Antique, Vintage and Tag Sale

The Litchfield Performing Arts, whose signature event is the Jazz Festival that is taking place this year August 7-9 also offers a Jazz Camp for aspiring students.  To raise money for the Jazz Camp the Litchfield Performing Arts has organized their first ever Antique, Vintage and Tag Sale that will be held at St Michael's Church on 25 South Street in Litchfield April 17-19.  

There is a early buying and preview party on April 17 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and ticket prices are $35.  Participants on Friday evenings preview party and buying event can shop while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and beverages and great jazz by the Litchfield Jazz Camp faculty.  To purchase tickets email tegan@litchfieldjazzfest.com.

The tag sale continues on Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and admission is free.  Treasure hunters will find a variety of antique and vintage items including: an Edwardian flip table, an 1880's Belgian tile cook stove, Victorian and Queen Anne mirrors, dressers, clocks, china, chandeliers, stained glass panels, jewelry and much more. Vintage pieces include Drexel Heritage sofas and chairs, Ralph Lauren dinnerware, a 1940's Duncan Phyfe dining table... Tag sale items range from decorative pottery and glassware to housewares, all in good condition.

For more information about the Litchfield Jazz Festival and other events the organization hosts visit http://litchfieldjazzfest.com/festival

Rediscover Weir Farm National Historic Site on National Park Weekend

Make it a National Park Weekend on  April 18 and 19, from  10:00 am to 4:00 pm with your neighbors at Weir Farm National Historic Site. Whether you’re looking for family fun, a unique glimpse into the past, or just a relaxing weekend outing, Weir Farm National Historic Site is the place to be. 

Make it a National Park Weekend on  April 18 and 19, from  10:00 am to 4:00 pm with your neighbors at Weir Farm National Historic Site. Whether you’re looking for family fun, a unique glimpse into the past, or just a relaxing weekend outing, Weir Farm National Historic Site is the place to be. 

April 18 and 19 marks the start of the park’s 2015 season, with two full days of special access to the Weir House, Weir Studio, and Young Studio, followed by regularly scheduled tours beginning in May. Each nationally acclaimed building features one-of-a-kind furniture, décor, and art from generations of influential and inspiring artists. To celebrate the park’s 25th anniversary, the visitor center will feature a new exhibition of 25 paintings by Artists-in-Residence. 

Get out of the house, stretch your legs and experience the place that prompted Connecticut residents to save Weir Farm 25 years ago. Take your time as you enjoy a stroll through the spring landscape that inspired Julian Alden Weir and other famous American artists. Help the National Park Service inspire a new generation of park enthusiasts when you earn your Junior Ranger Badge on Junior Ranger Day,  April 18!  Stay a while and plan a picnic or help yourself to free-to-use art supplies and laid back instruction from local professional artists. 

Be sure to bring you web-enabled devices and share your unique experience using #findyourpark. 

Please note, there will be no parking available at the park during National Park Weekend.  All parking will be at nearby Branchville Elementary School, 40 Florida Road in Ridgefield, CT 06877. Free park and ride service will run continuously between  10:00 am and 4:00 pm each day.   

For more information www.nps.gov/wefa  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

A trio of April programs at the Litchfield Historical Society

This April, the Litchfield Historical Society has planned a series of two lectures and one workshop to usher spring into Connecticut's Litchfield Hills.

On Sunday, April 19 at 3 pm, there will be a lecture called Tempest Tossed by Susan Campbell, author of the first full-length biography of one of the youngest members of the illustrious Beecher family, Isabella Beecher Hooker. Isabella was a mover and shaker in her own right, involved in the woman suffrage and abolitionist movements. She was also an ardent Spiritualist with a wild streak. Susan Campbell is the author of memoirDating Jesus: Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl and coauthor of Connecticut Curiosities, as well as a former columnist for the Hartford Courant.

At noon on April 23, the popular "history bites" is back with a lecture, "From Law Library to Paint Pots". Join the society as they take a closer look at George Catlin – Reeve's law student turned artist who documented the Plains Indians through his artwork and produced the only known image of his revered legal instructor. Curator of Collections Jessica Jenkins will present this exploration of an artist with roots in Litchfield. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Litchfield Law School became famous for turning out a plethora of young men who would lead the young nation as lawyers and politicians. But not all of Tapping Reeve's students went on to practice law. Bring your lunch! Desserts and beverages will be served.

If you have an interest in preserving textiles, the workshop on April 29 at 7 p.m. with Karen DePauw, research and collections associate at the Connecticut Historical Society, and learn about basic textile storage techniques ranging from museum-quality archival practices to simple and affordable solutions. Many of us have cherished textiles and costumes in our homes, from great-grandpa's uniform to mother's wedding gown. With the right care these items can remain valuable pieces of our history for years to come. Join Karen DePauw, research and collections associate at the Connecticut Historical Society, and learn about basic storage techniques ranging from museum-quality archival practices to simple and affordable solutions, tips on displaying your fabric treasures, and just some good old-fashioned do's and don'ts. Together we can work to preserve your family's history.

he Litchfield Historical Society is located on 7 South Street in Litchfield Connecticut. For more information www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org

Eye Candy kicks off the Silo Gallery Spring Season

The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm's upcoming gallery exhibition, ties together the works of Washington artists Ken Cornet and Tyler Farmen with works that entice the eye. The exhibit runs to May 5, 2015.

Ken Cornet Pictures at ans Exhibition

The exhibit is aptly named, as Cornet describes his work as enticing "the eye through color and movement either with free forms or structures to create a feeling of excitement or serenity, thereby instilling a sense of fun, comfort and well-being." Farmen says, "My work combines the real and tangible, however it gives the feeling of a surreal fantasy. My intention is to provide viewers with a sense of comfort and at the same time question."

Ken Cornet was born and raised in New York where he attended The Ethical Culture School and the highly selective High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School. He went on to study painting at the Art Students League, fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and earned a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. From painting in pre-school to designing textiles and surfaces

Tyler Farmen Blue Drip

in adulthood, Ken returned to painting and creating art. Cornet's design collections were licensed by major home furnishing companies around the world under the Ken Cornet brand. While always mindful of the past, his style is contemporary and always innovative and playful. Cornet's licensed product areas included apparel, bed and bath fashions, home textiles and wallpapers, rugs, ceramics, dinner and gift ware, and paper and party goods. His artistic versatility resulted in the New York State Department of Labor labeling his work as "art miscellaneous" in late 1960's. Editors and buyers labeled his design collections as "contemporary classics" in the late 1980's and into the 1990's.

Tyler Farmen was born in Washington, CT in 1982. He received a BA in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn NY in 2004. Tyler lived and worked as a designer in New York until 2006 when he moved back to CT, where he is currently Head of The Fine Arts Department at Rumsey Hall School and working on various creative projects.

In addition, Farmen runs a small art gallery in Lakeside, CT called The Gallery, which features local and national artists as well as a one of a kind gift shop. Tyler has a wide range of work from painting and sculpture to graphics and fashion. His ambition is to make people approach what they look at every day with new value. Referring to his latest oeuvre, Farmen says, It "consists of reinterpreted items that have been discarded by society and consumed by nature. Captured in time, these items are locked in a patina of eternal beauty.

Tyler Farmen Red Oil

My artwork is a combination of the many people, places and feelings that I experience in everyday life. "I started painting and creating to break the confines and guidelines of my career as a designer. I don't restrain myself to one medium or process. I enjoy exploring all avenues of creating taking the pain and anguish that I feel in the universe and portraying it in a positive light through my paintings and sculptures. My work combines the real and tangible, however it gives the feeling of a surreal fantasy. My intention is to provide viewers with a sense of comfort and at the same time question."

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. For more information, please call Liba Furhman at (860) 355-0300 or visit www.hunthillfarmtrust.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.comwww.litchfieldhills.com

HARVEST KITCHEN AT JONES FAMILY FARMS BRINGS AUTHENTIC FARM TO TABLE COOKING CLASSES

“Farm-to-Table” is more than a slogan at Jones Family Farms in Shelton, Connecticut.  One of the rare cooking schools actually located on a farm, the classes in the Harvest Kitchen at this family owned farm in Fairfield County are able to use many ingredients grown on site.

Seasonal foods are the focus for many sessions, showing how fresh ingredients make for healthier and more delicious meals. The classes follow many creative themes, from ethnic cuisines like Japanese and Mediterranean to “Parties Inspired by Books,” with original menus inspired by volumes like The Great Gatsby or Pride and Prejudice. The Essential Eating series encourages home cooking from scratch and building a nutrition-rich home pantry.

Three-hour classes are held most Saturdays from 12 to 3 p.m. from spring through the holidays. Most are limited to 12 participants. The sessions are relaxed and informal, a mix of demonstrations and hands-on activities suitable for beginners, as well as experienced cooks. They conclude with everyone gathering around the big kitchen table to enjoy the meal they have prepared, along with a glass of the farm’s own Jones wine. Students take home their aprons and copies of nourishing recipes.

 In May, the Parties Inspired by Books Series will feature The Great Gatsby on May 2, Pride and Prejudice on May 9, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on May 16.

See the web site, jonesfamilyfarms.com, to register. Early reservations are strongly advised as classes fill up fast.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

Cooking is only one of the reasons to visit the 400-acre farm where the Jones family has been working the land for over150 years. Successive generations have left their impact on the original dairy farm. Philip Jones, the fourth generation, planted evergreen seedlings as part of a 4-H forestry project in the 1930s.  Some of these originals, now 100-feet tall, tower over what has grown into 200 acres of Christmas trees. Guests are invited to hike the fields to harvest their own or to pick a fresh-cut tree in the Homestead Barnyard, a treasured tradition for many area families.

In the 1960s, Philip’s son Terry, the fifth generation, added the fields of strawberries and blueberries that are favorites for pick-your-own fans each year. Terry’s wife Jean, a licensed nutritionist, originated the cooking classes in 2009.  Their son, Jamie began the Jones Winery in 2004. In 2013 Connecticut Magazine named it “Best Connecticut Vineyard.” From summer berries to fall grapes and pumpkins to trees ready for trimming,  Jones Family Farms is a delightful outing year round.

For more information about the farm and the area and a free copy of Unwind, a full-color, 152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in the Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County in Western Connecticut, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitwesternct.com.

For the birds in Litchfield Hills @ the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy

The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy located in Litchfield Connecticut  was founded by S. Dillon Ripley, considered to be  one of the twentieth century's outstanding figures in ornithology and conservation.  Ripley began building an internationally known collection of waterfowl in Litchfield, Connecticut in the 1920's. He started his first duck pond at age seventeen and taught ornithology at Yale while director of Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History. In 1964 Dillon became the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution where he led the creation of numerous new museums, such as the National Air & Space Museum and the Hirshhorn Museum, and the development of the Smithsonian Magazine.

An avid aviculturist, Dillon Ripley is credited with being the first person to propagate successfully many threatened and endangered species in captivity, such as the red-breasted goose, nene goose, emperor goose and Laysan teal. Dr. Ripley also raised various endangered species in Litchfield for re-introduction to the wild.

Today, known as the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, this is one of the pre-eminent facilities for breeding rare and endangered waterfowl. The public is invited on self-guided tours on Saturday and Sunday beginning April 1 and running through November 30 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visitors to the Conservancy are invited to visit the aviaries at their leisure and enjoy the diversity of waterfowl on display. Information panels provide interesting insight about each species and Conservancy staff and volunteers are available to answer questions.

Visitors can also visit the duckery where ducklings and goslings are hatched and reared. Even during the fall and winter months there are often eggs incubating or chicks hatching as the southern hemisphere species often reproduce during Connecticut's northern hemisphere winter. 

October through May are the best months to observe male ducks in their breeding plumage. Male ducks of many species (but not all) molt their colorful breeding plumage towards the end of June and most resemble their respective females until late September when they molt into breeding plumage once again. Male swans and geese remain colorful throughout the year.

 Admission is $10.00 per adult, which includes one child under the age of twelve. Additional children are $5.00 each. Please note that no pets are allowed on Conservancy grounds. 

LRWC is located on Duck Pond Road in Litchfield.  For more information http://www.lrwc.net.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Elephants in the Room at the PT Barnum Museum

On Wednesday, April 8 at 12:15 p.m., the PT Barnum Museum located in Bridgeport Connecticut is presenting a program called Elephants in the Room: Stories of Elephant Artifacts and Images in The Barnum Museum's Collection a Sneak Peek. This will be presented by Adrienne Saint-Pierre, the curator of the Barnum Museum.

April's Sneak Peek program focuses on the large variety of elephant artifacts in The Barnum Museum collection in celebration of the past event of Jumbo, the famous African Elephant, arriving in America after being purchased from London Zoo by P.T. Barnum on April 9, 1882. Some artifacts include the largest taxidermy baby elephant, "Baby Bridgeport," the second elephant to ever be born in America was in Bridgeport, CT many years ago. A piece of famous white elephant tusk in the museum collection and a number of photographs featuring Victorian era elephants in photographs, post cards and advertising will be on display at the event. "Baby Bridgeport" was recently x-rayed by medical imaging faculty from Quinnipiac University. In the 1880s a color lithograph and handkerchief were created to celebrate the elephant's birth, Barnum's pride and joy.

No registration required. $3 Suggested Donation. Free for museum members and kids under 12. Patrons are encouraged to bring their lunch.

A program on Jumbo the elephant called Jumbo: Marvel, Myth, and Legend will be presented on April 19 at 2 p.m. by Dr. Andrew McClellan of Tufts University.  This program explores the magnificent life of the late Jumbo The Elephant, a larger-than-life celebrity in the animal world. His legacy lives on today: "jumbo" is now an English adjective used to describe anything humungous. His image is also featured in many advertisements throughout the past, and a giant Sequoia tree in California now bears the same name. View little-known images featuring Jumbo and learn about his extraordinary life. Led by Andrew McClellan, professor of Art History at Tufts University and author of Jumbo: Marvel, Myth & Mascot (2014).

No registration required. $5 Suggested Donation. Free for museum members and kids under 12.

The PT Barnum Museum is located on 820 Main Street in Bridgeport CT. Call for more information 203-331-1104 ext.100, M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information http://www.barnum-museum.org.

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.