Nature center holiday gifts

You don’t have to put up with big city crowds and prices to enjoy wonderful holiday gift shopping. Connecticut’s nature centers offer a host of fabulous gift ideas perfect for any budget.

A good place to start is at the Flanders Nature Center located on the corner of Church Hill Rd. and Flanders Rd. in Woodbury. They are hosting a large Artisan Marketplace on Saturday and Sunday’s only through December 23. If you are looking for quality creations by local crafters this is the place to visit. Here you will find a wide variety of arts and crafts from beeswax candles, hand crafted quilts, hand knitted gloves and scarves using Flanders very own wool to handmade wreathes, honey, jewelry, and pottery. For additional information call 203-263-3711 or visit www.flandersnaturecenter.org.

Another stop might be, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, on 39 Scofieldtown Rd. in Stamford. Here you will find a limited-edition micro-train LEGO® holiday ornament in conjunction with their All Aboard with Bill Probert & Friends exhibition. Probert designed the 2012 “Steam Locomotive” and each of the 200 limited-edition trains is numbered. Each train set comes with a link to a website with instructions on how to re-build or hang the train. The train is $15 and available at the front desk of the Bendel Mansion. For more information contact www.stamfordmuseum.org.

The Beardsley Zoo on 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport is hosting the second annual Animal Art Show & Sale on Sun. Dec. 16 where you can choose from a wide selection of original artwork created by animals at Connecticut's only zoo. Each piece is one of a kind and suitable for framing. Meet and chat with zookeepers and enter to win a holiday masterpiece created by nine zoo animals! For a more permanent gift consider purchasing and engraving a 90 anniversary brick for your loved ones. Bricks will be displayed at the Zoo’s Front Gate for all to see! Contact Emily Bobowick at 203-394-6569 for more information or visit www.beardsleyzoo.org.

The Discovery Museum and Planetarium located on 4450 Park Ave. in Bridgeport is offering a great selection of fun and inexpensive gifts. Their science toys make great holiday trinkets for any child. You can choose from the classic Drinking Bird, Globe Slinkies or Freeze Dried Space Ice Cream! Membership is also a great gift because of the year round benefits it provides. Visit www.discoverymuseum.org for more information.

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, on 151 Brookdale Road in Stamford is offering a book by The University of Connecticut Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens Master Gardeners titled, “Recipes from Our Gardens” that sells for $20. This beautifully illustrated book offers 253 pages of recipes including Appetizers & Beverages, Soups & Salads, Vegetables & Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads & Rolls, Desserts and Cookies & Candy. For information call 203-322-6971 or visit http://bartlettarboretum.org.

The Plymouth Land Trust is selling T-shirts ($10) to support the restoration of the Plymouth Burying Ground, a site on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the rest of the village of Plymouth Center. Call 860-921-6118 for more information.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the guidebook, "Kayaking in and around the Norwalk Islands" at $10 each, make great stocking stuffers. The book includes information on kayaking in the Norwalk area of Long Island Sound as well as on three local rivers along with other useful tidbits including safety and local island wildlife. The books are available at the Small Boat Shop at Rex Marina, 144 Water St, South Norwalk; the Westport Historical Society Remarkable Gift Shop, 25 Avery Place, Westport; The Dock Shop Nautical Boutique, 49 Tokeneke Rd, Darien; the Outdoor Sports Center, 80 Danbury Rd, Wilton and on-line at www.norwalkriver.org

Holiday Concert Dec. 14 at Silvermine Arts Center

A special evening of holiday music is coming to the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, Connecticut on Friday, December 14th. The Turtle Island Quartet returns to Silvermine, bringing their signature fusion of jazz and classical music to celebrate the holiday season.
The Turtle Island Quartet has been the very definition of American chamber music for over 25 years. From stages across the globe to international airwaves, this group is the most acclaimed ensemble of its kind. Their holiday concert, "A Solstice Celebration," will take you through the joyous voyage of world holiday music, commemorating the quartet members' ancestral roots, featuring music associated with what is referred to in both the Jewish and Hindu traditions as the Festival of Lights.
From the songs of Chanukah, to the music of India's Diwali, to the old English carols and Scottish reels of the 16th century, Turtle Island Quartet explores the timeless music that has been an integral part of winter holiday celebrations for centuries. The holiday program will also include music from Vince Guaraldi's beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas, as well as famous classical gems that have become indelibly tied to the holiday season.

Since they began in 1985, the Turtle Island Quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of the 2006 and 2008 Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover category, the group fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles. The group is made up of original founding members, violinist, David Balakrishnan, and cellist Mark Summer, joined by jazz violinist  Mateusz Smoczynski and violist Benjamin Von Gutzeit. Each member of the quartet is an accomplished improviser, composer and arranger, as well as having extensive conservatory training. As the group continues to refine their skills through performances and recordings with major symphonic ensembles, and through a determined educational commitment, the Turtle Island Quartet stakes its claim as the quintessential American string quartet of this century.

A unique holiday experience not to be missed. Seating is limited and advance reservations are suggested. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members.   To reserve tickets in advance or for more information, call 203-966-9700 ext. 22 or visit our website at www.silvermineart.org.

About Silvermine Arts Center

Silvermine Arts Center located in New Canaan, Connecticut is one of the oldest artist communities in the United States. Located on a four acre campus, the center is comprised of a nationally renowned artist guild, award winning school of art offering multi-disciplinary art classes for ages 2 to 102, an art and fine crafts shop and galleries, offering over twenty contemporary and historic exhibitions annually. The center also provides innovative arts education in Norwalk and Stamford schools through its outreach program, Art Partners, and hosts a lecture series and special programs throughout the year. Silvermine Arts Center is a nonprofit organization.

Silvermine Arts Center Mission

Grounded in the belief that art is vital to the spirit, creativity and wholeness of human beings, the mission of Silvermine Arts Center is to cultivate, promote and encourage growth through the arts; to showcase and serve artists; and to foster arts education and appreciation opportunities for the greater community.

Gallery Hours: Silvermine Galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 12p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1pm to 5 p.m. For more information, call (203) 966-9700 ext. 20 or visit the website: www.silvermineart.org.

Holiday Fair in Washington Depot Dec. 14

Washington Parks & Recreation and the Washington Business Association is hosting an evening of fun and good cheer in this bucolic village in the heart of the Litchifeld Hills.

There will be food, music, raffles, and hay rides throughout the town. The evening will begin at 6:00pm with the lighting of the tree by a very special guest. Outside the town hall after the tree has been lit, children from Washington Montessori School will be singing Christmas carols . Shortly after the tree lighting, Santa will arrive by way of hay wagon and listen to children's wishes in the town hall until 8:30 p.m. Pictures will be taken with one photo per child provided.

The Troubadours from the Gunnery School will be caroling throughout the Depot during the evening. Clifford the Big Red Dog will be visiting businesses to offer holiday paw shakes to his fans. Inside the Town Hall, The Ladies Auxiliary of the Washington Volunteer Fire Department will have a special mailbox for letters to Santa, and will be selling their annual Christmas Ornament.

The Gunn Memorial Library and Gunn Museum will have a craft project for the children while they patiently wait for their turn with Santa. Washington Primary School PTO will be selling baked goods outside the Town Hall from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

The Senior Center will be selling gift items and raffling off a wreath and poinsettia donated by Painter Ridge Farm. The Washington Business Association will be sponsoring a drawing for a Mini I Pad and a gift basket of goodies. Tickets for the drawing will be available at member businesses from 6-8 and should be dropped off at Washington Supply for the drawing at 8:30.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop will be hosting a book signing from 7- 8 with Florence and Wendell Minor featuring My Bookstore for which they wrote an essay on the shop. Mo the Magician will be showing his tricks at Washington Supply and Outdoor Living from 6:30-8;30.

Other activities will be featured throughout the Depot to delight visitors to open businesses. Whether you stroll the streets of the Depot or ride on the hay wagon you'll find a warm welcome inside the beautifully decorated shops which have kept their doors open welcoming friends with refreshments and other surprises. It is an evening not to be missed in Litchfield Hills.

“Twas the Night Before Christmas” at the Keeler Tavern Museum

A very special holiday treat for children will tale place at the Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main Street. Ridgefield, CT on Friday December 14th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. 

The children will gather in the Museum’s Garden House in front of the fireplace warmed by a friendly fire. All will listen to a reading of Clement C. Moore’s delightful poem “Twas the Night before Christmas.” The Rev. Moore wrote this treasured poem in 1822 for the pleasure of his own children. Children have been enjoying it ever since.

Each child will make and take home a craft suitable to the season. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served.

The cost to participate is $15 per child.

Advance prepaid reservations are required. Reservations for this event are first come first served, regardless of membership status. Reserve now at www.keelertaernmuseum.org or call 203-438-5485.

Bethlehem New England’s Christmas Town

Choose from more than 70 special holiday cache's

To get into the proper holiday spirit early, the place to be the first weekend in December is the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.  Festivals galore start the season right in this region that is always as pretty as a Christmas card, and there are numerous opportunities to check off your holiday shopping list in scenic settings. The only dilemma is where to go first.

 One good place to start is Connecticut’s own little town of Bethlehem, a quaint, village that is transformed each December, when it becomes New England’s favorite Christmas Town. Thousands of visitors arrive to mail their Christmas cards with a Bethlehem postmark and to enjoy the 30^th annual gala Christmas Town Festival, set this year for Friday night December 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a tree lighting at 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..   The town green is transformed for the occasion with some 70 vendors offering crafts and good food. Bring the family for musical entertainment, hayrides and the chance for a photo with Santa. Find the complete schedule at www.christmastownfestival.com

Bethlehem’s historic Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden will be festively decorated for the weekend, with themed decorations in each of the first floor rooms. Children will enjoy games, prizes and surprises and refreshments in the Visitor's Center. This house will be open during festival hours, December 7 and 8 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For details, phone (203) 266-7596. For details, phone (203) 266-7596 or visit www.ctlandmarks.org

Bethlehem also offers the chance to visit a rare museum-quality 18^th century Neapolitan Crèche housed in a barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Check the hours at abbeyofreginalaudis.com 

 The Bethlehem Post Office is also offering extended hours. Bring your holiday cards and stamp them with a special cache. There are 76 stamp designs to choose from as one new design is added each year. The post office will be open with extended hours for the festival. The post office is open on Fri. Dec. 7 from 8 am to 8 pm; on Sat, December 8, 15, & 22 from 8 am to 3 pm and Mon.- Fri. 8 am  to 5 pm the month of December.

For area information on where to stay, shop and dine, please visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

Holiday Lunch at Keeler Tavern

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The very popular Christmas Luncheons and Holiday Boutique have become a Ridgefield holiday tradition. This fund raising event is held at the Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. Guests dine in the festively decorated Garden House overlooking the brick walled Garden which is lovely, even in December and especially with a dusting of light snow. 

The luncheons will be held this year from Tuesday, December 4th to Saturday, December 8th. There will be two seating’s each day at 11:30 AM and 1:15 PM. The cost will be $25 per person by prepaid reservation. Guests will be invited to visit the seasonally decorated rooms of the Tavern Building.


If making a reservation for more than one person, please list the names of other members of your group. Reservations and payment may be made securely on line at keelertavernmuseum.org or by calling the Museum and paying by charge card or by mailing a check directly to the Keeler Tavern Museum. For further information or the menu to be served call the Museum at 203-438-5485.

Holiday Boutique

The Holiday Boutique in the Gilbert Dining Room and Museum Gift Shop will be overflowing with gifts for everyone and every occasion. A new selection of Christmas ornaments, unique decorations of the season, gifts for children and adults will fill the area.  These unusual gifts will make filling your gift giving needs easy.  

The gift shop will be open from 10:30 AM to 4 PM December 4th through 8th. In addition it will be open Sunday, December 9th from 1 PM - 4 PM. During these days, talented crafters will bring products that will enrich the variety of gifts available. And, don’t forget to buy a gift for yourself.

Early Shopping Days will take place Tuesday, November 27 through Sunday, December 2nd from 1 PM - 4 PM.

Open Studio Event at Whiting Mills December 1 & 2

The Open Studio, on Dec. 1 – Dec. 2 from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. is being held at Whiting Mills.  This event is hosted by the artists that reside in this historic building located in Winsted on 100 Whiting Street.

Cheryl Bartley Designs

Just getting around is half the fun as Whiting Mills has some of the oldest working freight elevators in the State.  There are over 30 artists, artisans, quilters, photographers, potters, woodworkers, specialty shops and much more to explore.

The Mill is has been decorated by the watchful eye and creative genius of Steven Silvester who bedecks the mill with an array of lights and chairs. He has even created a movie that you can watch as you move from floor to floor.


At this annual event each artist offers a variety of items in different media for sale. In addition to touring four floors of this historic building, visitors may enjoy art and craft demonstrations at some of the working art studios.  Each artist, in their respective studios, will offer free food and drinks to visitors. A strolling guitar player, kids activities and door prizes add to the festive atmosphere.

The Whiting Mills is located at 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, Connecticut.  For information call 860-738-2240. Visit www.whitingmills.com. 

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com
  

Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce is proud to announce their first annual “Lake Compounce Holiday Lights”, a brand new family event taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings beginning on November 30th.   The park will open at 5 p.m. on Fridays, and at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.  The event goes until 9 p.m.and will run November 30, December 1 - 2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23. The park is located on 822 Lake Ave in Bristol Connecticut and can be reached at 860-585-9987 or by visiting www.lakecompounce.com.

Holiday Lights will provide full family entertainment for all ages, and include festive activities such as a spectacular Holiday light show every half hour at the main gate, which will feature tens of thousands of lights dancing to holiday music.  Kiddeland rides and family themed rides will be in operation. The Train will be transformed into the North Pole Railway, operated by a very special uniformed train conductor with a Holiday story to tell.

There will be indoor activities such as cookie decorating and gingerbread house making. Children will be given the opportunity to customize their very own letter to Santa, and will then receive a personalized letter sent directly to them, from Santa, just a few days later.  On the Kiddeland stage children can enjoy Story Time with Mrs. Clause.  There will be carolers strolling throughout the park, an ice carver creating unique, frozen creations, and lots more festive entertainment.

The childhood favorite photos with Santa is not to be missed in the Starlight Theatre.  The park's gift shops will also be loaded with Holiday themed merchandise for sale, so guests can get their Holiday shopping done, too.
Admission is $14.99 per adult, $10.99 for children ages four though ten, and free for children three and under.  Season pass holders may enter for free with their 2012 or 2013 pass.  Admission fees are plus tax. Tickets may be purchased online now, or at the park gate once the event begins.  Nominal fees will be charged for various activities. Season Passes are being offered at the park at a special sale price of $69.99 plus tax. They can be purchased as holiday gifts and will include special holiday wrapping.

About Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce, part of the Palace Entertainment family of parks, is New England's Family Theme Park and the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America.  With the largest water park in Connecticut, and a brand new water slide called Riptide Racer, the park is now in its 168th season. This is the first year the park will be celebrating Holiday Lights, which they hope will be a family tradition for years to come. 2013 Season passes, regularly $75.99, will be on sale for a discounted price of $69.99 plus tax, for the duration of the event. More information can be found at www.lakecompounce.com.

For area information contact www.litchfieldhills.com

A Furry Point of View Art Show in Litchfield CT

Litchfield, Connecticut artist Elizabeth Wolff is excited to show a new collection of her whimsical mice in an exhibition of her one woman show "A Furry Point of View." Many other creatures, including turtles, pigs, foxes, and feather-headed chickens, will join her mice in a gallivant across paper for all to enjoy.

For years the townspeople of Litchfield and the surrounding areas have supported this young illustrator as her work has developed and this show will be a celebration of that ongoing friendship.
Since she was a little tyke of 3 or 4 years old, Elizabeth has eagerly devoured countless picture books with illustrations by Beatrix Potter, Jan Brett, Graham Oakley, and Kevin Henkes.

As a spirited color enthusiast, Elizabeth began drawing with bright markers and crayon scribbles at a very young age. Today, she is a young artist seeking to master her media of choice which includes pen and ink, colored pencils and a little dabble of watercolors. Elizabeth finds inspiration from episodes of daily life that influence her characters own unique and comical plots. In the near future she aspires to become a children's book illustrator and in such a hectic world, people might enjoy the optimism and humor that her fuzzy friends bring to life...inky paws and all. Her website is www.ewolffdesigns.com.

In the gallery: November 1- December 28 at the Oliver Wolcott Library, 160 South Street, Litchfield, CT. 06759. 860-567-8030. www.owlibrary.org. To accommodate the December holiday season, purchased works of art may be picked up at the Oliver Wolcott Library after 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 and immediately upon purchase throughout the month of December.

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT GETS AN EARLY START IN THE LITCHFIELD HILLS

To get into the proper holiday spirit early, the place to be the first weekend in December is the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.  Festivals galore start the season right in this region that is always as pretty as a Christmas card, and there are numerous opportunities to check off your holiday shopping list in scenic settings. The only dilemma is where to go first.

Bethlehem New England’s Christmas Town

           
 One good place to start is Connecticut’s own little town of Bethlehem, a quaint, village that is transformed each December, when it becomes New England’s favorite Christmas Town. Thousands of visitors arrive to mail their Christmas cards with a Bethlehem postmark and to enjoy the 31st annual gala Christmas Town Festival, set this year for Friday night December 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a tree lighting at 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..   

The town green is transformed for the occasion with some 70 vendors offering crafts and good food. Bring the family for musical entertainment, hayrides and the chance for a photo with Santa. Find the complete schedule at www.christmastownfestival.com

Bethlehem’s historic Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden will be festively decorated for the weekend, with themed decorations in each of the first floor rooms. Children will enjoy games, prizes and surprises and refreshments in the Visitor's Center. This house will be open during festival hours, December 7 and 8 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For details, phone (203) 266-7596. For details, phone (203) 266-7596 or visit www.ctlandmarks.org

Bethlehem also offers the chance to visit a rare museum-quality 18^th century Neapolitan Crèche housed in a barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Check the hours at abbeyofreginalaudis.com 

The Bethlehem Post Office is also offering extended hours. Bring your holiday cards and stamp them with a special cache. There are 76 stamp designs to choose from as one new design is added each year. The post office will be open with extended hours for the festival. The post office is open on Fri. Dec. 7 from 8 am to 8 pm; on Sat, December 8, 15, & 22 from 8 am to 3 pm and Mon.- Fri. 8 am to 5 pm the month of December

Family Fun

            Kids will love the Grinch Festival a the Imagine Nation Children’s Museum in Bristol on December 7 from 5 pm to 8 pm, where the Dr. Seuss world of Whoville, complete with crafts, sing-alongs and special visitors--including the Grinch. www.imaginenation.org

 December 1-16 marks the opening of the Winter Indian Arts & Craft Market at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, and from noon to 4 p.m. parents can shop in the holiday tent that offers items for up to 70% off.  The market continues the whole month of December.  www.iaismuseum.org

Holiday ornament-making for kids will take place at the Sharon Tree Lighting on the green and Sharon Historical Society Open House starting at 4:30 on December 1.  Everyone is invited to enjoy hot chocolate and homemade cookies furnished by Sharon residents at the society’s headquarters, the historic Gay-Hoyt House, which is beautifully decorated for the occasion. www.sharonhist.org

              The Merwinsville Hotel and Museum is transformed into a winter wonderland every year for Christmas in Gaylordsville, a world of snow villages, model trains around the Christmas tree, caroler’s displays of snow globes, nutcrackers and music boxes. The event takes place Nov. 30, 6:30- 930 and Dec. 1-2 from 10 to 5 pm. Art, crafts, jewelry, weavings, birdhouses, and photography by local artists are among the tempting items for sale. A special Story Time for children will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 11AM. www.merwinsvillehotel.org.

Festive Shopping

      

Another favorite historic celebration is the annual Holiday Festival at the Glebe House in Woodbury, also Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2. Free tours will be offered of the museum house, beautifully decorated for the holidays with wreaths, holiday lighting, and garlands, all for sale.  A bazaar offers many original gift ideas. www.theglebehouse.or

The Holiday Tea at the historic Rider House is a happy tradition presented by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society from noon to 1:30 p.m. on November 29 & 30 and December 1. A variety of teas and an assortment of sandwiches, savories and sweets will be served and the Danbury Museum's Holiday Bazaar will be open with a host of gift ideas. Reservations are required--space is limited.  Call (203) 723-5200 for further information.

 

In Washington on November 30 and Dec.  1 and 2 St John's Church will host a bazaar. A live auction will take place at Friday night’s preview party, with offerings such as a week in Tuscany or a Nantucket getaway. The Bazaar continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with festive gift shopping and delicious treats from the famous St. John's Larder. www.stjohnwashington.org

 

The Newtown Holiday Craft Fair offers wonderful shopping to be had the following weekend at the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium in Newtown, on December 9^th where over 36-juried vendors will be offering their handcrafted wares. Information is available at (203) 261-2414.

Or plan to have Breakfast with Santa on December 15 and 16 at Wood Acres Farm in Terryville. Eggs, pancakes and sausages are on the menu, there will be horse-drawn hay or sleigh for all and young visitors will enjoy a visit with Santa and story time with Mrs. Claus. For advance tickets, phone: (860) 583-8670.

For more information about these and other December events in the Litchfield Hills and to receive a free copy of UNWIND, a 112-page color guide to lodging, dining and other attractions, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, www.visitwesternct.com.

A Time For Storytelling at Institute for American Indian Studies November 24

According to Native American lore, the art of telling stories is an important apect of culture heritage and sharing from one generation to another. Janis, a US, Mohawk-Shinnecock descent notes from “Four Hearts Whispering”, “”We tell our stories to entertain, but they do much more than that. They teach life’s important lessons — to young and old alike. Stories can explain the natural world around us and connect us to our past”

On Saturday, November 24 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. families are invited to share in a Native American cultural experience at the Indian Institue for American Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

It is said that in New England Native American life, stories are traditionally told as the days grow shorter and the winds blow colder. During this special time of year, participants are invited to gather with storyteller, Four Hearts Whispering at the ndian Institue for American Studies and enjoy her delightful and heartwarming traditional Native American stories. There will be a short intermission break where children will be invited to participate in a simple craft.

Please call (860) 868-0518 for reservations. Fee: $5 Adults; $6 Kids. For information visit www.iaismuseum.org. For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com

About the Indian Institue for American Studies
Located in Washington, Connecticut, the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) – formerly the American Indian Archaeological Institute (AIAI) – was incorporated in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England’s then-largely-unknown indigenous history. IAIS is a 501(c)3 museum and research center founded by Edmund “Ned” Swigart and Sidney Hessel. In the early 1970s volunteers of all ages joined Ned – an instructor at the Gunnery School and head of the Wappinger Chapter of the Connecticut Archaeological Society – to dig in and around Washington. A multitude of discoveries pointed to extensive native settlements and soon the back room of the Gunn Historical Museum overflowed with artifacts and field notes in need of analysis. Volunteer archaeologists joined forces with volunteer fundraisers and the American Indian Archaeological

Institute opened on July 1, 1975.

Since 1975, AIAI – and later, IAIS – has surveyed or excavated over 500 sites, including the remarkable discovery of a 10,000-year-old camp site, the earliest known archaeological site in Connecticut. But archaeology is about so much more than excavating sites or collecting stone tools; it is about people. Through archaeology, we are able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans. This history echoes throughout all history and informs us in the present. With full awareness of the importance of keeping this knowledge alive, the focus of the Institute has always been stewardship and preservation. In 1991, our name was changed to the Institute for American Indian Studies and there was a shift in focus to include education in conjunction with research. Today, in addition to special events and workshops, IAIS also houses a knowledgeable Education Department, dedicated to developing and providing in-depth and exciting programs for students of all ages. Schools from throughout the region take advantage of the Institute’s on-site facilities, while schools from across the country contact IAIS looking for reliable and accurate information.

IAIS continues to be a membership organization. In addition to annual support from members, IAIS reaches out to foundations and corporations for grant and funding opportunities. This year, more than 10,000 people visited us and another 15,000 students participated in our education programs. We offer workshops, films and lectures throughout the year. The Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club, under the direction of IAIS’s Director of Research and Collections, Dr. Lucianne Lavin, offers a summer excavation of a village dating back over 4,000 years, as well as a lecture series during the winter months. Our Museum Shop, which is an integral part of the museum, is always stocked with Native American gifts and crafts from across North America.

A respect for the earth and for all living things is central to Native American lifeways and this is reflected throughout our museum, which is nestled in 15 acres of woodlands and trails. Outdoors we have created a Simulated Archaeological Site, Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens, as well as a replicated 16th century Algonkian Village. The village is based upon traditional knowledge and archaeological research and is built from local natural materials. Self-guided trails let visitors explore the seasonal world of Woodland Indian peoples. Inside, our museum exhibits present information on a spectrum of topics related to the lives and cultures of prehistoric, historic and contemporary Native Americans. Permanent exhibits include Quinnetukut: Our Homeland, Our Story; From East To West: Across Our Homelands; Digging into the Past: Archaeology in Connecticut; a Sachem’s wigwam (longhouse) classroom with a beautifully painted lifeways mural; and a replicated early-1900s Northeastern reservation house room. Changing exhibits and the shop’s Artist’s Corner give visitors a reason to come back again and again. IAIS is open seven days a week year-round. Something exciting and different is always happening here. It is a place of discovery…a place to return to.

Rudolph and the Reindeer Games through Dec. 30

Just in time for the coming holidays it is Rudolph and the Reindeer Games presented by Bridgeport's Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre.

Family-friendly performances on Saturdays and Sundays continue through December 30 (2012) at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, located at 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The 73rd annual Reindeer Games feature familiar names, characters and the well known basic story, but with just enough added twists and turns along with lots of music and dance to make this a memorable holiday event.

Santa's North Pole Team is hoping the odds are in their favor for the Games. Rudy, the young, new contestant who's a "chip off the old buck," looks like he may "sleigh" the competition, but five-time Champion Donner isn't giving up his title without a fight!

Spunky Rudy has everything going for him – but then he's disqualified because of his bright red nose! Even worse, it appears he's betrayed Dancer, the doe who "lights up his life." Humiliated, he runs off just as the worst blizzard to ever hit the North Pole is about to strike.

Now, not only is the North Pole Team in jeopardy of losing the Games, but it appears that due to the pending blizzard Santa may have to cancel Christmas for the first time in history! The storm's knocked out his GPS, and the Reindeer can't see a paw in front of their faces to guide his sleigh. So it's up to Rudloph...can he find the courage to win the games, get the doe of his dreams, and save Christmas?

Don't miss this all-new, modern, funny, heartwarming holiday take on the story of Santa's reindeer. It's a rollicking adventure highlighted by a montage of unique winter sports never before seen at the Olympics with a score of pop songs that will make everyone in the audience want to get out of their seats to sing and dance along!

Reserved tickets are: $18 & $24
Reserved tickets can be reserved:
By Phone: Box Office: 203.576.1636
In Person: at box office located 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Online at downtowncabaret.org (24/7)
By US Mail:
Rudolph and the Reindeer Games
c/o Downtown Cabaret Children'sTheatre
263 Golden Hill Street
Bridgeport, Ct. 06604
Box Office Hours: 10:30am to 5pm – Sundays thru Saturdays
Box Office opens 90 minutes prior to scheduled performance times
Theatre seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance times
Closed Mondays

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Please inform the box office of any special needs when ordering tickets.

For more information and up-to-date news about the Cabaret, upcoming performances, the performers, seating chart, parking and reserving tickets visit downtowncabaret.org

New Gallery at Greenwich Audubon opens Dec. 1

The Greenwich Audubon has combined forces with Joel Oppenheimer, the venerable natural history art gallery located in Chicago and Charleston.  This gallery is best known for the work of many outstanding naturalist artists and painters including John James Audubon.

The Greenwich Audubon, the first established nature education center in the country by the National Audubon Society has a long history of  protecting birds and their habitats as well as teaching people the principles of conservation.

The gallery will be located in the newly renovated Kiernan Hall and will feature four exhibits a year. The first exhibition, opening December 1  explores all the editions of Audubon’s work in the Nineteenth Century. A highlight of this exhibition is that it will show comparative examples of nine prints in the different versions including Havell, Bien, Octavo and watercolor editions.  The subjects that will be featured in the exhibit are the Osprey, the Great Blue Heron, the Carolina Parrot, the Gyr Falcon, the Great Egret, the Passenger Pigeon, the Louisiana Heron, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird and the Dusky Duck.

Joel Oppenheimer, president of his namesake gallery, author, and one of the foremost Audubon experts in the world, sees this collaboration as an opportunity to educate and bring Audubon’s rich history to life, “John James Audubon is considered to be perhaps the greatest natural history artist of all time.  His body of work in ornithological art is iconic.  Collectors and admirers of his works continue to be enthralled with his accomplishments and how he shaped the genre of natural history art. Audubon brought images of birds and mammals to life during his time of exploration and we want his work to continue to inspire current and future generations.  We are grateful to have this opportunity to collaborate with The Audubon Center of Greenwich both in its conservation efforts and in telling Audubon’s story,” said Oppenheimer.

It is the hope of the Audubon Greenwich that these ornithological masterpieces will inspire and engage people in the conservation of birds and their habitats.

At the December 1^st grand opening reception, Joel Oppenheimer will talk about the significance of Audubon’s contribution to art and conservation.  His remarks will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Private showings of the exhibit can be scheduled from 1:00 – 4:00 by appointment.  All prints in the exhibition can be purchased either framed, or without.  Thirty percent of the proceeds from sales will be donated on an ongoing basis to The Audubon Center of Greenwich.  The opening reception will be held on Dec. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

To R.S.V.P. for the Grand Opening on December 1, 2012, or to make a gallery appointment, contact Audubon Greenwich by phone (203-869-5272 x239) or by email (greenwichcenter@audubon.org)

About Joel Oppenheimer

Established in 1969, the fine art galleries of Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. in Chicago and Charleston offer a stunning array of natural history art from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, as well as fine art framing, and complete conservation and restoration services.  As a natural history art gallery, Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. is dedicated to the connoisseurship of collecting and preserving the art of natural history and celebrating the contributions of the explorers who recorded the flora and fauna of the past three centuries.  Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. strives to provide collectors with an unsurpassed selection of the finest examples of prints and paintings from the golden age of natural history art including rare works by John James Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Dr. Robert Thornton, John Gould, Basilius Besler, and many others.

A Good Light: The Artist's Studio in Cos Cob and Beyond, New Exhibition at Greenwich Historical Society

Julius LeBlanc Stewart,
In the Artist’s Studio, 1875, oil on
canvas, 21½ x 28¾ in. Andrea family
private collection, photograph courtesy
Sotheby’s, New York.

To celebrate the restoration of the room at Bush-Holley House that served at various times as the studio of Childe Hassam, John Twachtman and Elmer MacRae, the Greenwich Historical Society will present an exhibition exploring the changing concept of the artist's studio. Representations of an American art student's Parisian garret, William Merritt Chase's opulent Tenth Street studio in New York, Dorothy Ochtman's view of her father in the studio they shared in their Cos Cob home and the repurposed farm sheds used by artists in Old Lyme: these and other paintings will suggest the wide range of spaces in which turn-of-the-century artists worked and will provide a cultural context for the restored studio.

The studio originally doubled as bedroom and workspace for its occupants. To augment the natural light from windows on the northern and eastern exposures, the owners, the Holley family, added a dormer around 1900. Illuminated by windows on three sides, the room offered views of the abundant gardens behind the house, the millpond to one side and the bustling harbor across the street. Now when you visit the Bush-Holley house, you can more easily imagine the vistas the artists enjoyed.

Dorothy Ochtman,
A Corner of the Studio, 1928, oil on canvas,
30 x 25 in. National Academy Museum,
New York, Bequest of Dorothy Ochtman
Del Mar, 1971, 1749-P.

 In addition to depictions of American artists' studios in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the exhibition presents the models for Childe Hassam's work in Cos Cob and a sampling of work done outside the studio in the environs by Hassam, John H. Twachtman and Elmer MacRae. A complementary exhibition, Historic Artists' Homes & Studios, on loan from Chesterwood (the home and studio of Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French), will feature photographs that focus on the fascinating and eclectic living and workspaces of famous American artists including (among others) N.C. Wyeth, Jackson Pollock and Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Attributed to Frederick MacMonnies
Atelier at Giverny, 1896 or 1897, oil on canvas,
32 x 17 in. Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1999.91,
Photography ©Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago.

A Good Light: The Artist's Studio in Cos Cob and Beyond will be on exhibition from October 3, 2012 to January 6, 2013. Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to 4:00 pm. Members: free; nonmembers: $10; seniors and students $8 The Greenwich Historical Society Storehouse Gallery is located on  39 Strickland Road in Cos Cob. For more information www.greenwichhistory.org.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Puppet Show At Stepping Stones Museum For Children

For most people, developing a handcrafted puppet show from scratch is not something that you do in your spare time. After all, putting together a high-quality, entertaining children's show is a daunting, time-consuming process. However, Alan Louis is not like most people.

Louis, the Public Programs Manager at Stepping Stones Museum for Children, has had a nearly 30-year career in puppetry. There isn't a type of puppetry he has not performed with: shadow puppets, hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes – even larger-than-life-sized puppets in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Louis has performed with a variety of touring companies, taught puppetry workshops in the United States and Eastern Europe and spent a decade as the Education Director for the Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta.    Needless to say, Louis knows a high-quality puppet show when he sees one and he definitely knows what it takes to bring one to the stage.

After attending a puppet festival in New York last December, Louis was inspired to start working on a production of The Frog Prince that has grown into an awe-inspiring and magical production of The Frog Prince and Other Tales. Created exclusively for Stepping Stones Museum for Children, four classics of children's literature will come alive on November 10th when this enchanting puppetry spectacle debuts at the Museum.

The enduring tales of kindness, determination and loyalty will be performed with beautifully handcrafted puppets and scenery. These tales of fantasy and imagination are sure to provide an unforgettable children's theater experience. Each 40 minute performance is followed by an art of puppetry demonstration and question and answer session with the puppeteers.

The show is free with museum admission; however, seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a limited engagement with performances scheduled from November 10th through December 14th.   For more information and performance times, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/frogprince.