Gunn Historical Museum Reopens with Reception

What better than an invitation to a historic open house of a Connecticut gem in late February.  The public is invited to an open house at the Gunn Historical Museum on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 2-4pm, to view and participate in a new community-sourcing display in the Georgianna Middlebrook Room. They will even be serving George Washington’s famous “I Cannot Tell a Lie” Cherry Pie!

After having been closed to the public for over a year, the Gunn Historical Museum will now be open three days each week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11am-2pm. Museum volunteers have been busy working behind the scenes inventorying the collection and conducting research in preparation for the upcoming permanent Washington history exhibit, and some of their discoveries will be on display. The open house is also an opportunity to meet and welcome Lisa Breese, the Museum’s new Operations Manager.

In the new one room display, created by the Gunn Museum’s Exhibition Committee, the community is invited to participate in the planning process of the upcoming permanent Washington history exhibit, while enjoying a retrospective display of past exhibits. We would like to collect your stories, objects, and photographs of the people, places, and events that gave rise to the unique town we know today. We’d like you to share the history of your family in Washington and your favorite Washington memories, and let us know what topics you think should be included in a permanent exhibit about the history of Washington, Connecticut.

The snow date for the open house is Sunday, February 26. The display in the Georgianna Middlebrook Room will be open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11am to 2pm. Additionally, research can be conducted in the Museum by appointment. The Gunn Historical Museum is located at 5 Wykeham Road, the intersection of Wykeham Road and Route 47, in Washington, CT. For additional information view www.gunnmuseum.orgor call 860-868-7756.

Floral Design and Horticulture @ Garden Education Center Greenwich

The Garden Education Center of Greenwich located on 130 Bible St. in Cos Cob is hosting a series of horticultural and floral design programs in March. The floral design classes are taught by Trish O'Sullivan, and director of Trish O'Sullivan Floral Design LLC, located in NYC for 25 years, and Director of the prestigious New York Botanical Garden Floral Design program. The classes that Trish teaches will inspire floral designers and flower enthusiasts in creating beautiful floral designs that are uniquely their own. There are two ways to take the classes, by direct participation or by gallery observation. Gallery participants will have the opportunity to observe and take notes only for the entire class at a reduced rate which is specified under each program description!

On March 7 the theme is blue roses in leaf lined vessels. The stunning blue-purple, lavender and grey toned moody blues rose, along with its large blooming head and delicate fragrance makes the moody blues rose a treasure found for floral designers. The color palette will be complemented with purple blossoms, eucalyptus berries and a variety of textural floral material. Students will learn the technique for creating a "New York-Dome Style" arrangement. ​Details and reservations online.

On March 11,18 and 25, Trish is conducting a wedding day workshop. The first session will include:Bridal Bouquet and Tussie-Mussy hand held Mother-of-the-Bride bouquet. The second session will include: Bridesmaid Bouquet and Boutonnieres and the final session will include: Flower Crown & Flower Girl Baskets. The cost for all three sessions is $325 in addition to a material and class fee. For details and to sign up visit the website.

If you enjoy working with tropical flowers, don't miss the workshop on them that takes place on March 22. Orchids, Ginger, Mini-Pineapples and Parakeet Heliconia are among the exotic tropical flowers and leaves that will make a dazzling modern floral centerpiece for you to enjoy year round. Participants will learn how to select and care for tropical flowers along with all the design techniques for creating amazing floral displays with these stunning flowers of the jungle.

For garden lovers, the Garden Education Center has planned a Garden Tag Sale on March 1 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is something here for every gardener including new and old informational and coffee table books, cache pots, baskets, vases, hand tools, and much more.​

On March 23, David Culp will discuss trends in horticulture including the best trends of yesterday, today and tomorrow. David Culp has his finger on the pulse of the nursery and horticulture industry, particularly perennial plants. Hear what he has to say about trends in planting styles, container gardening, green and other trending garden colors, native plants, naturalistic plantings and more. The cost to attend this event is $35 for members of the GEC/$45 for non-members of the GEC For more information regarding David Culp, please click on the following link: www.davidlculp.com/bio.htm

Princess Parties and Date night promotions @ Palace Theater

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of The King & I and The Sound of Music, will play the Palace Theater in Waterbury February 24 – 26 for four performances, including two matinees. Tickets for CINDERELLA can be purchased online at www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St.

Adding to the fun for families attending one of the matinee performances either on Saturday February 25 at 2:00pm or Sunday, February 26 at 1:00pm, the Palace is hosting Princess Parties beforehand to enhance the magical experience. The Palace Princess will be on hand to greet young audience members dressed for the ball and pose with them for selfies. A complimentary treat and beverage is also part of this pre-show activity which begins one hour before each matinee's curtain time.

Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Originally directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, the tour is directed by Gina Rattan and choreographed by Lee Wilkins. Music adaptation and arrangements are by David Chase and music supervision is by Greg Anthony Rassen. Orchestrations are by Bill Elliott and are adapted from the original Broadway orchestrations by Danny Troob.

Another fun promotion leading up to the show's engagement entitled" If the Shoe Fits" allows all ticket buyers a chance to enter a drawing to win a Date Night gift package filled with some fabulous treats including:

Drive a BMW for the weekend Courtesy of Hoffman BMW of Watertown
Dine in Style with an Entrees & Encores restaurant Gift Card –$75 value compliments of one of the theater's Entrees & Encores partner restaurants Floral Bouquet – Compliments of Graham's Florist Sweets for Your Sweetie – compliments of Hardcore Sweet Cupcake.

All ticket buyers (regardless of when or how you purchased your tickets) are eligible to be entered into a random drawing for the Cinderella Date Night Package.

To enter, participants with a valid ticket must come to the Palace Box Office to try on the "Glass Slipper" courtesy of Kathy Faber Designs, have picture taken trying on the shoe, post the photo on either Facebook or Instagram, and tag the Palace Theater. A random drawing will take place the week of February 20 and the winner of the Date Night gift package notified.

Two Bridal Shows planned @ Delamar Hotels

To kick of the bridal season for 2017, the Delamar Hotels in Greenwich and Southport have planned to very special events to make planning this special day a snap!

The Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel and l'escale  located on 500 Steamboat Ave in Greenwich is hosting a bridal salon on February 26, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  This is the first bridal showcase to be held at the property.  The event hopes to inspire brides to be and to assist them in planning their special day. 

Guests will enjoy wine and appetizers from l’escale while you interact with top bridal professionals in the Fairfield & Westchester County areas who can assist  with your planning.   A fabulous bridal fashion show and on-site sample sale will be presented by Exclusive Bridal of Greenwich and will be featuring magnificent gowns for every taste, as well as Mother of the Bride/Groom dresses. Come alone or bring a friend, mother or your groom – all are welcome. All participants can enter for a chance to win one of a fabulous door prize. There is an RSVP required no later than Feb. 20 by calling 914-420-6283 or by emailing ljohnson@thedelamar.com.

The Delamar Southport located on 275 Post Road in Southport is also holding a bridal show on March 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This boutique event will allow brides to meet with vendors in an intimate setting, rather than the large, conference style shows. In addition to Intrigue Hair Salon and Hansen’s Flower Shop, this year’s list of vendors includes the following local boutique businesses: ● Noël 4 Travel - Providing clients with the very best in honeymoon services ● Pure Barre - Working with clients to get them in shape for their wedding day ● Jane La Motta Photography - Providing fine art photography for weddings ● DELAMAR SOUTHPORT - Classic setting for weddings ● Nicholson Events - Providing live entertainment, DJs and photo booths ● Palmer’s Bakery - Award winning bakery creating one of a kind cakes and desserts ● Fred Astaire Dance Studio - Helping to make the first dance magical.  

The fee to attend is $5, which can be paid on the Facebook Event page , or $8 on the day of the event.

Danbury's Chili Winter Warm Up Feb. 19

The Danbury Westerners have figured out a clever way to warm up to winter by sponsoring the highly anticipated annual Chili 5K Run that is being held on February 19 @ 10 a.m.at the Danbury Sports Dome.

The race is part of the Chili Winter Warm Up which is a family festival and chili cook-off also held at the Danbury Sports Dome on Sunday, March 26 at 1:00PM. The course is fast and flat, leaving from the Danbury Sports Dome, rolling into Bethel and back to the Dome. In addition, new for this year is USATF certification for the course.

Runners will be treated with refreshments in the Dome following the race including a hot bowl of chili. Age group awards will be presented in seven different categories and winter ski caps will be provided to the first 250 registrants. There will also be two free Kids Runs inside the Dome starting at 9:15AM. Children ages 5-8 will run one lap, and children ages 9-12 will complete two laps. There is no entry fee, and all registered children will receive a free t-shirt (while supplies last).

For additional information and registration for the Big Chili 5k, please visit www.hitekrecing.com or call (203) 241-4655. For registration for the Kids Run, please visit https://goo.gl/forms/I6WJCA2WJvtNrzAR2.

About Danbury Westerners

The Danbury Westerners compete in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, the premiere summer league for college athletes to play competitive, wooden-bat baseball in the New England region. The mission of the Danbury Westerners is to provide summer professional development baseball entertainment in the Greater Danbury CT and NY area to enhance social and economic development and add value to the quality of summer living and vacationing throughout the region. Funded in part by Major League Baseball, in 2017 the Danbury Westerners will be celebrating 23 years in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. To date 20 former Danbury Westerners have made the Major Leagues, and over 50 former Westerners were playing professional baseball in 2016

Savor CT 2017 in Naugatuck

 Once again this year the Naugatuck Historical Society is hosting the popular Savor CT at the Naugatuck Portuguese Club located on 110 Rubber Ave. on Feb. 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. This event  features just Connecticut businesses that carefully craft a multitude of goodies from beer and wine to all manner of food from chocolate to cookies!

Participants in Savor Connecticut includes: four breweries, two vineyards and four distilleries.  There will also be a great variety of food, all made in Connecticut to sample including the specialties of Nardelli’s, Mr. D’s Tavern, Fascia’s Chocolates, Avery Soda, Pepperidge Farm, Hummel and much, much more.  There will be over 30 vendors featured at the event.  Guests at the event will enjoy drinks, a commemorative glass as a souvenir, food, music and raffles from around the state. 

The event helps to support the mission of the Naugatuck Historical Society. The Society tells the stories of Naugatuck through programs, school visits, exhibits, articles and more. Currently the museum is located at 171 Church Street in Naugatuck, and is looking forward to moving to the Tuttle House when renovations are complete.

The snow date for this event is February 25, but only will be used in extreme weather conditions. Tickets are available at the museum on Church Street which is open 11-4pm on Saturdays or at Fine Wines and Liquors. Tickets are $15 for members of the Society or Portuguese Club when purchased in advance.  Tickets for non-members are $20 when purchased in advance.  All tickets at the door are $25.

For information on how to become a vendor, donate a raffle prize or to purchase tickets contact Wendy Murphy 203 218 5349, wendy.murphy@snet.net

SAVE THE DATE FOR PEQUOT LIBRARY’S MID-WINTER BOOK SALE PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND

 Pequot Library's Mid-Winter Book Sale is the little sister of the Library's nationally known Summer Book Sale. The Mid-Winter Sale is smaller but more intimate with many treasures and bargains to be found. The sale runs from Saturday, February 18- 19, from 9 am – 5 pm daily. The sale is in Pequot Library's Auditorium and admission is free.

Book Sale Categories include: Fiction/Classics; Mystery; Biography; History; Cookbooks; LPs; Children; CDs/DVDs/other media; Signed books; Vintage magazines (Life, photography journals -- e.g. Aperture and Eyemazing, and others, including a large collection of automotive magazines from the 70's). 

In addition to great books at great prices, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pianist, Mark Naftalin, and his talented friends will be performing live at Pequot Library's book sale from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. both days.

Please visit www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution.

A great way to spend a winter afternoon - Exploring the Mattatuck Museum

A perfect way to spend a cold winter afternoon is to wander through the galleries of the Mattatuck Museum located on 144 West Main Street in Waterbury. The museum is hosting several evocative exhibitions that run through March 12 including Components, the Art of Robert Cottingham, Winter Scenes, Linda Nelson, Ceramics by Mindy Horn and Ann Mallory and Zing by James Biederman.

 Robert Cottingham is known for his paintings and and prints of the urban landscape with its neon signs, movie marquees, and shop fronts, Robert Cottingham often uses letters and words, isolated and treated like objects, as carriers of style and meaning. This exhibition features subjects that were originally derived from engineering textbooks. These "components" are machine parts that were likely, facets of large industrial machines.

Another exhibition, Winter Scenes by folk artist Linda Nelson are the folksy scenes of simple life inspired by her childhood days on a farm in Illinois. Small towns and country settings provided imagery for the calendars and cards that has made her work familiar. More than 25 works of are make up this show and focus on Nelson's winter and holiday scenes. 

 If you like work in clay, don't miss the ceramic exhibit by Mindy Horn and Ann Mallory. Their works vary in size: some are delicately small, inviting close-up inspection, while others are imposing in scale. These technically and aesthetically ambitious works are experimental in shape and dazzle in an array of glazes. 

 Zing is an exhibition that features the artwork of  James Biederman who started painting minimalist drawings and wall sculptures that examined two-and three-dimensional ways of seeing in the 1970s. In recent years he has moved to painting boldly colored gestural abstractions. This exhibition of works completed since 2010 shows the current state of the artistic journey, the legacy of both abstract expressionism and minimalism, and the manner in which Biederman has taken these movements and reshaped them in new ways.

The Gallery is open Tues. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sun. noon to 5 p.m. For a free newsletter on events and things to do and places to go  visit www.litchfieldhills.com to sign up!

A Special Valentine's Day Tea @ New Canaan Historical Society

A ritual that once began as a way to quell hunger pangs between lunch and dinner has become a highly anticipated tradition hosted by the New Canaan Historical Society.

  Once again, this year the New Canaan Historical Society is hosting its 16th Annual Valentine Tea on Tuesday, February 14, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. There will be two tea sittings: the first at 1 pm and the second at 3 p.m.  A highlight of this event will be a performance by Ellen Taylor Sisson, a talented soprano from New Canaan that will entertain guests with her renditions of favorite love songs.

Sisson has appeared as soloist with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Sir Neville Marriner, conducting) and in the choruses with many of the world's leading orchestras. She has sung on The Late Show with David Letterman Show, A Prairie Home Companion, and for the New York City Ballet, to name just a few of her performances.

Attendees will enjoy samplings from a table loaded with petite sandwiches, scones, fancy cakes and chocolates following in the tradition of the earliest teas said to have begun in 1840 by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford. Reservations are required. $12 members and $15 non-members. Please call (203) 966-1776. The New Canaan Historical Society is located on 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840. www.nchistory.org

In Their Footsteps – Deborah Bonnell Paints Weir Farm @ Greenwich Historical Society

The Greenwich Historical Society will present In Their Footsteps – Deborah Bonnell Paints Weir Farm at the Storehouse Gallery Museum Shop from February 1 through 28. The exhibition will feature works painted by Bonnell as a 2016 artist-in-residence at Weir Farm.

Bonnell first became interested in American Impressionism as a docent at Bush-Holley Historic Site, where she studied and lectured on Cos Cob art colony history. Artist J. Alden Weir painted in Cos Cob and later settled with his family at Weir Farm, in Branchville (Wilton) CT, his home for thirty-plus years. Now a National Historic Site, Weir Farm was a setting, like Cos Cob, that American Impressionists loved and painted frequently. Weir's circle of friends, noted American artists John Twachtman, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent and Albert Pinkham Ryder, often visited and drew inspiration from the farm's bucolic vistas, many of which remain intact today.

Bonnell, as artist-in-residence in September 2016, was able to spend three weeks exploring the very same paths, meadows and woods that these prominent artists walked a century ago. Using oil on canvas, encaustic on panel, watercolor on paper and even iPad digital paintings, she captured her own impressions. Says Bonnell, "As a landscape painter, I was able to immerse myself, not only in the beauty of the place, but in being removed from our hectic, modern sense of time and to imagine what it must have been like there at the turn of the twentieth century. I have come full circle. By working on the same ground as these artists whom I have come to love, I have connected on even more levels."

Deborah Bonnell holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, has studied at the R&F Pigments Encaustic Workshop in Kingston, NY and has done various residencies at Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. She is a former resident of Greenwich and currently resides in Norwalk. Her work has been exhibited at shows and galleries in Connecticut, New York and Texas since 1985.

The Greenwich Historical Society is located on 39 Strickland Road in Cos Cob.  The Gallery is open all year, Wed. - Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. 

Adopt-A-Tree @ New Canaan Nature Center

The New Canaan Nature Center lhttp://www.newcanaannature.org/ocated on 144 Oenoke Ridge is offering an "adopt a tree" program once again this year...not just any tree, but one that produced maple sugar!  Families, individuals or groups get a chance each year to adopt the New Canaan Nature Center's sugar maple trees and enjoy the nature center from a unique and exciting perspective where they actually participate in this time honored tradition of New England...the art of maple sugaring!  The New Canaan Nature Center taps nearly 50 trees throughout the property with some trees being robust enough to handle 2-3 taps each!

This program begins with the Adopt a Tree Kickoff Event on Feb. 11, 2017 when families or groups come to the center to choose their tree and put a tap in it, a process that takes around an hour to complete.  After the tap is put in the tree, participants are invited to come to the center to collect sap  between one to three times a week - depending on sap flow conditions for the entire syrup season  that typically  lasts four to six weeks.  After all the sap is collected, participants are invited to take part in the boiling down process where the sap is transformed into "real" maple syrup.  

Participants are also invited to two maple themed events including a  Maple Syrup Pot-Luck Dinner where each family or group will receive their own bottle of New Canaan Nature Center maple syrup and the  March 18th Syrup Saturday Festival - a pancakes & pjs brunch with tons of fun syrup-related activities! 

The cost to participate in this program is $75 per group/family. Multiple families can adopt the same tree and share the cost. However, at the end of the program, only one jar of syrup is provided. There will be three tap times on Saturday, February 11th at 10:00 A.M., 11:30 A.M., and 1:00 P.M.. At registration, you will be asked to select one of these three time slots.  Can't make it on the 11th but still want to participate? No worries! Once registration opens in early January, give us a call at (203)-966-9577 x20 and we'll be happy to set up a makeup date for you and your family/group to come select your tree. 

For more event information on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County and to sign up for a monthly newsletter visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.comhttp://www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Confessions of an Urban Archaeologist: An Afternoon with Greg Van Antwerp in Easton

One man's trash is another man's treasure and for more than 30 years, Greg Van Antwerp has been digging for treasure through every estate, garage and tag sale he could find. What does he have to show for it?  If you are curious then head to the Easton Public Library on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. to find out! 

In 2009, Greg began blogging about his discoveries by creating: Confessions of an Urban Archeologist. There he presents over 500 posts with photos, videos, and stories documenting the “best of” what he has discovered in his journeys. His approach is to not only share his “finds” but asks readers for their assistance in helping him understand what he has found, while inviting readers to share stories of their finds as well. Greg’s blog has benefited from the community of the curious who have stopped by to read, comment, or contribute articles. 

In 2011, Greg began writing for Patch.com. Under an earlier version he was able to reach over 200 locations across the country. Today he is back to posting on a single patch town. Greg can still be found in the "Patch Voices" section which is distributed nationally to over 900 Patch locations. It is more difficult to engage readers than before, but the exposure is appreciated.

In early 2013, he was invited to speak before an audience in New Canaan, CT; this began an on-going lecture series for libraries, historical societies and community groups in and around Connecticut. In a 60-minute interactive presentation using digital images and video clips, Greg provides a look at some believable, and some unbelievable discoveries, taking pleasure in the rescue, restoration and return of these items when possible.

Greg’s professional life has been spent working in community television for over 20 years. He also enjoys cartooning, photography, and writing. He is a devoted father and husband and during his weekend treasure hunts Greg is known to travel with his favorite companion/assistant - his daughter by his side.