VETERANS, ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY GET IN FREE IN NOVEMBER @ MARITIME AQUARIUM NORWALK

To honor the men and women who have served – and are serving – our country, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is offering free admission to veterans and current active-duty military during the month of November.

The Maritime Aquarium offers a $10 admission discount to veterans year-round. But, throughout the month in which we mark Veterans Day, we are happy to expand our offer to veterans for completely free admission. Admission is always free to those currently serving in any branch of the military, not just in November.

Maritime Aquarium admission is $22.95 for adults, $20.95 for youths (13-17) and seniors (65+), and $15.95 for children (3-12). Admission includes a 40-minute IMAX^® movie.

ID/proof of service is required at the door to receive the veterans’ and active-duty discounts. (The offer is not available with advance online purchases.)

Also thoughout the month of November, Aquarium guests will be encouraged to fill out thank-you notes, which will be forwarded by Operation Gratitude to those currently serving in our Armed Forces.

As a bonus during Veterans Day Weekend, on Sat., Nov. 11 and Sun., Nov. 12, three military vehicles will be onhand for exploration and photos during “Military Touch-A-Truck.” Sit inside a World War II Jeep, a 1950 M38 Jeep and a 1987 Humvee (HMMWV) during the special visits. You can even pop a helmet on for a photo!

In addition, on Sat., Nov. 11, who better to join in on the Aquarium’s three daily seal-training demonstrations than a decorated former U.S. Navy SEAL? Capt. Peter Wikul retired in 2009 after a 39-year Navy career with the honorific title of “Bullfrog 13” as the longest-serving active-duty SEAL. His roles included deputy commander of Special Operations Command South and commanding officer of the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center at the Office of Navy Intelligence.

Wikul will participate in the seal trainings on Nov. 11 at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 & 3:45 p.m.  He actually will be the second Navy veteran in the Aquarium’s seal exhibit: in the 1980s, Rasal the harbor seal was trained by the Navy to retrieve objects from the sea floor.

Between the demonstrations on Nov. 11, Wikul will be onhand to talk with Aquarium guests about the Navy and his experiences as a SEAL.

Plus, on Nov. 11^th, 12^th & 13^th, veterans are free to come aboard The Maritime Aquarium’s special “Scenic Coastal Cruises,” departing each day at 1 p.m. (Tickets for non-veterans are $29.95, or $24.95 for Aquarium members.) Space aboard the R/V Spirit of the Sound^™ is limited, so advance registration is strongly suggested for these 2-hour cruises, which will follow the beautiful Connecticut coastline as Aquarium educators point out historic lighthouses, gorgeous waterfront homes and other sights. Advance registration is by phone only: (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206. Tickets will be sold at the dock, space permitting. ID/proof of service is required at the dock prior to boarding.

Get details about all of the Aquarium’s current exhibits, programs, IMAX^® movies and more this fall at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Make a Wreath at Audubon Center @ Fairfield Nov. 18

The Audubon Center at Fairfield is hosting a special organic wreath making workshop with Sal Gilbertie on November 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. 

Herb wreaths wrap up the scents and symbols of the holiday season. For those who would like to fashion their own fresh and dried herb wreath, this is the perfect workshop to attend!

Sal Gilbertie, renowned as one of the country's leading experts in herbs, will lead this class creating a wreath out of organic fresh and dried herbs harvested from Gilbertie's Herb Farm.

Participants will learn how to create a beautiful herbal design using color, texture, and balance. This 15" diameter fragrant wreath will contain a variety of organic herbs including fresh bay, rosemary, thyme, sage, and lavender. Your holiday wreath will undoubtedly be full of herbal cheer! 

The cost is $45 for members and $50 for non-members. All materials are included.  To register visit the website.    And, don't forget to bring your scissors.

"Have A Seat" New exhibition @ Sharon Historical Society

The Gallery @the SHS of the Sharon Historical Society & Museum presents “Have a Seat,” a juried exhibition and sale of artworks by local artists. 

Artists were invited to submit works in any medium (e.g. Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Photography, Pastel, Ink, Graphite, Drawing, Print, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Assemblage, Fabric, Stone, Clay, Metal) that respond to, and reflect the artist’s interpretation of the themes of chairs, sitting or seating. 

Cash prizes will be awarded to three works. In addition, guests who attend the show’s opening night will have the opportunity to select their favorite work of art which will receive the “SHS Crowd Pleaser” award. 

The show will be presented in conjunction with an exhibition of the museum’s collection of antique chairs from various times and sources in Sharon’s history. 

Both exhibits run from November 4 through December 15. 

An opening wine and hors d’oeuvres reception to which the public is invited free of charge will be held on Saturday, November 4 from 5:00 to 7:00PM.  All purchases support the Sharon Historical Society & Museum’s mission. 

The Gallery @the SHS is located at the Sharon Historical Society & Museum, 18 Main Street, Route 41, Sharon, CT.  The gallery and museum are open Wednesday through Friday from 12-4, Saturday 10-2 and by appointment. For more information and directions to The Gallery @the SHS, call (860) 364-5688. For additional information about the Sharon Historical Society & Museum, visit www.sharonhist.org.

If These Stones Could Talk Presented at Long Hill Burying Ground, Shelton

Long Hill Burying Ground is the oldest cemetery in Shelton.  Tucked away on lower

Long Hill Avenue near the intersection of Constitution Blvd. adjacent to Route 8, it will be

the location of a program, If These Stones Could Talk, jointly presented by the Shelton Historical

Society and the Long Hill Burying Ground Association on Saturday, October 28 at 1:00 p.m.  A

$5 admission for adults will benefit both organizations while students are welcome at no cost.   

            Presenter Marty Coughlin has done an extensive amount of research so that we may

better understand the background of those who once lived in the region. A Revolutionary War

private from a family with divided loyalties; an ambassador to Belgium; and members of

Shelton’s founding families are a few of the individuals whose lives will be discussed.  Find out

why early settler Daniel Shelton was thrown in jail.  Because this is a walking tour through the

cemetery, appropriate clothing for weather conditions and sturdy shoes are recommended. 

Parking along the street is limited.  In case of rain, the event will take place on Sunday, October

29 at 1:00 p.m.   

For additional information, please call (203) 925-1803, see Shelton History Center’s

Facebook page where there will be a notice in case of rain, or visit

www.sheltonhistoricalsociety.org

Monster Mash is Almost Here!

The Stepping Stones Museum for Children located on West Ave. in Norwalk is hosting a spooktacular event on October 28 from 5 pm -8:30 pm called Monster Mash! 

Join Museum staff for a BOO-tiful night of TRICKS and treats jam-packed with family fun.   A highlight of this event will be the live animals from Animal Embassy that includes a  Pink-toed Tarantula, an Emperor Scorpion, a Sinaloan Milk Snake or a Boa Constrictor, a Spectacled Owl, an Argentine Black & White Tegu and more. This organization offers a night of hands-on interactive and educational fun!

In addition to meeting these amazing creatures many creative activities are planned that kids will enjoy such as making a  ghost windsock decoration for your porch and tinkering with the circuit to make a picture of a spider web. There will be a group project to decorate a giant pumpkin, a witch hat ring toss, ghost bowling and a monster bean bag throw.

To round out the fun, food will be available for purchase in the cafe. Visit the website for a sneak peek at all we have planned. 

Lockwood Mathews Mansions Victorian Tea

The Victorian Tea is being held this year at the Lockwood Mathews Mansion on November 12 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A highlight of this event is the formal traditional English tea for tea lovers, history buffs, and anyone looking to escape everyday life surrounded by the timeless splendor of this iconic National Historic Landmark. Tickets are $35 for members and $45  for non-members and are available online.

In addition to the formal tea, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will feature a talk and book signing by Esther Crain, author of The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910. Published in 2016, this fascinating account of the Gilded Age in New York City takes a broad look at the political and social changes during one of the most transformative eras in the city's history.

Ms. Crain is also the founder and editor of the very popular and well-reviewed website, Ephemeral New York, which chronicles the city's past. Ephemeral New York has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, New York Daily News, and New York Post. Ms. Crain regularly works with historical groups and non-profit organizations to give talks and walking tours that explore the hidden remains and forgotten pockets of New York City.

New Milford Barn and Quilt Trail

There is something quintessentially New England about barns, stone walls, and quilts and if you are a fan, you just might explore the New Milford Barn Quilt Trail.  This trail is a self-guided tour that consists of eight colorful quilt patterns painted on large wood blocks that are hung on antique and vintage barns around New Milford.

The idea of the trail is to honor the rich agricultural history of Litchfield Hills, the exciting resurgence of farming in New Milford today and the American tradition of quilt-making. It is the first barn quilt trail to be established in Connecticut.

There are eight barns on the trail. 

Holstein Cow, Wieting Farm
19 Wheaton Road
The design was inspired by "Patriotic Cow," by quilter Mary Henzel of Oberlin, Kansas, although the Wieting cow design is black and white, rather than the original brown. This is because the Wietings have maintained a dairy herd of black and white Holsteins at the farm for more than 40 years. The English-style barn was rebuilt in the 1920s after a fire when it was part of the Carlson Farm. The current barn was built on the same footprint and incorporates some surviving timbers of a barn possibly from the 19th century.

Hunt Hill Farm Trust
44 Upland Road
A country cultural and culinary nonprofit is housed in a repurposed 19th-century bank barn. It was founded in the early 21st century by famed bandleader Skitch Henderson and his wife, Ruth, with a mission of "cultivating love of the land, food and the arts." The red heart on the upper left corner of the barn quilt block symbolizes love; the flower in the upper right corner, the land; the basket of fruits and vegetables in the lower left corner, food; and the artist's palette and musical notes in the lower right corner, the arts. The 137-acre farm was established by the Hendersons in the 1970s by combining two farms formerly owned by the Hine and Buckingham families.

Maple Leaves, Smyrski Farm
227 Merryall Road
The quilt depicts a solid eight-pointed star in its center with stylized maple leaves in each corner. The design symbolizes maple syrup production, one of the several agricultural items produced there today. A dairy operation until the mid-1980s, the farm is named for Adam Smyrski, who emigrated from Poland in the early 1900s. It was donated to Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust Inc., Connecticut's largest land trust. In 2008 by the last remaining Smyrski children. The 220-acre property produces hay, livestock and maple syrup and hosts environmental education programs.

North Star, Lillis Farm
241 Litchfield Road (Route 202)
The quilt block, with its popular North Star quilt square design, is hung on a white barn that originally housed workhorses. The year 1929 appears on two of the barn doors. A nearly identical dairy barn stands a few hundred feet to the south. The farm is no longer actively worked.

Maple Leaf, Sullivan Farm
140 Park Lane Road
This barn quilt block design, adapted from a popular 1880 design, highlights maple syrup production, one of several agricultural goods produced there today. High school and college students tap maple trees throughout southern Litchfield County in late winter, producing maple syrup at the on-site sugarhouse. The landmark barn, on which the barn quilt block is hung, was built in 1869 by William Sullivan. He was the great-grandfather of Jake Sullivan, who sold the dairy farm to the town, stating in the deed that the farm always be used to benefit the community. Today, young interns at the repurposed farm grow a wide range of produce that is sold at the on-site farm stand, through area farmers markets, and in local specialty grocery stores.

Five Leaves, Bright Green Farm

173 Ridge Road
The five different leaves depicted on this barn quilt block are rich in meaning for the Duffy-Reisberg family, who purchased this antique farm in 2016. The chestnut leaf in the upper left corner represents historic Chestnut Land, the name of the 19th-century district of the original subsistence farm, which belonged to the Canfield Family. The birch leaf in the lower left corner represents the Duffy-Reisbergs' heritage in Eastern Europe, where birch trees abound. The maple leaf in the lower right corner is a nod to the mature maple trees that line the driveway. The apple leaf in the upper right corner commemorates the apple trees on the farm that legend holds were planted sometime after the Civil War. According to Karen Duffy, the bright green elm leaf in the center of the design symbolizes Mother Earth, signifying the "bright green" school of environmentalism that focuses on sustainability, a core value at the farm.