Music Under the Stars in January?

Yes!  The Discovery Museum's Planetarium presents "To the Stars and Back" on Saturday, January 22, 2011 from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.  http://www.discoverymuseum.org

This presentation in the Henry B. duPont III Planetarium is  a natural combination--timeless music played under the dome of the starlit heavens.  Music will be provided by The Haven String Quartet, an ensemble of exceptionally talented musicians who have performed around the world.  A star show will accompany and inform the musical presentation.

The program will feature "Tenebrae," an original work by Osvaldo Golijov (2000) inspired by a unique juxtaposition of events experienced within a week's time--a visit to Israel during a time of great strife followed by visit to New York's planetarium--and "String Quartet No. 5," Philip Glass, Composer (1991).  Discussion will follow.

There is limited seating so make sure to RSVP by  Thursday January 20, 2011.  The tickets are $15 per person and  $10 for Discovery Museum Members with Membership Card  Light refreshments will be offered. To reserve your tickets in advance, please call 203-372-3521 with your credit card information or send your check with name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address  to The Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604, Attn: Music Haven

Warm Up the Winter at the Zoo!

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, the state's only Zoo, has an exciting February planned with most events and activities free with the cost of admission.  From a Black Tie Ball to a celebration for the Year of the Rabbit and a February Folic for children  there is plenty of winter fun for the entire family.

On February 5, from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, there will be a Asian New Year Celebration.  Children will join with their friends to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with special stories, crafts, a children's parade, and many more fun activities.  Snow date is February 12.

The elegant black tie Red Ribbon Ball will be held on Feb. 5th at 6:30 pm at the The Waterview, 215 Roosevelt Drive in Monroe.  Dinner, Dancing and a live silent auction honoring Charles Carroll, director of public facilities for the City of Bridgeport are in store for those in attendance.  For a table of ten the cost is $1,500 or $150 per ticket. Sponsorships are available.  For information, call (203) 394-6573.

The 5th Annual Monkey Love Drive wil be held through Feb. 9th – stuffed monkeys collected at the Zoo will be distributed to children at Casey Family Services of Bridgeport, Valley YMCA in Ansonia, Covenant to Care for Children in the New Haven area, Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and to area Congregations. In addition, monkeys are being given to children of soldiers currently stationed abroad.  Visitors to the Zoo are asked to bring a stuffed monkey to donate and will receive $1 off regular admission for participating.

The Zoo Celebrates Valentine's Day  with a special story time , craft activity and even an animal encounter.  All activities are free with Zoo admission.

The Zoo's popular February Frolic, is offered from Feb. 22- 24 from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm.  This daily school vacation program is for children ages six through twelve who love animals, the environment and learning.  Each day may include zookeeper talks, behind the scenes tours, hands-on learning, games, crafts, and more.  Children may sign up for a day or more.  Cost of the program is $40.00 per day, cost for Zoo members is $35.00 per day.  For information and to register, call 203-394-6563 or visit beardsleyzoo.org.

To beat the winter doldrums, visit the  Zoo's Tropical Winter Greenhouse  where the Vanilla Orchid is in bloom!  As you explore the Greenhouse you will see bananas and other fruits growing overhead as well as  several species of orchids and cacti  that flower all winter long.  It's a short walk through another world!  The Greenhouse is free with Zoo admission.

The Zoo is open every day from 9 am - 4 pm., the Café and Carousel Concessions will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays and will close at 2:30 pm Wednesday - Friday.  The Gift Shop will close at 3:30 pm Monday - Friday.  The Café, Carousel and Gift Shop will operate regular hours on weekends and holidays.  Adult admission (ages 12 & older) is $11.00, children (ages 3 -11) and senior admission (62 and older) is $9.00, and children under 3 years old and Zoo members are admitted free.  Parking at the Zoo is free of charge.

New Canaan Historical Society Presents Carl Schmitt, 1889 - 1989 An Artist’s Life: A Retrospective Exhibit

Located in the lovely town of New Canaan, the New Cannan Historical Society has organized a fabulous exhibition of over two dozen works by Carl Schmitt that include: paintings, pastels, etchings, drawings, and sculpture.  The exhibit also includes photos, exhibition catalogs, sketchbooks, and other items from the Foundation's archives illustrating Schmitt's long career and life as an artist.

Carl Schmitt  was born in 1889 in Warren, Ohio and was encouraged by his parents to further his artistic interests. He left Warren at  seventeen to begin formal art studies in New York. Within a few years he headed to Silvermine, Connecticut, where he bought an acre of land with a ruined eighteenth-century stone structure across the road from the American sculptor Solon Borglum. Schmitt refurbished the building and began to attend meetings of the "Knockers Club". Schmitt helped found the more formal Silvermine Guild of Artists, taking part in numerous exhibits.

 Throughout the 1920's Schmitt's paintings were accepted for the most important national exhibitions, including those at the Carnegie Institure, the Corcoran Gallery, the Art Institute of Chicago as well as numerous galleries in New York City. The New Canaan Historical Society is hosting this show as part of its series highlighting members of the Silvermine Group of Artists.

The wide scope of the exhibit is intended to give a broad overview of Schmitt's achievement in many different styles, all animated by his unique aesthetic vision.  It also aims to present his life and work in the context of the artists' colony in Silvermine.  It is a rare opportunity to see many works loaned from private collections, most of which have not been exhibited in many decades and may not be so again.

The New Canaan Historical Society is located at 13 Oenoke Ridge Road in New Canaan, Connecticut and is open Tuesday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. On Saturdays, the gallery is closed between 12:30 and 2 p.m. For further information, you may call the Society at 203–966–1776, or visit their website, nchistory.org. The exhibit runs through March 28, 2011.

Western CT Blog: Polar Bear Open at Burlington Golf!

Western CT Blog: Polar Bear Open at Burlington Golf!: "Western CT Blog"

Western CT Blog: Roxbury Land Trust Creates Parking for Orzech Preserve to Allow Access to Railroad Bed for Hiking and Cross-Country Skiing

Western CT Blog: Roxbury Land Trust Creates Parking for Orzech Preserve to Allow Access to Railroad Bed for Hiking and Cross-Country Skiing: "Western CT Blog"

Winter cruise to see the seals on Long Island’s sound - Hartford Stay-at-home dads | Examiner.com

Winter cruise to see the seals on Long Island’s sound - Hartford Stay-at-home dads | Examiner.com

Victorian Tea Party In Litchfield Hills Connecticut

Ring in the New Year with an old-fashioned Victorian Tea Party at the Gunn Memorial Museum on Sunday January 2, 2011 from 1-3pm. The snow date will be: Sunday January 9th from 1-3pm. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the spectacular holiday exhibit: Washington Winter Wonderland, and socialize with friends in a festive setting. Guests are asked to bring their favorite tea cup, they will provide the rest.

This holiday season at the Gunn Museum features whimsical displays of over 130 vintage Steiff stuffed animals, Christmas trees decorated by local designers and a stunning winter wall mural by John Pitts, the former scenic artist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Steiff is best known as the company that invented the Teddy Bear. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll to the tea party.

This exhibit will be on display until Sunday January 16, 2011. The Gunn Memorial Museum is located at 5 Wykeham Road, the intersection of Wykeham Road and Route 47, on Washington Green. Registration is requested; please call the Museum at 860-868-7756. Or visit http://www.gunnlibrary.org

Holiday Ideas From Lime Rock Park Thru 12/23!

Just straight facts, no hard sell – take advantage of our one-time-only 15 percent discounts, available through December 23.

Idea Number 1: You can buy any ticket to any 2011 Race Weekend and get a 15% discount off the Advance Purchase price. (Remember, the Advance Purchase Prices are already lower than the Gate Prices!)  Visit http://tickets.limerock.com for additional information!

Idea Number 2: Not sure which Race Weekend tickets to get? Then buy a Gift Certificate for any dollar amount. Call us at 860.435.5000, M – F., 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Idea Number 3: How about a 2011 Season Pass “hard-card” for $70 less than its regular price – and you get an extra major event Race Weekend for free! We’ve added the July 30 Ferrari Challenge races to our regular line-up of Grand-Am Rolex (Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30), ALMS (July 8-9), Historic Festival 29 (Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-5) and NASCAR Modified (Sept. 16-17) race weekends.

A Season Pass at $230 for five major racing events is a great deal – and a great gift.

Idea Number 4: The ultimate holiday gift! Drive your car – and/or our BMW M3s – on the track at Lime Rock! Includes private coaching and catered meals during your four-hour experience. Three options: $995 (your car only); $1,500 (any combo of your car and the M3); and $1,750 (two people, any combo of your car and the M3). Call Jeanette Veitenheimer at 860.671.1458 for consultation and to order a Track Day Gift Certificate.

If you buy race tickets (either online or by calling us) up through Thursday, December 23, you will automatically get the 15% Holiday Discount.

If you buy the 2011 Season Pass (either online or by calling us) up through Thursday, December 23, you will automatically get the Holiday Price of $230. (On December 24, the 2011 Season Pass goes to $300.)

Fairfield County's Glass House Offers Limited Edition Print

The Glass House is pleased to announce the release of the limited edition print Modernism USA, by world-renowned artist and graphic designer Paula Scher Modernism USA uses the footprints of the Glass House and Farnsworth House at various scales to construct a map of the United States. The limited edition prints are sold exclusively at the Glass House Store ($350) and are offered online  through December 18, 2010. https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/store/419/products

Looking for some modern joy this holiday season? Don't miss The Glass House Store's rare and new books, accessories and Glass House logo items, now also available online.  A Glass House exclusive; is the journal-sized Moleskine sketchbook that includes art by 29-contributors inspired by the Glass House, interspersed with blank pages to add your work and reflections.  The shop also offers several beautiufl coffee table books on the Glass House as well as winter cards that evoke the serene beauty of this National Historic Site. All purchases support the preservation efforts of the Philip Johnson Glass House.

The Glass House Visitor Center is located at 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT and the Store: Holiday  Hours areDecember 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18: 10 am - 4 pm.

New Suite at The Inn at Kent Falls

Recently voted as the Best Bed and Breakfast by Connecticut Magazine, the charming Inn at Kent Falls  has just announced the introduction of the "Gables Suite".    The  Inn is located in a historic house built in 1741 that is located between the center of Kent  and Kent Falls State Park.

The Gables is a comfortably elegant suite  located in the former attic of the original inn and is crowned with exquisite beams that are  272 years old.  These  are the beams that actually hold up this historic property that has been featured in Travel and Leisure, Conde Naste Traveler, CT Magazine and many other national publications. The room features a queen size bed, six foot walk in shower, a large loft area with a large screen TV and DVD player and a desk and work area.  There is a private staircase to this very attractive suite.

The carefully updated Inn at Kent Falls has four suites, and two luxurious rooms, five fireplaces, a  pool, air conditioning, phone and Internet access. The common rooms include a screened porch, TV, and living room.  The Inn is well known for serving  guests a sumptuous Breakfast.

Visit their website for a list of special packages and promotions offered by the Inn at Kent Falls, 107 Kent Cornwall Rd., Kent CT.http://www.theinnatkentfalls.com/

See Seals in Norwalk CT

Cruise out for the chance to see some of the seals and waterfowl that spend their winters in Long Island Sound during The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk’s new season of Winter Creature Cruises.

These invigorating outings aboard the research vessel Oceanic occur many weekends from mid-December through early April.  That’s when the seals come down from northern waters, which serve as their summer breeding and pupping areas.

On the Aquarium’s cruises  you will seek out the seals to observe them as they come up at low tide to rest on rocks, shoals and shorelines on and near the Norwalk Islands.  Dates and departure times vary by the tide schedule.  Initial cruises are:  Sat., Dec. 12 at 9:30 a.m.;  Sat., Jan. 15 at 1 p.m.; and Sun., Jan. 16 at 1 p.m.

 

Participants will learn from Educators  that are onboard about the seals’ natural histories and use artifacts to discuss seal anatomy. You will learn what happens with the Sound’s general marine population during the winter: who stays, who migrates in (besides seals) and who migrates out.  Educators will also point out wintering waterfowl on the Sound, including buffleheads, mergansers, Old Squaw and other feathered seasonal visitors.  Last years participants saw two species of seals in the Sound: harbor seals and gray seals, both are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which limits how closely anyone may approach them.

Participants can help with their cruise’s plankton and water-chemistry samplings. Data collected during the cruises is added to the Long Island Sound Biodiversity Project, which is an ongoing census of the Sound’s animal species. This online database is sponsored by the Aquarium and includes students in collecting data on the physical and biological contents of Long Island Sound.

Bring binoculars, cameras and – because there is limited cabin space – plenty of warm clothes!  The 21/2-hour cruises are good for ages 8 and older.

Tickets for a Maritime Aquarium Winter Creature Cruise are $20.50 (or $18.50 for Aquarium members).  Weekday charters for school groups are available.

Advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended; walk-up tickets will be sold, space permitting.   Get advance tickets by calling (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206, during weekday business hours or by going online anytime to www.maritimeaquarium.org.

For more information about Maritime Aquarium study cruises, exhibits, IMAX movies and other offerings, call (203) 852-0700 or visit www.maritimeaquarium.org.

 

The Spirit of the Holidays Watertown CT in Litchfield Hills

On Friday 12/10 and Saturday 12/11 Watertown/Oakville will celebrate the first annual “The Spirit of the Holidays” a town-wide event celebrating the spirit of peace, the spirit of community, the spirit of giving and the spirit of celebration and fun.

Friday night will open with a children’s walk and candlelight sign at the Gazebo. The Watertown Methodist Church will host A Night in Bethlehem and the stores will stay open late for holidays shopping with specials and hospitality.

On Saturday, more than 80 artists and craftartists will be at the Depot Square Mall; Watertown Methodist Church and the American Legion. Live music will be hosted at The Father’s House, 523 Main Street from 12noon until 7pm, along with free gift wrapping and open house. There will be open houses all over Town with great buys and refreshments. Crafts and Open Gym for children will be in several locations.

Bring the family – make this a new holiday tradition.

More information at Watertown Recreation 860-945-5246 or breen@watertownct.org

Christmas at Torrington CT's Hotchkiss-Fyler House in Litchfield Hills

Decorated in turn-of-the-century Christmas style, the elegant Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, 192 Main Street in Torrington, will open its doors to holiday visitors beginning Saturday, December 11, 2010. The museum staff will offer guided tours of the house, built in 1900 and home to the Hotchkiss and Fyler families for more than half a century.  Tours will be conducted Wednesday through Sunday and will start every half hour from 12 noon to 3:30 pm. http://www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org/

Christmas at the Hotchkiss-Fyler House features lavish holiday decorations typical of the early twentieth century. Garlands of greenery trim the staircase, doorways, and mantels and floral arrangements, wreaths, and poinsettias adorn the richly appointed interior. The dining room table is set for a Christmas dinner with the fine china, crystal, silverware, and linens that belonged to Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss.

A number of Christmas trees will be on display throughout the house, including a table-top tree in the sunroom decorated with late nineteenth and early twentieth century ornaments on loan from a private collector as well as a full-size tree in the reception room with hand-made Victorian-style ornaments and vintage trimmings from the Torrington Historical Society’s collection on its branches, antique toys gathered below.

The second floor of the house will feature items from the Society’s collection that reflect the life styles and fashions of the 1920s through the 1940s. In addition, a tree will be decorated with handmade ornaments based on early twentieth century Christmas advertisements from Torrington shops.

 Admission is $7 for adults, free for members and children under 12. The house is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and on Christmas Day, December 25th. For more information, call (860) 482-8260.

Christmas Display at the Osborne Homestead Museum Litchfield Hills CT

Derby, CT –

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) invites you to take a
break from the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations by coming to enjoy the sights and sounds of Treasured Holiday Traditions showcased at the Osborne Homestead Museum this holiday season.

 This annual seasonal event at the museum delightfully depicts scenes of customs and a way of life prior to computers, cell phones, and other more recent inventions. The museum is open for special holiday guided tours November 26 – December 19, Thursday through Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM. The home will be even more magical on the Friday evenings of December 3, 10, and 17, when the museum will present “Twilight Tours,” highlighting the special glow of the decorations in the evening hours from 4PM to 6:30PM. Admission is FREE; donations are accepted. Each year, as they have done for more than twenty years, volunteers create beautiful holiday displays. Talented, committed members representing the Ansonia Garden Club, the Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton, the Oxford Garden Club, the Naugatuck Garden Club, the Roxbury/Bridgewater Garden Club, the Derby Garden Society and the Pomperaug Valley Garden Club of Woodbury beautifully decorate this historic homestead for the winter holidays.


Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum was the home of Frances Osborne Kellogg, who lived in the house her entire life, from 1876 to 1956. Exhibits include fine art and antiques collected by her family.

The Osborne Homestead Museum is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby, CT and is operated through the CT DEP’s Division of State Parks and Public Outreach. Group tours for adults and youth programs are available during the weekdays. For directions, further information or to schedule a group of eight visitors or more please call (203) 734-2513.

Connecticut Ballet Company Performs the Nutcracker in Fairfield County CT

The Nutcracker Ballet is a holiday tradition in Fairfield County Connecticut and what better way to celebrate the season than to attend a performance by the Connecticut Ballet. On Saturday, December 11 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm and Sunday, December 12 at 1:00pm at the Stamford Center for the Arts’ Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford the Connecticut Ballet will perform the classic full-length ballet, The Nutcracker. A special holiday discount of 50% for children ages 12 and under for the December 11th 7:00pm only was announced by the Connecticut Ballet.

Artistic Director Brett Raphael’s production has been called ‘beguiling and a feast for the eyes’ by the Connecticut Post and stars American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreño, appearing at all three public performances. The ballet also features a corps de ballet of 30 professional dancers and over 100 children from the Fairfield County region. In the spirit of giving, Connecticut Ballet request that members of the public bring a can or non-perishable food item to the performance in support of its holiday food drive. All items will be delivered directly to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.

Affordable tickets range from $20-$45 in price (plus a $7.00 theater surcharge) and may be reserved online at www.scalive.org or by calling the box office at 203-325-4466.

A festive Nutcracker Gala benefit will take place in the Upper Ballroom of the Palace Theatre following the Saturday, December 11th 7:00pm evening performance. Marcia Selden Catering will provide delectable dinner-by-the-bite and patrons will dance to the inspiring rhythms of the Silver Streaks Band.

For gala information, call 203-964-1211. Lead production sponsor for The Nutcracker is Xerox Corporation and Nutcracker Gala sponsor is HSBC Bank. For more info, call Connecticut Ballet at 203-964-1211 or visit www.connecticutballet.com.