Celebrate Fairfield Connecticut's Musical Heritage

Fairfield’s new exhibit, Fairfield’s Rockin’ Top Ten that celebrates 10 musicians who have helped create this community’s musical legacy features rare photographs, music videos and iconic artifacts from a diverse list of artists, including: Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson, The Remains, Leonard Bernstein, David Brubeck, Jose Feliciano, Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth, Richard Rodgers, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, Keith Richards and Donna Summer. This exhibit runs through April 28, 2014.

Several interesting programs are taking place at the Fairfield Museum and History Center that compliment this program.  The first program takes place on February 9 at 3 p.m. and is titled A Friendship in Music and will feature pianist and Fairfield University professor Orin Grossman. This performance and lecture traces the influential friendship between Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, with live accompaniment of their early collaborations. Members: $5; Non-Members $10.

On February 14 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. there will be a family focus session focusing on the Genius of Love.  Participants are invited to listen to the fun music and songs of love from Fairfield’s Rockin’ Top Ten while making some cool crafts. This event is free with admission.

Orin Grossman

On February 23, at 2:30 p.m. there is an adult lecture called Home of the Happy Dancers: The Story of Bridgeport’s Ritz Ballroom with author Jeffrey Williams. This lecture will focus on the roaring twenties to the rockin’ sixties, when the Ritz was one of New England’s foremost dance palaces and offered a respite for people who danced their cares away. The cost of the lecture is $5 for non-members and members free.

The Fairfield Museum is located on 370 Beach Street in Fairfield. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For additional information www.fairfieldhistory.org.  For area informationwww.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Secret of Circles at Stepping Stones

What do a bagel, a ball and a banana all have in common? Cut them through the center and each one has a circle inside! Circles are extremely familiar because they are simply everywhere, but why? The solution to this mystery and many others can be found by exploring Secrets of Circles, a new 2,000-square foot exhibit  at Stepping Stones Museum for Children through January 5, 2014.

Circles are pretty amazing shapes. If you look around, you'll find them in the wheels of a car, the clocks on the wall, the Frisbees you play with or the tortillas on your table. So simple, and yet so incredibly powerful, the circle is found in many places in nature and has been used in many ways by people throughout time and across cultures. But why are they so ubiquitous? What makes them the best shape for both pizza and a barrel? What other secrets can they possibly have?

Discover the secrets at Stepping Stones this fall. Explore this intriguing phenomenon with eighteen interactive, original components that place visitors at the center of experiences rich with the math, science, engineering, and beauty of circles. Whether you are drawing a perfect glow-in-the-dark circle at the Compass Table or building your own gear contraptions in Gear UP!, children and adults alike are uncovering the properties of a simple shape with powerful applications.

Circles are one of the first shapes that very young children learn to identify. As children get older, studying circles helps them understand basic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) concepts. The exhibit is not only educational, but provides hands-on activities that are really fun for children and families.

Secrets of Circles is designed to intrigue a wide range of ages, as well as visitors from different backgrounds. Signage is tri-lingual, (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) and spaces are wheelchair accessible. The rich colors, beautiful bamboo plywood, eco-friendly building materials, and cultural and historical artifacts within the exhibit represent people and circles from around the world and over time. The exhibit will inspire many questions and encourage further investigation.

Visit Secrets of Circles and your world will suddenly be transformed into a delicious puzzle for your investigation. After all, circles are everywhere, and each circle has a secret for you to uncover!

ABOUT STEPPING STONES MUSUEM FOR CHILDREN

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children's museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm; and Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday—Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 am-5pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more visit steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.

Coming to America: Washington's Swedish Immigrants

The Gunn Memorial Museum on 5 Wykeham Road in Washington Connecticut is exploring its' European roots with a new exhibit that runs through January 12, 2014 called Coming to America: Washington's Swedish Immigrants.  This exhibition shares the little-known story of Swedish immigration to this small New England town.

Known for their superior agricultural skills, 1.3 million Swedes immigrated to America during the 19th and 20th centuries, escaping conscription, famine, and poverty. Washington, Connecticut became one of their new homes, where many found employment as laborers and servants on local farms and estates owned by wealthy New Yorkers.

Beginning in 1870, over one hundred Swedish families settled in Washington and built two churches across the street from each other. One, the Salem Covenant Church, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Swedes made up 22% of Washington's population in 1910, and many of their descendants still reside in town today. This exhibit tells their story.

The Gunn Museum is located at 5 Wykeham Road, at the intersection of Wykeham Road and Rt. 47, on Washington Green. The Museum is open to the public Thursday through Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday from 12pm-4pm. Call the Museum at 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnlibrary.org for more information.

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.

By Her Hand: Art of Native American Women & the Photographs of Edward S. Curtis

The Stamford Museum and Nature Center's new art and photography show, By Her Hand: Art of Native American Women and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis is taking place through December 1 and provides the opportunity to "meet" the Native American women that have combined natural resources with trade goods to produce extraordinary works of art. Selected from the permanent collection of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, their works are paired in this unprecedented exhibition, with the iconic photographs of Edward S. Curtis, who captured the last vestiges of traditional Native American culture in the western United States. His mission was to safeguard a sacred legacy by preserving traditional culture and personal histories through his photographs. This exhibition offers a palpable connection between object and artist and provides a powerful opportunity to experience Native American art and culture.

Women who developed styles and techniques that elevated the shapes, patterns and functions of utilitarian objects, such as basketry, pottery, textiles and beadwork, into works of art were identified as true artisans and their highly-prized works are part of this exhibition. Through Curtis' photographs, you can look into the eyes of a young girl who learned to adapt, yet remained determined to preserve her traditional culture.

Noted Native American artists from Alaska to Arizona, whose exquisite works are on display, include: Sally, a Wasco basket maker whose corn-husk creations were copied, but never duplicated; Maria Martinez, a Tewa/Tano potter who revived and protected the ancient secret of creating jet-black pottery; Scees Bryant Possock, a Washoe basket artist and sister-in-law of Louisa Keyser (Dat-so-la-lee); and Joseppa, master of the Pomo miniature basket. See Nampeyo, photographed painting one of her signature pots, and view an actual Tano bowl attributed to her.

The Bendel Mansion Museum Galleries are open, Monday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm; Sundays 11 am – 5 pm. Members: Free /Non-Members: Free with gate admission. For more information visit www.stamfordmuseum.org or call 203.977.6521.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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.

8th Annual Watertown House Tour September 28

The 8th Annual Watertown House Tour will take place on Saturday September 28 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Five fabulous homes will be featured in this year's tour.

The Mailhot House at 26 Sunset Avenue was built in 1900 and was originally going to be a barn.  Today, this quaint house with its’ split rail fence and lovely front porch has beautiful woodwork throughout and is appointed with furniture made by the current owner.  Outside there is a display of classic cars.

The Guernseytown Schoolhouse at 1121 Guernseytown Road was built in 1848 and served as a school for 84 years until it was closed in 1932.  The current living room was the original classroom area.

Hotchkiss House at 237 Skilton Road built around 1800 has a modern addition. Entering the old section of the house visitors will notice wide chestnut floors, horsehair walls and low sloping ceilings.  Interesting collections from the owners’ travels are displayed though out the house.

The Silo at 25 Caruso Drive overlooks Lake Winnemaug, a man-made lake that was created as a feeder pond for the Oakville Company, also known as the Pin Shop. This house, with its distinctive silo and cobblestone driveway, was designed to look like a barn by the homeowners in collaboration with Litchfield architect Clifford Cooper in 2010.

The Wasilauskas House at 89 Maple Avenue built in 1910 has the distinction of being in the same family for nearly one hundred years. This arts and crafts style bungalow with its columned wraparound porch recently went through a major facelift, but it remains on the original footprint. Before you leave don’t miss the beautiful grounds and fieldstone barn.

The Watertown Historical Society Museum and the Nova Scotia Schoolhouse at 22 DeForest Street will also be open for viewing.

The Watertown House Tour is a benefit for the Watertown Historical Society Museum in Watertown, CT. The Watertown Historical Society is a private, nonprofit, all volunteer organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing Watertown and Oakville's history through the Museum.

Advance tickets are $25 per person, and will be $30 the day of the tour. Tickets for this self-guided house tour are non-refundable & can be purchased by mailing a check or money order to:

Watertown House Tour

22 DeForest Street

Watertown, CT 06795

Checks should be made payable to the "Watertown Historical Society". Tickets can also be purchased online with a credit card or Paypal at: www.watertownhistoricalsociety.org

Tickets and maps will be mailed to those that make advance purchases. Advance orders must be received no later than Friday September 20th. Requests for tickets after this date will be held for pick-up on the day of the tour at the Museum.

Tickets are available at the following retail locations: LaBonne's Market in Watertown, Chubba's in Watertown, the Health Complex, The Watertown Library, Hosking's Nursery, Depot Square Farm Shoppe, and Jimmy's of Watertown. On the day of the tour tickets will be available at all of the businesses, all of the houses and at the Museum, which will be tour headquarters. Call the Museum at 860-274-1050 or view www.watertownhistoricalsociety.org for more information.

Artist: Lorraine DeRoyal

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Run for the Woods on September 7

If you enjoy walking and running on beautiful nature trails then join the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA) for the Annual Run for the Woods on Saturday, September 7 at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area located on Rte. 69 about three miles south of Rte. 4 in Burlington CT.

CFPA advocates for people that love the outdoors and together with the support of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Fleet Feet they have organized a 10K Trail Race that begins at 8:30 a.m., a 5K Trail Race at 9 a.m. and a 5K walk at 9:15 a.m. at Sessons Woods. 

Participants will walk or jog on beautifully maintained trails and will pass by wetlands, meadows, and a beaver pond.  Lucky participants may even catch a glimpse of a pileated woodpecker, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and a majestic broad-winged hawk.

Registration fees are $25 for the 5K run or walk, and $35 for the 10k run. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the race. If you can’t join in the events, and love the outdoors, you might consider making a general donation to CFPA or dedicating it to one of the runners or walkers. All donations go to the protection of Connecticut forests and trails. For more information, registration, and pledging guidelines visit www.ctwoodlands.org/runforthewoods2013.

About Sessions Woods

The biggest threat facing CT’s wildlife is the loss of habitat.  Since more than 90% of land in CT is privately owned, the Wildlife Division established the Sessions Woods Management Area to begin to meet the needs of the State’s wildlife.

Sessions Woods is more than a tract of natural land set aside for wildlife, it also introduces visitors to wildlife and natural resources management through a variety of educational programs, demonstration sites, displays and self-guided hiking trails.

When you walk the trails here, you experience more than just the benefits of a healthy hike in the fresh outdoor air. Along the sides of the Beaver Pond Trail, Forest Meadow Trail and in the Backyard Habitat Demonstration Area you will find demonstrations of wildlife and habitat management practices.

About CFPA

The CFPA is Connecticut’s first nonprofit conservation organization that was established back in 1895 and is best known for maintaining the 825-mile Blue Blaze hiking system.  Their mission is to protect forests, parks, walking trails, and open spaces for future generations by connecting people to the land. CFPA directly involves individuals and families, educators, community leaders, and volunteers to enhance and defend Connecticut's rich natural heritage. CFPA is a private, non-profit organization that relies on members and supporters to carry out its mission.

CFPA envisions Connecticut as a place of scenic beauty whose cities, suburbs, and villages are linked by a network of parks, forests, and trails easily accessible for all people to challenge the body and refresh the spirit. They picture a state where clean water, timber, farm fresh foods, and other products of the land make a significant contribution to our economic and cultural well being.

For more information http://www.ctwoodlands.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com