Celebrate Earth Day in Woodbury

The 1970's Earth Day Movement inspired by Rachael Carson's New York Times bestseller, Silent Spring and the massive oil spill witnessed by Earth Days founder Gaylord Nelson in Santa Barbara is alive and well in Woodbury Connecticut as this year marks the 20th anniversary that Earth Day has been celebrated in Woodbury, Connecticut's antiques capital.  This is the largest event in Connecticut that celebrates Earth Day.

This year, more than 120 vendors are expected to participate in this popular regional event whose mission it is to showcase local businesses the produce products that support a sound and sustainable lifestyle.  The event's goal is to create awareness about the values, philosophy and information needed to live a wholesome life. 

Event participants will learn how to live earth -friendly by meeting producers of earth friendly products while enjoying live musical performances and family fun activities.  A highlight of the day is to sample a variety of all natural and organic foods and beverages that will be offered at this event.

Earth Day in Woodbury will take place on April 26 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Woodbury Middle School field on 67 Washington Ave.  For up to date information visit http://www.woodburyearthday.org.

Keeler Tavern Museum To Host First Annual Spring Artisans’ Show

Ridgefield, April 3, 2014. Distinguished artists and craftspeople from across the region will be present when the Keeler Tavern Museum hosts its inaugural Spring Artisans’ Show on Saturday, April 26, to be preceded by a special Preview Party on Friday evening, April 25.

The Museum campus at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield—with its distinctive Cass Gilbert Carriage Barn, picturesque gardens, and charming Garden House -- will be the setting for this premier event curated by VS Shows. The collection will feature fine art, high-quality handmade furniture, fiber, and home décor items, distinctive jewelry, and a wide range of one-of-a-kind offerings. A multi-media exhibit titled “Expressions: Spring – painting, sculpture & photography,” will be staged in the Carriage Barn. While Saturday visitors browse, children will be able to enjoy games and crafts of their own. Food will be available for purchase.

Some 20 notable artisans and artists from all over the region are expected to participate, including Ridgefield artists Peggy Thomas who will be displaying her pottery; Kokoon Jewelry designer Debbie Thornton; and painter Spencer Eldridge whose works will be shown in the Carriage Barn as part of “Expressions: Spring.” Among the regional artists featured are Pamela Dalton who will be showing her intricate paper cuts - Scherenschnitte; Heidi Howard, who paints 18^th and 19^th century trade and tavern signs; doll-maker Eva-Maria Araujo; Kathleen McDonald who makes chalkware figurines handcrafted from a collection of antique chocolate molds; and Robert Ferrucci, an artist of abstract action art, drip art and contemporary American Folk Art.

Saturday show hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; admission that day is $8 ($7 with presentation of pre-show announcement postcard or advertisement). The special wine-and-cheese Preview Party on Friday evening will offer early purchasing from 6 - 9 PM, as well as opportunities to engage with artisans and artists; admission is $40 ($30 for Museum members). Proceeds from ticket sales on both days benefit the Keeler Tavern Museum, a non-profit historical site that is entirely self-funded.

Free off-premises parking is available nearby. To make reception reservations, and for directions or other information, visit www.keelertavernmuseum.orgwww.keelertavernmuseum.org or call (203) 438-

5485.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Art and Dining in Falls Village Connecticut

Falls Village is a bucolic town located in the far northwest corner of the Litchfield Hills. In addition to several excellent hiking trails, the  village has several shops, a library boasting an art gallery, a museum and a fabulous country inn making this a wonderful spring destination.

Mullins Deep End

The David M. Hunt Library, located on 63 Main Street in Falls Village, CT in the center of town has planned an art exhibit that will run through May 17.  The featured painter is Patty Mullins whose exhibit, "Collected Stories," presents a selection of the artist's narrative and landscape canvases.

Patty Mullins, a resident of Sharon, is well-known for her evocative paintings, the narrative elements of which are a natural fit for the Queen Anne architecture of the David M. Hunt Library which has, like the paintings, numerous spaces to be alone, quiet, and thoughtful. The intimate landscapes of our region are also found in Ms. Mullins' canvases, particularly the ones inspired by wetlands in Lakeville, Cornwall, and Sharon.

Mullins Orpheus

In a recent statement, the artist described her work: "For me, painting is a process of discovery. Like an archeologist, I start with an idea of what I'm after, but don't know exactly what I'll find; images trigger memory and emotion, and as I paint I follow the emotion and find layers of meaning...elements in my paintings include personal history, the history of painting, loss, desire, skewed vision, vertigo, self-absorption and self-containment. My current body of work includes landscapes, figures, portraits of objects, and a recurrent theme: for the real subject of my work is time; the spaces and the things that people leave behind."

Patty Mullins exhibits her paintings locally in New England, as well as in New York and Philadelphia. Her work has been shown at the National Academy Museum, and is in the collections of Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, Bianca Jagger, Campbell Scott, and Jamie Wyeth. Ms. Mullins' work can be previewed on her website, www.PattyMullins.com.

Falls Village Inn

After viewing this art show, stop into the Falls Village Inn located on 33 Railroad Street in the heart of this bucolic village.  The Falls Village Inn features a lunch, taproom and dinner menu that acknowledges a desire for classic American comfort fare. Gorgeous accommodations are also available in comfortable rooms designed by Bunny Williams.

For more information call 860-824-0033 visit http://www.thefallsvillageinn.com.

For information on Hunt Library http://www.huntlibrary.org.  For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

READY, SET, RIDE! Palace Theater Hosts 3rd Annual Motorcycle Ride Fundraiser

Rev your engines and get ready to hit the highway for the Palace Theater’s Third Annual Motorcycle Ride on Saturday, April 26, at 11a.m.  Proceeds from the rain or shine fundraising event will benefit the Palace Theater’s youth and education programs.

Registration for the event begins at 11a.m. in front of the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street in Waterbury, and will be followed by a police-escorted ride at 12:30pm. The 47-mile scenic drive will take riders through the Litchfield Hills, loop through Woodbury and Route 64 in Middlebury, and end back on East Main Street at 2p.m. for live entertainment and refreshments.

Radio personality Chaz from WPLR’s “Chaz and AJ in the Morning” will be on hand to kick-off the festivities, and after the ride, participants will enjoy live, outdoor entertainment by the Rubber City Blues Band. Riders and passengers will also be treated to their choice of a burger or hot dog, as well as two complimentary beverages, courtesy of Frankie’s Hotdogs. 

Registration for the motorcycle ride is $25 per rider and $15 per passenger. To pre-register, or for more information, call the box office at 203-346-2000.

The Palace Theater’s Third Annual Motorcycle Ride is sponsored by Ion Bank, Doc’s Motorcycle Parts, Universal Copy, BuckAPlan, PowerStation Events, Haymond Law, 99.1 WPLR, Frankie’s Hotdogs and Connecticut Cruise News.

The British Are Coming!

The Westport Historical Society will host a lecture on Saturday, April 26, at 2 p.m. marking the 237th anniversary of Tryon's Raid, the Revolutionary War engagement that began with 1,500 British troops landing at Compo Beach.

Compo Beach

This four-day raid, which started on April 25, 1777, saw the British march to Danbury, where they burned Patriot supplies, then return to their ships, two battles with Colonial forces along the way. The incursion was led by Maj. Gen. William Tryon, Royal Governor of the New York province.

As his troops marched back to Compo, Tryon got wind that Patriots under Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold were waiting for him at a bridge at Kings Highway where he had to cross the Saugatuck River. Luckily for Tryon, he was accompanied by a unit of Loyalists, one of whose members had lived in this area. The Loyalist was able to lead the invaders across the river at a ford upstream near present-day Red Coat Road, helping the British avoid the ambush. The site of that crossing is now designated by a historical marker.

The episode inspired the book "The Bridge Not Taken" by Wilton land surveyor Damon Greenleaf Duncan, copies of which are available in the WHS' gift shop.

The lecture will be given by Ed Hynes, whose interest in the American Revolution dates to his childhood in Wilton, where he lived next to a home that was partially burned by Tryon's soldiers. Hynes will look at the raid in the context of the war and discuss the commanders on both sides and "things quite smart and not so smart" on both sides, including how "the Brits outwitted" the Patriots on their return to Compo. This incident took place in our own back yard and highlights an interesting aspect of the war: the extent to which local Colonists were divided for and against the Revolution.

Hynes will speak for about 50 minutes, then take questions from the audience. There will be a handout of maps to help attendees follow the action. The cost of the program is $5 and reservations are required, please call (203) 222-1424 or visit http://westporthistory.org for more information.  For information about Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

April fun at the Institute of American Indian Studies

The Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut's Litchfield Hills has a busy April planned that will be fun for the whole family. In the Artist Corner for example, the IAIS is proud to highlight the artistry of Takara Matthews, a member of the Abenaki Sokoki tribe and  a Champion Women's Fancy Dancer and Jingle Dress Dancer. For sale will be a variety of beaded purses, medallions, earrings. Takara also proudly serves her country as Airman 1st Class in the Vermont Air National Guard.

April 26 is a big day at the IAIS as two exciting events are planned. At 1 p.m. in honor of Earth Day, the IAIS will be showing the Emmy -award winning documentary Journey of the Universe: An Epic Story of Cosmic Earth and Human Transformation. Weaving together Weaving together the findings of modern science with cultural traditions of the West, China,Africa, India and Indigenous peoples, this documentary explores the human connection to the cosmos. Fee: Included in regular museum admission: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors;$5 Children; IAIS Members Free.

Also on April 26 at 5 p.m. the Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club presents A Taste of Native America.  This dinner will feature traditional foods and includes roast venison, rabbit with wild rice, steamed mussels, garlic mashed potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin soup and Indian pudding. Non-alcoholic beverages included (BYOB if desired). Good food, music and conversation regarding the Club's recent and upcoming archeological excavations will abound. Limited seating. Prepayment and registration required. Please call for reservations. The fee is $50 per person.

On April 27 from 12:30 - 3:30 the Institute is hosting Nature's Bounty: Foraging for a Healthy Lifestyle that will teach participants to identify common edible plants in Connecticut.  

BIOLOGIST FEATURED IN NEW IMAX® FILM WILL SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH LEMURS ON APRIL 17 AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Dr. Patricia Wright, the trailblazing scientist featured in the new IMAX^® movie “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” will talk about her work with these endangered primates in a special presentation on Thurs., April 17 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

 Dr. Wright, a professor of biological anthropology at Stony Brook University on Long Island, is an expert on lemurs and the people and environment of Madagascar. The new IMAX movie, which opens at The Maritime Aquarium on April 4, blends two stories: the unique natural history of lemurs and Wright’s lifelong mission to help the strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world.

“Dr. Wright is going to be in very high demand because of this wonderful new movie, so we feel especially fortunate to be able to welcome her so close to the premiere,” said Jennifer Herring, president of The Maritime Aquarium. “We’re sure she’ll have lots of amazing stories about lemurs and a compelling conservation message.”

The 7:30 p.m. talk will be followed by a screening of “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.”  Tickets are $20 ($16 for Aquarium members).

It’s an exciting year for Dr. Wright. Aside from being the featured scientist in a new IMAX movie, she is one of six finalists for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. (The winner will be announced this summer.)

“Our finalists are among the most important wildlife conservationists working in the field today,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, which initiated the Indianapolis Prize. “They are achieving real victories in saving animal species, creating hope and making the world a better place.”

Early in her career, Wright made history when she discovered the golden bamboo lemur, a species that was then unknown to science. The find helped to catalyze the formation of Madagascar’s park system. A short time later, Wright learned that timber exploiters were logging the golden bamboo lemur’s rain-forest habitat, so she spent months trekking to define park boundaries with the forestry service and securing funding to develop Ranomafana National Park (RNP). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, RNP encompasses the home of 12 lemur species, some of which are listed among the world’s most endangered animals.

During the last 20 years, public awareness of Madagascar’s ecosystem has flourished through Dr. Wright’s research and outreach efforts. Her long-term relationship with the local communities in Madagascar has catalyzed economic opportunities around the park. Tourist visits to the park increased from zero to more than 30,000 in 2010, and half the park entrance fees have always been returned to the villages for conservation projects.

Recently, she spearheaded the creation of Centre ValBio, a huge preserve that is a modern hub for multidisciplinary research, training and public awareness, the first in Madagascar.

The IMAX movie “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” reunites writer-producer Drew Fellman, filmmaker David Douglas and narrator Morgan Freeman from the 2011 IMAX movie “Born to Be Wild,” which follows efforts to reintroduce orphaned baby orangutans and elephants into their natural environment. Beginning an unprecedented fourth year at The Maritime Aquarium, “Born to Be Wild” is one of the Norwalk attraction’s most popular IMAX films ever.

Like “Born to Be Wild,” “Island of the Lemurs: Madagascar” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Entertainment.  It’s rated G.

To reserve tickets for Dr. Patricia Wright’s lecture on April 17 or for the daily screenings of “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” beginning April 4, go to www.maritimeaquarium.orgwww.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.