There are many reasons to visit the bucolic village of West Cornwall.  The West Cornwall Covered Bridge is a wooden lattice truss bridge built around 1864 that spans the Housatonic River.  This is one of two bridges that can actually be crossed by auto traffic.  Many visitors to West Cornwall take photos of this iconic covered bridge.

In the heart of the village there are several interesting shops to explore.  Cornwall Bridge Pottery http://www.cbpots.com owned by Todd Piker, one of the country's most prolific potters produces high quality wood fired pots for everyday use.  In his shop you will find lamps, planters, mugs, plates, bowls and much more.  In addition to pottery, you will also find an official Shaker Furniture Room.

If you are a book lover, don't miss Barbara Farnsworth Bookseller http://www.farnsworthbooks.com.  This shop is located in an old masonic hall and has over 45,000 books !  There are large selections in literature, biography, poetry, diaries and letters, art, architecture, photography, fashion and costume, natural history, cookbooks, children's books, and many other categories.

The Wish House is a gorgeous shop that offers a wide array of gift items and clothes.  The gallery at the Wish House exhibits the artwork of local artists and hosts author events.  The West Cornwall Farmers Market is also held here on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through October.

On Saturday, August 10 from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m., The Wish House is hosting a book signing with Cornwall Author and Illustrator Valorie Fisher and her new children's book I CAN DO IT MYSELF to benefit the Cornwall Child Center.  This beautifully illustrated book is the ideal all-in-one concept book for children, teaching them how to tie their shoes, brush their teeth, and much more. Award-winning author-illustrator Fisher uses bright, gorgeous photos to illustrate these topics in a completely fresh way, which is sure to delight parents and their children who are newly reveling in the joy of independence.

Coffee House at Westport Historical Society

On August 29 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. join songwriter Suzanne Sheridan and other local musicians for an evening of Civil Rights and Vietnam War protest songs in tribute to the late folk icon Pete Seeger.

The writer of such Sixties anthems as "If I Had a Hammer," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Turn, Turn, Turn," Seeger was also an environmental activist and co-founder of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater project. He died Jan. 28 at the age of 94.

The evening kicks off with a set by Weston's Bruce Taylor, a retired teacher and maker of string instruments who was a friend of Seeger's. Taylor specialized in the "Seeger- style" 12- string guitar and the long-neck five-string banjo that he created just for Seeger. He and Seeger collaborated on a few songs and also performed together, usually in support of the Clearwater project.

Sheridan, who began her music career writing jingles for such companies as Pepsi, Hasbro toys and Texaco and writing music for The Electric Company and PBS television, has been traveling the world the last three years doing tributes to the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. In addition to Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer," she will perform other favorites of the Counterculture era.

Also joining the songfest will be Westport keyboardist Bob Cooper. Cooper played piano in the John Mooney Blues Band from 1978 to 1981, and keyboard for Harvey Robbins' Doo-Wop Hall of Fame concerts from 2000 to 2009.

So, if you were wondering where all the flowers had gone back in the Sixties, or just love great music, come out to the Westport Historical Society on August 29 for an evening that combines Seeger's songs with a bit of recent U.S. history.

Admission is $15 and reservations are recommended. Light refreshments will be served. For more information and to reserve, call (203) 222-1424.

For more information on the Westport Historical Society http://westporthistory.org.

Sample Forgotten Drinks of the Colonial Era in Litchfield

Join the Litchfield Historical Society on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 6 pm for a lecture and guided tasting of long-forgotten colonial drinks. Author Corin Hirsch will talk about her new book, Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England: From Flips and Rattle-Skulls to Switchel and Spruce Beer and lead participants in a guided tasting of drinks featured in the book. 

Throughout the evening colonial music accompaniment will be provided by local musician Tom Hooker Hanford. Following the talk, please join us for a reception featuring historic cocktails and refreshments. This event will be held on the lawn of the Tapping Reeve House.


Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England, released by History Press this year, explores the origins of drinks popular in Colonial New England and offers revived recipes for today’s modern drinkers. Cocktails were popular with all ages and a huge part of social interactions, for everyone from farmers to founding fathers. Corin Hirsch explores the origins of these drinks and the culture they created for New Englanders. She offers reasons for certain combinations and tastes, and provides recipes for those wanting to drink like early colonists.  Hirsch is a food and drinks writer for Seven Days, a Vermont-based magazine. She used to tend bar in a sixteenth-century English pub. This is her first book.


Musician Tom Hooker Hanford has been delighting audiences with his singing and visual art performances for over 20 years. His shows feature sing-along songs, onstage participation, authentic costumes, and colorfully painted props and masks. He accompanies himself with guitar, harmonicas, violin, and other instruments. Tom has taught music for years and has recorded multiple CDs for children and adults.


Copies of Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England will be available for purchase. Tickets for this event are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Please call (860) 567-4501 or see our online registration site at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/lhs.


The Tapping Reeve House is located at 82 South St., Litchfield, CT. The rain location for this event is the Litchfield History Museum, located at 7 South St. For more information about this or other programs, please see www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org or call (860) 567-4501.