Jazz Concert in the Garden @ Torrington Historical Society

On Saturday July 29^th  from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Torrington Historical Society will host a jazz concert and fundraiser with the Litchfield Jazz Camp Faculty All Stars on the grounds of the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum located on 192 Main Street. The  tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street or on-line at http://www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org

In the event of inclement weather the concert will move indoors to the Carriage House gallery behind the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum. Although outdoor seating will be available, concert attendees are encouraged to bring a comfortable lawn chair and a picnic basket. 

The Concert

The jazz performed will be rhythmic, forward leaning and exciting. The musicians have shared the stage with many of the important figures of the jazz idiom in their long careers and this is an opportunity to hear these players performing some new compositions as well as some of their previous work.

This ensemble of well-known jazz artists includes:  Mario Pavone, bass; Peter McEachern, trombone; Dave Ballou, trumpet and Mike Sarin, drums will include special guest Oscar Noriega, on saxophone. Noriega has just won the rising star category in the 2017 Down Beat critics poll.  Oscar Noriega is also on Mario Pavone's recent CD "Vertical" along with Dave Ballou, Peter McEachern and Mike Sarin.

 The concert will feature music from Mario Pavone’s recent CD Vertical on Clean Feed Records and Peter McEachern’s upcoming CD Double Helix. The concert will be held in the garden of the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum 192 Main Street, Torrington.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street or on-line at www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org

Musician’s Bios   

Mario Pavone: Bass

Bassist/composer Mario Pavone has collaborated with both legendary innovators and today's most respected young musicians to consistently define the cutting edge of jazz for the past 40 years. He has anchored the trios of Paul Bley (1968-72), Bill Dixon (1980's), and the late Thomas Chapin (1990-97), and co-led a variety of notable ensembles with Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, and Marty Ehrlich. Unlike most artists whose careers span five decades, his most recent recordings are his most widely acclaimed, appearing on best-of-the-year lists from Slate.com, AllAboutJazz.com, All AboutJazz-New York, Coda, the Village Voice , and the New York Times among others.

Dave Ballou: Trumpet

 Trumpeter/Composer Dave Ballou has released nine internationally recognized CD’s as a leader or co-leader. He has performed or recorded with ensembles led by Rabih Abou-Kahlil, Steely Dan, Michael Formanek, Woody Herman, Andrew Hill, John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, Sheila Jordan, Oliver Lake, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Dewey Redman, and Maria Schneider . Ballou has performed Bach's Brandenberg Concerto #2 with the Bella Musica Orchestra of New York, Larry Austin's Improvisations with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and Gunther Schuller's Journey into Jazz with the Spokane Symphony and Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

Mike Sarin: Drums

Since moving to New York in 1989, Mike Sarin’s unique style and approach to the drum set has been highly sought after by NYC and European musicians looking to expand the definitions of jazz and improvised music. He has contributed to recordings of  Thomas Chapin, Frank Carlberg, Anthony Coleman, Mark Dresser, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Helias, Denman Maroney, Simon Nabatov, Mario Pavone, Ned Rothenberg, and Fred Wesley--recordings found on numerous music critics’ Top Ten CD year-end lists. Sarin performs all over the world--in major and minor festivals.  He is currently on staff of the Count Basie Theatre Performing Arts Academy and is a member of the teaching faculty of the New York Jazz Workshop.

Peter McEachern: Trombone

Peter McEachern, has toured and recorded three CDs for Polygram with Blues legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown; has worked and recorded with minimalist composer Lamonte Young, and is featured on several important CDs: "Insomnia" with the Thomas Chapin Trio on Knitting Factory Works and "Song for Septet" with the Mario Pavone Septet on the New World Countercurrents label. Peter has been a teaching artist at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 1998. He has released 3 CD's in the past year "No Chordtet" featuring Dave Santoro, George Sovak and Hamir Atwal,”Shockwave" featuring the late Thomas Chapin, Steve Johns, Mario Pavone and Jamie Finegan, and No Chordet’s 2nd CD “Subconscious Love” on Truth Revolution Records.

Oscar Noriega: Saxophone

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Oscar Noriega has lived in Brooklyn since 1992.
He has worked with Lee Konitz, Anthony Braxton, Gerry Hemingway, Dewey Redman and Paul Motion. He is currently performing with Tim Berne’s Snakeoil, Endangered Blood (Chris Speed, Jim Black, Trevor Dunn) and is co-leader of the Mexico-inspired Banda De Los Muertos. He plays alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and drums.

New Milford Village Fair Days turns 50 on July 28 & 29

The center of New Milford located in the scenic Litchfield Hills is noted for its long traditional village green laid out in 1872. Here you will find monuments from past wars as well as a bandstand, first built in 1891 that is a symbol of New Milford's sense of community.

You can also explore many exceptional galleries, boutiques, restaurants and antique shops that are clustered in the heart of this village. Many are located in beautifully restored 18th and 19th century homes and buildings. Town Hall, facing the Green, marks the home of one of New Milford's most illustrious citizens, Roger Sherman, the only Connecticut man whose signature is on all key documents of the founding of this nation.

On July 28 and July 29, 2017 the New Milford Green becomes a hive of activity with the many activities and family fun offered up at the 50th Annual New Milford Village Fair Days.

Organized by the Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce, this is the largest annual event in New Milford. Hundreds of vendors including: local businesses, organizations, church groups and clubs exhibit their unique offerings. If you like crafts, you won't be disappointed as many skillful crafters offer their wares.

There are three new attractions making their debut at this 50th anniversary fair.

Touch a truck will be a highlight from 11 am - 3 pm on Bank Street where kids are invited to come out and actually touch a truck!  

The Wishing New Milford Well is an exciting way to celebrate the Fair's 50th anniversary with a give-back to the community. Fair organizers are offering all non-profit organizations that are Chamber members in good standing an opportunity to participate in the bandstand replica wishing well fundraiser – Wishing New Milford Well. The bandstand replica is being built by a local resident and will be located in the Food Court area. The wishing well will have slots that correspond with non-profit organizations. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to donate to whichever organizations are near and dear to their heart.

The final new feature is the Five Gets  You Plus Fifty contest. Try you luck at opening a locked box by guessing the five number digital combination. At no cost, eligible persons will be able to input a 5 digit code. If their code unlocks the combination, they will win the prizes inside. We will also offer a second chance to win. If no one guesses the correct combination, we will hold a "second chance to win" drawing. The contest will run from noon to 7 pm with the second chance drawing being held at 8 pm.

Food is a big element of any Fair and New Milford's food vendors won't disappoint. There is even a dining tent and two days of entertainment that add to the festivities. A wide variety of food vendors serve up delicious fare to satisfy every palate. 

Exploring the south Green you will find a variety of businesses, organizations, church groups and clubs, while the north Green hosts master crafters. Food vendors can be found in the mid-section of the Green where fair goers will find everything from tasty snacks to a wonderful meal that can be enjoyed in the large sit-down dining area.

The Fair opens on July 28 at 10:00 am and closes at 10:00 PM on both days. A highlight of Friday's event is the the Kid's Fun Run at 6:00 PM. On Saturday, July 29th the Fair opens at 10:00 am and closes at 10:00 PM. Highlights on the 30th include: the 50th Annual 8 Mile Road Race & 15th Annual Fair Days 5K at 8:30 am.

For further information, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 860.354.6080 or visit http://www.newmilford-chamber.com for up to the minute information.

Salisbury Farmers Market Every Saturday Morning

This summer in Salisbury every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the  beautifully manicured lawn of the Scoville Memorial  Library (38 Main Street) there will be a farmers market.  The lawn bordered by towering maple trees  is the perfect backdrop for the market that will feature a large variety of vegetables, meats, cheeses, eggs, rustic breads and more.  There is plenty of on and off the street free parking making visiting this market a pleasure. The market was organized by the library to further its community mission beyond the borrowing of books and movies.  

Among participants, Crooked Oak farm from Lakeville and Mountain Falls Farm from Sheffield will be bringing an large variety of vegetables.  Meats including chicken, beef, pork and sausage will be provided by Skipp Hobbs of  Mountain Falls in Sheffield, MA and the Cockerlines from Whipporwill Farm in Lakeville. Savory baked goods are featured by Carol Bonci including breads, focaccia, sesame salt rolls, savory turnovers,  plus vegetarian pate.  

Jams and jellies will be provided by Adamah Farm from Falls Village and Averill Farm of Washington Depot, who will also feature apple butter, apple cider syrup, and honey in addition to apples and pears in season. The Adamah will offer their wonderful pickles and a variety of cheeses will available from Sprout Creek Farm from Poughkeepsie and vinegars from Brother Victor. 

Additionally there will be maple syrup, eggs, seedlings and eventually cut flowers and other plants.  On occasion there will be special guests and chef demonstrations. 

Hera @ Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum located on 258 Main Street in Ridgefield  is pleased to present Tony Matelli’s Hera, a monumental sculpture, as part of the Main Street Sculpture series, which offers an opportunity for artists to create site-specific work for The Aldrich’s most public site, the front lawn.

Matelli  singular, larger-than-life-size outdoor figurative sculpture will be on display through October 21, 2017. This work is an extension of Matelli’s Garden Sculptures series, initiated in 2015, in which he defaces garden statuary of classical or religious icons and subverts material expectation. Based on an ancient Greek statue of Hera and poised atop a pedestal, the statue, fabricated out of cast stone, is painstakingly aged to mimic a centuries old patina. 

An imposing nine-feet tall and sited on a three-foot tall pedestal, the neo-classical figure will be juxtaposed with flawlessly hand-painted cast bronze watermelons, whole, halved, and quartered, that balance upon her head, within the creases and folds of her drapery, and at her feet. These faux-perishables, poised upon the intentionally eroded and debased figure, are presented in an eternal state of freshness. In doing so, Matelli stages opposing entropic forces, the synthetically preserved, and the forcibly decayed.

Spanning sculpture and painting, Matelli’s hyperreal practice embodies the human condition. Suspended in changing physical states or transformative stages of existence, his work concerns the very circumstance of actuality, joining the ordinary with the speculative in order to assess cultural worth: what people keep or abandon, what appears to be in or out of place, and what seems pleasing or distasteful. Often provocative and hallucinatory, Matelli’s work expresses excess, neglect, decomposition, and regeneration, the upturned and the adrift, the romantic and the surreal. 

At The Aldrich, Matelli’s colossal sculpture of a familiar mythological figure may read as a modern memento mori, or as a devotional offering to a saccharine present, cast against a corrosive past. Ridgefield, a Revolutionary-era Colonial town with a landmarked Main Street, is a befitting location for this tragicomic siting, as Matelli’s ancient giant testifies to history as theatrical backdrop.

Tony Matelli (b. 1971, Chicago) received his BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 1993 and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1995. Recent solo exhibitions include the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; the Davis Museum, MA; Künsterlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin; and the Palais de Tokyo, Paris. A mid-career survey, Tony Matelli: A Human Echo, premiered at the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark in 2012 and traveled to the Bergen Kunstmuseum, Norway in 2013. His work is in numerous public collections including the FLAG Art Foundation, NY; ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark; and the National Centre of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia, among others. He lives and works in New York City.

Spend a Day at the Mattatuck Museum

The Mattatuck Museum located on the Green (144 West Main Street) in Waterbury has announced the opening of two new exhibitions. Winslow Homer: American Life 1857-1875 and Passing By: Laure Dunne will be celebrated with an opening reception on Sunday, July 30 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Docent-led tours of both exhibits will be available beginning at noon.

On-the-Bluff-At...: Winslow Homer, On the Bluff at Long Branch, at the Bathing Hour, Harper's Weekly, August 6, 1870, Gift of David and Ann Jones

About Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer: American Life 1857-1875 features approximately 100 prints from illustrated weeklies and journals by American Master, Winslow Homer. The works were selected from a gift of engravings recently donated to the Mattatuck Museum by Fairfield collector David Jones and his wife Ann. This group of engravings will be complemented by several paintings on loan from Connecticut institutions including Yale University Art Gallery, Wadsworth Atheneum and New Britain Museum of American Art. This overview of Homer's rich career as an illustrator will be presented thematically. It will reflect the concerns of a nation during a period of significant social and political change. Subjects addressed include the Civil War, domestic and daily life in the 19th century, the changing role of women, popular entertainments and the outdoors.

Winslow Homer will be complemented by several public programs during the run of the exhibition, including a Lunch & Learn – "An American Icon: Winslow Homer – A Personal Interpretation" - with Professor Dorothy Keller and an evening reception entitled "Homer in Nature" with David Davison.

Trains-Returning-2016…: Laure Dunne, Train Returning, 2016, Digital print

About Laure Dunne

MIXMASTER winner Laure Dunne will also open her new exhibition of photography, Passing By, on July 30. This exhibition of 25 photos includes shots from Oregon, Maine, New York and Connecticut. Thematically organized between two subjects, trains and trees, Dunne's clear, clean aesthetic is evident in these compositionally strong and dramatic images.

About the Mattatuck Museum of Art

Located in the heart of downtown Waterbury's architectural district, the Mattatuck Museum is a vibrant destination, known locally and regionally as a community-centered institution of American art and history. For more information on all of the Museum's programs, events, and exhibits visit the website at mattmuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381.

GET READY FOR A MIND-BLOWING MEGA SUMMER AT STEPPING STONES!

During the dog days of summer, kids and parents can head over to Stepping Stones Museum for Children for some cool fun. Whether a child’s interests are prehistoric or futuristic, there’s an exciting new theme to explore each week during Mega Summer from now through Labor Day.

From Dr. Seuss to dinosaurs, fairies to astronomy, kids can enjoy related indoor AND outdoor activities to keep them engaged all summer long! Rain or shine, there’s plenty to discover with daily crafts, stories and creative play. Summer is actually the perfect time for kids to delve deeper into a new subject area outside of a classroom. Self-directed learning is crucial to encourage curiosity and develop a life-long love of education.

 The full calendar with detailed information is available online. Some highlights of Mega Summer include: 

• Dinosaurs July 10-16
  • July 15 Chomping Dino Faces - make a dinosaur face puppet that can chomp, talk or even roar! For children ages 3 and older.
  • July 16 Dino Dig - learn about fossils and dig up some fossils of your own. Limited space.

• Robotics July 17-23
  • July 15-16 Coding and Robotics weekend - Build LEGO® robots, navigate a Bee-Bot® through a maze and much more.
  • July 17 DIY Hovercraft - make and test your own hovercraft! For children ages 4 and older. Tickets available 30 minutes prior to program. 10 spots available.

• Fairies, Dragons  and Wizards July 24-30
  • July 30 Show Me a Tale: Biblioburro – A true story from Colombia.  After the story, children will create a mini pop-up book. For children ages 5 and older. Limited space – tickets available at the Welcome Desk 30 minutes prior to program.

• Under the Sea July 31- August 6
  • August 1 Touch Tank from noon– 3pm - drop-in activity in partnership with Maritime Aquarium. There will be live marine animals in display tanks where visitors can come up, touch, and ask questions.

• Music August 7-13

• Astronomy August 14-20
  • August 21 Great American Eclipse 1pm – 5pm Celebrating the solar eclipse! A daytime event to view the partial eclipse that we will be able to witness at Stepping Stones (weather permitting). The celebration will happen regardless of the weather, affecting only the viewing of the solar eclipse.
    
    

• Renaissance August 21-27

• Heroes August 28-Labor Day

Stepping Stones is helping families explore more attractions In Norwalk as a participant in the Sound of Summer program.  Simply pay full price at one of the ten participating attractions and receive a special discount at all of the other attractions. As a special perk for Stepping Stones members, simply show your membership card to enjoy all the Sound of Summer benefits – no purchase necessary! For a full list of discounts visit http://www.norwalkct.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1418

ABOUT STEPPING STONES MUSUEM FOR CHILDREN

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday-Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.  Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free

The Work of Love, The Queer of Labor @ Franklin Street Artworks

Franklin Street Works newest exhibition, "The Work of Love, The Queer of Labor," is curated by New York City based artist/curator Yevgeniy Fiks and curator/critic Olga Kopenkina. In "The Work of Love, The Queer of Labor," queerness is discussed through the lens of class and vice versa. Exhibiting artists are: Angela Beallor, Hugo Gellert, Montague Glover, Noam Gonick, Hagra, William E. Jones, Erik Moskowitz+Amanda Trager, Jaanus Samma, and YES! Association / Föreningen JA!. The exhibition is on view through August 17, 2017.

In "The Work of Love, The Queer of Labor," individual artists and collectives contribute works that represent a desire for liberation through critically engaged connections between class, gender and sexuality. LGBTQI identities are explored from the class perspective in order to re-discover political potentialities in queerness' countercultural paradigm. By exploring queerness through its relationship with class, curators Fiks and Kopenkina aim to interrogate the possibility of love in a class-based society. They attempt as well to envision a classless society akin to "affectionate community" built by LGBTQI people.

In today's global economy the difference between work as a productive force in service of capitalism and labor as a condition of biological life is almost gone. Artists' creative work, once avant-garde and independent, has become alienated and inseparable from market economy. Likewise, love and sexuality have become abstracted from the site of their enactment. They are no longer a product of biological body, but, instead, generated by techno-bodies impacted by multimedia technologies of global capitalist production.

Is it possible for queer activities, which are driven by "true desire," not social norms, to restore love and produce new relationships between people? Could these relationships be based on equality of all forms of sexuality, love and labor? Artists who present their works in this exhibition extend this desire for love and personal relationships in a society built on equality and justice rather than exploitation and oppression to all people. The struggle for queer rights is everyone's struggle!

Franklin Street Works is located on 41 Franklin Street in Stamford. Gallery Hours are: Tues. - Sun. noon to 5 p.m. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on things to do and see, special events and travel tips in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit  www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Fairfield Museum and History Center Fairfield Commons

The Fairfield Museum and History Center has spearheaded the revitalization of Fairfield's historic Town Green campus to create a dynamic  destination that will connect art, performance, history and visitors to the community.

The new center for cultural activity – The Museum Commons – has launched this summer and will offer live theater, festivals, concerts and more! Two public buildings on the Museum Commons the Victorian Cottage and Barn (1888) and Sun Tavern (c.1780) will have new exhibitions. 

More than 400 years of diverse stories are embedded in this intimate campus, which also serves as the Town of Fairfield's civic center and the home of the Fairfield Museum and History Center. The exhibits will be interactive and hands-on experiences for adults, children and families and will interweave topics such as society, the environment, family life, politics and agriculture. These exhibits are linked to the Fairfield Museum's exhibition, Creating Community: Exploring 375 Years of Our Past.

The properties will be open Friday – Sundays from 10am – 2pm beginning on June 10 through Labor Day. Tickets are available at the Fairfield Museum. There will also be a special guided tour every Saturday at 1 p.m. of the Sun Tavern that is free with admission to the Fairfield Museum and History Center. On Fridays at 11 a.m. on June 16, 30, July 14, 28 and August 11 & 25 there will be story time at the Victorian Cottage for children ages 3+. This program is also free with admission to the museum.

If you prefer to explore Fairfield's historic town Green on your own, download a copy of their walking tour and set off on a stroll of this historic neighborhood. This trail is well signed and very informative making it easy to navigate as well as interesting.

The Fairfield Museum and History Center is located in Fairfield on 370 Beach Street.

"Mannequins on the Runway, Haute Couture and Contemporary Designs of the 20th Century" @ Darien Historical Society

The Darien Historical Society located on 45 Old King's Highway on the grounds of the historic 1736 Bates Scofield Home has a  new exhibition, "Mannequins on the Runway, Haute Couture and Contemporary Designs of the 20th Century" that will be on display through the end of August.

In keeping with its mission to tell the ongoing story of "costume", one of history's most tangible artifacts, the Darien Historical Society is presenting designer and ready-to- wear styles that existed during and after World War II. Mannequins on the Runway, Haute Couture and Contemporary Designs of the 20th Century highlights five decades of fashion with designer outfits from the 1940s through the 1990s. It follows the history of prêt-à-porter, or ready-to- wear, as it largely replaced haute couture in the fashion industry. 

This exhibition is set up with exhibit to mimic a 20th century fashion show, with mannequins lined up as if on the runway. Fashions are arranged chronologically, beginning with a 1947 design by Christian Dior. At the end of World War II, women longed to replace fashion's stiff, square shoulders and straight lines. Dior's more romantic look took the fashion world by storm." Dior's success allowed Paris to reassert its world leadership of haute couture following its decline during the war.

Dior eventually commissioned his designs to be produced abroad as ready-to- wear lines in the 1950s and Yves Saint Laurent followed suit with his "Rive Gauche" designs. In the 60s, the charm and elegant style of Jackie Kennedy was greatly admired and copied, and Sophie of Saks and Elizabeth Arden, both represented in the exhibit, produced designs in New York. By the mid- 60s, fashion began to focus on youth, their music, and their "free-wheeling" attitude, producing the most potent symbol of the 60s scene, the miniskirt, also on display.

Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta creations reflect the bold fabrics of the 1980s, which also heralded the look of big shoulders and giant sleeves. The Reagan administration signaled the return of formality, and Adolfo and Ungaro fashions mirror the 90s, an era in which ready-to- wear had become dominant. In keeping with a typical fashion show of the 20th century, the exhibit concludes with a bridal gown: a 1983 design by Carolina Herrera, socialite and longtime fixture on the best-dressed list.

The Museum is open  Tuesday - Thursday from noon to 5 pm and Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. To sign up for a  free monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County on things to do and see and special deals visit  http://www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

July @ Ives Concert Park in Danbury- BBQ & Art

This May the Ives Concert Park located on 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury is hosting two fun-filled events to kick off the season.

If you like fine craft brews, good BBQ and music, don't miss the Brews & BBQ event on July 22 plus music from the Spin Doctors!  When this legendary New York quartet released "If The River Was Whiskey" on May 14th through Ruf Records, casual fans will discover the secret past the hardcore have never forgotten. To the wider world, the Doctors might be the multi-million-selling icons behind hits like Two Princes and Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, not to mention the classic Pocket Full Of Kryptonite. But in 2013, Chris Barron (vocals), Aaron Comess (drums), Eric Schenkman (guitar) and Mark White (bass) are reconnecting with the flat-broke twenty-somethings who scraped for dollars at the sharp end of the Big Apple blues circuit. The Spin Doctors have come full-circle.

There is also a special twist to this year's BBQ festival. Every Tuesday from April 18th – May 2nd, Ethan and Lou on i95 will sample delicious pulled pork from 3 contestants and will pick a winner! At the end of the competition all 3 finalists will compete at Brews & BBQ for the chance to become Connecticut's Amateur BBQ Champion -- promising attendees some delicious BBQ to sample!

For a free monthly newsletter on things to do and see and travel tips on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County  visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Forest Faeries & Woodland Wizards Festival Coming To Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury

Faeries are mystical little people who inhabit the land, living in harmony with nature. Come enjoy a day of magic and imagination on Saturday, July 15 when Flanders will become inhabited by the “wee folk”!

It will be a magical day of viewing faerie houses that will enchant the trails and grounds. Flanders is located at 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury. The activities will be based at the center’s Sugar House area which is a quarter mile up from the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Road. 

There will be crafts, animals, Cyril the Sorcerer, unicorn and tractor rides, games, face painting, vendors, surprises and food with a magical twist. The magic continues with a Costume Contest and Faerie & Wizard Parade, live bird presentation and woodcarvers on site creating wizard staffs and wands!

The festival is being held from 10Am to 3PM that day. Admission to the festival is $7.00 per person and free for children aged 2 and under.

Participants are invited to build their own Faerie/Wizard house for display at the festival. Each participant will have a 4 foot by 4 foot outdoor space, in which to display the miniature home and “landscaping.” 

Organizers suggest working with a base structure, which could be a bird house or milk carton, adding “towers” and “turrets,” using paper towel tubes or tooth paste boxes and decorating inside and out with natural materials, highlighted by artificial flowers, doll house furniture or other creative elements. 

Houses must be set up between 8 and 10 a.m. on July 15 at Flanders. Ribbons will be awarded in various categories for the best designed faerie dwellings.

Railway Post Office Dog Day at the Danbury Railway Museum

On Saturday, July 15, the Danbury Railway Museum will host a celebration honoring the legacy of Owney, the Railway Post Office dog. A centerpiece of the day will be the museum's fully-restored Pennsylvania Railroad circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car. The museum at 120 White Street is open from 10am to 4pm. Admission for this event is $8.00 (under 3 is free) which includes a train ride, access to all activities, and a free hot dog!

Owney was a stray dog which found its way into the Albany, NY post office in 1888 and was soon adopted by the Railway Mail Service clerks and became the mascot of this elite government service. He traveled throughout the state, and then all over the country, in the RPO cars, eventually venturing around the world as a U.S. Post Office Department "emissary" in 1895. In
2011, the U.S. Postal Service issued a postage stamp to honor him. Owney has been preserved and is on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. Visitors to the museum on the 19th will hear the true story of Owney, the mascot of the U.S. Railway Mail Service, and can tour the lovingly-restored RPO car.

The "Railyard Local" – a short train ride in a 1920's passenger coach or a vintage caboose pulled by a 1947 GE "44-Tonner" or ALCo RS-1 locomotive – will take visitors through the historic rail yard and past over 60 vintage railroad cars and locomotives, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive built in 1907. Riders will have an opportunity to "go for a spin" on the operating turntable. Trains depart hourly from 10:30 to 2:30. Of course, the fascinating exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be open, along with a fully-stocked gift shop. The model train layouts inside will also be operating.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further information, visit the Website, email to info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

Jones Family Farm Summer Garden Cooking Classes

Once again this summer, Jones Family Farms located on 606 Walnut Tree Hill Road in Shelton is offering a series of summer garden cooking classes that begin on July 20 and run through August 24.  The classes focus on farm fresh ingredients that are grown in the farm garden and highlight  the preparation of easy, fresh-picked, healthy meals.

At the Kitchen Classroom, participants help the farm chef prepare the seasonal fruits and vegetables which are used in the evening's recipes. Each summer class includes a "Harvest Tour" of the Kitchen Garden (weather permitting). The evening concludes with a relaxed sit-down supper accompanied by a glass of Jones wine, and an in-season fruit dessert prepared by their kitchen team. Eating together is their favorite way to honor and celebrate farmers and your time on the farm!

The Summer Series begins on July 20 with a Greek Inspired Idyll that includes a menu of Chickpea patties with tzaziki sauce, sautéed zucchini, Greek salad, and a yogurt parfait with honey strawberry sauce.  The next class is just in time for prime berry season and is called You Can't Beat Blueberries!  The menu of this class held on July 27 will include: Frittatas with ricotta & blueberry chutney, shaved beets with orange, green salad with seasonal fruit & blueberry vinaigrette, and end with a  scrumptious summer blueberry pie.

Jones Family Farms is offering three cooking classes in August. The first, on August 10 is called the "New" All American Cookout and will include: Black bean burger with homemade summer salsa, green bean & potato salad, roasted sweet corn, fresh coleslaw, and Elisabeth Jones' double good blueberry pie. Get ready to head to the southwest on August 17 when the class will feature a Santa Fe Fiesta.  This menu includes: Corn soup with adobo swirl, Santa Fe enchiladas with red & green chili salsa, southwest salad, and ground cherry squares.  The final summer class takes place on August 24 and the theme is a Provencal Picnic that includes the following items on the menu: Ratatouille tart, French potato salad, herb salad with artichoke hearts, fresh garden carrots, and an artesian cheese plate. 

The cost for each class is $70/person and all classes taught on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm

Summer Birding Walks with Milan Bull at Deer Pond Farm

Milan Bull, The Connecticut Audubon Society’s senior director of science and conservation, and Cathy Hagadorn, program director, will lead early-morning guided bird walks this summer at Deer Pond Farm in Sherman, Conn. This is a great opportunity to view Connecticut Audubon’s new birding hotspot, recently received as a generous bequest from the estate of Kathryn D. Wriston. At this time, the Sanctuary can only be viewed by the public when accompanied by Audubon staff. 

Deer Pond Farm Sanctuary is a prime birding area. It sits in the highlands along the Connecticut and New York border with 20 miles of trails through 835-acres of rugged hardwood forest, meadows and wetlands. About 100 species of birds have been reported on or near the property during breeding season. The walk will include birding by ear as well as an overview of Deer Pond Farm and its importance as an ecologically diverse conservation property.

The walks start at 8 a.m. on July 12, 18, 21 and 26, and are approximately two hours long with two miles of moderate elevation change. All levels of birders are welcome. Be sure to bring water, bug spray, sunscreen and binoculars if you have them. Dress for the weather; walks are cancelled in the event of rain.

Walks are free for CAS members and $5 for nonmembers; groups are limited to 15 and reservations are required for each one. To register, visit: www.ctaudubon.org/summerbirding, or call 860-799-4074, x105.

Deer Pond Farm is located at 57 Wakeman Hill Road, Sherman, Conn. Walkers will meet in the parking area near the flagpole and birdfeeders. Learn more about the Deer Pond Farm sanctuary at www.ctaudubon.org/deer-pond-farm.

Burning of Fairfield Walking Tours July 9

Go back in time with the Fairfield History Museum located on 370 Beach Street as they once again offer the historic walking tours -- "The Burning of Fairfield"!  On this tour, you will experience the Town's burning as if you were there by walking in the foot steps of local residents that experienced the attack.  Participants will learn about the events surrounding the attack on Fairfield at the time of the American Revolution.

The tour begins with costumed tour guides at the classic Fairfield town green with its lovely Congregational Church and colonial homes. Stroll back in time while exploring the history and events surrounding the attack on Fairfield by the British on July 7-8, 1779.

 Listen to the Proclamation from British General William Tryon and Admiral Collier, to the people of Connecticut. Hear the anguished words of Eunice Burr, as she witnesses the ransacking and destruction of her home, at the site where it happened.

Young William Wheeler's voice speaks to you of his family's struggle to evacuate the town and his feelings of pride at the heroic actions of the local militia and the Fort at Black Rock as they work to fend off the Crown Forces.

Think about the somber after action report of Reverend Andrew Eliot as he reflects on the events of those two days in July, and their meaning for the town and its future.

It is recommended that you register for this tour in advance to guarantee your spot on the tour.  Tickets may be purchased online; adults are $10 and Students are $5. The tours are offered on July 9  12:30 pm - 2 pm.