Seabird Safari on Long Island Sound with the Seaport Association

 

New this year, the Norwalk Seaport Association has just announced that they will be starting their popular bird cruises on Sunday, May 1 and May 15, and on Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29th from 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Regardless of whether you are a veteran bird enthusiast or a beginner, this on the water avian adventure will give your birding routine a new perspective. This cruise is ideal for adults as well as children because it gives participants a sense of connection with the beauty of Long Island Sound resulting in the joyful feeling of being ‘one with nature.’ 

As the old saying goes, the early bird catches the worm, which is why many bird enthusiasts head outdoors in the early morning. With this in mind, the Seaport Association’s Bird Cruise will leave the dock on 4 North Water Street in Norwalk at 8 a.m. “Birds sleep at night and are hungry in the morning, so they have to go out and eat,” says Will Schneck, a passionate bird enthusiast that will be leading the cruise. “We are leaving at 8 a.m. because this is the time of day when birds are most active, particularly in the spring and early summer. Just like humans have daily schedules, birds also have daily patterns for feeding, roosting, and other activities.” On this guided tour with Schneck, a member of the esteemed Connecticut Young Birders Club, passengers will learn about local bird behavior and biology and, most importantly how to spot them. Every cruise is different because you never know what bird species might fly your way, making this excursion an adventure in itself! 

A highlight of this eco-styled bird cruise is the chance to spot birds close up in their natural habitat in a way, you would never see from shore. Among the types of birds, you may see on this eco-adventure cruise are nest sites and nest colonies of ospreys, and long-legged egrets with their graceful S-curved necks and long dagger-like bills, as well as playful American oystercatchers, herons, terns, gulls, and cormorants to name a few. 

A special feature of this cruise is the chance to spot birds at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge on Sheffield Island. Here you will see a variety of habitats that support nesting and wading birds. This spot is known for its small population of herring and great black-backed gulls that nest along Sheffield Island's rocky shoreline. The importance of the Norwalk Islands to wildlife, especially migratory birds is enormous, and the special Bird Cruises hosted by the Norwalk Seaport Association give nature enthusiasts the chance to spot these magnificent seabirds up close with the added benefit of a knowledgeable guide. 

Bird Cruise Details 

Passengers are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to the 8 a.m. departure. The vessel leaves from the Seaport Dock that is adjacent to the Stroffolino Bridge at the corner of Washington and Water Streets in South Norwalk. Parking is available at the adjacent lot or at the Maritime Center Parking Garage. Tickets are available online in advance HTTP://www.seaport.org , tickets are $25 for children and $30 for adults. The Seaport Association advises reserving your Bird Cruise early because these popular excursions sell out. Make sure you include your email when reserving your ticket. If the tour is canceled due to inclement weather the Norwalk Seaport Association will contact you via your email. 

Before embarking on this cruise, be sure to pack sunscreen, your camera, binoculars, water and snacks, and your sense of adventure! 

About the Norwalk Seaport Association 

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens who had the vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage. The Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands. The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational venue that strives to increase awareness, appreciation, and consideration for the environment and how the preservation of historic buildings contributes to our quality of life. The combination of the Lighthouse and the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate children of all ages and adults about the importance of preserving Long Island Sound, our environment, and our maritime heritage.

Summer Camp Registration Open @ Institute for American Indian Studies Scholarships Available

 Spend the summer of 2022 @ The Institute For American Indian Studies! Our camp program offers immersion into the natural world and the culture of Connecticut's Eastern Woodland Native Americans through the exploration of our replicated 16th century Algonkian Village, our forests, trails, gardens, and museum.

The 2022 Summer Camp program will offer six weeks of programming best suited for children from six to twelve years old. Starting June 27 through August 12 camp programs run from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Institute’s experienced and professional educators that continually engage young and curious minds with exciting team-building programs conduct the camp. Each week has a different theme, but all sessions are fun-filled and designed to help children learn valuable life skills while appreciating nature and connecting to a culture with more than 10,000 years of history.

 

Unique activities of this program include exploring the interactive exhibits in our museum and in our outdoor replicated 16th century outdoor Algonkian Village, going on hikes in Steep Rock Reservation and along the Shepaug River, and visiting our traditional herb and flower gardens. Each week camp activities will vary and may include participating in mock archaeological digs, learning how to track animals and identify plants, how to survive outside without access to modern technology, and how to practice survival methods using traditional skills. A highlight is a camp program on Etuaptmumk which refers to learning how to see the benefits of both traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western scientific thinking.

Once again this year is the chance to apply for a scholarship that is being offered by the Institute due to the generosity of our donors. To find out more about the scholarship program email Camp Director, Gabriel Benjamin @ gbenjamin@iaismuseum.org

The deadline for scholarship applications is June 1, 2022.

 

For complete registration information, visit http://www.iaismuseum.org. Pricing is $310 for members of the Institute and $345 for non-members, with special pricing for the week of July 5. To register click here. https://www.iaismuseum.org/summer-camp

 

The Institute will follow the most up-to-date COVID-19 policies for our summer camp in 2022, based on guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control, Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood, and the American Camp Association. Given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation, families should be aware that policies are subject to change.

About Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Opens April 7 featuring Contemporary Expressionism

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum located at 295 West Ave., Norwalk, CT will feature a new exhibition titled, Fragments of Light, Impressions of Color. The exhibition will open on April 7, 12 p.m. and run through Aug. 28, 2022. An opening reception will be held on Thurs., April 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Admission will be included with the purchase of a guided tour ticket and available online at www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com. The exhibition will feature emerging and established artists working in the style of contemporary impressionism and focusing on the effects of light and color, whether through portraiture, painting nature, or depicting the urban landscape. 

Jean Marcellino, “Elusive Skyline”, oil on mounted linen, 18 x 24, courtesy of J. Marcellino

The exhibition was juried by Artist and Trustee Gail Ingis, who selected approximately 33 works from digital submissions. “I am excited by the array of talent and submissions we received,” said Ms. Ingis, “and look forward to introducing their diverse interpretations and techniques, optical effects, and luxuriant color palettes offering unique visual experiences to LMMM’s viewers.” 

Featured artists will include Elizabeth Hasegawa Agresta; Huey-Min Chuang; Joseph Dermody; Katharine Draper; Yuko Ike; Richard Koleszar; Anni Lorenzini; Jean Marcellino; Kathie Milligan; Peter Millward; Judith Patterson-Lanyi; Jason Pritchard; Alex Ranniello; Malina Schneider; Clarice Shirvell; and Dmitri Wright. 

Dmitri Wright, “Weir Farm Daffodil Series - Go Gently Monarch and Blue Jay”, oil, 24 x 48, courtesy of D. Wright

Jean Marcellino, whose portrait of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is in the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection, won a 2020 Merit Award from the Salmagundi Club and was the winner of the 2019 Cecilia Cardman Memorial Award under the auspices of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club at The National Arts Club, among others. 

Elizabeth Hasegawa Agresta studied painting, printmaking, and exploratory mixed media at Silvermine Arts Center. She is a leading member of the Fairfield County Plein Air Painters and is active with the New York Society of Women Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists, and the Loft Artists Association. 

Dmitri Wright was the winner of the national scholarship at The Cooper Union and the Max Beckmann International Scholar Program at Brooklyn Museum Art School. He was valedictorian at the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Arts and majored in Fine Arts. His work is in hundreds of museum and corporate collections and focuses on the preservation and progress of Impressionism. 

Alex Ranniello received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting & Drawing from Hartford Art School (‘17) and completed his master’s degree at The University of Hartford (‘21). In addition to his role as a studio artist, his involvement in his community has been multifaceted and highly widespread across Connecticut. 

Alex Ranniello, “Peachy Keen”, oil on canvas, 24 x 24, courtesy of A. Ranniello

The 2022 Season is made possible in part by CT Humanities with generous funding provided by Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature and LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; and LMMM’s 2022 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc. For more information on tours and programs, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Spring After School Program @ Glebe House in Woodbury

Students are invited to become part of living history at the Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden beginning April 21 on select Thursday afternoons from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Marshall Children Young Docent Program is perfect for children ages six years old and up. 

This unique opportunity allows children to learn about what life was like for families who lived here in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War. Highlights of the program include learning to conduct guided tours of the museum in period costumes, how to make candles, and other colonial crafts, and how to write with a quill pen. Children will have a hands-on colonial cooking session and will visit other area museums. The majority of this program takes place in the Glebe House, one of the most authentic historic house museums in Connecticut on the most historic street in Woodbury. 

The Marshall Children Young Docent program is named for the nine children of John and Sarah Marshall who lived in the Glebe House from 1771to 1786. These young docents are our greatest ambassadors in the community and participate in events like All Hollow’s Eve and the Woodbury Christmas Festival. All Hollow’s Eve, a wonderfully scary event now in its 19th year would not be the same without the inclusion of our young docents in the roles of some of Woodbury’s early citizens. 

Please call the Museum Director for more information and to register at 203-263-2855. Information, registration forms, and scheduled dates are available on our website at www.glebehousemuseum.org. The cost for the Spring Session is $75/Members and $95/Non-Members. There is limited space available. Registration will remain open until all spaces are filled.

Sign Up Today for Drum Making Workshop @ the Institute for American Indian Studies March 20

 

Rhythm and sound are important to just about every culture around the world. Throughout the Americas, indigenous peoples have been using drums as part of their culture for thousands of years. 

 If you are asked to think about Native American music, there is a good chance you will think of the sound of drums, but did you know that the drum is considered to be a living and breathing entity to Native peoples and symbolize a strong relationship with the creator? 

On Sunday, March 20 the Institute for American Indian Studies, located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut is hosting an in-person drum-making workshop, with sessions at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. 

The highlight of this workshop is to learn how to make your very own rawhide drum. The drums made in this workshop will be 14- inches in diameter and constructed of a traditionally used material, elk rawhide. Each drum will come with a drumstick. While creating a drum for their own personal use, participants will learn about their cultural significance, and how they remain a vibrant part of today’s indigenous cultures in the Americas. 

Space is limited for this workshop and pre-payment and pre-registration is required. To register online, please visit the Museum website to register via Eventbrite. If you have questions about the workshop, please call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. The price for this workshop is $90 for IAIS members and $110 for non-members.

Maple Sugar Festival @ Institute for American Indian Studies March 5

 

The sugaring off the process in the Litchfield Hills has a long history that began with the Native Americans living here. They were experts at knowing the perfect time to collect the sap which is when the days grow warm and the nights are still cold, and before the trees begin to bud. They would boil the sap down using time-honored techniques and materials collected from the environment. On Saturday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. visitors to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut can join IAIS educators at an event that demonstrates and celebrates this golden syrup of spring. 

At 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm, IAIS Educator and Ecologist, Susan Scherf will demonstrate various traditional Native American techniques of collecting sap and boiling it down into syrup for sugar. It is interesting to watch how Native Americans used tools made from a variety of natural materials in this labor-intensive process. Visitors will learn about the importance of maple sugar to the diet of Native Americans as well as its usefulness as an item of trade. 

Historic records indicate that the collecting and processing of maple sap was a social as well as a working occasion. Women would tap the trees, men would cut the wood for the fire needed to boil the sap, and children tended the sap as it bubbled and boiled. In keeping with the convivial nature of traditional Native American maple sugaring, listen to Traditional Native American stories recounted by Education Director Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation at 12:00 and 2:00 pm. Throughout the day, there will also be traditional family-friendly games and activities to enrich the visitor experience at the Institute’s Maple Sugar Festival. If you have worked up an appetite, the Institute is serving up pancakes topped with real maple syrup sure to satiate your taste buds from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coffee and orange juice will also be available. 

The annual Maple Sugar Festival at the Institute teaches visitors about the importance of the maple season to local Native American cultures. Pre-registration for this event is requested by visiting www.iaismuseum.org to register for this event via Eventbrite. If you have any questions, please call the Institute at 860-868-0516 or email events@iaismuseum.org. The price to attend this very unique festival is $15 for Adults, $10 for Children, and $5 for Members. Pancakes are an additional $5. For the safety of the guests and staff of the Institute, masks are required inside the museum and research buildings regardless of vaccination status. Social distancing is practiced at all outdoor events.

Lamothe's Sugar House Watch Maple Syrup Being Made

The Lamothe family started farming in 1971 with a few pigs, a vegetable garden and seven taps for maple syrup. As requests grew for this amber elixir so did the number of taps and the size of the operation. Today, Lamothe’s Sugar House is the largest maple sugar producer in Connecticut with more than 4,000 taps and a state of the art sugar house located in Burlington Connecticut.

More than 15 miles of plastic tubing installed and cared for by the Lamothe family help to gather the sap. From there the sap is pumped into a tank onto their truck and brought back to the sugar house to be boiled and processed into maple syrup.

A new showroom offers not only amazing syrup but a multitude of products made from the sap from spice rubs and candy to kettle corn and maple-coated nuts. There are so many intriguing items to purchase both sweet and savory and farm fresh. Items can also be purchased online, but a visit to the store is a rewardingly sweet day out!

Lamothe’s Sugar House offers tours and demonstrations to show people how Maple Syrup is made on Saturdays and Sundays during February and March. Tours are from 1 to 4:30 PM and last about 20 to 30 minutes. The showroom is open year-round, Monday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm, Frid. – Sat. 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm.

A Sweet Temptation - Hardcore Sweet Bakery

If you are looking to escape the sweet experience this winter, you might want to head to the Hardcore Sweet Bakery in Watertown. It is a little tricky to find because it is located in an office park in a stark brick building filled with offices. You have to take an elevator to the second floor to find them -- just let your nose guide you to this fabulous bakery that is as quirky as it is delightful.  When you do, you will think that you have struck delicious gold!

courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

If you are looking for a snack, look no further than the Hardcore Sweet Bakery in Siemon Business Park in Watertown. Located in an old factory building this upbeat and funky bakery offers cupcakes, cupcake pops, cakes, cookies, cookie bars, and donuts. They are also the proud winners of Cupcake Wars! Their mouth-watering menu of cupcakes includes everything from an infused Sugar Mama made from chocolate cake with cheesecake bites baked in and embellished with Tequila Rose mousse fill and topped with strawberry and vanilla swirled buttercream frosting to the Coconut Canoili that is made from coconut cake and filled with cannoli filling and frosted with vanilla buttercream then rolled in toasted coconut and crowned with a mini cannoli.

Courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

In addition, to all the sweetness this bakery offers up, they also have a "Party Room" that can be rented out. This is perfect for kids and families to get out and get creative. You can rent the party room for two to three hours and get a supply of aprons, cupcakes, and frosting plus pizza and juice for up to twenty people.

Courtesy hardcore sweet bakery

The Hardcore Sweet Bakery also offers a series of cooking classes as well as a book club and spiritual medium event. They are offering a buttercream and booze cooking class on March 17th where participants will learn how to decorate six cupcakes while drinking beer from Witchdoctor. Another highlight this bakery offers is a tasting session where you can sample a variety of their baked products...a sweet experience any time of year!

For more information visit their website.

In-Person or Zoom-In @ Weekend in Norfolk, Sat. Feb. 26 and, Sun.Feb. 27

The little village of Norfolk, Connecticut has organized Winter Weekend in Norfolk, consisting of a series of in-person and Zoom events taking place on Saturday, February 26 through Sunday, February 27 that are sure to chase the winter blues away.

If your kids are bored and like sports, take them skating at the Norfolk Skating Rink on Mountain Road where kids can warm up next to a roaring bonfire while enjoying steaming hot chocolate and s'mores on Saturday afternoon. A highlight at the rink will be a demonstration of an ancient Scottish game, curling, by the Norfolk Curling Club. Best of all, visitors are welcome to try their hand at learning this skill with experts.

Learn How to Curl!

Norfolk is an art lover's dream that comes alive during the Winter Weekend in Norfolk. Visitors will have the chance to tour Tiffany Stained Glass Windows at the Battell Chapel as well as windows designed by one of the most prestigious firms named by Pope Leo XII as a Pontifical Institute of Christian Art at the Immaculate Conception Church. Other stops for art lovers are the Norfolk Libary that is hosting "Hidden Doorways," photographs by Angus Mudge, and a photography display, "In the Woods," of Norfolk's Land Trust Properties at The Hub @ 2 Station Place where maps and event information is also available.

Marvel at windows made by Tiffany

To experience the natural beauty of Norfolk's great outdoors, don't miss the Wildlife Walk at 10 a.m. on Saturday or the Photography Safari beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Both of these in-person outdoor events will lead you through some of Norfolk's unspoiled scenery that it is famous for.

Look for Wildlife and go on a photo safari

If you can't make it to town, no worries, the Winter WIN organizers have that covered with a series of fascinating programs. If you like to cook don't miss the cooking demonstration with Martiña Gago, which will transport you to sunny Spain, where the culinary culture is as rich and varied as the country itself. Paella, Spain's National dish is on the menu today. This video will be available on-demand throughout the Winter WIN Weekend along with concerts by the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in addition to several other virtual programs.  For links visit the WIN website.

You can learn how to make this @ WIN

Two Zoom programs are also scheduled. If you enjoy historic architecture, don't miss the program. Ladies, Legends, & Lakeside Dwellings - Alfredo Taylor in Norfolk presented by Ann Havemeyer and the Norfolk Library on Saturday, February 26 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Alfredo Taylor arrived in Norfolk in 1902 at the time when Norfolk was being transformed into the beautiful village that it is today.  For sports-minded historians, the Norfolk Historical Society has teamed up with author and coach, Ariel Picton Kobayashi on Sunday, February 27 at 4 p.m. This Zoom talk will highlight the popularity of ski jumping across the northeast including Norfolk, which was introduced by Norwegian immigrants. Learn how ski jumping became popular in the area and how and why it changed in the 1980s.

Experience Norfolk CT this winter! Photo Credit Savage Frieze

Winter WIN is one of Connecticut's most beloved winter traditions. The entire town of Norfolk has rolled out a "winter white carpet" for in-person and virtual events. This is the best way to warm up to winter! 

All these and more events are listed on the Weekend in Norfolk website (weekendinnorfolk.org), along with links for the virtual events and a downloadable copy of the schedule.

 

ABOUT THE WIN (WEEKEND IN NORFOLK) COMMITTEE

Now in its seventh year, the all-volunteer WIN Committee organizes two town-wide events annually: the Summer WIN and the Winter WIN. Norfolk’s town officials, the Economic Development Commission, and a multitude of local organizations, institutions, and individuals support the festivals.

Native American Winter Survival Skills and Winter Foraging February 26 @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 

Surviving and thriving during the cold New England winters requires a clear understanding of the environment that you live in and the knowledge of how to keep your body temperature up and ways to save heat. The Native Americans living in the Eastern Woodlands were experts at this. They were able to find shelter, stay warm, and forage for food regardless of the cold and snowy weather. Intimate knowledge of the landscape, the local resources, and how to use them are the keys to how Native Americans survived winter in New England. The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting an in-person Winter Survival Program with IAIS educator, Griffin Kalin on Saturday, February 26 at 12 and 2 p.m. 

This intriguing program begins at the Institute’s replicated 16th century Algonkian Village to see how Native Americans lived in the Eastern Woodlands. They will learn about how Native Americans overcame the challenges of staying warm by using a variety of approaches to stay warm. Highlights include how to make a shelter out of things from the natural environment such as snow, rocks, and branches, how to make a fire in the snow, and what was worn to protect body heat. 

New this year, the Winter Survival program will focus on the basics of winter food preservation and material usage. One of the most interesting lessons of this program is that for Native Americans, the great outdoors, even in the winter, provided sustenance because they knew where to look, and how to plan ahead, prepare, and preserve resources throughout the year. Most of us only see a barren landscape in the winter, but as Griffin Kalin - Wigwam Escape Creative Director and Museum Educator - will demonstrate, people living in the Eastern Woodlands long ago were able to thrive throughout the harshest of seasons! 

The winter survival program is suitable for all ages. Make sure that you bundle up as this in-person program is outside. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The cost of the program is $15 for non-members and $5 for members. To reserve your spot click here. If you have questions or would like additional information call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. 

About The Institute for American Indian Studies 

 Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Be Part of the Action @ JumpFest 2022 Registration is Open for the Human Dog Sled Team for Competition

 

Part of Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s Jumpfest February 11-13 is the Human Dog Sled Race. This unique race is being held on the evening of Friday, February 11th. This is the chance for you and five of your friends to get together and be creative with the added bonus of entertaining others. It is easy and fun to do and worth at least a year of bragging rights and Instagram photos! 

Participating is easy. All you have to do is to gather up a kennel of friends that are 18 and older and have a moderate level of fitness! The course is over .3 miles in the snow. The teams consist of six people including five pulling and one riding. Next, and this is when the fun really starts, you will design your own sled that can be as simple as an inner tube or as elaborate as an imitation fire truck. 

At the event on February 11, your team will compete for trophies in men's, women's, and mixed categories as well as a people's choice award for best costume/sled. This evening event is professionally announced and a crowd favorite. 

 If you want to be part of the action and have a lot of fun competing in the Human Dog Sled Race contact info@jumpfest.org and tell them that you want to register. The Association will respond with all the documentation and rules. Registration is just $25 per team and is used to help sustain the mission of SWSA. Also, keep in mind that Friday night of Jumpfest is a great time! An eighth of a mile of Luminaries guide you to the site, two roaring bonfires to keep you toasty, food and beverages are for sale and target ski jumping and the Human Dog Sled Races are all held under the lights!  

ABOUT SALISBURY WINTER SPORTS ASSOCIATION The mission of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association is to acquaint the public with Nordic ski-jumping, cross–country, and Alpine skiing, and to teach the skills necessary for their enjoyment. One way of fulfilling this mission is to host the annual Jumpfest Competition on Satre Hill to sustain and ski jumping in Salisbury, Connecticut, and the Eastern United States.

Five Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is around the corner. It is never too early to start looking for the perfect gift. If your special someone is a traveler, we have some very interesting gift ideas that we would like to share with you.  Our gift suggestions are affordable and fun!

BraeVal - Named after the Scottish word for the Upland River Valleys that exist between the mountains and the rugged braes of the Scottish Highlands where streams and rivers tumble to loch and sea, these tartan shirts are perfect for travel. They are made from a technically advanced proprietary all-natural Tiera fabric with tartan patterns found nowhere else and details like red buffalo plaid around the neck and cuffs. These custom shirts for men and women with zippered security pockets, accessory loops on the pockets, and a vented bi-swing back travel well in the field or for a night out on the town. To check out the online store click here.

Norwalk Seaport Association Gift Card - If your special someone likes an on-the-water excursion or better yet, an authentic New England Clambake on a private island in Long Island Sound that includes a cruise, then pick up a Seaport Association Gift Card. The best part of this Gift Card is that your special someone can choose the excursion they like, and, better yet, the card never expires! The gift card can be used on a number of excursions from a romantic summer sunset cruise to a picnic, cruise, and tour of the historic lighthouse on Sheffield Island. To order your gift card online click here.  

Wigwam Escape - If your partner likes to feel as though they have traveled back in time, loves puzzles that challenge, and is a history buff then get a gift certificate to the award-winning Wigwam Escape Room at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut.  In Wigwam Escape 1518, players learn how pre-contact Native Americans survived in Connecticut by solving a series of puzzles that connects players to the ways Native people lived and the skills that they relied on 500 years ago in their daily lives. To book the room, click here. All bookings are private and you will not share your time slot with other groups.

Milk House Chocolates -For traditionalists, Milk House Chocolates, voted the best in Connecticut is a must if you decided to give chocolates for Valentine's Day. Each chocolate is connected to a very specific cow, with each cow's milk making an unbelievable and delicious difference in the flavor of the chocolates. Milk House Chocolates brings you artisanal chocolates made in small batches with farm-fresh milk, butter, and creme, making them an excellent choice for the chocolate lover in your life. 

Mackinac Island

Tours of Distinction, A Connecticut Tour Company in business since 1971, offers small-group day trips, multi-day trips, international journeys, and small riverboat cruises throughout New England, the US, Canada, and all over the world. They are offering a series of special travel deals on their website as well as a gift card, that will allow you to give the gift of travel. Travel is something precious. Its memories live with us forever. Your special someone will cherish the memories. Gift cards are available in any denomination. For gift cards click here.

Play Snow Snakes -A Traditional Native American Winter Game @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 Do you like to play with snakes? If you do, don’t miss the snow snake workshop on Saturday, January 29 at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington. At this special Native American workshop, you will make a “snow snake” and use it to play a traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) winter game.

Snow snakes are hand-made from a flattened piece of wood with a notch at one end that makes them easy to throw. Some sticks are carved in intricate patterns that resemble a snake and then coated with wax. Participants in this workshop will learn how to make their very own snow snake with Susan Scherf, an educator at the Institute and a wood crafter. This workshop includes materials and wood-burning kits. Participants are welcome to bring their own whittling knife if they have one although it is not required.

 

The competitive winter game of snow snake is still played today in many Native American Communities. The object of the game is for players to see how far they can slide a snake across the snow, usually in a trough that has been built up and then grooved by dragging a log along its length. Players toss the snake, similar to a javelin thrower onto the track. The challenge is to throw the snake with just enough force to make it slide a long distance without using so much force that it jumps the track. A highlight of this workshop, weather permitting, is to go outside and try out your snow snake in a friendly competition.

Space per session is limited and pre-registration is required. The price of participation including materials is $20 for non-members and $10 for members. For more information call 860-868-0518, email events@iaismuseum.org or click here to register online. For the video on the snow snake check out https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/357579399083631

 

About Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

 

Ansonia's Legendary Opera House

We often associate opera houses with a luxurious cultured lifestyle. A place to go and listen to classical music and watch performances that date back to the music and visions of musicians from the 17th and 18th  centuries. Even in the early 20th century, Opera Houses functioned like movie theaters do today, as a place to go to be entertained. Few Opera Houses in Connecticut have survived the onslaught of time and changing entertainment preferences. One that is still standing and in need of help is the Ansonia Opera House.

Courtesy Anthony Mullin

Ansonia's Opera House is still standing although it has not hosted a performance in more than half a century and, it is also the source of some very strange legends. You may ask why did Ansonia have an Opera House. It is the result of the manufacturing boom that took place after the Civil War throughout the Brass Valley, known today as the Naugatuck River Valley. Because of the number of factories and people living and working in the mills in Ansonia, the town decided that they needed a large meeting and entertainment space for performers to stop at along their circuit. Hence, the Ansonia Opera House was conceived and built.

Courtesy Anthony Mullin

The Ansonia Opera House, Connecticut's oldest, was built by one of Connecticut's foremost architects, Robert Wakeman Hill, is located on 100 Main Street in Ansonia between1869-1870. It served as the premier theatre in the area until 1919. The first level of the building housed shops. On the second floor after ascending a grand staircase, is a promenade that once housed offices. The promenade leads to the third-floor grand hall and a welcoming proscenium arch. The Opera House maintained its prominence until the labor riots of 1919 and the coming of the trolleys that took people everywhere including nearby New Haven for entertainment.

Courtesy Anthony Mullin

Today, the opera house is in need of restoration and a vision. Many trespassers have entered the premises over the past 50 years. Some of those are paranormal investigators looking for signs of activity. Some investigators claim to have seen a great deal of paranormal activity that includes ghostly orbs and floating lights from nowhere, and some have encountered a nine-year-old boy. Whatever you believe, keep in mind that Ansonia hosted Connecticut's first-ever paranormal convention in the summer of 2021 called PARACONN and the second convention will be held on July 16-17, 2022 in Ansonia at the Haunted Ansonia Armory.

Courtesy Anthony Mullin

Regardless, this is a building that should be saved and maintained... it is used for a variety of abandoned photography shoots but could be so much more. For more information check out the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Ansoniaoperahouse

Have A Hoot of A Time @ Institute for American Indian Studies Make a Birch Bark Owl January 23

 Many people love owls with their flat faces and forward-looking eyes that look more like us than any other bird. If your children love this magnificent bird, sign them up for the craft workshop on how to make an owl out of birch bark at the Institute for American Indian Studies on Sunday, January 23. Participants can sign up for one of three timeslots @ 1 p.m., 2 p.m., or 3 p.m. This workshop is perfect for kids five years and older. 

Kids will be hooting with enthusiasm about this engaging educational workshop to all their friends and family. They will learn about the environmental adaptations and cultural importance of owls to Native American communities while crafting their very own birch bark owl. In this way, children will connect and learn from a culture that has thousands of years of history in the area where they live.

There are diverse beliefs about owls in different Native cultures. While specific beliefs differed from tribe to tribe, owls were often both feared and revered. Many of these beliefs come from the very adaptations of owls that make them such great hunters. A special highlight of this workshop will be the lessons that can be learned from these stories and adaptations of owls.

Space is available per session and is limited. Pre-registration is required. To reserve your space please call 860-868-0518, email events@iaismuseum.org or click here to register online. The cost of participation is $15 for non-members and $5 for members including materials. Please note that masks are required for all participants regardless of vaccination status until further notice. 

About Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.