Sample Forgotten Drinks of the Colonial Era in Litchfield

Join the Litchfield Historical Society on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 6 pm for a lecture and guided tasting of long-forgotten colonial drinks. Author Corin Hirsch will talk about her new book, Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England: From Flips and Rattle-Skulls to Switchel and Spruce Beer and lead participants in a guided tasting of drinks featured in the book. 

Throughout the evening colonial music accompaniment will be provided by local musician Tom Hooker Hanford. Following the talk, please join us for a reception featuring historic cocktails and refreshments. This event will be held on the lawn of the Tapping Reeve House.


Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England, released by History Press this year, explores the origins of drinks popular in Colonial New England and offers revived recipes for today’s modern drinkers. Cocktails were popular with all ages and a huge part of social interactions, for everyone from farmers to founding fathers. Corin Hirsch explores the origins of these drinks and the culture they created for New Englanders. She offers reasons for certain combinations and tastes, and provides recipes for those wanting to drink like early colonists.  Hirsch is a food and drinks writer for Seven Days, a Vermont-based magazine. She used to tend bar in a sixteenth-century English pub. This is her first book.


Musician Tom Hooker Hanford has been delighting audiences with his singing and visual art performances for over 20 years. His shows feature sing-along songs, onstage participation, authentic costumes, and colorfully painted props and masks. He accompanies himself with guitar, harmonicas, violin, and other instruments. Tom has taught music for years and has recorded multiple CDs for children and adults.


Copies of Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England will be available for purchase. Tickets for this event are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Please call (860) 567-4501 or see our online registration site at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/lhs.


The Tapping Reeve House is located at 82 South St., Litchfield, CT. The rain location for this event is the Litchfield History Museum, located at 7 South St. For more information about this or other programs, please see www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org or call (860) 567-4501.

Quintessential Quilts at the Danbury Historical Society

The Danbury Historical Society's exhibit called Quintessential Quilts runs through November 1 and focuses on the amazing collection of handmade quilts in the museum's collection. The exhibition opens with the roots of the craft in the 18th and 19th centuries and moves on to highlight the rising popularity of quilt making as an artistic endeavor in the 20th century.

All the quilts on display were made between the 18th and 19th century by the local citizens of Danbury area and tells a story of the people of this that made them.  

One particularly interesting quilt, crafted by sisters Laura and Flora Morgan of Bethel was made from Danbury hat factory scraps and is known as the "crazy quilt".  This particular piece is believed to have been made between 1875 and 1910. Laura Morgan was employed by a Danbury hat factory and was allowed to bring home silk lining scraps. Together the sisters added these to a variety of velvets: cut, uncut, and voided. The scraps were pieced together on foundation fabric and made nine blocks embellished with beads, embroidery, and sequins. It is thought that this quilt was a gift from these two unmarried sisters to their helpful cousin.

In conjunction with this quilt exhibition, the Danbury Museum and Historical Society is hosting several movies and lectures on quilting. On August 9 at 2 p.m. the movie, Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend will be shown in Huntington Hall; admission is free and the public is welcome to attend. 

On August 16 there will be a quilting fabric swap from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  There is a $10 admission at the door for this fun fabric exchange. 

The quilting fun continues in September with a free movie on Art of Quilting beginning at 2 p.m. in Huntington Hall on the campus of the Historical Society.

On October 25, a few days before this exhibition comes to a close, there will be a lecture by Sue Reich, a well known quilt expert. The lecture is free and will begin at 2 p.m. in Huntington Hall. The focus of the lecture will be quilts and quilt makers covering Connecticut. 

The Danbury Museum and Historical Society located on 43 Main Street in Danbury  is open Wed. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. For addition information visit http://www.danburymuseum.org. 

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

19th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival

The Litchfield Jazz Festival continues a time honored tradition of showcasing jazz legends and fostering up-and-coming talent that has been in place since our first festival in 1996. The Litchfield Jazz Festival is taking place once again this year on Friday August 8 - Sunday August 10 at the Goshen Fair Grounds, Rte. 63 Goshen Connecticut. Celebrate the kick off of the 19th Anniversary of the Litchfield Jazz Festival at the Goshen Fairgrounds on Friday, August 8th. The party is the event of the season where you'll enjoy fine foods, private reserve French wines courtesy of Vandoren Vineyards, microbrews by the Olde Burnside Brewing Company and music all night long. The Gala begins at 5:45 p.m. and the music starts at 7:45 p.m. with Cécile McLorin Salvant who was the youngest finalist ever in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010. At 9:15 p.m.  the virtuosic and playful, pianist Cyrus Chestnut's hard swinging, soulful sounds have become a staple in the jazz community. Blending contemporary and traditional jazz with gospel and occasional seasonings of Latin and samba, Chestnut gives himself plenty of freedom to explore different emotions, while keeping his music in recognizable form. On Saturday, August 9 the day begins at 12 noon with Carmen Staaf the winner of the 2009 Mary Lou Williams, t Women in Jazz Pianist Competition. Most recently she was chosen as the pianist in the prestigious Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music for the fall of 2014. She was featured on NPR's JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, with clips of her Kennedy Center performance at the 2010 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival and She was the guest soloist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra on a Jazz for Young People program about Duke Ellington. At 1:45 Grammy-nominee Claudio Roditi takes the stage and plays both the trumpet and the flugelhorn with power and lyricism. Rodti integrates post-bop elements and Brazilian rhythmic concepts into his palette with ease. At 3:30 Curtis Fuller performs.  Fuller has close to 100 recordings on major labels with Kenny Dorham, Gil Evans, Jimmy Heath, Clifford Jordan, Quincy Jones, Art Blakey (he appears on the iconic Ugetsu), Lee Morgan and others too numerous to list. Fuller will be accompanies by Drummer Joe Farnsworth, Kris Jensen on sax and Rick Germanson on piano. Anthony Strong performs at 6 p.m. and makes his US debt at the festival. He is a product of London's renowned Guildhall School of Music where he paid his way with gigs and sessions with artists like Michael Bolton, Marti Pellow and Beverley Knight. He also spent nine months in the West End as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, performing to thousands of theatre-goers, one of them Rod Stewart, who came back the following day and called Strong's performance "(expletive) Amazing!!" BB King called it, "Real great music." Saturday ends with a performance at 7:45 p.m. with Kirk Whalum, well known for his smooth jazz saxophone. With a career that spans decades, he is an 11-time Grammy nominee and the winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song (Its What I Do, featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside his lifelong friend songwriter, Jerry Peters. On Sunday, August 10 at 12 noon Doug Munro takes to the stage. The LJO features-a who's who of the biggest names in the music industry including: Trumpets -Dave Ballou, Russ Johnson and Nick Roseboro; Trombones - Peter McEachern, Nicole Connelly, Daniel Simms; Saxes - (alto) Kris Allen, (alto) Caroline Davis, (tenor) Don Braden, (tenor) Tom Finn, (bari) Andrew Hadro; Bass - Avery Sharpe; Drums - Robin Baytas; Guitars - Doug Munro, Ken Ross; Violin - Andrei Matorin. At 1:45 p.m. Bassist/composer Mario Pavone takes to the stage. He has 17 recordings as a leader/co-leader, including his acclaimed 2006 release, Deez to Blues, on Playscape Recordings. Among his awards are a NewWorks grant from Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation and a Distinguished Artists Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. In addition to his ongoing activities as a bandleader, Pavone's artwork and photography have graced the covers of dozens of recordings. The Jimmy Greene Quartet performs at 3:45 p.m. The Jimmy Greene Quartet performs regularly in jazz venues, festivals and clubs worldwide. Jimmy appears on over 70 albums as a sideman, and has toured and/or recorded with Horace Silver, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Harry Connick, Jr., Avishai Cohen, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash, Steve Turre, the New Jazz Composers Octet and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, among many others. As a member of Harrell's quintet, Greene was featured on CBS's news magazine, 60 Minutes. As a member of Harry Connick Jr.'s Big Band, he is a featured soloist on two DVD releases, Harry for the Holidays, and Only You, and NBC He was holiday special and the Today Show. At 5:30 p.m.  Mike Stern band featuring Janek Gwizdala on bass, Bob Franceschini on sax, and Lionel Cordew on drums takes to the stage.  Stern has been in the jazz business three decades and he has played with everybody anybody in jazz would have loved to have played with. He is a multi-Grammy nominated guitarist and was named one of the 75 best guitarists of all time by DownBeat Magazine in its 75th anniversary issue. The festival ends with a performance by Jane Bunnett and Maqueque at 7:15 p.m. Soprano saxophonist/flutist/bandleader Jane Bunnett has built her career at the crossroads of Cuban music and jazz. A two-time Grammy nominee and multiple Juno Award winner, and recipient of an honorary doctorate from Queen's University, Bunnett has turned her bands into showcases for the finest talent from Canada, the U.S., and, particularly, Cuba. She is responsible for introducing, over two decades, Cuban musicians who are now almost household words for American Jazz audiences-- Dafnis Prieto, Pedrito Martínez, David Virelles, Hilario Duran, among others. To reserve your tickets visit http://litchfieldjazzfest.com/festival. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com Photo: Steven Sussman

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Summer Exhibits at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury

This summer, the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury Connecticut is presenting an art show called Haven and Inspiration that runs through August 24. This fascinating exhibition traces the evolution of the Kent Connecticut Art Colony.

Haven and Inspiration explores the wide range of artistic styles and subjects produced by the art colony's founding members: Rex Brasher (1869-1960) Eliot Candee Clark (1883-1980), Carl Hirschberg (1854-1923), Francis Luis Mora (1874-1940), G. Laurence Nelson (1887-1978), Spencer Baird Nichols (1875-1950), Robert Nisbet (1879-1961), Willard Paddock (1873-1956) and Frederick Judd Waugh (1861-1940). Of all the villages in Connecticut, Kent attracted the most permanent colony of artists and developed the only artists' organization that exists to this day. It remains, until now, however, the one least examined.

Building upon the scholarship of Robert Michael Austin, whose publication, Artists of the Litchfield Hills devotes a chapter to the Kent Art Colony, this exhibition focuses on the period 1910 to 1930. Robert Nisbet moved to Kent in 1910; shortly after, like-minded artists who started as visitors became neighbors. By the summer of 1922, there were enough artists in Kent for them to consider organizing into a group. While landscape was the primary subject, they also painted portraits, genre scenes and still lifes.

Another exhibition at the Mattatuck, The Way We Worked that runs through August 3 explores how ork became a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments. The exhibition draws from the Archives' rich photographic collections, covering more than 150 years to tell this compelling story. Why, where, and how do we work? What value does work have to individuals and communities? What does our work tell others about us?

Included in this exhibit are paintings by Anna Held Audette and Duvian Montoya. Audette is a contemporary woman artist who paints industrial ruins and abandoned machinery and Montoya's painting's act as a personal journal of observations made during his travels, childhood, and life experiences.

A third exhibition that runs through August 31 and is titled Steel Garden showcases the work of Sculptor Babette Bloch. Considered a is a pioneer in the use of laser-cut and water jet-cut stainless steel in creating works of art, Bloch's sculptures explore form and the interplay between object and light, reflect their environments, and expand the ways in which stainless steel is used in contemporary art.

Bloch's works of art embrace her eclectic tastes, her pleasure in aesthetics and her technical curiosity. Drawing on several traditions in American art, she creates works that touch on Modernist abstraction, the cut outs and collage found in Pop art, and the long-standing practice of storytelling in art. In cutting, shaping, burnishing, and grinding stainless steel, Bloch has developed the material's natural properties of brightness and reflectivity while making the dense metal seem nearly weightless and ethereal.

A not to be missed continuing exhibition, Fancy This: The Gilded Age of Fashion displays beautiful, rarely seen costume pieces from the Mattatuck's collection. Many of these delicate objects have not been on view for decades. Guest curator Mary Daniel is the winner of the 2013 Summer Fling "Curator for the Day" auction prize and has been working with the Museum's curatorial department to organize this exhibition which also includes accessories such as shoes, purses, fans and gloves.

The Mattatuck Museum is located on 144 West Main Street, Waterbury CT. The museum is open Tues. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and open late the first Thursday of the Month until 7:30 p.m.  For additional information https://www.mattatuckmuseum.org.

August Concerts at Calf Pasture Beach Norwalk

Each Wednesday night throughout the summer, music lovers can head to scenic Calf Pasture Beach on Calf Pasture Beach Road in Norwalk (06851) to enjoy an evening of free musical entertainment. If you don’t have a parking sticker for this beach, not to worry, there is a  nominal $5.00 parking fee  charged for cars without a Norwalk beach sticker.

Cash Kings

To start off the month of August at 7 p.m. Cash is King is performing. Fans of the Man in Black will enjoy this recreation of performances by Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Three with June Carter Cash.

Deja Vu

The Classic Car Show is back on August 13 and begins at 6 p.m.  This gathering of than 100 vehicles is hosted by the Coachmen Rod and Custom Club, an organization of men and women who enjoy classic cars. Owners of 1981 and older cars can participate in the shows, which attract owners from throughout the tri-state area. Each car show participant is asked to contribute canned food or make a donation to the St. Vincent De Paul food bank.   At 7 p.m., Deja Vu will entertain the crowd.  For ten years, this popular group has been performing “golden oldies” at events from New Haven to New York.  The group includes Dominick Muro (lead vocals), Tony Masi (keyboards/lead vocals), Arthur Armstrong (lead vocals), George Gionios (saxophone/vocals), Rocco Castango (drums/vocals), John Skrensky (bass guitar/vocals) and Sal Salta (lead guitar/vocals).

Desert Highway

Curious Creatures kick off the August 20 event at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by a concert by Desert Highway.  This  is a passionate group of six talented professions who perform the rich vocal harmonies and intricate guitar styles made famous by The Eagles. The band includes Mike Green (lead vocals, guitars), Larry Lippman (lead vocals, drums), Carl Bova (bass, vocals), Rich Naso (guitars), Ed Betancourt (guitars, vocals) and Mitch Lieb (keyboards).

On August 27 at 7 p.m. Back to the Garden 1969 will entertain concert goers.  Spotlighting music from the Woodstock era, these seasoned musicians have toured, performed and recorded nationally. Each member of the band – Gary Adamson, Bob Fonseca, Mike Garner, Larry Kelly and Annie Masciando -- plays multiple instruments and also is a lead vocalist.  

For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

August at the Beardsley Zoo a fun way to spend the last month of summer

August at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport on 1875 Noble Ave. has a host of activities that promises fun for the whole family. Take the Rainforest Reptiles for example that are back at the Zoo by popular demand from August 1-17. These reptile shows feature exotic crawlers, unusual slitherers, and fascinating creepers, all of which are creatures of the rainforest. Participants will experience direct contact with live animals, artifacts, and hear fascinating stories about these unusual animals and their natural habitats. There are two shows daily Tuesdays – Thursdays and three shows on Friday – Sunday.

There are two sessions of "Zoo Patrol", the first from August 4-8 and the second from August 11-15. The Zoo Patrol offers children ages 6 – 8 the opportunity to participate in keeper talks, behind-the-scenes tours, animal related games, and crafts. Hands-on lab activities and nature studies may also be a part of the program. Sessions run on zoo grounds Monday through Friday. Each week is $140/child for Zoo members and $165/child for non-members.Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, please call 203-394-6563.

On August 20, the Zoo is hosting a special evening lecture at 7 p.m. on Tree-Top Hideaways. Participants will learn about monkey movement and behavior with this month's guest lecturer Kevin McLean. A highlight is the rush hour report from Panama - it's a jungle out there! The  suggested donation is $5. Refreshments will be served. This lecture, taking place in the Hanson Exploration Station, is part of the Evening Lecture Series, sponsored by Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Volunteer Association.

On September 1, Labor Day, Zoo goers will bid farewell to the Zoo's summertime guests, the three visiting camels. 

About Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Unplug and explore Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo! Connecticut's only zoo features 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Visitors won't want to miss our Amur (Siberian) tigers and leopard, Brazilian ocelot, Mexican wolves, and Golden Lion tamarins. Other highlights include our South American rainforest with free-flight aviary, the prairie dog exhibit with "pop-up" viewing areas, the New England Farmyard with goats, cows, pigs, sheep, and other barnyard critters, plus the hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, and more. Visitors can grab a bite at the Peacock Café, eat in the Picnic Grove, and enjoy a ride on our colorful carousel. For more information, visit www.beardsleyzoo.org.