Catch the BIG ONE at the Riverton Fishing Derby on the Farmington River.

April 11, the official opening of the fishing season in the Nutmeg State is the day when fly-fishing aficionados from near and far flock to the Annual Riverton Fishing Derby in the Riverton section of Barkhamsted located in the beautiful Litchfield Hills. 

The day starts before daybreak with a hearty breakfast beginning at 4 a.m. at the Riverton Fire Department on 3 Riverton Rd. in the center of town.  Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be available at the Riverton General Store located in the center of town in a mid.-19^th century building that is the hub of activity for this village. Green mountain coffee, made to order sandwiches, homemade soups, chili, salad and pastries are just some of the things offered here. For more information on Riverton General Store  www.rivertongeneralstore.com.

This exciting Litchfield Hills event takes place on April 11^th on the West branch of the Farmington River, a Nationally designated “Wild and Scenic” river that is known to host an abundance of rainbow, brown and brook trout.  As a matter of fact, on Friday afternoon before this event, over 100 fish are purchased and released into the Farmington River adding even more incentive to catch the “big one.” The contest, complete with prizes, begins at 6 a.m. and lasts for about four hours, ending at 10 a.m. and it’s all-free; and there is no registration or fee required.

The public is always welcome to attend this event and to cheer on their favorite fisherman.  Last year some 500 enthusiasts participated in the derby. An even bigger crowd is expected this year.  Prizes include items donated by local merchants as well as by Orvis and Cabela’s.  The coveted grand prize is a village chair of Riverton donated by the Hitchcock Chair Company.  The Hitchcock Chair Company Store is located in Riverton and stocks an excellent selection of this classic hand stenciled furniture.  For information about the Hitchcock Chair Company visit www.hitchcockchair.com.

A bit further upriver a section of the flowing waters especially stocked for the occasion, is set aside for the "Kid' Derby".  Any tot under 16 who is able to hold a fishing pole, can join in the fun.  Special prizes are awarded to kids.

To find out more about the Fishing Derby and other events in Riverton, visit http://rivertonct.com.

The easiest way of getting a fishing license is to visit the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s online sportsmen licensing at https://ct.outdoorcentral.net/InternetSales.  Fishing licenses are also available from town clerks and this website has a complete listing of town clerks and businesses that sell fishing licenses.  The website also has a weekly fishing report that runs from opening day through the end of November.  The report is a summary of fresh and saltwater fishing activity in the state as reported by tackle stores around the state.

For more information on Litchfield Hills, where to stay, dine and what to see and do visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

Franklin Street Works Presents: “It’s gonna take a lotta love”

“It’s gonna take a lotta love” is a group exhibition that explores ideas about inclusivity, authenticity, and commonality in an age of anxiety, isolated individualism, and virtually lived experience. The show is on view from March 7 – May 24, 2015, and is curated by Liza Statton and Terri C. Smith. A free public reception will take place on Saturday, March 7th from 6:00-8:00pm with member VIP reception from 5:00-6:00pm.

The artists in “It’s gonna take a lotta love” intentionally avoid many of the sensationalist strategies used by the culture and advertising industries, Rather than critiquing these methods of slick production, elaborate fabrication, and massive scale through ironic appropriation, they make art that focuses on the aesthetic and conceptual potential of the everyday.

These artists also share a type of tragic-comic vision of contemporary culture. Humor, joy, and melancholy, among others, mix easily in their work. Such emotional credibility creates a slippage between empathy and alienation. Some artists create this slippage by making and re-making objects using seemingly inconsequential materials.

Wayne White paints witty and sometimes biting phrases on found paintings of pastoral landscapes and rustic barns. Andy Coolquitt resituates familiar materials such as vinyl records, lightbulbs, synthetic shag fabric, and books-on-tape into installations that are inspired by functions and spaces outside of the gallery. His works articulate a tension between the familiarity of our real lives and the exclusive domain of the white cube gallery. Whiting Tennis creates drawings, paintings and sculptures that pit Modernist art’s fascination with pure form against an intentionally personal mode of a hobbiest aesthetic that wrestles with ideas of concealment and containment.

Other artists such as Jon Campbell, Stephen Vitiello, and Jeremy Deller create subtle interventions using everyday language and music. Deller’s poster “Attention all DJs” takes on the form of a handwritten sign with tongue-in-cheek instructions for DJs. Jon Campbell’s “four letter word flags” brightly declare words like “Yeah,” “Home,” and “Want.” By inserting his word flags between country, state, or corporate flags in a city, Campbell prompts passerby’s to ask if the words we all use are worthy of a public format usually saved for pagentry or branding. Stephen Vitiello’s sound works in “It’s gonna take a lotta love” appropriate commercial music from well known singers. With “Dolly Ascending” Vitiello slows down Dolly Parton singing “Stairway to Heaven” to the point where it sounds like choral music. In A.L. Steiner + Robbinschild’s “C.L.U.E. Part I” video two women perform dance infused movements in backdrops of natural and built environments, connecting color, action, attitude, and environment in a straightforward way that includes the audience in their choreographed antics.

Two of the exhibiting artists, Andy Coolquitt and Jon Campbell, have been commisioned to make new works for “It’s gonna take a lotta love.” In the gallery, Coolquitt, whose assemblages reconsider the materials we unconsciously engage with, will be creating a new mixed media installation entitled “oo oo.” Australian artist Jon Campbell has been commissioned to make new works for the exhibition. His gallery contributions include a "four letter word" mural and a set list painting, which is based on a Melbourne band’s 1984 performance. Campbell extends his painting practice into the public sphere with an ambitious installation in Downtown Stamford, his first in the United States. Campbell, who is interested in representing “the overlooked and undervalued,” will design and exhibit flags and banners with the words: Hold, Home, Look, Play, Want, and Yeah. The works will be mounted on existing flagpoles in public parks, at office buildings, and on construction fences throughout Downtown.

Getting There: Franklin Street Works is located at 41 Franklin Street in downtown Stamford, Connecticut, near the UConn campus and less than one hour from New York City via Metro North. Franklin Street Works is approximately one mile (a 15 minute walk) from the Stamford train station. On street parking is available on Franklin Street (metered until 6 pm except on Sunday), and paid parking is available nearby in a lot on Franklin Street and in the Summer Street Garage (100 Summer Street), behind Target. The art space and café are open to the public on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm with extended hours on Thursdays, 12:00pm - 7:00pm. Franklin Street Works does not charge for admission during regular gallery hours.

Oil Paintings Litchfield- Beth Carlson at Oliver Wolcott Library

Beth Carlson is a life-long resident of Litchfield Hills and has been drawing and painting since childhood. A lover of nature and the scenery of the northwest corner of Connecticut, she strives to celebrate the beauty of the local landscape using oils on canvas. Her favorite subject is Lake Waramaug. Beth has been fascinated by the ever-changing, vibrant colors and patterns created during sunsets as seen from Tanner Hill Road in Warren. Yearly trips to Cape Cod also provide inspiration.

Decades of painting for her own enjoyment have led to a body of work that she now wants to share with the hope that others will enjoy her visions and journey. Beth studied illustration at Paier College of Art in Hamden and attended workshops and classes taught by fine artists at the Washington Art Association in Washington Depot and The Wooster Community Art Center in Danbury. She also studied graphic design at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted and made a living in that field at The Litchfield County Times where she was involved with the production of many award-winning publications. In the gallery: March 1- April 24.

The Oliver Wolcott Library is located on 160 South Street in Litchfield, CT. www.owlibrary.org.

Living History Luncheon at Danbury Museum Katy Leary and Mark Twain

On Saturday, March 28, the Danbury Museum & Historical Society will be hosting a living history lunch buffet with Herstory Theater as they present, Katy Leary & Mark Twain.

Katy Leary, born into an Irish-American family in Elmira, New York, served as the Clemens' maid from 1880 until Samuel Clemens' death in 1910.  The performance will be based on A Lifetime with Mark Twain, a memoir dictated by Leary and published in 1925. to Mary Lawton. Lawton was a childhood friend of Clara Clemens, Mark Twain's daughter. She, like everyone else, was devoted to Katy Leary whose quaint sayings, philosophies, and amusing accounts were a source of delight to all who heard them.

Herstory Theater has researched and developed the character of the irrepressible and expressive Leary and welcomes you to join Katy as she takes a walk down memory lane. Clemens called Leary, a "potent influence all over the premises" and "a pole star for steadiness" with "a good store of that veiled & shimmering & half-surreptitious humor which is the best feature of the "˜American' brand."

Katy Leary

Herstory Theater is a wonderful theater company based in Connecticut and this is their third visit to the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. The programs and performances are history-filled, educational, inspirational and always enjoyed by guests.

Admission for this special history program and buffet luncheon provided by Two Steps Downtown Grille and Ciao Catering & Events is $25.00 per person.  Reservations are recommended as space is limited. Seating will begin at 11:30 a.m. and lunch begins at 12 noon.  The program starts at 12:30 p.m. Please phone 203.743.5200 or email info@danburymuseum.org to reserve your seat(s). 

For more information about the museum www.danburymuseum.org and for area information www.litchfieldhills.com. 

About the DMHSA:

The Danbury Museum & Historical Society was formed in 1947 to acquire, preserve, exhibit and interpret the history of Danbury.  Situated in downtown Danbury, the museum preserves the John and Mary Rider House (c.1785), the Dodd Hat Shop (c. 1790), two one-room schoolhouses, the Marian Anderson Studio and the Charles Ives Birthplace.  Huntington Hall, a modern exhibit building houses the museum offices, archives and research library. 

My Sky at Stepping Stones Museum for Children

The Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk has a fabulous new exhibit through Memorial Day called My Sky that is  funded by NASA and created through a partnership between Boston Children's Museum and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

My Sky is an exhibit about the universe. But it is also about each of us, and how the sky above impacts our lives here on Earth. The sky is, after all, universal. It is something we all share. My Sky invites children and adults to explore the Sun, the Moon and the stars together in an immersive, inviting environment. Families are encouraged to "look up" not only when they visit the exhibit, but also in their everyday lives. And My Sky gives families the chance to practice science skills like observing, communicating, noticing patterns, predicting, imagining and more — science skills that are fundamental to astronomy, and skills that scientists and engineers use every day.

The sky is also a source of endless inspiration for people from all walks of life, and My Sky introduces us to a few of these people. From scientists and astronomers who work to investigate and understand the universe; to artists and sculptors who create monuments and representations of the awesome and the serene; to writers and musicians who capture, through words and melody, the feelings that arise when we gaze up at the Moon, or stare silently at the stars. The universe is inspiring. It is mind boggling. It is full of wonder. My Sky invites you to feel all of that.

For more information http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.  For more area event informationwww.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

As We Were - Costume Exhibit at the New Canaan Historical Society

The New Canaan Historical Society located on 13 Oenoke Ridge Road in New Canaan CT has an new costume exhibit that ends in May  2015 called "As we were". The exhibit connects two historical events, the first meeting to found the Historical Society, and the wedding of two prominent founders, Edna Hoyt Rogers and Henry Benjamin Rogers.

Edna Hoyt Rogers was a lifelong New Canaan resident and granddaughter of the founder of Hoyt’s Nurseries. She was involved in the Congregational Church as early as 1872, where at the age of 14, she helped raise money for a new organ. During the next 58 years, she worked to maintain the simple architectural design of the Church. Edna was further interested in, “Trying to keep undesirable developments from marring the beauty of the village,” which was of great importance to her. In 1901, she helped organize New Canaan’s Centennial Celebration.

Her husband, Henry Benjamin Rogers, grew up in Darien and in young adulthood became a clerk for New Canaan’s mercantile store, Comstock & Co. In 1860, he joined the firm of Comstock, Rogers & Co., where he and Albert S. Comstock sold and manufactured clothing. Upon Comstock’s retirement in 1876, Henry continued the business under the name H.B. Rogers & Co., until it was sold and turned into a shoe factory in 1903. Also active in the Congregational Church, Henry was a deacon as well as Sunday School Superintendent for 37 years.

Edna Hoyt Rogers and Henry Benjamin Rogers were married in her parent’s house on 477 Carter Street on November 10, 1888. Edna Hoyt’s father, Edwin Hoyt, built the home in 1859 by mixing together lime, gravel, and cobble stones from his own property. He created an affordable, concrete home that stood 26 feet high and contained three stories, 18 rooms, three halls, and two bathrooms.

A year later, Edna and Henry attended the first meeting regarding the formation of the New Canaan Historical Society in August of 1889. As descendants of the town’s founders, the family joined 62 others to discuss an organization that would gather and preserve New Canaan history. The meeting took place at the Comstock-Bensen house on 46 Main Street.

The Comstock-Bensen House, built in 1841, came under the ownership of Albert Comstock in 1871. Albert was a partner in the clothing firm of Comstock & Rogers, Co, where he and Henry B. Rogers manufactured men’s clothing. His wife was a founder and early president of the New Canaan Historical Society, while Albert was one of its first directors. It was in this house that the first of many Historical Society meetings were held.

As We Were ties together two snapshots of the year 1889, when New Canaan began to create and maintain its historical narrative. The exhibit features clothing like those that would have been worn at the Historical Society’s first meeting. Edna Hoyt Rogers wedding dress, as well as other dresses that would have been worn at a 19th century wedding reception, are also on display.

This exhibit will be open until May 2015.  For more area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com  For information on the New Canaan Historical Society http://nchistory.org.

Audubon Sharon hosts Maplefest

Audubon Sharon will be holding its annual MapleFest on Saturday, March 21 between 10 am and 4 pm at the Sharon Audubon Center, Route 4, Sharon, CT.

Learn the magic of how to make maple syrup at this popular event.  Attendees are invited to take an on-going guided 45-minute tour that  leads them through the Center's sugaring operation.   A highlight of the tour is the visit to  a working sugarhouse. There are also display areas that re-create Native American and early colonial sugaring methods.

Participants can watch as pure sugar maple sap is collected from the trees and turned into delicious maple syrup. Fresh syrup will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Admission for the event is $6.00 adults and $4.00 children (2 and under free.)

Make sure to wear warm clothes and boots, as much of the tour is outdoors. Dave Paton and Tom White from the band Wild Cat Creek will be providing musical entertainment featuring fiddle and hammered dulcimer between 12-2pm.

Depending on sap flow, the sugarhouse will also be open each weekend in March for visitors. Call ahead to see if Audubon staff will be boiling sap. For more information on MapleFest or the Audubon Sharon sugaring operation, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520

For more information http://sharon.audubon.org. For area information www.litchifeldhills.com

Daily Hughes at the Westport Historical Society

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, the Wesport Historical Society is hosting a talk by author Sherri Daley from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. inspired by "What We Talk About When We're Over 60," a book she co-authored with former college roommate Linda Hughes.

Over 60" is a response to the idea that women of a certain age become invisible, to men, in the workplace and to the world in general.   It is interesting to note that women over 60 make up 20 percent of the 157 million females in the U.S. and that while they might be invisible, they still have a voice. What We Talk About, gives them a platform.

Published in June of 2014, the book is a collection of essays by Daley, Hughes and 28 other women on such topics as sex, facelifts, falling in love, marriage, widowhood and more.  Daley tells it like is it when talking about the "golden years" and doesn't let her friends get away with sentimental talk.  She tells them, '60 is 60, it's not the new 40,' and 'we're not getting better, we're just getting older.' "

In addition to Daley, three or four of the book's contributors from this area will read from their essays at the March 19 event. The program will then be thrown open to the floor for questions and comments from the audience. Daley hopes women of all ages, and men as well, will come out to share their stories. Hughes, who lives and teaches in Atlanta, will not be present.
Daley's chapter for "Over 60" talks about "an old boyfriend tour" in which she flew to California and back to her home state of Michigan to see a former high school squeeze. The writer says she called ahead first rather than show up unannounced to avoid any awkwardness. "The wives were accepting," says Daley, who is twice divorced and didn't have to fret about pushback on her own home front. "Each encounter was different," she says, "some hurtful, some wonderful."

The authors have their own "What We Talk About" Facebook page that invites both women and men to post their own stories.

A $10 donation, and reservations are suggested: (203) 222-1424. Reception will follow the presentation. For more event information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Spring into Cooking Classes at The Silo

The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm Trust located on 44 Upland Road in New Milford Connecticut  is offering up a series of cooking classes in March  featuring a wide variety of food offerings.  On Sunday, March 15 for example from 11 a.m. 2 p.m. join Nancy Stuart for "Green Eggs and Ham" for ages 6 to 13  ushers in St. Patty's day and celebrates Dr. Suess' birthday. Kids will make an assortment of items and get recipes to take home for the family. Full participation. $45 per person.

Tuscan Holiday zings into Spring on March 21 from 6 to 9:30 pm with Chef  Daniel Rosati. The menu will include: Warm Spinach Pesto Crostini with Creamy Fontina; Tuscan Leek Soup; Tuscan Pork Tenderloins "Porchetta" Style; Sweet & Savory Marinated Artichoke Hearts; and Chocolate Hazelnut Zuccotto Cake. This class offers full participation and is $90 per person.

If you like brunch, don't miss the Sunday Brunch Classic class on March 29 from 6 to 9 pm with Chef Daniel Rosati. The brunch menu will include: Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins; Parmesan Herb Scones; Vermont Cheddar & Sausage Savory Bread Pudding; Asparagus & Herb Miniature Frittatas; Smoked & Fresh Salmon Hash; Classic Pecan Sticky Buns. This class offers full participation and is $90 per person.

On April 25 the Silo is hosting a special class based on the Titianic with Chef Catherine Titus Felix, CCP.  This is a classic dinner that you can share with your friends and family. The Titanic - It's the story that continues to fascinate the world. April 14 marks the anniversary when "the large luxurious ship carrying many of the wealthiest people on the globe met its doom. "The story of the Titanic isn't just about the mysterious circumstances of the sinking, or the tragedy and loss of life. Much of our fascination with Titanic is in the details. It's a look back at how the Edwardian-era passengers lived, dressed and of course, how they ate." This multi-course feast, with champagne and wine, will allow you to take a journey back in time to an Edwardian world of strict class distinctions, obsession with etiquette and fashion and the era's love of fine food. This is a demonstration class. and is $100 per person. 

For more information and to register visit www.hunthillfarmtrust.org, or call (860) 355-0300. Registration is also available at The Silo during regular business hours. The Silo Gallery and store are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Silo Cooking School at Hunt Hill Farm, 44 Upland Rd, New Milford, CT. 860.355.0300; www.hunthillfarmtrust.org

For area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com.

Spring Shows at Fairfield Theatre Company's Stage One

The Fairfield Theatre Company located on 70 Sanford Street in Fairfield has just announced a series of concerts in their award winning intimate 225 seat theatre that is consistently noted as the best place to hear live music in the entire region because of the quality of the sound, the intimacy of the space, and the caliber of the artists.

If you like the blues, don't miss the show on Saturday, March 21 with Roomful of Blues.  This band is a tour de force of horn-fired blues. So tight, and so right: a masterful combination of jumping, horn-heavy, hard-edged blues, and R&B.  Since '67, the group's deeply rooted blend of swing, rock 'n' roll, jump, blues and soul has earned it a slew of accolades. But you really don't need to know their history to join in the fun. If knowing they have earned five Grammy Award nominations, and seven Blues Music Awards gives them credibility for you, so be it.

For a change of pace, on March 29 the Pine Hill Project takes center stage. Pine Hill Project is the reunion of Richard Schindell and Lucy Kaplansky with special guest Larry Campbell. Their work together in the folk revival supergroup Cry Cry Cry represents a turning point in American folk music, and in their separate careers they have helped to broaden the definition of folk.

Each writer brings their own unique view to the project; Schindell, his esoteric story telling, and Kaplansky, her unique outlook on life. Schindell's work is hallmarked by the unlikely heroes that he depicts. Kaplansky left behind a career in clinical psychology in order to pursue songwriting, and has been a vital voice ever since.

The April 8 headliner is Lee Dewyze.  There is a special VIP package that includes a Pre-Show Meet & Greet and Acoustic
Dewyze is a cross between Cat Stevens and Paul Simon, and has certainly broken the mold of American Idol winners.

With his rough-hewn voice and laid-back Midwestern charm, DeWyze won over millions of viewers as a contestant and eventual winner of the 2010 season of American Idol. There's an easy-going sprit on his major-label debut Live It Up -- a breezy blend of rootsy pop, rock, and folk, anchored by DeWyze's soulful, husky voice and bright-sounding acoustic guitar.

For ticket information visit http://fairfieldtheatre.org.

Spring into cooking classes at The Silo

The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm Trust located on 44 Upland Road in New Milford Connecticut  is offering up a series of cooking classes in March  featuring a wide variety of food offerings.

Tuscan Holiday zings into Spring on March 21 from 6 to 9:30 pm with Chef  Daniel Rosati. The menu will include: Warm Spinach Pesto Crostini with Creamy Fontina; Tuscan Leek Soup; Tuscan Pork Tenderloins "Porchetta" Style; Sweet & Savory Marinated Artichoke Hearts; and Chocolate Hazelnut Zuccotto Cake. This class offers full participation and is $90 per person.

If you like brunch, don't miss the Sunday Brunch Classic class on March 29 from 6 to 9 pm with Chef Daniel Rosati. The brunch menu will include: Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins; Parmesan Herb Scones; Vermont Cheddar & Sausage Savory Bread Pudding; Asparagus & Herb Miniature Frittatas; Smoked & Fresh Salmon Hash; Classic Pecan Sticky Buns. This class offers full participation and is $90 per person.

On April 25 the Silo is hosting a special class based on the Titianic with Chef Catherine Titus Felix, CCP.  This is a classic dinner that you can share with your friends and family. The Titanic - It's the story that continues to fascinate the world. April 14 marks the anniversary when "the large luxurious ship carrying many of the wealthiest people on the globe met its doom. "The story of the Titanic isn't just about the mysterious circumstances of the sinking, or the tragedy and loss of life. Much of our fascination with Titanic is in the details. It's a look back at how the Edwardian-era passengers lived, dressed and of course, how they ate." This multi-course feast, with champagne and wine, will allow you to take a journey back in time to an Edwardian world of strict class distinctions, obsession with etiquette and fashion and the era's love of fine food. This is a demonstration class. and is $100 per person.

For more information and to register visit www.hunthillfarmtrust.org, or call (860) 355-0300. Registration is also available at The Silo during regular business hours. The Silo Gallery and store are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Silo Cooking School at Hunt Hill Farm, 44 Upland Rd, New Milford, CT. 860.355.0300; www.hunthillfarmtrust.org.