A Polish Christmas with Martha Hall Kelly at the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden

Visit the Bellamy-Ferriday House Museum on Sunday, December 10th for a special day celebrating the holidays and the work of social philanthropist Caroline Ferriday, the inspiration for New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly's novel Lilac Girls at the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden.

Experience the Hay, Caroline's beloved Connecticut home, staged in the traditional Polish fashion as inspired by her house guests. Rooms will also sport beautiful arrangements by Floral Designer Melissa Beard, owner and head designer at Floral Design by Melissa in Newtown, CT. Learn about Advent and Polish Christmas traditions, including holiday delicacies and customs. Meet Martha Hall Kelly in Caroline's kitchen and have her sign your copy of Lilac Girls. Tour sessions begin at 1 and 1:30 pm. Greenery will be available for sale to benefit the Bellamy Ferriday House & Garden.

Then, carol your way to Memorial Hall to enjoy a Polish beverage and desserts followed by an author presentation with a question and answer session. Martha will discuss Lilac Girls, including her research process, and where she took artistic license. Get insight into Martha's next book about Caroline and her mother Eliza.

Tickets are $35/$25 for CTL Members; limited availability. Purchase tickets by Monday, December 4th by visiting www.ctlandmarks.org or calling 860.247.8996 x 23. All proceeds benefit the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden.
Lilac Girls is based on the true story of Caroline Ferriday and the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp survivors known as lapin (rabbits), whom Caroline championed. This acclaimed debut novel, also available on audiobook, reveals a story of love, redemption and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades. For more information on Martha Hall Kelly and her work, visit www.marthahallkelly.com.

The Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden is located at 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem, CT. It is open for tours May through October. For hours and more information, visit www.ctlandmarks.org ; https://www.facebook.com/BellamyFerridayHouseGarden ; or call 203. 266.7596.

About Connecticut Landmarks
Connecticut Landmarks' mission is to inspire interest and encourage learning about the American past by preserving selected historic properties, collections and stories and presenting programs that meaningfully engage the public and our communities.

Winter Backyard Birding @ Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield

The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield is hosting Winter Backyard Birding on Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that is perfect for kids 12 years old and up and, best of all, it's a free event!  Guests will meet at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Fairfield Nature Store, 2325 Burr St. 

As many of us that love birding and wildlife know, the rewards of birding can be enjoyed all year long, but the coldest months can be some of the hottest times to view feathered visitors. The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield invites guests to join long-time birder and naturalist Dick Worth at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield for an indoor program to learn more about this great family activity which can start at home, and lead to a life-long appreciation and interest that spans the world.

Backyard birding begins at the feeder so you’ll learn who is at their feeder this time of year, their characteristics, and their feeding habits. You’ll also receive tips on what kind of seed and feeders to use and other ways of creating a bird-friendly sanctuary that will attract birds to your yard.

After the class,  guests are invited to take advantage of the Audubon's  20% off sale on birdseed and birdfeeders and browse their store for unique, nature-themed holiday gifts and decorations. Call 203-259-6305, ext. 109 or visit their website for more information.

To sign up for a monthly free newsletter on things to do and see in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Holiday Lights @ Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce, located on Lake Ave. in Bristol is proud to announce their  "Lake Compounce Holiday Lights", a seasonal holiday-themed family event taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings beginning November 24 and running through December 20. The park gates will open at 5:00 P.M. on Fridays, and at 4:00 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays.

'Holiday Lights' will provide full family entertainment for all ages, and include festive activities such as a spectacular light show every half hour at the main gate, which will feature tens of thousands of dancing lights set to holiday music. Kiddieland rides and family-themed rides will be in operation. The Train will be transformed into the North Pole Railway, operated by a very special, uniformed train conductor with a magical holiday story to tell.

There will be indoor activities such as cookie decorating and gingerbread house making. Children will be given the opportunity to customize their very own letter to Santa, and will then receive a personalized letter sent directly to them, from Santa, just a few days later. On the Kiddieland stage children can enjoy Story Time with Mrs. Clause. There will be carolers strolling throughout the park, an ice carver creating unique, frozen sculptures, and lots more festive entertainment including clowns making balloon animals and lots of holiday characters greeting guests. The childhood favorite; photos with Santa is not to be missed in the Winter Wonderland Starlight Theatre.

The park's gift shops will also be loaded with holiday-themed merchandise for sale, so guests can get their holiday shopping done, and new this year great food will be served hot from unique and festive food trucks. Another new attraction is the Holiday Craft Fair on Nov. 11 that will feature a selection of holiday craft vendors selling handmade items that are perfect for holiday décor or a gift for a special love one. There is also a pet-friendly night on December 17 when guests are invited to bring their well behaved dog or cat to Lake Compounce, if you bring a can of cat or dog food, you will get $5 off admission at the gate.

New for 2017 is dinner with Santa on Dec. 2,9,16, and 23. Enjoy dinner from 2:30-3:30pm, followed by a visit with Santa! After you're done with pictures, the entire night of Holiday Lights is yours to enjoy with family and friends until 9 pm! Buffet menu: will include lots of child and adult favorites! Adults are $29.99, kids 4-10 $23.99 and children 3 and under are free.

Admission is $11.99 online and $15.99 at Gate per adult, $11.99 for children 4 thru 10, and free for children 3 and under. Senior tickets are $11.99. Platinum Season Pass holders may enter for free with their 2016 season pass. Tickets may be purchased online now, or at the park gate once the event begins.  For more information https://www.lakecompounce.com

Kent Historical Society Holds a Historic Holiday House Tour in Kent Hollow

The Kent Historical Society is convening a Historic House Tour, focusing on structures built in the 18th and early 19th century. The Tour will take place Sunday, December 10 from 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Advance tickets are available for $45 on our website and at the Heron Gallery, Kent Wine & Spirit, and the Kent Town Clerk’s Office. The price jumps to $60 on the day of the tour, so be sure to get your tickets early!

The Kent Historical Society has lined up seven architectural gems that have been preserved with great care. Some were grand dwellings in their day, others were much more modest, but nearly all of them date from the Colonial era. There are all sorts of curiosities and beauties to appreciate on this journey through the past of Kent Hollow. One house is even on the National Register of Historic Places.

The journey into the past starts at Swift House, where ticket holders will get a map to the houses, .which are mostly in Kent Hollow. Tickets may also be purchased that day at the Swift House from 11 a.m. through the afternoon. Afterwards, everyone will gather at Swift House at 12 Maple Street to share festive beverages at the wassail bowl.  It promises to be a fun event -- who doesn’t like peering back in time in old houses?

“Historical House Tour 2017,” a Kent Historical Society event, begins December 10, 2017 at noon at Swift House, located at 12 Maple Street, Tickets are $45 in advance, and $60 on the day. For more information, see www.kenthistoricalsociety.org

Celebrate Holidays like it is 1864!

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum kicks off the Holiday Season the day after Thanksgiving and invites visitors to step back in time to experience the wonders and beauty of mid-to-late 19^th century holiday traditions. A new exhibition entitled, A Magnificent Victorian Holiday at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum opens at noon on Friday, November 24, 2017, at 295 West Avenue.

The Museum will explore the holiday traditions from the 1860s through the 1930s, as they were celebrated by the Lockwood and the Mathews families in Norwalk, Connecticut and New York City. The Mansion will also feature 21^st century holiday design and lavish trees and seasonal displays by renowned interior designers, Victoria Vandamm of Vandamm Interiors and Kip O’Brien of Kip O’Brien Design, LLC, a full-service, residential interior design firm in Cos Cob, CT.  Kip’s successful career includes fashion advertising at Vogue, Town & Country, and Glamour magazines and a strong understanding of color, proportion, and texture.

As seen in the recently published book by photographer Caryn B. Davis, Christmas in Connecticut, red silk garlands embellished with ribbons and trimmings will drape the grand Victorian staircase designed by the Herter Brothers and decorated by Danna DiElsi, owner of The Silk Touch in Norwalk, CT. 

 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.

 Photos Sarah Grote

Visit Santa's Workshop @ Maritime Aquarium Norwalk

Where else would Santa Claus be during the two weekends before Christmas but in a toy-building operation? And The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is honored to have him in its Toy Boat Workshop Dec. 9-10 and 16-17.

Santa will oversee youngsters and their projects in the Aquarium's festively retooled Toy Boat Workshop on weekends Dec. 9-10 and 16-17, all days between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Please note that, shortly before 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. each day, Santa will take breaks from building toys to become "Shark-Diving Santa," joining the Aquarium scuba team to swim among the sharks in the "Ocean Beyond the Sound" exhibit.)

Whether you build a toy boat or not, Santa Claus will accept children's wish lists and pose for photos for free, so bring your camera to snap a keepsake memory. Cost to build a boat is $5 in addition to Aquarium admission. It takes about 15 minutes. Get details about all of the popular family attraction's holiday offerings, including "'Polar Express' Pajama Parties" at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

"Thinking Visually features work of 15 Connecticut Illustrators

Fifteen internationally acclaimed local artists will show selections from their works in “Thinking Visually: The Art of Connecticut Illustrators,” an exhibition celebrating the rich diversity of illustration as an art form that will run through Sunday, Dec. 3, in the Visual and Performing Arts Center Art Gallery at Western Connecticut State University. 

The exhibition is open to the public during gallery hours from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

The exhibition will provide a sweeping presentation of works encompassing a broad spectrum from popular children’s book illustrations, magazine covers, cardboard constructions and stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service to evocative graphic images for cartoons, albums, advertising, video games, films and television series. Each of the participating illustrators resides in Connecticut and has attained critical recognition nationally and abroad through unique contributions to the art of illustration.  

Artists who will be featured in the show include Guy Billout, Leslie Cober-Gentry, Robert Crawford, Bruce Degen, Randy Enos, Robert Giusti, James Grashow, Gerard Huerta, Roger Huyssen, Christine Kornacki, Ross MacDonald, Wendell Minor, Jon Sideriadis, Bill Thomson and David Wenzel.