Luau on Long Island Sound @ Maritime Aquarium @ Norwalk

Hang 10 on a surfboard, sip a fruity frozen drink and carve some Spam^® as The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk helps you imagine a tropical getaway March 18 & 19 during its annual “Long Island Sound Luau.”  Both days, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Maritime Aquarium is offering a sunny selection of fun special activities, crafts, tropical drinks and special IMAX^® movies to usher out the final weekend of winter.

Among the “Long Island Sound Luau” highlights is an inflatable surfing machine featuring a rollicking surfboard, billed as “a real-life surfing experience without getting wet.” Aquarium guests can take turns testing their surfing skills on the ’board, in a manner similar to bull-riding machines. (The “wave action” will be adjusted for younger guests.) Cowabunga, dude: the surf machine is free with Aquarium admission.

Also during Luau weekend, guests can compete in Spam-Carving Contests. (Why Spam? Hawaiians have been eating Spam since the canned meat was introduced as an important staple during World War II. Still today, the island state has the largest consumption per capita of Spam.) The Spam-Carving Contests will be held at 1 & 3 p.m. both days. Aquarium guests paying $5 will receive a can of Spam, a tray and a plastic knife, and have 30 minutes to sculpt a masterful Spam creation. Contestants can work as individuals, couples, families or other teams. Aquarium staff will judge the entries, with first prize in each of the two daily competitions receiving a Maritime Aquarium membership.

Also during the Luau, Aquarium guests can decorate straws at a craft station and then use their straws to enjoy free fruity non-alcoholic frozen drinks at a Tiki Slushies Bar. Plus, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m., The Maritime Aquarium will be filled with the tropical sounds of the Roylety Steel Pan Band, a local ensemble led by Jim Royle. On both days, Aquarium educators will staff a station with hands-on artifacts focusing on tropical ocean currents and the animals who use these “ocean highways” to their advantage, including certain species of whales, sea turtles and – unfortunately – invasive lionfish.

Even The Maritime Aquarium’s IMAX Theater will go tropical for the weekend, with special screenings of “Journey to the South Pacific” on the six-story screen. Narrated by Academy Award^®-winner Cate Blanchett, “Journey to the South Pacific” takes audiences on a breathtaking giant-screen adventure to lush and remote West Papua, where life flourishes above and below the sea. Dive in with a young island boy on a journey of discovery to encounter whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays and other iconic creatures of the sea. Show times are 11 a.m. and 1 & 3 p.m. both days. (One daytime IMAX movie is included with Aquarium admission. Also playing during “Luau” weekend is “Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean” at noon and 2 & 4 p.m.)

And, of course, “Luau” guests can linger at exhibits featuring animals found not just in Long Island Sound but also in tropical regions as well. Imagine snorkeling alongside the Aquarium’s two green sea turtles or diving over the coral reef alive with tangs, angelfish and other species in a rainbow of colors. For more details about the “Long Island Sound Luau” at the popular Connecticut family attraction, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org.

“Westport School Days 1703-Present” @ Westport Historical Society

Westport Historical Society proudly presents a new exhibit, "Westport School Days 1703-Present" in our Sheffer Gallery. The opening reception will take place on Sunday, January 29, from 3 – 5 pm immediately following our Annual Meeting. This exhibit highlights the evolution of formal education in Westport. The story begins with the 1650 Code of Connecticut which describes the educational requirements for the parishes in Connecticut. Beginning with the first formal teacher in Green's Farms in 1703; the exhibit will chronicle what the eight public and several private schools of Westport were like.

There will be a progression map from 1858-2016 detailing each school's earliest location and development. A brief history of the benefactors who initiated new schools, memorabilia, and early photos will also be displayed. Group photos of student classes from the late nineteenth century to the present day will also be highlighted. This comprehensive exhibit will include lively tours of Westport's own Adams Academy, on North Morningside Drive, which was built in 1830 as a private school, and shows you an actual one-room schoolhouse and exemplifies early education in the community.

The Mollie Donovan Gallery will highlight the Westport Public Library from its original building on Post Road to what the future plans hold for an ever changing community resource. Westport Historical Society hopes this exhibit will bring back many fond memories, as well as focus an educational light on Westport's growth as an exceptional center for learning. The Sheffer Gallery is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 4 pm. Saturdays from Noon – 4 pm. The exhibit runs through March 24. There is no charge, however donations are always welcome.  For more information, call 203-222-1424 or visit westporthistory.org.

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Syrup Saturday @ New Canaan Nature Center

The New Canaan Nature Center's Syrup Saturday festival returns on Saturday, March 18 from 10:30 am – 2:00 pm.  This annual event celebrates the New England tradition of maple syrup making and includes a pancake brunch with different varieties of syrup, including the Nature Center's own.

To celebrate the bounty of the 2017 syrup season, we'll be serving up flapjacks, syrup and an array of tasty toppings (fruit, chocolate chips, and more!) in the Visitor Center. All are welcome and encouraged to dress in their PJS!

How does it work?  Freezing temperatures create suction that draws water in through a tree's roots, and warm periods create pressure which causes the sap to flow out through a tap hole where it's collected in buckets.  This sap, a combination of water, salt and sugar, serves as the tree's food and is the sole ingredient of pure maple syrup.

During Syrup Saturday, visitors will get a chance to observe the entire process from tree tapping to boiling into syrup at the "sugar shack".  Educators will also demonstrate historic methods of maple syruping.

Local maple syrup and maple baked goods will be for sale.  Guests can test their taste buds on real vs. fake syrup and learn what the different grades mean.

A highlight of this event is the Family Lumberjack Challenge! ry your hand at wood heaving (how far can you throw a log of firewood?), before tackling our firewood stacking competition. Does your family have what it takes to complete our entire log rolling obstacle course? Join us to find out!  This event is primarily held outdoors and activities will be ongoing throughout the day.

Members: $10/per person / Non-Members: $15/ per person. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills or Fairfield County www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Wilton Historical Society -Finding Our Place: Evolving American Identity.

Once again this year the Wilton Historical Society and the Wilton Library have teamed up to present a history lecture series in March and April. Each year a theme is developed, and respected scholars are engaged to provide a lively, thought-provoking talk on their specialty subject. The lecture is followed by a question and answer period and reception. All lectures take place at the Wilton Library located on 137 Old Ridgefield Road in Wilton.

This year the lecture series will focus on the global perspective and the United States' place in the world, specifically WWI and its aftermath. Topics of discussion will examine art as an expression and maker of place, place determined by work, finding one's place when a technology defines a newer sense of identity, and the United States' identity today and in the future.

On Sunday, March 12 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Emery Roth will focus on place in society defined by our work, specifically the Connecticut brass industry and its collapse. Connecticut's Naugatuck River valley was where the brass industry thrived until the last factory closed in 2013. The talk is derived from Roth's book, Brass Valley: The Fall of an American Industry (Schiffer Books, 2015). The book tells the story of the last working brass mill, how Brass Valley came to be, the men and communities that made Brass Valley and the culture we call the American Dream. The talk is accompanied by vivid photographs of Brass Valley from the book and others taken more recently; the author shares experiences and discoveries made while capturing images and talks about what it means to try to find Brass Valley, a place in time that has not quite vanished. Q&A and book signing after.

Emery Roth, Southwest CT Arts Council, has been shooting photographs since childhood. He studied both design and language arts at Carnegie-Mellon University, simultaneously earning degrees in architecture and literature. After forty years living and teaching in Connecticut's Northwest Hills, he became fascinated with the old mill towns of Connecticut and their history, and he began following tracks through old ruins until he was led to the last working brass mill in Brass Valley. His book documents his journey into time and culture; it seeks to revive in words and pictures, a place in time, perhaps a place in the American Dream.

The lecture on March 26, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  will focus on navigating the new digital landscape. Professor Julia Adams will highlight the role of women in 'tech culture' within our emergent digital environment. Drawing on her research on Wikipedia and academic knowledge, and on the uses of journalism and fake news in the recent presidential election, Professor Adams will discuss the promise and peril in the emergent digital landscape of knowledge.

Julia Adams is Professor of Sociology and International and Area Studies and Head of Calhoun College at Yale University. She was previously the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan. At Yale she has chaired the department of Sociology, directed the Division of the Social Sciences and the International Affairs Council. She currently codirects YaleCHESS (Center for Historical Enquiry & the Social Sciences). Her book, The Familial State: Ruling Families and Merchant Capitalism in Early Modern Europe (Cornell University Press) won the Gaddis Smith Book Prize.

The final lecture in this series will take place on April 2 and will focus on 9/11 and America's World View. Professor Matthew Warshauer will summarize the series, focusing specifically on two themes: who are we now and who can we expect to be? In his lecture, Dr. Warshauer will reflect on America's response to the 9/11 attacks. He will also examine our memory of the tragedy as well as where the nation is today more than 15 years later.

Dr. Warshauer received his B.A. in history from Central Connecticut State University in 1990. He completed his M.A. (1993) and Ph.D. (1997) in American Studies at Saint Louis University. He joined the faculty at CCSU in the fall of 1997 and has served as editor of Connecticut History from 2003 to 2011. In 2007, Dr.Warshauer won the Connecticut State University Trustees Research Award and in 2012 he was awarded the Kidger Award for Inspiring Scholarship and Teaching by the New England History Teachers Association. Dr. Warshauer's book publications include: Andrew Jackson and the Politics of Martial Law; Andrew Jackson in Context; Connecticut in the American Civil War; and Inside Connecticut and the Civil War: Essays on One State's Struggles.

To register for these lectures please visit the website .

Learn the Art of Lithuanian Folk Egg Decorating @ Mattatuck Museum

Join lead Museum Educator Valerie Rodgers at the Mattatuck Museum on Wednesday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. for a folk art experience celebrating the rich cultural legacy of the Baltic country of Lithuania. Participants of this workshop will learn margučiai, the Lithuanian art of egg decorating, using the scratch and carve method.

The workshop is $8 for Museum members, $12 for non-members, and free for BRASS members. All supplies will be provided. No experience necessary. Pre-registration is appreciated.

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.

At the Aldridge Museum William Powhida

The Aldridge Contemporary Art Museum located on 258 Main Street in Ridgefield is presenting the work of William Powhida that will run through September 4.

This will be Powhida’s first solo museum exhibition and will draw from a variety of academic, curatorial, philosophical, and sociological sources, as well as the genre of speculative fiction.
 

For more than a decade Powhida’s work has provided a satirical, political, and sometimes despairing window into his own experience of New York’s contemporary art market. Beneath it all, he has also been tracing the outline of another, more ambitious project as he tries to answer—for himself, his peers, and the world in general—what is the strange, slippery, sometimes contradictory and farcical thing we call “Contemporary Art.” Is Contemporary Art a specific period of art history, like Modern Art? If so, what are its characteristics? Will we know when it’s over? And more importantly, what does Contemporary Art suggest about the future of society?

The less than reliable curatorial voice from Powhida’s future proposes an authoritative account of our present and near future through institutional forms—wall texts, videos, an exhibition catalogue, as well as fictional works of art, speculative drawings, and research-based diagrams, that point to the ways exhibitions shape and reflect histories. Specifically, the exhibition examines the role of the art market in defining the Contemporary through the presentation of a new gallery model for art fairs that emerged in the early twentieth century as a “period room,” within an alternative future wing of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum which has had to make certain adjustments due to global ecological and economic turmoil.

William Powhida (b. 1976, New York, NY) received his BFA in Painting with Honors from Syracuse University in 1998 and his MFA in Painting from Hunter College in 2002. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Postmasters Gallery, New York; Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles; Casa Maauad, Mexico City; Gallery Paulsen, Copenhagen; and Marlborough Gallery, New York. In addition to being an artist, Powhida is an active critic and writer whose work has been published in The Art Newspaper, Creative Time Reports, ArtFCity, Hyperallergic, The Brooklyn Rail, and Artnet. He lives and works in New York City.

A full-color, soft-cover scholarly publication will be available during the exhibition.
 

“Creating the Look: Rev War Period Women's Costuming Class” @ Danbury Historical Society

Back by popular demand, the Danbury Museum & Historical Society is once again hosting a three-part workshop, “Creating the Look: Rev War Period Women's Costuming Class” on several Tuesdays in March; the 7th, 14th and 21st from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The workshops will be conducted by Fran Hendrickson and the clothing items that will be featured include jacket, petticoat and cap; the basic outfit for the period. “The classes are designed for historic house museum docents and re-enactors, however, anyone interested is welcome to join us,” stated Hendrickson.

The cost is $20.00 per session and registration is required. A required materials list and additional references will be provided upon registration. Class size is limited to six participants. “The museum held these workshops in 2016 and they were very popular. We're thrilled that Fran is available and willing to share her knowledge of the history of the period and her skill as a teacher and sewing expert with the community,” said Brigid Guertin, Executive Director of The Danbury Museum & Historical Society.

Fran Hendrickson has been immersed in the 18th Century since 1976. She and her late husband Chip specialized in music and dance of the Revolutionary era. Hendrickson also participates each year in the museum's fifth grade field trip programs at the museum by teaching dances to Danbury's fifth grade students.

Interested parties can register by calling the museum at 203.743.5200. Payment is due upon registration. A materials list and additional information will be provided upon registration. More information can be found at www.danburymuseum.org

Maple Sugaring the sweetest tradition in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County

It’s a sweet New England tradition—toasting old man winter out the door with delicious new maple syrup. As soon as days are above freezing and the sap begins to run, the annual spring ritual begins.

Turning thin sap into thick, fragrant syrup is a fascinating process and Western Connecticut, where sugar maple trees abound, is one of the best places to see it in action. More than a dozen sugar houses in Fairfield County and the Litchfield Hills invite visitors to see how it is done, from tapping the maple trees to collecting the sap to boiling down the thin watery sap until it turns to the thick, fragrant syrup.

A variety of settings, from farms and nature centers to museums are among the maple possibilities, most offering tastes as well as show and tell, and many have take-home syrup for purchase as a sweet souvenir. While many sugarhouses invite visitors anytime during the first three weekends in March (see list below), some locations plan one festive day to celebrate the season.

The MAPLE Calendar

March 4-5

The Plymouth Maple Fest takes place this year on March 4 on the Plymouth Green, 10 Park St, on Rte. 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be maple syrup boiling on an outdoor fire, live music with Fiddlin’ with Down Home Frolic, crafts for kids, maple ham and baked beans to snack on and even horse drawn hay rides. Best of all admission is free.

The Stamford Museum & Nature Centers starts the month in gala fashion with its annual Maple Sugar Festival slated for March 4 and 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Every year, the Museum places buckets on more than 200 maple trees on its 118-acre site, collecting sap to produce maple syrup in the little red sugarhouse on its Heckscher Farm. Visitors will see firsthand the process of tapping and collecting the sap. Kids can make a maple-themed craft, go on a scavenger hunt, have their face painted and join in the fun on Saturday for the Chef’s Challenge, using maple syrup to make delicious treats. On Sunday everyone can join in the popular pancake brunch.  www.stamfordmuseum.org

The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington will have a different take on sugaring at its annual Pancake Festival on March 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Demonstrations will show how local Native Americans traditionally made maple syrup and its importance to their culture. Pancakes will be served with local maple syrup and there will be special activities for children. New this year is the Connecticut Valley Siberian Husky Club’s dog sledding and mushing demonstration. www.iaismuseum.org

Pancakes are also on the menu on March 5 from 8 a.m. to noon at the annual all you can eat pancake breakfast to benefit Flanders Nature Center at the Woodbury Emergency Services Building on Quassuk Rd. in Woodbury.

Flanders Nature Center is also hosting maple sugaring demonstrations at the Sugar House located on 5 Church Hill Rd. in Woodbury on March 4 and 5, 11 and 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. www.flandersnaturecenter.org

March 8 – 11

For those who can’t make the first weekend, March offers many other special events.

The Greenwich Land Trust is hosting two maple sugar events. The first is the Sugar Maple Winter Walk on March 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Duck Pond Hill on 12 Burning Tree Rd in Greenwich. Stroll through the American Chestnut Sanctuary and learn about their comeback in Connecticut. The highlight of this event is to watch a maple tapping to learn what goes into making the sweet stuff!  Walking conditions may be a bit tricky because the walk will be on uneven terrain.  The second event takes place on March 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greenwich Land Trust located on 370 Round Hill Rd. in Greenwich. There will be an afternoon of of demonstrations on maple tapping and syrup boiling – learn what goes into making the sweet stuff! Many family fun activities are planned.  The Rain Date: Sunday, March 12. Pre-registration required https://gltrust.ejoinme.org/MyPages/EventRegistrationPage/tabid/815080/Default.aspx

 www.gltrust.org.

The Annual Maple Festival at Sweet Wind Farm takes place in East Hartland on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The busy day will include tree tapping, maple syrup and maple sugar making demonstrations with free syrup samples, a narrated slide show and video, tours, live music, and --almost everyone’s favorite activity-- a sugar-on-snow candy making demonstration. www.sweetwindfarm.net

March 18

The annual Open House at the Great Brook Sugar House on Sullivan Farm in New Milford takes place on March 18 from 10 am to 5 pm and is one of the programs provided for the community’s young people by the New Milford Youth Agency.  Some 1600 trees are tapped on property donated by local residents. Dozens of high school and college students assist in the collection, processing, packaging and sales of the syrup. At the Open House guides will escort visitors around the farm to various sites to see demonstrations reflecting a 300-year history of maple sugaring. Syrup and other maple products will be available for purchase. Everyone is invited to visit the Sugar House anytime smoke from the chimney says that the syrup kettles are a-cooking.

Syrup Saturday at the New Canaan Nature Center on March 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is always a festive day. Events include tree-tapping demos, a maple sap boil down at the Sugar Shack, and a look at historic methods of making maple syrup plus a delicious Pancake Brunch.  Visitors are invited to join naturalists for a hike along "Maple Lane" to learn tree identification tips, then warm up around the campfire to share tall tales, and make a Maple craft to take home. www.newcanaannature.org

March 25 is also the date of the annual Maplefest! at the Sharon Audubon Center. From 12 noon. to 4 p.m. guided tours of the center’s sugaring operation that includes at working sugarhouse and a re-creation of Native American and early colonial sugaring methods. 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, as well as locally made maple candy.

http://ct.audubon.org

Visit Any Weekend

The sugaring season starts early at large facilities like Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington, where the public is invited to see how syrup is made every weekend through March 30. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom. Their shop offers a tempting array of unusual foods like maple mustard and maple apple butter plus original maple-themed items from embroidered aprons, decorating sets, and cupcake shaped rubber spatulas to a cupcake carrier in the shape of a big cupcake. www.Lamothesugarhouse.com

Another sugarhouse open to the public on weekends is Brookside Farm on 79 East Chestnut Hill Road in Litchfield. Started in 1999 as a second act to corporate careers, the owners' overall goal is to promote the resurgence of sustainable agriculture in Connecticut. On their 30 acres farm, they produce hay (for horses) and maple syrup (for people). Their maple syrup won 3 rd place in the 2014 International Maple Syrup tasting contest. Call  (860) 567-3890 before setting out to confirm the syrup operation. They are open for visits through March 30. 

The following sugarhouse locations all welcome visitors the first three weekends in March, and some, like Lamothe’s begin in February as well. Weather can alter schedules, so a call ahead is absolutely necessary to verify openings, hours and directions before making a trip.

Brookside Farm, 79 East Chestnut Road, Litchfield, 860-567-3805, mid-February-March

Brothers and Sons Sugarhouse, 998 Saw Mill Road, Torrington, 860-489-2719, mid-February-March

Dutton’s Sugarhouse, 28 Sunny Ridge Road, Washington, 860-0345, mid-February- March

Flanders Nature Center Maple Sugar House, Church Hill Rd., Woodbury, 203-263-3711, www.flandersnaturecenter.org

Great Brook Sugarhouse at Sullivan Farm, 140 Park Lane (Route 202), New Milford, 860-210-2030, mid-February-March, www.youthagency.org

Hilljack Sugar Shack, 74 Wilson Rd., Litchfield, 860-482-6052.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd., Washington, 860-868-0518. www.iaismuseum.org

Kasulaitis Farm and Sugarhouse, 69 Goose Green Road, Barkhamsted, 860-379-8787, mid-February-March

Land of Nod Vineyard and Winery, 99 Lower Rd., East Canaan, 860-824-5225, www.landofnodwinery.com

Lamothe’s Sugar House, 89 Stone Road, Burlington, 860-675-5043,mid-February-March. www.Lamothesugarhouse.com

New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge Rd., New Canaan, 203 – 966-9577, www.newcanaannature.org.

Sharon Audubon, 325 Cornwall Bridge Rd., Sharon, 860-364-0520, www.sharon.audubon.org

Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 203-322-1646.

Sweetwind Farm, 339 South Rd., East Hartland, 860-653-2038, www.sweetwindfarm.net

Three Pond Meadow Farm, 240 Ramstein Rd., New Hartford,

860-482-3628

Warrup’s Farm, John Reed Road off Route 107, Redding, 203- 938-9403, www.warrupsfarm.com

West Hill Sugarhouse, 525 West Hill Road, New Hartford, 860-379-9672

Woodbury Sugarshed, 41 Washington Road, Woodbury, 203-263-4550, mid-February-March, www.woodburysugarshed.com