July at the Beardsley Zoo a month of Family Fun

July at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport on 1875 Noble Ave. has a host of activities that promises fun for the whole family. Take the Rainforest Reptiles for example that are back at the Zoo by popular demand from July 1- 31.  These reptile shows feature exotic crawlers, unusual slitherers, and fascinating creepers, all of which are creatures of the rainforest. Participants will experience direct contact with live animals, artifacts, and hear fascinating stories about these unusual animals and their natural habitats. There are two shows daily Tuesdays – Thursdays and three shows on Friday – Sunday.

To celebrate July 4, take part in the Red, White and Blue Animal Scavenger Hunt from 9 am – 4 pm.  This self-guided hunt will challenge visitors to find all of the animals sporting patriotic colors. (Ex. red wolf, white swans, (blue) poison dart frog) – and many more! Don’t miss the special “Animal Bytes” presentation about the American Bald Eagle.

There are five sessions of “Zoo Patrol”, the first from July 7-11 and the second from July 14-18. These sessions are followed by a Zoo Patrol from July 20-26; July 21 – 25 and July 28- August 1.  The Zoo Patrol offers children ages 6 – 8 the opportunity to participate in keeper talks, behind-the-scenes tours, animal related games, and crafts. Hands-on lab activities and nature studies may also be a part of the program. Sessions run on zoo grounds Monday through Friday. Each week is $140/child for Zoo members and $165/child for non-members.Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, please call 203-394-6563.

An evening lecture series is offered on July 16 at 7 p.m. on Coyotes in Connecticut. Guest lecturer Chris Vann will share the latest information about Connecticut’s growing population of coyotes, the risk they pose, and popular misconceptions about them. A $5 suggested donation is recommended. Refreshments will be served. This lecture, taking place in the Hanson Exploration Station, is part of the Evening Lecture Series, sponsored by Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Volunteer Association.

To round out the month, the ever popular and family favorite Chris Rowlands will be at the Zoo at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Rowlands is famous for getting everyone involved, as he brings animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets, and colorful props. Chris creatively blends music, comedy, and education to create fast paced, interactive shows that teach and inspire young people. Children are invited to wear fun hats and sing along with Rowlands on stage as he shares his self- penned songs about animals and their environment. Best of all these performances scheduled on July 26 and 27 and July 31 are free with paid admission to the Zoo. Each performance is 30-35 minutes long.

The Beardsley Zoo is located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport.  Connecticut’s only zoo features 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Visitors won’t want to miss our Amur (Siberian) tigers and leopard, Brazilian ocelot, Mexican wolves, and Golden Lion tamarins. Other highlights include our South American rainforest with free-flight aviary, the prairie dog exhibit with “pop-up” viewing areas, the New England Farmyard with goats, cows, pigs, sheep, and other barnyard critters, plus the hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, and more. Visitors can grab a bite at the Peacock Café, eat in the Picnic Grove, and enjoy a ride on our colorful carousel. For more information, visit beardsleyzoo.org. For information on Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Litchfield Historical Society to Host Ceremonies, Games, and Pet Parade on July 4

credit: Litchfield History Museum

The Litchfield Historical Society will hold its annual Pet Parade and Turn-of-the-Century Fest on Thursday, July 4th. Residents and visitors alike  with or without pets are invited to participate or to observe. Pets of any kind are welcome, but all pets must be either on a leash or in a cage and, where applicable, must come with a rabies certificate.

To register for the parade, call the Historical Society at (860) 567-4501 by Friday, June 29.

The Turn-of-the-Century-Fest will also include an ice cream social, with ice cream generously donated by Peaches and Cream, and old-fashioned games. Fest participants will have the opportunity to compete in egg and spoon races, a tug of war, a sunflower seed spitting contest, and three-legged races.

The event is free and open to the public. Also, admission is free of charge on July 4 to both the Litchfield History Museum and the Tapping Reeve House & Law School.

Check-in for the parade will begin at the Litchfield History Museum, 7 South Street, at 2:15 pm. The actual parade will commence at 2:30 pm. For more information, contact the Litchfield Historical Society at (860) 567-4501 or by email at education@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

For information about the Historical Society visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Caroline's Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival in Litchfield Hills

Fairy Parade

Connecticut Landmarks' Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden located on 9 Main Street in the scenic village of Bethlehem in the heart of the Litchfield Hills will host the fourth annual Caroline's Enchanted Garden: Fairy & Wizard Festival, on Saturday, May 11th, from 1 to 4 pm.  

Children and families can participate in many magical activities offered at this unique festival for kids.  One popular activity is for kids to make a basket fairy house out of all natural materials including bark, leaves, twigs, pine cones, and moss to create a charming little home that any fairy would be pleased to move in to. Kids can bring the fairy house home as a souvenir or find a place for it in the Fairy Village to remain throughout the summer on the grounds of the Bellamy-Ferriday Gardens.  Another activity for kids is to follow the trail of fairy house's & woodland creatures made by staff and volunteers to the Fairy Village. Materials will also be available in the Fairy Village to make a fairy dwelling to stay on the property.

Fairy Castle

Back by popular demand, Cyril May, the Resourcerer and Director of Yale Recycling, will incorporate magic into a program that teaches children about the value of preserving open space using fairy and animal stories. He will tell tales while performing tricks around the Bellamy- Ferriday grounds, and give a Recycling is Magic show.

Other activities include a Garden Wizard offering children the opportunity to pot a small plant for Mother's Day, a strolling musician, story reader and puppeteer Sue Meister, pony rides with Joan Coogan of Watertown's Pony Tales and a game circle. Children are encouraged to come in fairy and wizard costume, and kids of all ages are invited to participate in hands-on craft activities, including making fairy wands out of apple tree suckers from the Ferriday orchard and creating wizard hats. The afternoon will conclude with a fairy and wizard parade around the Bellamy-Ferriday grounds.

Admission is $5 per person; $20 families/$15 CTL Member families.  http://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-gardenhttp://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-garden.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

About the Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

The Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, located at 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem is open May through October. Hours are as follows: May – September, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 12 – 4pm; October, Saturday & Sunday 12 – 4pm. Open on Monday Holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for students, teachers and seniors; $4 for children age 6-18; children under 6 and Connecticut Landmarks' members are free. Families, 2 adults with children, are $15; groups of 10 or more are $5 each. For school groups and special curriculum-based programming, to reserve tours for groups of 10 or more, or to rent the facility, please call the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden at (203) 266-7596.

Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden embodies the dramatically different passions of two extraordinary individuals. Bethlehem pastor Rev. Joseph Bellamy, a renowned leader of the Great Awakening, the emotional religious revival of the 1740s, built the house around 1754. In 1912, New Yorkers Henry and Eliza Ferriday acquired it as a summer residence. Mrs. Ferriday and her daughter, Caroline, designed a formal garden which today features historic-style roses, peonies, and lilacs. The Ferriday's other landscape improvements make the site a destination for gardeners. Caroline, an actress, conservationist and philanthropist, deeded the property and furnishings to Connecticut Landmarks on her death.

About Connecticut Landmarks

Founded in 1936, Connecticut Landmarks is the largest state-wide heritage museum organization in Connecticut. The historic landmark properties include: the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, Bethlehem; the Butler-McCook House & Garden and Main Street History Center, Hartford; the Buttolph-Williams House, Wethersfield; the Hempsted Houses, New London; the Isham-Terry House, Hartford; the Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry; and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden, Suffield.

Connecticut Landmarks' mission is to inspire interest and encourage learning about the American past by preserving selected historic properties, collections and stories and presenting programs that meaningfully engage the public and our communities. For more information, please visit www.ctlandmarks.org.

Greenwich Historical Society Bike Tour of Greenwich Point

Pond at Greenwich Point with Tod Mansion in Background circa 1935, Collection of Greenwich Historical Society

The Greenwich Historical Society will sponsor a "Greenwich Point History on Wheels" family bike tour on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Join them  to explore the rich history of Greenwich Point and learn how an idyllic 19th century island estate (complete with private golf course), built by millionaire J. Kennedy Tod on the original 1640 Greenwich founder's Elizabeth Neck, evolved into the fabulous recreational Town park it is today.

Participants will engage with local historians stationed throughout the park to learn about the original beachfront golf course; about the groundbreaking architect who designed the award-winning (newly restored) Innis Arden Cottage; about the humble origins of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club; about the historic "Chimes Building" uses; why the Eagle statue stands guard over the estate's pond and much, much more. As you cycle through the tour, you'll stop along the way to hear stories, take a closer look at some of the ruins, and see vintage photos from the Historical Society's collection that capture snapshots from different eras. Kids will enjoy their very own scavenger hunt as part of the tour. Don't miss the chance to learn more about this beloved fixture of the Greenwich landscape and how it evolved over time.

"Greenwich Point History on Wheels" is being held in conjunction with the "Experience the Sound" celebration co-sponsored by the Greenwich Shellfish Commission and To The Point whose aim is to expand the community's awareness of coastal marine life, nature, outdoor recreational pursuits and the environment by showcasing local organizations .and education institutions that care for and promote them.

Participants will gather at the first parking lot on the right after entering the park.  The tour is open to bike-riding singles, families and children over seven years old who are able to ride a bicycle. Bring bikes and wear bike helmets (water bottles also recommended). Tours will begin at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. Admission is free but reservations are recommended. To reserve a space, or for additional info, please call 203-869-6899, Ext. 10. For more information visit http://www.hstg.org. For area information visit http://www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com