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.

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Maritime Aquarium "Festival of Lighthouses" through January 21, 2013

They’re beautiful. They’re funny. They’re clever. They’re intricate. They’re exquisite. Follow a festive path illuminated by 22 lighthouses – creatively built using everything from yarn and stained glass to coffee-creamer cups and personal computers – during the 11th annual “Festival of Lighthouses” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The lighthouses were built by local artists and amateurs looking for a challenge, by families that wanted to work together on a fun project, and by students fulfilling an assignment. Now through Jan. 21, 2013, Aquarium visitors can follow these homemade beacons through the galleries and then cast a vote for their favorite. The lighthouse that gets the most votes wins $1,500. The display is free with Aquarium admission.

Rules are kept to a minimum to allow for maximum creativity. Lighthouses must be 3 to 6 feet tall and have a working light, and may not include animal remains (such as shells). Beyond that, it’s up to the creators’ imaginations. The 22 entries include a lighthouse covered in crocheted yarn, a lighthouse with interactive computer animation and a lighthouse that amusingly represents the 12 days of Christmas. (For the partridge in a pear tree, look for a photo of the bus used on TV’s “The Partridge Family.”) There are lighthouses made of intricately cut pieces of stone, of stained glass, of punched tin and of tiny cups of diner coffee creamer.

Two lighthouses are modeled after real lights – the famous West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, ME, and the historic light in Sandy Hook, NJ.

The  Festival of Lighthouses is free with Maritime Aquarium general admission, which is $13.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors (65+) and $10.50 for children 2-12.

For more details about Maritime Aquarium exhibits, IMAX movies and programs, call (203) 852-0700 or go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.