LEGOS AND LIGHTHOUSES BRIGHTEN THE SEASON

There’s no merrier place to be this season than Fairfield County in Western Connecticut where two of the most original exhibits in New England brighten the season at local museums.

A lavish moving landscape made of a billion LEGO® bricks delights visitors to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center while the 13^th annual Festival of Lighthouses contest at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk shows off dozens of fabulous new miniature creations.

WIDE WORLD OF LEGOS®

Trains and planes.  Cars, tractors and trucks.  Ships, shuttles and monorails. Helicopters and spaceships

Just about anything that moves on land, sea, air and space will be seen as colorful LEGO® sculptures, moving through a three-dimensional imaginary landscape at the Billion Bricks 2 exhibit at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center.  Everything in the amazing exhibit is made of LEGO blocks.

Master builder Bill Probert & I LUG (LEGO® Users Group) NY return to the Museum Galleries for a sixth season of their popular displays, promising a LEGO world that is even bigger and better this year. The exhibit runs  to January 25.

Starting in January, families are invited to make their own LEGO® creations in weekend workshops. 

Participants on Saturday, January 3 will build and race a LEGO® car while the group on Sunday January 4 will build and fly a Lego helicopter or space ship. Lights! Camera! Action! Animation 

Workshops on Saturday and Sunday January 17 and 18 for ages 10 and up will be led by Alex Kobbs, of KooberzStudios. Kobbs will teach techniques for film stop action animation using LEGO® creations and mini figures.

Workshops are limited in size and advance reservations are required.  Phone 203-977-6521 to register and see www.stamfordmuseum.org for more information.

LIGHTHOUSES LIGHT UP THE SEASON

Some are funny. Some are clever. Some are beautiful.

For the 13^th year, artists and would-be-artists will compete for the most original entry in the Festival of Lighthouses at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk from November 22 through January. 19.
The rules are simple.  Entries must be three to six feet tall and have a working light. They may not include animal remains such as shells. Beyond that, it’s up to the creators’ imaginations and the results are guaranteed to amaze. Past entries have been made of stained glass, stone, yarn, clay, candy and tiny coffee cups. One entry was made of holiday greeting cards, another included computer animation. One memorable entry featured all the makings of the 12 days of Christmas.

 This year's exhibit will showcase 24 lighthouses and there is no telling what the creative results will be. Aquarium visitors will follow these one-of-a-kind beacons through the galleries and then cast a vote for their favorite.  The winner takes home the $1,500 first prize. Runner-ups divide the rest of the $3300 in prize money.  To learn more, see www.maritimeaquarium.org.

For more information about holiday events and a free copy of Unwind, a full-color, 152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in Fairfield County as well as in the Litchfield Hills, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitwesternct.com.

/x

October Fun in Stamford

October is a busy month at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center and many family fun activities to celebrate the fall are planned. On October 13 for example, the Stamford Nature Center is planning a scarecrow-making contest that will take place from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.  Families are invited to create a life-size scarecrow that will be exhibited and entered in the scarecrow contest at Harvest Festival on Oct. 19 & 20. Materials are provided but families are encouraged to bring clothing or accessories to help with their creation.

On Monday, October 14 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. visitors are invited to explore the lives of the Woodland Indians that lived in Connecticut, as well as native cultures throughout the country.  Start the day off with a tour of the galleries and the newest exhibition, By Her Hand, to view Native art and the photographs of Edward S. Curtis. Stories will be told and a special hike on the trails will be offered that will highlight how Woodland Indians used the land, what food they ate and even how they brushed their teeth! Kids can create their own totem animal necklace, pinch pot and talking stick. The day will end around a campfire with a favorite campfire treat – S’mores!

On Friday, October 18 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the Museum and Nature Center will host an Oktoberfest on the Meadow that will feature Oktoberfest brews, Oktoberfest food favorites from Old Heidelberg, and live music from The Bavarian Boys, everyone’s favorite oompah band!  Each advance ticket purchased includes a commemorative SM&NC Oktoberfest 2013 pilsner glass. Advance tickets must be purchased by midnight on October 17.  In advance:SM&NC Member: $60 | Non-Member: $75 at the door: SM&NC Member $70 | Non-Member $85.  This event is for adults only.

The Harvest Festival is taking place this year on Oct. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and celebrates the fall season with a multitude of autumn themed events. Apple cider demonstrations, a scarecrow contest, pumpkin carving, a costume parade, and an apple slingshot contest are sure to provide fun for the whole family. Farm animal demonstrations, face-painting, live music, storytelling, children’s crafts, hayrides and much more round out the fun.  New this year at the Festival are food trucks including: Cowabunga, Hot off the Grille, LobsterCraft, Maddy's Food Truck, Skinny Pines and The Spud Stud. Daily Admission Fees: Members: $5 per person. Non-Members: $10 per person. Family PLUS and Director’s Circle Members and all children 3 & under: Free.

On Friday, October 25, the SM&NC will host a Spooktacular Animal Adventure from 6-6:45 for ages 3-6 and 7:15 – 8:15 for kids 6 and older.  Naturalists from Animal Embassy will introduce kids to some of the animals that haunt their dreams, make their "skin crawl," and the hair stand up on the back of their necks!  Naturalists will demystify these amazing creatures and help families to cross the line from fear to respect and appreciation. Members $5 per person/ Non-members $8 per person. 

On Sunday, October 27, from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. don your Halloween costume and head up to Heckscher Farm to trick or treat with your favorite farm friends! Grab a map and head off in search of different “treats” at the trick or treating stations around Heckscher Farm and find out what Dakota the Clydesdale, the calves Moose and Monty, or the new little piglets have to offer. Then, celebrate all things creepy and crawly at the annual “Ick Fest” at Overbrook Nature Center building where you can visit snakes, tarantulas, lizards, worms and other animals!

Stamford Museum & Nature Center

Stamford Museum & Nature Center, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art and popular culture, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community, and a focal point for family activity and interaction, seeking to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, promote environmental stewardship and nurture an appreciation for lifelong learning through exhibitions, educational programs, and special events that enhance the visitor’s experience of its unique site.

Stamford Museum & Nature Center is located at 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT (3/4 mile North of Merritt Parkway Exit 35.) For more information call 203.322.1646 or visit www.stamfordmuseum.orgwww.stamfordmuseum.org.

Hours: Heckscher Farm, daily 9 am – 5 pm; Animal Embassy, Tues. – Sun. 10 am – 2 pm; Nature’s Playground, daily 9 am – 5 pm; Bendel Mansion (main building), Mon. – Sat. 9 am – 5 pm; Sun. 11 am – 5 pm.

Unwind from the Daily Grind! Unwind from the Daily Grind! Travel tips, sneak peaks, special events, and first hand travel destination information… around the corner, up the street and around the county About Janet Serra CELBRATE THE FALL HARVEST AT STAMFORD MUSEUM AND NATURE CENTER OCT. 15 AND 16

The crisp days of fall are a glorious time of year in Connecticut and part of our New England Heritage. What better way to celebrate the fall than to visit the Stamford Museum and Nature Center www.stamfordmuseum.org this weekend for the Harvest Festival. The fair is located on 39 Scofieldtown Rd. in Stamford and takes place on October 15 and 16 from 11 am to 3 pm.

Kids will enjoy hayrides, apple cider demonstrations, a scarecrow contest, pumpkin carving, llama trekking, farm animal demonstrations and many other fun activities.

As Halloween is just around the corner, children are encouraged to wear a costume and participate in the Harvest Festival parade led by a special guest! Many other activities will keep families busy including an apple slingshot, corn husk dolls, live music, face painting, farm tool demonstrations, cauldron-cooked corn, storytelling, and children’s crafts.

A special highlight of this year’s harvest festival includes the chance to meet the newest members of Heckscher Farm – two female guinea hogs. Families are invited to help name these two new residents during Harvest Festival Weekend. Visitors can make suggestions for the piglets’ names as part of Stamford Museum and Nature Center’s “Name Our Pigs” Challenge. The people who suggest the winning names will receive free admission for four to the Maple Sugar Weekend (in March 2012) and Spring on the Farm Weekend (in May 2012) at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.