Flanders’ Nature Centers Goat Yoga Classes

Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury, Connecticut has announced several upcoming dates for goat yoga sessions at their North Barn. Come stretch, laugh, and cuddle with the goats  at  a yoga session you will find both relaxing and exhilarating at the same time and are not soon to forget!

Classes are scheduled for Sunday, August 12^th at 10AM as well as Sunday, September 9^th at 10AM and Sunday, September 16^th at 9AM.  Experienced yoga instructors will be leading guests during these one-hour gentle yoga classes which are suitable for all ages. Adorable Nigerian dwarf goats will be frolicking & cuddling with guests as they flow through gentle poses at the picturesque Flanders farm.

Participants should keep in mind that they’ll be practicing with live animals and some degree of messiness (and a LOT of silliness) may be involved so they should dress accordingly, wearing comfortable clothes and bringing along a yoga mat or towel.

The programs will be held at the Flanders North Barn which is located at 644 Flanders Road in Woodbury just beyond the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Road. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members for adults and $10 for ages 15 and under accompanied by an adult. Rain cancels the classes.  Check the Flanders facebook page for any weather announcements.  Guests will have the option of attending a rescheduled date or a refund.

 Proceeds of goat yoga go to the Flanders farming program. Space is limited and those interested need to register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

                                               About Flanders

Flanders is a community organization dedicated to preserving our environment and history through land acquisition, conservation and management, and using its stewardship of land to foster better understanding and appreciation of nature, art and the wonders of the natural world. Our vision is a future in which our important forests, wet lands, agricultural lands and wildlife habitats are preserved forever, and in which we follow best practices for land stewardship, be a leading center for environmental education for all ages, partner with all levels of government and private organizations to conserve our natural heritage, and insure the financial resources needed to achieve these goals.

Call for Entries – Seaport Photo Contest Through August 25

Do you know what an award-winning photo looks like for Sheffield Island Lighthouse?  To find out the Seaport Association of Norwalk is calling for entries to the “150 Anniversary Celebration Photo Contest” of the Sheffield Island Lighthouse that is taking place through August 25, 2018.

Get your camera ready.  It doesn’t matter if you are a first time visitor or, one that puts Sheffield Island on your bucket list every summer, the Seaport Association can't wait to see the images that connect people to Sheffield Island's 150-year-old history. 

Perhaps it is a moment of family fun on the beach looking for shells with our classic lighthouse in the background or the first time you stepped foot onto Sheffield Island in full pirate garb watching pirates cavort in the shadows cast by our lighthouse. 

Maybe your image will be the best view of the lighthouse tower and lantern or one that shows the pier and its natural surroundings that is a testament to why we have treasured this maritime landmark for 150 years and counting.

It could be as simple as capturing the architectural beauty of the stonework of the lighthouse, reflections on water, or a birds-eye view of Norwalk’s coastline.  The choice is yours.

Contest Rules

The rules to enter our contest are simple. The Seaport Association's Photo Contest in celebration of Sheffield Island's 150 Anniversary is open to all photographers, beginners, amateurs, and pros are invited to submit their photos that discover and captivate the ecological beauty and cultural heritage of Sheffield Island on one of our cruises to the Sheffield Island Lighthouse.

To Enter follow @SheffieldIsland on Instagram. Tag @SheffieldIsland and use #SILH150. 

There is one entry per contestant. The First Place Prize is $250, the Second Place Prize is $100 and the Third Place Prize is $50.

This is your chance to submit your most beautiful and creative photos of the lighthouse. Winners will be announced at the Norwalk Oyster Festival. 

WIN- Weekend in Norfolk - Aug. 3,4,5

Norfolk, Connecticut, population 1600, is not a town that tends to blow its own horn.  In fact, many who live in this unspoiled hamlet in the Litchfield Hills rather like having their hometown’s New England charm and beautiful surroundings to themselves…but not during the first weekend every August when the organizations of this bucolic hamlet roll out the red carpet to visitors and resident alike.  This year, “A Weekend in Norfolk” on August 3, 4 and 5, offers more than 80 fun-filled events, most are free of charge and sure to delight folks of all ages.

On the weekend docket are concerts for every taste from chamber music by the Emerson String Quartet and the Frank Vignola Jazz Trio to Rock Groups and Free Concerts at Robertson Plaza in the center of town sponsored by Infinity Hall.

On all three days, art lovers will enjoy a variety of demonstrations hosted by the Artisans Guild of Norfolk and two art shows, one at the Norfolk Library featuring the work of Turi Rostad, and the 10th Anniversary Exhibition of at the Battell Stoeckel Gallery, that features a variety of work in a multitude of media. A special highlight for art lovers on all three days is the guided tour of the Battell Chapel, at the Church of Christ Congregational featuring the stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Maitland Armstrong.  On Sunday, August 5, two more churches open their doors for tours of their stained glass windows on Saturday and Sunday.

Because of its location, Norfolk is one of the best places in Connecticut to stargaze. If you love astronomy, don’t miss the free Astronomy Night with Matthew Moore Johnson on August 4 starting at 8 p.m. at Dennis Hill State Park on Litchfield Road. Dennis Hill tops out at an elevation of 1627 feet and Norfolk doesn’t have any light pollution, making it an excellent spot to observe the nighttime sky. Before you go stargazing, you can attend a Do-Over Prom for adults, being held in the Botelle School gym, complete with prom king and queen, a photo booth and a great disk jockey.

To “win” an "Icebox of Connecticut t-shirt,” take the six-peak challenge offered by the Norfolk Landtrust by taking a selfie at the peak of all six hiking trails that surround Norfolk.  Trail information is available at the two WINformation centers, one on the Village Green and one inside the Hub downtown.  There is also a trail run taking place at noon on Sunday.
Foodies will enjoy a Farmer’s Market (including a church pie sale) on Saturday, two ice cream socials on Saturday and Sunday, plus a Saturday afternoon downtown food court and special deals and menus at the town’s restaurants all weekend. A special treat on Saturday is a variety of farm tours being offered at Husky Meadows Farm, Lost Ruby Farm, and Broad Field Farm.  This is a great chance to sample their farm to table goodies, literally fresh from the farm!

Make sure to bring the kids!  There are a number of activities that they will enjoy from two old-fashioned ice cream socials, face painting, games and a children’s concert to a kid’s fire hose water soccer game, a special leaf-printing workshop sponsored by Great Mountain Forest, a hand-sewing class with free materials supplied by the Historical Society, a free paint-a-chick and stamping workshop, and Dino’s Funky Puppet Show at the Norfolk Library.

Sports lovers should head to the Norfolk Curling Club that is offering an open house of their state of the art two-sheet facility.  There will also be a fly-fishing demonstration, two fly tying workshops and a tour of the nine-hole Norfolk Country Club’s Golf Course designed in the late 1920s by A.W. Tillinghast.

If you want to take a breather, Manor House Bed and Breakfast, a stately Tudor Mansion is offering house tours (be sure to check out the Tiffany windows in the dining room) and lemonade on the lawn.  Mountain View Green Retreat is offering a series of three complimentary stations highlighting a different aspect of wellness and rejuvenation from fresh pressed juices to a tea ceremony and healthy food from around the world.

Norfolk’s parks beckon this weekend and every weekend.  An easy trail to the summit of 240-acre Dennis Hill State Park rewards hikers with panoramic views and the observation tower at Haystack Mountain State Park can be reached by auto or a steep climb.  Campbell Falls State Park, a natural reserve area, offers views of the falls tumbling over craggy rock formations.

Visitors who stay overnight will discover some delightful local lodgings like the Blackberry River Inn, a 1761 Colonial; Mountain View Green Retreat, an elegantly restored Victorian; and Manor House, a romantic 1898 Tudor bed, and breakfast inn.

If the romantic spirit of the town inspires, you can make an appointment on Friday, August 3 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to be wed or renew your vows on the village green. The town’s first selectman will officiate; flowers, ring bearers and witnesses will be standing by. Please make a reservation (contact info@weekendinnorfolk.org) and, if you’re getting married, bring your license.

Check out the Weekend in Norfolk website www.weekendinnorfolk.org for the most up to date listing of events to plan your day or days of “WINning” fun in Norfolk.

Seeing Stars in Norfolk

They are seeing stars in Norfolk Connecticut - not to mention planets and galaxies during the annual WIN, Weekend in Norfolk Festival taking place this year on August 3, 4 and 5.    One of the many highlights of WIN is the Free Astronomy Night Event with Matthew Moore Johnson taking place on August 4 at 8 p.m. at Dennis Hill State Park on Litchfield Road. 

Norfolk is one of the best places in Connecticut to stargaze...so make sure not to miss the special Astronomy Night. Don't forget to bring your own binoculars or a telescope if you have one. Dennis Hill State Park is at an elevation of 1627 feet and Norfolk doesn't have any "light pollution" making it an excellent spot to observe the nighttime sky.

Observing the heavens can be as easy as sitting back in a reclining summer chair and then turning a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope to the celestial heavens that are so brilliant in the quiet hamlet of Norfolk. Participants that want a more exciting and active look at the stars will be able to examine and learn about five different optical systems under the guidance of Johnson.  Guests will also learn about how binoculars work and how to adjust them properly for crystal clear focused viewing. 

For the "technosavvy," Johnson will demonstrate how to use Planispheres and Smartphone applications for optimal use.  He will also show participants how to take pictures of celestial objects with a smartphone and how to share them instantly with their friends.   And, if you have ever wanted to learn how to read a star chart, don't miss this star-studded event.

About the Moon

On August 4, the Moon will be in a third-quarter phase, which occurs roughly 3 weeks after the new moon when the earth is three-quarters of the way through its orbit around the earth. The Moon’s left side will be illuminated and the right side dark. The Moon will rise around midnight on the eastern horizon and set in the west around noon the next day. 

About WIN- Weekend In Norfolk 

No holds barred! Fun for all is the watchword in Norfolk, Conn., this coming August 3, 4 and 5 during the town’s third annual three-day, town-wide festival, A Weekend in Norfolk. Everyone’s invited to come with family and friends to enjoy the more than 80 events—mostly free—that Norfolk’s organizations, businesses, and individuals will all be putting on to welcome visitors to their town.  Visit the Weekend in Norfolk Website, for details by special interest or by day and time, and be sure to come the first weekend in August 2018 (August 3, 4 and 5). 

Haunted Lighthouse Cruise offers Fearsome and Friendly Family Fun August 4 & 5

One day of Halloween just isn’t enough for some Halloween enthusiasts!  Not to worry, the Seaport Association of Norwalk has a magical brew of events that will thrill young and old alike on the Haunted Lighthouse Cruise to Sheffield Island taking place on August 4 and 5.  This fun-filled, child–friendly event is perfect for a family summer outing…and, best of all the chance for kids to dress up in their favorite costume before October 31!

A 45 minute cruise through Long Island Sound listening to tales of the sea sets the stage as passengers approach the 150 year old Sheffield Island Lighthouse that is located on a wind and wave swept deserted Island. The only way to find out what fearsome and friendly spirits reside here is to hop off the CJ Toth ferry and get ready to explore this uniquely spooktacular place with its abandoned lighthouse that has attracted supernatural beings every August for centuries.

Witches and wizards have carefully decorated the rooms of the Sheffield Lighthouse with added touches by the ghosts of lighthouse keepers that lived here in lonely isolation for long periods of time.  In these rooms, visitors will find all manner of otherworldly fun - it is where spooks, spirits, spiders, sea witches, and creatures of the night abound. 

It is horrifically fun to roam through the rooms of the lighthouse that seem to twist and turn and where there is a surprise around every corner! There is even one very special room that is completely dark where only the strong of heart and pure of mind should dare enter

Tickets and Times

The Haunted Lighthouse Cruise takes place on August 4 and 5 and the ferry leaves at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on both days from the Seaport’s Dock located on 4 North Water Street in South Norwalk.  It is best to arrive 30 minutes prior to departure in order to snag the best seat and to facilitate boarding the ferry. The ferry only carries 49 passengers by law so advance reservations are strongly recommended.  To reserve your tickets for this horrifically fun event click here https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3341933.

About the Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens who had a vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage.
The Norwalk 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, which strives to increase awareness, appreciation and consideration for our environment and how the preservation of historic buildings and nature contribute to our quality of life.

It is our belief that preservation strengthens the perpetual partnership between the past, the present and the future. 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 maritime heritage.