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.

The Musical An American in Paris comes to The Palace in Waterbury Jan. 28 and 29

Romance! Adventure! Gershwin! Who could ask for anything more? Filled with the music of legendary composers George and Ira Gershwin, the Tony Award-winning masterpiece, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, is dancing its way to the Palace Theater in Waterbury on January 28 and 29. Tickets for AN AMERICAN IN PARIS are on sale now and as low as $23. Tickets can be purchased online palacetheaterct.org by phone at 203-346-2000 or by visiting the Palace Theater Box Office at 100 E.Main St. in Waterbury. 

Inspired by the Academy Award-winning film, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS transports the audience to post-war Paris, where romance is in the air and youthful optimism reigns. In this poignant production, Gershwin’s soaring melodies are matched by gravity-defying dance as the world rediscovers the power of love. Hoping to start a new life, World War II veteran Jerry Mulligan chooses newly-liberated Paris to try and make his mark as a painter. Jerry's life becomes complicated when he meets the mysterious Lise, a young Parisian ballet dancer with a haunting secret who, like Jerry, is yearning for a new beginning. 

The winner of four Tony Awards, this exquisite production features classic Gershwin songs including “I Got Rhythm,” “Liza,” “'S Wonderful,” “But Not for Me,” and “Stairway to Paradise.” The New York Times proclaimed “Pure Joy...An American In Paris is a TRIUMPH!” Following its pre-pandemic closing, Big League Productions, Inc. is thrilled to relaunch the dazzling all-new production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, directed by Jeffrey B. Moss and featuring breathtaking new choreography by Bob Richard. Scenic design for the 2022 national tour is by Randel Wright, with costume design by Costume World, lighting design by Steve O’Shea, video design by Jonathan Infante, sound design by Don Hanna, orchestrations by Matthew Lowy, and casting by Alison Franck. For more information, visit www.AmericanInParisOnTour.com. 

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is produced by Big League Productions, Inc. Led by President and Executive Producer Daniel Sher, Big League is celebrating its 30th season of producing and general managing Broadway shows and attractions throughout the world. For more information, visit www.BigLeague.org.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Says It’s Official: The Baby Giant Anteater is a Girl!

 Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has received verification from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Anteater Advisory Group that the Giant anteater pup born on June 15 is a girl. Giant anteaters, unlike most mammalian species, are not easy to sex from their body size, color, and external genitalia. That the baby’s gender is female is welcome news for the species, as the population in Giant anteaters is skewed more heavily toward males than females.  

The baby, born on June 15 after a 75-day gestation period, is increasingly independent. She occasionally rides on her mother’s back, but she spends more time on her own as she grows. In addition to nursing, she now is fed a mixture of grain and water in a smoothie, the same formulation given to her parents. At nine days old, the baby weighed 4.3 pounds. On December 4, she weighed 39 pounds. 

 

This is the third Giant anteater baby born at the Zoo to third-time dad, E.O., and fourth-time mom, Pana. The pair was brought to Connecticut’s only Zoo with the hopes of successful breeding, which occurred for the first time in 2016.

 

“We couldn’t be happier that our Giant anteater baby is a girl, important for the continuation of this vulnerable species,” explained Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “We look forward to offering an opportunity to vote on her name in the near future.”

 

Mochilla, the pair’s first offspring, is now in residence at Alexandria Zoo in Louisiana. The second-born, Tupi, is now at the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee. 

 

The Giant anteater's parents came to the Zoo from Palm Beach Zoo in Palm Beach, Florida. Both Pana and EO are twelve years old. They arrived in late May 2015 and are a highlight of the Pampas Plains habitat, which opened in August 2015. Featuring animals from the Pampas region of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, the exhibit represents the Zoo’s South American Adventure. 

About Giant Anteaters

Giant anteaters can live up to 26 years in human care and are usually solitary animals. They weigh up to 100 pounds and are five to seven feet long. Their home range is from southern Belize to northern Argentina and they live in grasslands, humid forests, and woodland areas. Anteaters have one of the lowest body temperatures in the animal kingdom at 91 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit and can eat up to 30,000 ants per meal in the wild. The Latin name for anteater is Vermillingua, meaning "worm tongue," which can be as long as two feet. 

 

About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo

Let your curiosity run wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 99^th year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tigers and leopards, maned wolves, and Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves. Other highlights include our Spider Monkey Habitat, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with Giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a non-profit organization approaching its 100^th year at a time when the mission of helping fragile wildlife populations and ecosystems is more important than ever. 

 

Tickets must be purchased on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org: we recommend that guests continue to wear masks while visiting the Zoo, but when guests are outside and are able to maintain social distance, masks may be removed. In any indoor area, or when social distancing cannot be maintained, masks are required. Everyone over the age of two, with the exception of those with medical conditions that preclude wearing them, should have a mask available. 

 

 

Holiday Train Express Show @ Fairfield Museum

Once again this year the Holiday Express Model Train Show is up and running at the Fairfield History Museum on Beach Street in Fairfield through January 2, 2022. Young and old alike will delight in the large and small scale model trains winding around spectacular winter villages and beautiful holiday scenery.

Members of the Fairfield-based Housatonic Model Railroad Club, the Connecticut G-Scalers Club and the Central Connecticut G-Gaugers Club will be on hand to answer questions and point out details of the collectibles, classic trains, modular dioramas, and antique trains in this eye-popping holiday display. The hours for this exhibit are Monday-Thursday: 10am-1pm, Friday-Sunday: 10am-4pm, December 24-January 2: 10am-4pm. The museum is closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.

To keep in the spirit of holiday fun on Saturday, December 18th at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. Yum! Create your own candy house! Decorate a holiday house with gobs of frosty icing, graham-cracker roofs, gumdrop windows, licorice fences, and many more delicious candies! Registration is $25 per person. To register click here.

Full Moon Walk with IAIS December 18

 If you are looking to walk off some of the holiday calories and love the serenity of the winter woods under a glowing full moon, don’t miss the walk at the Institute for American Indian Studies on Saturday, December 18 beginning at 6 p.m. This is the perfect activity to take a break from the rush of the holiday season and to unwind in the beauty of nature.

 

English translations of full moon names date back several hundred years to Native Americans living in the Eastern Woodlands located in the eastern United States. Tribes watched the cycles of the moon to keep track of the seasons; giving each full moon a distinctive name. Although there were variations in moon names between tribes, in general, the same names were used throughout the Algonkian community.

 

The December full moon will be the last full moon of 2021. Many tribes call this moon the “Long Nights Moon” which is fitting because the winter solstice on Tuesday, December 21 is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. What makes this moon special is that it stays above the horizon for a longer period of time than other full moons. The Mohawks called the December full moon the Cold Moon because of the frigid temperatures this time of year and the Western Abenaki called it the Winter Maker Moon.

 

Participants will join the Institute’s educators who will guide them along the museum’s trails on a short and easy walk. They will discuss the nighttime phenomena that people in the Eastern Woodlands have experienced for centuries. The walk ends at the museum’s replicated 16^th century Algonkian village where hot chocolate will be enjoyed around a campfire.

Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register for this event click here, call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. The price of participation is $5 for members of the museum and $10 for non-members. In case of inclement weather call the museum on the day of the event at 860-868-0518 or check the Facebook page by clicking here.

 

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 a 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 on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

All Aboard with Santa in Thomaston and Danbury

We know that Santa gets around during the holiday season, but sleighs are not his only favorite mode of travel. In Litchfield Hills, you can often find the man in red enjoying a holiday train ride--and he loves company.

On December weekends, Santa can be found aboard the Santa Express leaving from Thomaston, CT, ready with bags of goodies for all the young passengers he meets along the way. Santa is so fond of trains that he even has two satellite workshops in train cars, one reached via a vintage train ride at the Danbury Railway Museum and another along the way on the Northern Lights Limited, a nighttime train excursion from Thomaston.

Rides are just part of the special railroad fun for families this year in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, where lavish displays of working model trains are a traditional holiday treat in several locations.

The Santa Express in Thomaston This 1920s vintage train travels along the scenic Naugatuck River for a warm, cozy 80-minute round-trip ride. Santa brings along Mrs. Claus and some friendly helper elves to visit with each child on board. Trains depart from the historic 1881 station in Thomaston Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays December 3,4,5,9,10,11,12,17,18, and 19. Starting Christmas week the train will run on December 20,21,22 and 23. The last train of the holiday season will run on December 30th. On Saturdays and Sundays, the train runs at 12 noon, 2:15, 5 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. On Fridays and during Christmas week the train runs at 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Light displays inside and out make for an exciting outing at night aboard the Northern Lights Limited from Thomaston. The train makes a stop at Santa's Train Workshop, where the great man will board and greet everyone with gifts. 

Back at the gaily decorated station, a model train layout is in action, and a large selection of railroad theme gifts, books, and memorabilia can be found. Tickets and information are available from the Railroad Museum of New England, online atwww.rmne.org, or by phoning (860) 283-7245. Coach tickets are $20 for adults and Children and, first-class tickets are $49.50 for adults and children. The station is located on 242 East Main Street in Thomaston, CT

All Aboard in Danbury At the Danbury Railway Museum, a classic 1903 station with a railroad yard filled with vintage train cars, visitors can ride a working vintage train through the yard to Santa's Workshop. New this year the Danbury Railway Museum is offering a short train ride in a restored 1950s Rail Diesel Car through historic Danbury Railyard, you'll be escorted back to the station for a meet and greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus, where the big man himself will give out the first gifts of Christmas (Parents: Bring a pre-wrapped present or select from our online menu [includes FREE gift wrapping & batteries], and Old St. Nick will give your little one their unique present!). The museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, December 4-19 from 12 noon to 7 p.m.

The Danbury Railroad Museum is located on 120 White Street in Danbury. Trains run on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30, 2 pm, 3:30 pm, 5 pm, and 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 for ages 2 and up. Click here for more information.