Ski Sundown Ski Swap Nov.2-4

Winter is just around the corner, and we wanted to help Ski Sundown has organized their annual Ski Swap that is coming up November 2-4, 2018.

Skiing doesn’t have to be expensive! The annual Sundown Ski Patrol Ski Swap, held at Ski Sundown in New Hartford, is a tradition signaling the start of the ski season, and an awesome way to stock up on all of your ski and snowboard needs at great prices! Sell the gear you don’t need or the kids have outgrown, and get deals for the entire family on new and gently used equipment and outerwear. This swap is one of the oldest and largest in New England.

The Ski Sundown Ski Patrol is a non-profit organization dedicated to the medical care for the skiing and snowboarding public at Ski Sundown in New Hartford, CT.  The annual Ski Swap is their primary fundraising event for the year to provide funds for medical supplies and training, and a portion of sales is donated to Ski Sundown Ski Patrol

Swap Hours are Friday, November 2, from 4pm-9pm; Saturday, November 3, from 10am – 8pm; and Sunday, November 4, from 10am - 4pm.

If you plan to sell equipment and clothing, drop off times are Friday, November 2, from 2pm - 9pm; and Saturday, November 3, from 9am – 2pm. No items will be accepted for the Swap on Sunday, November 4. Equipment must meet DIN Standards and will be checked by a member of Ski Patrol before being entered into the Swap.

Items available for purchase include skis, ski boots, poles (both Alpine and Nordic); snowboards and snowboard boots, helmets, jackets, ski and snowboard pants, and clothing.

Seven different area ski shops will also be bringing brand new inventory for sale.

Credit cards, debit cards, cash, and checks will be accepted, and an ATM is available in the lodge.

For more information visit the Ski Patrol website www.skisundownnsp.org.

Ski Sundown is located at 126 Ratlum Road, off Routes 44 and 219, in New Hartford, Connecticut.  For lift ticket and rental rates, lesson, programs and event information, visit skisundown.com.  

Disney's Newsies @ Warner Theatre Nov. 3-11

The Warner Theatre in Torrington will be presenting Disney's Newsies from November 3-11 on their Main Stage.

Set in NYC at the turn of the century, this is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy, and leader of a ragged band of teenaged “newsies” who dream of only a better life far from the hardship of the streets. The story is inspired by the real-life “Newsboy Strike of 1899,” when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphaned newsies on an action against powerful newspaper publishers. 

High energy and with non-stop thrills, the stage version introduces eight brand-new songs by the original team of Alan Menken and Jack Feldman while keeping many of the beloved songs from the film. Performances are November 3, 9 and 10 at 8 pm and November 4 and 11 at 2 pm. Directed by Richard McKenna with music director Jim Luurtsema and co-choreographers Sharon W. Houk and Caitlin Nolan Beaudry.

For tickets and more information click here.

Annual Great Mac & Chili Challenge Nov. 4

Tickets for the 4^th Annual Great Mac & Chili Challenge at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport CT for Sunday, November 4, 2018, are now on sale online at www.MacAndChiliChallenge.com.   The Great Mac and Chili Challenge is the little sister culinary competition to Chowdafest.  “We started this event years ago because so many people who enjoy Chowdafest asked about chili.  Chili is another popular comfort food but it deserves a separate event” said Jim Keenan, event director.  “We realized that’s it’s very difficult to hold a chili-only event as after a few samples, they start tasting the same so it was natural to pair it with mac ‘n cheese.  So if you alternate sampling a chili with a mac ‘n cheese, you can determine who has the best of both”.

Like Chowdafest, everyone gets a spoon, pencil and a ballot when they check in.  They enjoy unlimited sampling of up to 20 different chili and mac n' cheese entries from great local restaurants.  Admission is just $15 for adults and $5 for kids (6-12), parking is FREE.  The event will benefit Food Rescue US in the ongoing fight against food insecurity.  The Great Mac & Chili Challenge is rain or shine and will be under the pavilion if the weather is inclement.

Restaurants compete in one of four categories:   Classic chili, classic mac, creative chili and creative mac.  This year’s competition roster includes: Burger Bar & Bistro* (Norwalk), Cask Republic* (Stamford), Clubhouse Grille (Norwalk), Dinosaur BBQ (Stamford), Fleisher’s Craft Butchery (Westport), Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill* (Fairfield), Hub & Spoke* (Black Rock), I’m the Mac (Stamford), Little Pub (Fairfield, Greenwich, Ridgefield, Wilton), Old Post Tavern (Fairfield),  Planet Pizza (Norwalk), Senor Salsa (Westport), Simply Delicious* (Westport), Tacos Mexicon (Norwalk) and Tarry Lodge (Westport)  *defending category champion.

The event has origins as Chilifest but when Keenan added the mac ‘n cheese component, they needed to change the name and wanted to stay away from the word fest.  “When we started Chowdafest, there were no  other fests around but now everyone calls their event a fest.  We wanted this event to stand out plus personally, we wanted to pay homage to one of the best things about this time of year – “The Great Pumpkin” by Charles Schultz.  Who doesn’t love Linus staying up all night to catch the Great Pumpkin?  Maybe you’ll find him at the Great Mac & Chili Challenge” he laughed.

Tickets are also available at the door.  For additional information about The Great Mac & Chili Challenge, please visit them online at www.MacAndChiliChallenge.com or contact Jim Keenan at chowdafest@gmail.com.  The Great Mac & Chili Challenge, is sponsored by: Cabot Creamery, WEBE 108, Harney & Son Teas and City Carting & Recycling

The Life and Times of Robert Ripley @ P.T. Barnum Museum

Historian Tim O'Brien will present a program featuring the life and times of Robert Ripley, often called the 20th Century P.T. Barnum, at The Barnum Museum on Thursday, November 1, 2018, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Most people have heard and perhaps even have used the expression ‘believe it, or not’ at some point in their lives.  But most people do not know where the phrase comes from.  It was Robert Ripley, the 20th-century P.T. Barnum.  An anthropologist, cartoonist, and entrepreneur, Ripley ingeniously aggrandized trivia and popularized the ordinary and unusual.  As a writer for William Randolph Hearst syndicated global newspapers, Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not” was published in more than 17 countries reaching hundreds of thousands of curiosity seekers all over the world.  From his original “Believe It Or Not” cartoon in 1918, to the more than 100 Ripley’s attractions that are in operation today worldwide, Ripley’s legacy continues to push our imagination.

The November 1 evening at The Barnum Museum will include larger-than-life stories, mysterious tales and fantastical illuminations about Barnum and Ripley …and the people, places, and things that make the world inextricable and wondrous.…’believe it or not!’

Barnum and Ripley were both wildly popular, successful and odd and offbeat in their own different ways.  O'Brien is a member of the prestigious International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Hall of Fame, as is Barnum.  In fact, it was O'Brien who nominated P.T. Barnum back in 2012 to be inducted posthumously into the IAAPA Hall of Fame.

The Barnum Museum is located at 820 Main Street right next to the People's United Bank headquarters in downtown Bridgeport.

Quince Festival Nov. 3 & 4

Quince is an ancient fruit, found in Roman cooking and grown across Turkey and southeast Asia. It grows on small trees and is closely related to apples and pears, but it lacks their immediate edibility and appeal.  The fruit is knobbly and ugly, with an irregular shape and often a gray fuzz — especially when the fruit has been picked underripe. The ripest, nicest quince will have a golden tone and smooth skin like pictured directly above. But even ripe quince doesn’t taste very good raw.

Quince was popular in 18th century New England.  Nearly every home had a quince tree in the yard because quince provided a natural and plentiful source of pectin that was necessary for home canners to ensure that preserves they were putting up for the winter were properly set and preserved.  After powdered pectins were invented, quince fell out of favor.

The first clue that quince hides something special is its aroma. If you leave a quince on a sunny windowsill it will slowly release a delicate fragrance of vanilla, citrus, and apple into your kitchen. It’s a heady, perfumed scent that is completely at odds with its appearance. Maybe this is why the quince is slowly making a comeback and is celebrated at White Silo Farm in Sherman on November 3 at the 5th annual Quince Festival from 12 noon to 4 p.m. They will be serving 6 dishes made with quince. Their menu includes poached quince with honey ricotta and pistachios, homemade pretzels with quince mustard, quince pannacotta, quince panini, quince butternut squash soup, and the NY Times featured White Silo Thanksgiving recipe with quince, onion, and bacon.

Admission is free. Pay for wine and food. Quince mustard and Quince jam will be available to take home. Live music Saturday (1-4 PM) with the Hummingbirds and Sunday (1-4 PM) with Guy Tino. Free outdoor tours weather permitting.

4th Annual Cemetery Tour @ New Canaan Historical Society

Get into the spirit of Halloween October 31st  from 1-3:30 p.m. at the New Canaan Historical Society's  4th Annual Historical Society Cemetery Tour lead by board member Patricia Funt Oxman. 

The tour leaves by van from the Townhouse at the Historical Society at 1pm and this year's destination is the Sellecks Corners Cemetery, a very well kept and fascinating part of New Canaan's history. Many of the genealogical roots of New Canaan and environs are represented at Sellecks Corners, including the Scotts of Scott's Corners, the Cody family known for the Cody Drug Store, a number of Civil War Veterans, and of course, the Sellecks for which the Cemetery was named. The tour will even include a look into the Sellecks Corners Chapel opened in 1851. 

The tour returns to the Townhouse for seasonal refreshments and a short talk with local author Patricia Brooks, who has written a number of books on the final resting places of noteworthy people. 

Tickets are $25 per person. The tour is October 31st from 1pm to 3:30 pm. The tour leaves from the Townhouse at the Historical Society. 

FREE ADMISSION OFFER* FOR COSTUMED KIDS OCT. 27 & 28 AS THE MARITIME AQUARIUM TRANSFORMS INTO THE AQUASCARIUM

Kids in costume can get free admission to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk on the weekend before Halloween when the popular family attraction transforms into the AquaScarium.
Children age 3 to 12 who come to the AquaScarium in costume on Sat., Oct. 27 and Sun., Oct. 28 will get free admission (a $17.95 value) with each paying adult. Adult admission is $24.95. (The offer requires one paying adult for each free costumed child.)

“There’s no trick about this treat,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s spooksperson. “The AquaScarium weekend offers a fun chance to try out your kids’ costumes, show off your kids’ costumes, and even earn some savings through your kids’ costumes – all in one of the best family attractions in Connecticut.”

The AquaScarium itself will be ghoulishly decorated for Halloween, with jack-o’-lanterns, seasonal accessories, and staff dressed in costume. Sigworth stressed that the celebration is an AquaScarium in name only, with no frightening aspects for young children.

Also, during the Aqua-Scarium weekend (and every weekend in October), members of the volunteer dive team will carve pumpkins while submerged among the large sharks in the 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit. The carvings will occur during the divers’ regular plunges – at 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Purpose of the interpreted dives is to dispel myths about sharks; notably that they are all blood-thirsty man-eaters. The shark dives – and bonus underwater pumpkin carvings – are free with Aquarium admission.

Maritime Aquarium admission includes a daytime IMAX movie. Film choices during AquaScarium include “Oceans: Our Blue Planet,” “Pandas,” and “Backyard Wilderness,” which recently swept the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s 2018 Awards (the equivalent of the Oscars for IMAX movies).
For more details about AquaScarium, and The Maritime Aquarium’s exhibits, programs and IMAX movies this fall, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700.

Annual Ghost Tours: Explore Mysterious Bridgeport on October 26th

It’s October, and that means it’s time for the PT Barnum Museum's annual Wicked Walks!  Join historian Michael Bielawa, author of Wicked Bridgeport and Wicked New Haven to hear the strange and fascinating tales of Bridgeport’s past as you stroll through the historic downtown area. Focusing on Bridgeport’s magnificent historic sites, the 90-minute program will explore the intrigue and mysteries of the City’s 19th-century places and people. October provides the perfect time to visit scenes of suspected hauntings, Victorian-era murders, Men In Black sightings and other unexplained phenomena. Bielawa’s Bridgeport tales are based on research conducted at local and state libraries, historical societies, and through personal interviews.

As always, during Bielawa’s Wicked Walks, the author encourages participants to take photographs in order to help document the area’s paranormal activity.  The tour starts at The Barnum Museum, 820 Main Street. Please follow signs to enter behind the historic building from the plaza; go through the glass doors into the Peoples United Bank Gallery. Plan to arrive at 6:30 as the group will head out no later than 6:45 for approximately a one-hour tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes! Afterward, return to the Museum for cider; the author will be available to sign and sell books after the tour. On-street parking is free after 6 pm.

Advance reservations are required. Light-moderate rain will not cancel the tour; if severe weather is in question, please check our website for updates. Please visit our website for further information about the Barnum Museum: www.barnum-museum.org

Limited to 30 participants. $16 General Admission; $8 Museum Members. Refunds for cancellations will be made only up to 48 hours in advance of the program. In the event of severe weather and program rescheduling, a refund will be made if the ticket holder is unable to attend.  Click for Reservations/Tickets.

Spooktacular Concert in Waterbury

The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra is hosting a concert series to celebrate Halloween that is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.  The performance will take place on October 28 at 3 pm. at the NCCC Fine Arts Center on 750 Chase Parkway in Waterbury.  There will be a pre-concert showcase from 2-2:30 featuring WSO Education partners. 

Concert-goers will enjoy music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Psycho, and other spooky selections. Audience members are invited to dress in their Halloween costume to enhance this spooktacular experience. Prizes for best costume to be announced from the stage after intermission. In the spirit of Halloween, all will be treated to a festive special treat by Sweet Maria’s, following the performance. For tickets click here.

PROGRAM  Featuring Selections by:

Strauss                               2001 Fanfare

Grieg                                   In the Hall of the Mountain King

Humperdinck                   Witches Ride from Hansel and Gretel

Mussorgsky                      Night on Bald Mountain

Hermann                            Car Ride and Shower Scene from Psycho

MacDowell                         In a Haunted forest

Saint-Saëns                       Danse Macabre

Dukas                                The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 

Williams                             Theme from Jaws 

Berlioz                               Dream of the Witches Sabbath 

Washington Green's Spooktacular Cemetery Tour

Take a candlelit tour along a path of 1,000 luminaries through the cemetery and meet some of Washington Connecticut's unforgettable residents from the past!  This spooktacular event takes place on Friday, October 26 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.  

The Tour starts at Gunn Historical Museum, 5 Wykeham Road, Washington, CT 06793. Tours depart every ten minutes between 6:30 and 8:30 pm and last approximately one hour. Tickets will be distributed, on a first-come-first-serve basis, starting at 6:15 pm on Friday, October 26, and continuing through the evening until the tickets run out.  While there is no fee for this event, donations are greatly appreciated.

Tour guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight, dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes as they will be walking on uneven terrain.

Refreshments, face painting for kids, and a Halloween themed movie will be shown in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library where attendees can wait inside for their tour group to depart.

Rain Date for the Cemetery Tour: Sunday, October 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Crush in Norwalk - A new event Oct. 16-20

 Norwalk Now, the collaborative marketing organization that brings businesses together with the common goal of promoting themselves, each other, and ultimately, the city of Norwalk as a premier destination for dining, shopping, and leisure activities, prepare for their next event, CRUSH.  This 5-day schedule of thirst-quenching events is a celebration of beer, wine, and spirits (BWS) presented by Norwalk Now’s talented group of businesses and special guests from the BWS world.

“People continue to come together over great food and drink, “says Norwalk Now Director Linda Kavanagh, “And our appreciation and thirst (pun intended) for quality cocktails, craft beer, and fine wine only fuels our desire to learn more about the brands we are drinking, experience new things, and have a greater understanding of this evolving industry.”

CRUSH is an exciting and enlightening journey through the BWS world. Enthusiasts, as well as the novice, can partake in an active schedule of everything from beer, wine, and tequila dinners, premium scotch tastings, and tap take-overs, to Boozy Trivia nights, Libation Theater, Oktoberfest, and mixology for both beauty and cocktails. CRUSH will be introducing new-to-the-market name-brand spirits and brand activations throughout the week, in addition to hosting remote broadcasts with the premier food and drink broadcaster, Heritage Radio Network. Look for speakeasy fashions paired with local distillers, wine author book signings, guest speakers, and a simultaneous Happy Hour!

Sunday Bonus CRUSH activities include a DETOX run, walk, and bike ride, as well as healing yoga sessions.

CRUSH goers will be able to take advantage of parking discounts, UBER discounts, Norwalk train station shuttles, and designated driver incentive packages.

Our Hidden Landscape Stone Cultural Features & Native American Ceremonial Sites”

The Torrington Historical Society will host a FREE program on Wednesday, October 17th  in the Carriage House Gallery of the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street.  The speaker will be Lucianne Lavin Ph.D., Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT.  Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint program, titled, “Our Hidden Landscapes: Stone Cultural Features & Native American Ceremonial Sites” will begin at 6:30 p.m.  This presentation is sponsored by the Torrington Chapter of UNICO National.  Admission is free; donations are welcome.

This program will explore the topic of stone features, many of which can often be seen as we hike through the woods.  Although some of these are the remains of abandoned farmsteads and industrial mill sites, many others represent Native American ceremonial sites.  Dr. Lavin’s PowerPoint presentation will illustrate the various kinds of European-American and indigenous stone structures found on our Connecticut landscapes. Although State regulations support the preservation of sacred Native American sites, these sites are often not recognized for what they are and subsequently, have been destroyed by development and suburban sprawl.  Even on protected lands, destruction is possible through logging, landscaping, or building placement.  This program will help individuals and organizations learn more about these Native American stone features so that we can identify them and help aid in the preservation of these significant indigenous stone features.

Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, a museum and research and educational center in Washington, CT.  Dr. Lavin is an anthropologist and archaeologist who has over 40 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology, including teaching, museum exhibits and curatorial work, cultural resource management, editorial work, and public relations.  She has owned and operated an archaeological firm for over 25 years.   In addition, Dr. Lavin is the author of over 150 professional publications and technical reports on the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Northeast.  Her award-winning book, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History and Oral Traditions Teach Us About Their Communities and Cultures, was published by Yale University Press (spring 2013).  She is a founding member of the state’s Native American Heritage Advisory Council and Editor of the journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.  

The program will begin promptly at 6:30.  For more information about the Torrington Historical Society, please visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org.    

BY SEA BY AIR BY LAND: MILITARY ART AND ARTIFACTS 100 YEARS AFTER THE GREAT WAR

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I, the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village (CT) will present in October and November the exhibit, By Sea By Air By Land: Military Art and Artifacts 100 Years after the Great War. Featuring maritime, aviation, and figurative artwork in painting, drawing, and photography by artists including Robert Andrew Parker, Pamela Berkeley, Robert Cronin, David Fertig and Lazlo Gyorsok, the exhibit also includes items from the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society and from private collections. A reception with refreshments will take place at the Library on Saturday, October 20 from 4 to 6PM. The exhibit will remain on display through Saturday, November 24. David M. Hunt Library, 63 Main Street, Falls Village, CT, 06031. For more information call the Library at 860-824-7424 or visit huntlibrary.org. Hours: Tues 10-5, Thurs 10-5, Fri 3-7, Sat 10-1, Sun 11-1.

Not limited to the WWI era, the exhibit encompasses military culture, history and iconography from many countries and over several centuries from Pamela Berkeley’s portrait of the mythic knight Parsifal to an installation of Robert Andrew Parker’s wooden airplane models and a US 13^th Cavalry uniform that saw service in the “Punitive Expedition” to capture Poncho Villa during the Mexican Revolution and the concluding battles in WWI France.  A maritime painting by Norman Wilkinson (1878-1971), the British artist who invented the technique of dazzle camouflage that helped improve the safety of ships against attack in WWI, is also featured.

The painter Dave Fertig is known for his focus on the age of Napoleon and Admiral Nelson through the lens of the New York School, while Lazlo Gyorsok’s photography captures historical reenactors’ enthusiasm for the American Revolution and the Civil War.  Geoffrey Parker’s wooden model of the 1904 USS Constitution shares space with Lillian Lovitt’s SS LOVBERG, another wooden model.  Ken Musselman’s painting, Mighty Mo, depicts sailors readying a 16-inch gun on the USS Missouri, while Robert Cronin shows the tenderness of a lonely couple on the deck of the RMS Lusitania.  Sergei Fedorjaczenko’s watercolor features a Zeppelin and escorts going out on a bombing raid and Mary Jeys depicts a galleon on fire.  Emily Rutgers Fuller provides a landscape of a watchtower used to spot submarines off the coast of Maine during WWII.  A woven rug of a colonial soldier by Hendon will also be in the exhibition. Also included are items from private collections and the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society including two bas-relief plasters by sculptor Gertrude Lathrop (1896-1986) commemorating WWI.

Garth Kobal, the curator of the exhibit and one of its artists, was inspired to assemble By Sea By Air By Land through family research into Elzie Dillard Rigdon’s WWI service in the famous “All-American”  82^nd Division of the 328^th Infantry.  Pvt. Rigdon, then 24 years old from Alma, Georgia and the father of Mr. Kobal’s husband, was wounded by shrapnel and gas on October 8, 1918, during the decisive Meuse-Argonne campaign in France that helped bring the Great War to its conclusion. His injuries, earning him a Purple Heart, took place on the same day and about two miles from where Sergeant Alvin York, also in the 82^nd Division, famously captured 132 German soldiers.

A family member located Pvt. Rigdon’s embarkation papers, which led to the discovery of a photograph of the Walmer Castle, a dazzle camouflage-painted British mail ship that transported the American Expeditionary Forces from Hoboken to Liverpool.  It was this image, Kobal said, “that brought E.D. and the whole conflict to life for me.  My husband’s dad—a young green farmer who I never met—sailed to WWI in a painting so-to-speak, experienced incredible hardship and injury, and was a participant in this brutal and devastating world-changing event.  I immediately sent the photo of the Walmer Castle to Robert Andrew Parker in Cornwall (CT) and he jumped on it, painting a pair of watercolors that are the starting point of this exhibit. Parker was integral to making the exhibit what it is as many of the artifacts featured in the exhibit are from his private collection.  Add to that his wooden airplane models, paintings, and etchings and you have an exhibit largely built around Parker’s work, one of our greatest living artists with a truly historical and twentieth-century perspective.”