42nd Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival Set for September 6,7, and 8, 2019

Three days of fun, food, entertainment on multiple stages, plus special events for families and friends, from nine to ninety marks just some of the activities to be found at the 2019 Norwalk Oyster Festival hosted by the Seaport Association on Friday, September 6, Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8, 2019, at the 35-acre Veterans Memorial Park in Norwalk “Our 42^nd annual festival is packed with value-added extras especially when you consider that all the entertainment including the headliners Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot, and Brian Howe, former lead singer of Bad Company is included in the ticket price,” said Mike Reilly, President of the Seaport Association. “Our mission has always been to preserve and share our maritime heritage, to help with the environment of Long Island Sound, and to have children experience our 151-year-old Lighthouse and Light Keepers Cottage. The funds raised from the Norwalk Oyster Festival helps us accomplish our mission,” adds Reilly. For tickets click here https://www.seaport.org.

The Music

The 2019 Norwalk Oyster Festival has live music from dozens of bands on multiple stages throughout the weekend and features a variety of crowd-pleasing entertainment. “The Oyster Festival is the perfect way to celebrate the end of summer. All the music and entertainment is free with the price of the ticket making it economical for the entire family,” says Mike Reilly, President of the Norwalk Oyster Festival.

On Saturday afternoon, September 7 the afternoon begins with Ripchord, the Official Band of the Connecticut National Guard that will play a variety of music from classical and jazz to rock and patriotic tunes. Saturday night starts to heat up when Alex Shillo takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. with his eclectic brand of rock and country music. 

Saturday night’s headliner is Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot who has taken a night off from touring with Billy Joel to perform at the Norwalk Oyster Festival. This tribute band to the music of Billy Joel with some original music thrown in packs hit after chart-topping hit in an amazingly high-energy show that leaves audiences wanting more.

Get ready to swing into Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. with the Commanders that will perform music from the Big Band Era and beyond on the Main Stage. It is 5’oclock somewhere and at 2 p.m. Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beach Band plugin on the Main Stage. So, put on your best “Parrothead” gear, grab some food and drinks from one of the nearby vendors and get ready to sing and dance along to some of the best of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band and other tropical classics.

This year the Oyster Festival has a grand finale that begins at 5 p.m. when Brian Howe, former Lead Singer of Bad Company from 1986-1994, closes out the 42^nd Norwalk Oyster Festival with style, exuberance, and a blast from the past of some of our favorite songs ever. Howe has one of rock’s most legendary voices, and as he croons hit after hit he will have you dancing as the sun goes down. Today Howe is performing many popular songs by Bad Company like  “Feel Like Makin Love,” “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” “Can’t Get Enough,” and other hits. This is a performance worth waiting for and, the ideal way to end three days of music, fun, and food.

For the Whole Family – Seaport Circus Spectacular

This year the whole family will enjoy the Seaport Circus Spectacular that will include national acts from Circus Circus in Las Vegas, and star performers from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and others.

This magical show includes several amazing acts like the death-defying performance created by the Dominguez Family. They have been amazing audiences around the world with riders challenging the Globe of Death, a giant metal cage, as well as their uncanny skill in navigating the inverted high wire. This energetic act is perfect for all ages because it always delivers the “wow” factor.

Hurling, whirling, twirling hula hoops combined with the amazing acrobatic performance of Nicole Taylor Weiss that defies the eye is another act in the Seaport Circus. Nicole grew up traveling the world with her circus parents learning the business of entertainment from a very young age. Nicole’s Hula Hoop show is high-energy fun at its best. She has been performing for Circus, Circus, Vargas and Cirque Musica, and with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

An all- around family favorite, the Hog Diggity Dog Review is also part of the Seaport’s Circus. A second-generation circus performer, Hans Klose works with 20 dogs and four pigs. The performing pigs, Roscoe weighing 750 pounds, and Shelton weighing around 700 pounds were part of Klose's act when he worked for Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Klose travels throughout the country with his animals in a specially made RV that keeps them totally pampered. Hans care and love for his animals is apparent in his laugh out loud routine that will charm audiences young and old.

Games, rides, and many fun activities can be found at Kids Cove. There is face painting, and pint sized carnival games, plus cotton candy, popcorn, and candied apples. The Norwalk Oyster Festival is so family-friendly. There is a special wristband offer on Saturday and Sunday that entitles unlimited rides from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $25. Sunday is Family Day when kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult; there are also special kids meals and the $25 wristband for unlimited rides from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

If you have always wanted a birds-eye view of the city, the fairgrounds and Norwalk’s beautiful coastline, climb onboard the 65 foot Gondola Ferris wheel to be treated to a unique and memorable ride you can write home about. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy. And, don’t forget your camera.

If you like to shop, head to the Arts and Crafts area where there’re more than 100 fine artists and crafters that display whimsical as well as practical items that appeal to all tastes, budgets, and ages. Jewelry, paintings, pottery, sculpture, clothing, home décor, and wearable art are just some of the treasures to be found here.

For the Foodies

A favorite at any festival is the food, and the Norwalk Oyster Festival never disappoints. After exploring the fairgrounds head to the International Food Court that dishes up everything from Mexican, Columbian, and Italian to funnel cakes, cotton candy, and, of course, oysters fresh off the boat, authentic New England lobster dinners and fresh lobster rolls.  This culinary fare is prepared by dozens of local nonprofit organizations allowing them to raise funds for their charitable causes. At the Seaport Tent, learn about Norwalk’s oystering history and browse specialty items on sale celebrating the Sheffield Island Lighthouse. And, if you have worked up a thirst, no worries head to the craft beer tent that offers more than forty beers.

Tickets

The event is held at Veteran’s Park, adjacent to Norwalk Harbor on Seaview Avenue in Norwalk, CT. Admission for adults is $10 on Friday, $12 on Saturday and Sunday. Senior tickets are $10 all days. Children 5-12 year’s old are $5. Children under 5 and U.S. military personnel on active duty are free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.seaport.org.  

Festival Hours: Friday, Sept. 6, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, September 7, from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., and Sunday, September 8 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

For those that want to take the train, Metro North is offering a discount package with free shuttle service from the train station to the Oyster Festival.

Free parking and shuttle service available from Calf Pasture Beach and Norwalk City Hall. Ample parking right over the bridge in the Maritime Parking Garage and other lots.

About the Norwalk Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk’s maritime environment and heritage. The Seaport Association and its volunteers are solely responsible for organizing and financing the Oyster Festival. In addition to the Oyster Festival, the Norwalk Seaport Association owns Sheffield Lighthouse and its volunteers maintain the lighthouse and grounds as a museum and nature preserve. For more information, visit www.seaport.org or call (203) 838-9444. 

Sherman Chamber Ensemble Summer Music Series Finale August 30 and 31

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble expanded its horizons this summer playing to audiences in Litchfield and Amenia in addition to multiple venues in Kent and Sherman. So it's entirely fitting that its final classical performance of the Summer Season is entitled Questions of Travel.

Performances on Labor Day weekend begin at 8 pm and take place on Friday, August 30 at St. Andrews Church in Kent and Saturday, August 31 at The Lake Mauweehoo Clubhouse in Sherman.

The program includes Mendelssohn's Venetian Boat Song, female composer Edith Hemenway's Questions of Travel for flute, piano and cello, and English composer Sir Edward Elgar's Quintet for Piano and Strings, in A minor, Op. 84, written in the tradition of the great piano quintets of Brahms, Dvorak, Franck, Schubert and Schumann and a grand and magnificent ode to nature.

The program is a musical journey to Mexico, Venice, Scandinavia, America and England. Pianist Margaret Kampmeier joins Susan Rotholz (flute), Jill Levy (violin), Paul Woodiel (violin), Sarah Adams (viola), and Artistic Director Eliot Bailen (cello).

A “Meet and Greet the Artists” reception will follow the performances.

Also on Labor Day weekend the Ensemble presents its annual free Bluegrass Jamboree - Saturday, August 31 at 2 pm at the Lake Mauweehoo Club and Sunday, September 1 at the Kent Barns under the tree.

General Admission to the concerts is $30.  Senior and Student admission is $25.   Children 15 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult purchasing a regular admission ticket.  Tickets may be purchased at ShermanChamberEnsemble.org or by calling 860-355-5930.  Tickets may also be purchased at the door subject to availability.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1982 to bring world-class live classical music performance to Western Connecticut and nearby New York State.  Its summer chamber music series has been described in The New York Times as "about as close as it gets to the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert." Additional events coming later this year include Labor Day weekend bluegrass jamborees; the annual "Live at the Lake" coffeehouse; and Thanksgiving weekend classical-jazz matinee performances.

Harvest Fun @ Country Fairs in Litchfield Hills

'Tis the season. In Connecticut's rural Litchfield Hills, harvest time means the region's favorite end-of-summer celebrations, old-fashioned country fairs. On weekends from late August to mid-October, these much-loved traditional events will feature farm shenanigans from racing pigs to tractor pull competitions, competition for blue ribbons for prize animals and crops, midway rides, non-stop entertainment and plenty of good food.

All the fairs include judging of prize sheep, cows, pigs and goats, a rare chance for city and suburban youngsters to see fine farm animals close-up. Many of these events have been attracting families for generations. The Goshen Fair has been a tradition for over 107 years, the Bethlehem Fair has been offering up family fun for 94 years the Riverton Fair dates back to 1909, and the granddaddy of them all, the Harwinton Fair, is past its 160th birthday.

Almost every fair offers tractor pulls and lumberjack contests that send chips flying, but each event also has its own unique attractions. Fair-goers in Bethlehem can see wood chopping contests, antique tractor pulls, horse shows and even a Hollerin Contest! 

Goshen’s antique barn is a perennial draw for its demonstrations of handcrafts such as quilting, weaving, and basketry. Special contests at the Goshen Fair include a frozen t-shirt contest, hay bale toss, pie-eating contest, and skillet throw contest! The last major fair of the season, the Harwinton Fair is known for its country store and working blacksmith shop. 

The Riverton Fair, now in its 109 -year has a pie-eating contest and women’s skillet throw, lumberjack competition, rides and several drawings that include a bicycle and a Hitchcock Chair.

Litchfield Hills Country Fair Schedule
Goshen Fair August 31 – Sept. 2, Bethlehem Fair September 6-8, the Harwinton Fair October 4-6, and the Riverton Fair, October 11-13.

LOCKWOOD-MATHEWS MANSION MUSEUM JOINS SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE’S 15TH ANNUAL MUSEUM DAY

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will open its doors free of charge to all Museum Day ticket holders on Saturday, September 21, 2019, 12-4 p.m. as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 15^th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums. Museum Day represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. Over 450,000 tickets were downloaded for last year’s event, and Museum Day 2019 is expected to attract more museumgoers than ever before.

This year, Museum Day will celebrate the Smithsonian Year of Music, an institution-wide initiative celebrating the Smithsonian’s vast musical collections and resources through 365 days of music-related programming. Music is not only a reflection of human creativity and innovation, but also a key method of communication and cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The Smithsonian Year of Music crosses disciplines, bringing together music-related resources in art, history, culture, science and education.

“The Board of Trustees and I are thrilled to join Smithsonian Magazine and offer universal access to all Museum Day participants. Visitors will have an opportunity to take a sneak-peek at the Museum’s music box collection and enjoy live music in this inspiring and illuminating National Historic Landmark” said LMMM Executive Director Susan Gilgore.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will display several 19^th and early 20^th century music boxes and phonographs in the Museum’s Music Room drawn from the Mansion’s permanent collection.  These musical machines, produced regionally as well as in several European countries, will include an Orchestral Cylinder Music Box with bells, miniature drum and wood block ca. 1880; a Graphone Type B ca. 1897; and a Victor Phonograph Type B, the first to use a 78 RPM record, ca. 1904; among others.  Choral music will be performed in the Mansion’s Rotunda by The Serendipity Chorale and The Suffragist Choir of the Unitarian Church of Westport. For a schedule of performances please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

Visitors will learn that the simpler music boxes, which are precursors of the record player, were mass-produced and available to the general public for $10-$20. Museum Day ticket holders will also be able to view the Museum’s exhibition, From Corsets to Suffrage: Victorian Women Trailblazers sponsored in part by CT Humanities The Museum’s 2019 Season is made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown and the Museum’s Distinguished Benefactors: City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark.  For more information on schedules and programs please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799. Museum Day tickets will be available for download at Smithsonian.com/museumday beginning August 15. Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on September 21, 2019. One ticket is permitted per email address. A list of participating museums, which will be continually updated, can be found at Smithsonian.com/museumday/search. For more information, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.