Tag Archives: Connecticut Travel

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Lime Rock Starts Summer Racing Season May 24-26

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Lime Rock Park located on Rte. 112 in Lime Rock CT kicks off the summer racing season with several exciting events. The Memorial Day Race weekend Friday, May 24, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 (no Monday event) will be jam-packed with top rank sports car series races topped off by a fabulous car show.

New this year, the sports car race series will feature the newly revitalized SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series. This is Detroit’s big “iron” that includes Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes going head to head with each other while fending off advances of some of Europe’s best sports cars. In addition to this, there will be the added excitement of heart pounding Formula F and F2000 races.

On Sunday, May 26 one of the most popular events, the 4th annual Royals Car Show will return to the historic Lime Rock track again this year from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is exciting to be able to get out on the track to view all the fantastic cars that will be showing off. Participating vehicles include muscle cars, tuners and imports, street rods, motorcycles, classic cars, antiques, antique trucks, race cars, exceptional contemporary cars and fire trucks – the list is endless. The car show entry fees is $10 for adults, $5 for military, and kids 12 and under are free. Proceeds raised from the car show at Lime Rock Park benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

For tickets for the Trans-Am Races and Royals Car Show visit http://tickets.limerock.com. For general information on Lime Rock Park http://www.limerock.com. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

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About Lime Rock Park

Dreamed up in 1956 by Jim Vaill and with the help of John Fitch and Cornnell Aeronautical Labs, Lime Rock is 1.50 miles of up hill and down dale, a track that looks deceivingly simple but is immensely challenging to drive at high speeds. Its setting is in a village in the heart of the Litchfield Hills renowned for its great natural beauty and cultural heritage.

In its 55 year existence, almost all of the sport’s greats have raced here: Andretti, Moss, Gurney, Posey, Rodriguez, Hobbs, Hill, Donohue, Ward, Fitch…the list of great drivers who’ve raced here is endless.

Lime Rock has also seen virtually every kind of racecar grace its corners and straights…from ground-pounding NASCAR stock cars to Can-Am, Camel GTP, F5000, Trans-Am and Atlantic, this list also goes on and on.

Today, Lime Rock is the leading edge of American LeMans Series and Grand-Am with their own stars and cars that are writing history.

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May at Audubon Greenwich

The Greenwich Audubon, http://greenwich.audubon.org
is celebrating May in style with a series of events that will be fun and educational for lovers of nature.

Lady Slipper

Lady Slipper

On two Wednesdays, May 15 and May 22, there is a bird walk from 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. at Fairchild Wildflower Garden on North Porchuck Road. For this free event RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230 and don’t forget to bring your binoculars and camera

On Saturday, May 18 and May 25 there will be a bird walk at the Main Sanctuary on Riversville Rd. from 7 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Morning bird walks are a spring tradition at the Audubon and participants are asked to RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230 and to meet at the Greenwich parking area on Riversville Road.

Also on Saturday, May 18, the Audubon is hosting a program from 2 pm. – 3:30 p.m. called Fast Food Feasts for Songbirds. As neo-tropical migrants return from their wintering areas, emerging insects and other invertebrates provide them with essential foods. Participants will search for feeding birds visit local plant life in search of insects, spiders, and other creatures that make quick treats for spring’s hungry avian travelers.

To finish up the month of May, on the 25th the Audubon Greenwich is hosting Turtle Time with Ted Gilman from 2 p.m. – 3:30. Participants will learn about turtle natural history, nesting behavior, how to help protect turtles, and meet some of our local turtle species. The program is finished with a hike to Mead Lake in search of nesting turtles. This program is appropriate for all ages. Please. RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230.

Birds of New England

Birds of New England

When visiting the Audubon, don’t miss the Birds of New England now on display in in Kiernan Hall at Audubon Greenwich through July 16th. While in New England and the North Atlantic coast, John James Audubon observed many, possibly hundreds of species of birds that lived or migrated here. Audubon painted many of these species, 52 of them while actually on location in New England, and 34 prints are included in this exhibition.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Mother’s Day Ideas for Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County

Mothers Day is a holiday celebrating mothers and motherhood that was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in West Virginia. She then went on a campaign to make it a recognized holiday in the US and was successful in establishing it in 1914. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world.

A perfect treat for moms is going to the theater. Several theaters in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County are offering specials just for mom.

Downtown Cabaret Theatre

Downtown Cabaret Theatre

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre (http://dtcab.com) for example located on 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport is offering a free ticket for mom to a special performance now through May 12th of 8-Track or Wizard of Odds, or both shows! For details call the Box Office 203-576-1636 (Offer not available online).

Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse

In the heart of Westport located in a state of the theater, the Westport Country Playhouse on 25 Powers Court in Westport is offering a complimentary glass of Prosecco on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, before the 3 p.m. matinee performance of The Dining Room, a witty and heartfelt story of the American family and its vanishing traditions, directed by Mark Lamos. For tickets and more information visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at 203.227.4177.

Infinity Hall

Infinity Hall

In the unspoiled village of Norfolk in the Litchfield Hills, Infinity Hall on 20 Greenwoods Road (Rte. 44) is offering a 5-star brunch, lunch or dinner for mom with the chef serving delicious specials as well as all the items from their popular menu. To make the day memorable Infinity Hall is hosting a 2 p.m. matinee featuring Brian Miller, Musician, Magician and Mind Reader and a 7:30 p.m. concert starring country singer Iris DeMent. Please note that show tickets will be sold separately. Visit http://www.InfinityHall.com or call 860-542-5531 for reservations and tickets.

Landmarks Theatre

Landmarks Theatre

In Thomaston, on Main Street, in the historic Thomaston Opera House, Landmarks Theatre (www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org) is offering a buy one ticket at the regular admission price of $23 and get one ticket free for mom on May 10 -12 for Mother’s Day. The Landmarks Theatre spring musical production, sure to delight mom is Guys & Dolls. Shows on May 10 and 11 are at 8 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on May 12. Get your tickets by calling the Box Office (860) 283-6250 or go online http://www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org. Don’t miss this much-loved Broadway musical!

Another idea is to give a gift of music to your mom by attending the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s multi media experience of Gustav Mahler’s Titan. “The World According to Gustav,” is a biographical examination of the composer’s life featuring excerpts from Das Klagende Lied and Songs of a Wayfarer. The second half of the concert will be Symphony no. 1 (Titan). This musical evening for moms takes place on Saturday, May 11 at 8 p.m. at the NVCC Fine Arts Center in Waterbury at a discounted price of $24 for moms on $30 seats. Tickets are available online at: http://www.waterburysymphony.org (For discount, type in the word “mother” when asked for discount code) or by calling 203-574-4283.

Special Treats

Bruce Museum

Bruce Museum

For Mother’s Day, the Bruce Museum Store (http://brucemuseum.org) located in Greenwich and featured in the March 2013 issue of Connecticut Magazine as ‘Best Boutique’ among museum shops – has a wonderful selection of gifts that are perfect for every mom including cards, candles, scarves, hats, stationery, books, accessories, collectibles and jewelry. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Bruce Museum Store is offering 25% off on all jewelry for the entire month of May in celebration of Mom. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

In Norwalk, Mom’s will enjoy free admission on Sunday, May 12 to the Stepping Stones Museum for Children (www.steppingstonesmuseum.org) located in Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue. Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award-winning, private, non -profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the recently expanded LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, a state-of-the-art multimedia theater, Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store. Museum hours are Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more visit steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.

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Also in Norwalk, the Gift Shop at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (www.maritimeaquarium.org) on Water Street is offering 25% off sale in their gift shop on fine jewelry by local artists May 10 – 12 only. When visiting the Aquarium don’t miss the special exhibit of the meerkats that scamper and play endlessly. The museum is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.

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The Imagination Nation in Bristol (www.imaginemuseum.org) on 1 Pleasant Street is offering mom’s free admission on Sunday, May 12 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Kids can craft a fabric flower in the Imagine That! art area to give to mom as a wonderful keepsake for her special day. Admission is $7 per person, children under 1 are always free and mom’s on Mother’s Day!

American Clock and Watch Museum

American Clock and Watch Museum

If you have “time” on mother’s day, head to Bristol’s American Clock & Watch Museum where all moms will be celebrated by receiving free admission! This museum is filled with a collection of exquisite timepieces that tell the story of the state and region’s rich clock making heritage. While visiting the museum don’t miss, the special 2013 exhibit “Art Deco Timepieces: Treasures of the Jazz Age”. The museum is located at 100 Maple Street, in Bristol. For more information call the museum 860-583-6070 http://www.clockandwatchmuseum.org.

New England Carousel Museum

New England Carousel Museum

At the New England Carousel Museum on 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol, mother’s accompanied by kids pay half price all day. During the Golden Age of the carousel, postcards were very popular. Visitors to the museum are invited to print a postcard to give to mom as a memorable remembrance and to come for a ride on the carousel! For more information visit http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org.

Beardsley Zoo

Beardsley Zoo

On May 12 bring mom to the zoo… Beardsley Zoo that is in Bridgeport on 1875 Noble Ave. The ticket is on the Zoo – moms get in free because Connecticut’s only zoo wants to thank all moms working so hard throughout the year on their special day. Enjoy this special day visiting their animals or having lunch in the Peacock Pavilion. When visiting don’t miss the newest mom at the Zoo, Cupcake, the Nigerian Dwarf goat that just gave birth to two kids! http://www.BeardsleyZoo.org.

Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce

Opening day for Lake Compounce Theme Park (www.lakecompounce.com/) is Saturday, May 11th. On Sunday May 12th, moms will enjoy a little extra special attention in honor of Mother’s Day. Buy one, get one free tickets are available online only for the entire weekend, so mom can enjoy a free day in the park when she comes with anyone else who pays regular adult admission. In addition, moms get to enjoy a special ‘Relaxation Station’ for their comfort and pampering.

Winvian

Winvian

Winvian (www.winvian.com) in Morris Connecticut is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Winvian’s garden is the centerpiece of Chef Eddy’s fresh and spontaneous restaurant offerings that will be a special treat from moms. The brunch is a three course prix-fixe menu at $90 per person, tax and tip is additional, reservations requested.

Terston, Kent

Terston, Kent

The week of May 6th-12th Terston (www.terston.com/) on Rte. 7 in Kent and the David Gavin Salon will offer a special in recognition of Mother’s Day. Make a clothing purchase of $50 to receive a free specially selected scarf. (one per customer while supplies last). In addition, Terston customers can experience an introduction to the David Gavin Salon expertise – Carissa and Jennifer will be available for complimentary quick consults for customers visiting the store. When booking an appointment, for a future date, new clients to the salon will receive 20% off a hair cut and/or color. In addition, all David Gavin luxurious and nourishing hair products will be 10% off for the week. Terston is located on 27 North Main Street in Kent CT.

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Ives Concert Park announces first five shows of Summer Concert Series

After much anticipation, Ives Concert Park has announced the first five artists slated to perform in its 2013 Summer Concert Series. The venue, located on the Western Connecticut State University Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury, has featured a wide variety of performers representing all eras and genres of music for nearly 40 years. Now, thanks to a new partnership with New York-based promoter The Bowery Presents, the summer line-up is starting to take shape.

All shows are rain or shine and tickets for the five shows announced are on sale at at ticketmaster.com. Additional shows and ticket sale dates will be announced soon.

Scheduled to perform are:

moe

moe

• moe. with the Wood Brothers at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 1
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20.

Gov't_Mule

Gov’t_Mule

• Gov’t Mule at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 2
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on day of show.

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett


• Tony Bennett at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 13
Reserved tickets are $86; lawn tickets are $36.

Gov't_Mule

• Summerland Tour 2013 Alternative Guitars starring Everclear, Live, Filter and Sponge at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 19
Reserved tickets are $35; lawn tickets are $20.

Brandi

Brandi

• Brandi Carlile at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 20
Reserved tickets are $39.50; lawn tickets are $25.

A special two-show ticket has been created for the back-to-back moe. and Gov’t Mule shows on June 1 and 2. A reserved ticket for both nights will be $50 and a lawn ticket will be $30.

Music-lovers who subscribe to the Ives “Backstage Buzz” e-newsletter will have the opportunity to purchase tickets one day before they go on sale to the general public. To sign up, visit the Ives Concert Park website at http://www.ivesconcertpark.com. For contests and announcements, follow Ives on Facebook at facebook.com/ivesconcertpark and Twitter at @IvesConcertPark.

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Annual Spring Show of the Kent Art Association in Litchfield Hills

The Kent Art Association was founded in 1923 by nine well established artists who knew each other when they lived in New York before moving to Kent: Rex Brasher, Elliot Clark, Floyd Clymer, Williard Dryden Paddock, F. Luis Mora, George Laurence Nelson, Spencer Nichols, Robert Nisbet and Frederick Waugh. Six of these artists were National Academicians.

Daskam Dock and Dory

Daskam Dock and Dory

When the Kent Art Association was first founded, these nine artists held an annual show in which only their work was exhibited. Later, more artists were accepted into the Association and others were invited to be associates. Today the Kent Art Association invites emerging and established artists to display their artwork to a wide audience in their gallery’s several times a year.

Inside this well lite and spacious gallery, located on Rte. 7 (Main Street) in Kent about 100 yards south of the intersection of Rte. 7 and Rte. 341, you will find two stories of exhibition rooms. In addition to the works exhibited on the walls, all of which are for sale, there is a Portfolio Gallery offering unframed work by members of the Association.

To kick off spring in the beautiful Litchfield Hills, the Kent Art Association is holding its first juried show of the season that runs Sunday, April 21 through Monday, May 27. The Gallery is open April- May 17, Friday – Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and May 21 – Oct. 18, Thursday – Sunday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The Awards Reception is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 from 2 to 4 pm with awards presented at 3 pm. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Visitors will also enjoy the work of Juror Rick Daskam, chairman for Oils at the Hudson Valley Art Association and a a graduate of Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he studied with Rudolf Zallinger and Ken Davies. Daskam was honored with the “Most Outstanding Illustrator Award in addition to the Dumond Award from the Hudson Valley Art Association, Collectors Award from the Butler Art Institute, and the Larry Newquist Award for Excellence at SCAN.

The Judges for this exhibition are Marc Chabot, Diane Dubreuil, and Rick Daskam and $1000 in prizes will be awarded. All work must be original and for sale. A copy of the prospectus can be found at www.kentart.org. For more information call the Gallery at 860.927.3989. For area information visit www.litchifeldhills.com

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Twined Art at the Institute for American Indian Studies

The exhibition Woven from Milk Weed by Wabanaki Artist Vera Longtoe Sheehan opens at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut runs through May 31, 2013. There is no charge for this exhibition. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 12 noon to 5pm. The last admission is at 4:30 pm.

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Vera Longtoe Sheehan is a fiber artist who follows in the footsteps of her ancestors. When she was young, her father started teaching her how to harvest and process plants to make cordage. He also taught her the various techniques that she uses to make twined bags, baskets and textiles.

Vera combines her tribal and family knowledge with many years of researching Wabanaki history, culture and tradition to create her one of a kind twined woven items. She uses both hand-rolled and commercially rolled plant fiber cordage. Each of the hand items can take hours, days, weeks or even months to complete.

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Her twined art is environmentally friendly because it is made from plants, which are quick growing, renewable resources. She is currently teaching her children to twine, so that this endangered art form is not lost. Some of her twined bags, baskets and textiles have appeared in films and literature.

The artist and her family reside in Vermont. She offers a variety of programs for schools, museums and historic sites.

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“Meet the Artist” Reception is Sunday, April 7th from 1pm -3pm. The reception includes refreshments at 2pm.

For more information about the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT call 860-868-0518 or visit www.iaismuseum.org. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

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Audubon Greenwich celebrates spring

If you are looking for signs of spring, don’t miss the April events at Audubon Greenwich, http://greenwich.audubon.org located on 613 Riversville Rd. in Greenwich.

Go on a bird walk this spring

Go on a bird walk this spring

On Wednesday, April 17 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. visitors are invited on a morning bird walk at the Fairchild Wildflower Garden area on North Porchuck Rd.

Benjamin T. Fairchild developed the Fairchild Garden as a wildflower sanctuary on abandoned farmland he purchased in 1890. After his death in 1939, Mrs. Elon Huntington Hooker, with the help of local garden clubs, raised the money to purchase the sanctuary. It was donated to the National Audubon Society in 1945. It is not a formal garden, but a natural area, with introduced wildflower species and some interesting rocks into the landscape. The unique feature of this 135-acre sanctuary is its variety of wetland habitats. These include a stream, pond, wetland meadow, red maple swamp, hillside wetland, emergent freshwater marsh and a wetland scrub thicket. The sanctuary also boasts eight miles of trails winding through deep shady gorges under cover of mature deciduous forest, and a grove of white pines. The Fairchild Wildflower Garden becomes a birding hot spot in the late spring and early summer seasons.

To continue the spring birding tradition, the Audubon is offering a Bird Walk on the trails at their main sanctuary located on Riversville Road from 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Later in the day, the Audubon will host a spring flower walk lead by a naturalist that will explain the histories, ecological niches and insect pollination partners
Of the various spring flowers found here. This walk is good for ages 5 and up.

Rounding out a month of walks, on April 24 the Audubon will host a springtime sunset and moonlight walk from 7:45 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Participants will seek out the sights, sounds, and smells of a spring evening visiting field, pond, forest, and lake in search of wildlife. Hikers will also listen overhead and look up at the moon in search of silhouettes of night-flying springtime bird migrants. This event is good for ages 7 & up. Please note that space limited & RSVP required.

For questions and reservations to the events sponsored by the Audubon Greenwich call Ted Gilman at 203-869-5272 x230. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Announces New Season’s Events

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will reopen its doors in April for an eventful Spring season. This season, the Mansion will highlight Victorian era technology, a cutting-edge art movement called Steampunk, and a nod to the Mansion’s beginnings with its annual Victorian Tea.

Lookwood Mathews Mansion

Lookwood Mathews Mansion

The Mansion will kick off the season with an Opening Night Gala & Exhibitions Preview on April 13, 2013 at 7:00pm. This black tie dinner will allow guests a sneak peak of the Mansion’s two new exhibits, What Is It? Technologies and Discoveries of the Victorian Era and Steampunk: Nature & Machine. The Gala includes a special presentation by history of technology luminary Steven Lubar, Professor of the Departments of American Studies, History, and History of Art and Architecture at Brown University.

What Is It? Technologies and Discoveries of the Victorian Era features 19th century technological and scientific marvels of the Mansion’s heyday that revolutionized the way people lived. The exhibit is made possible thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Humanities (CTH), a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds, creates and collaborates on hundreds of cultural programs across Connecticut each year. CTH brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to express, share and explore ideas in thoughtful and productive ways. From local discussion groups to major exhibitions on important historical events, CTH programs engage, enlighten and educate. Learn more by visiting http://www.cthumanities.org. The exhibit opens to the public on April 17th and runs through October 6, 2013.

Herter Brothers Furniture LMM

Also in April, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum presents an exciting short-term exhibit, Steampunk: Nature & Machine. At this, the first Steampunk exhibit in Fairfield County, visitors will catch a view of this bold new style, a neo-retro aesthetic that borrows imagery from the Industrial Revolution and Victorian eras and has influenced everything from literature and product design to fashion and fine art. The exhibit will feature the art of renowned Steampunk artists Bruce Rosenbaum, Katie Shima and Leslie Mueller. There will be an opening reception on April 25, from 6:00 – 8:00pm. The exhibit runs until June 15.

Rounding out the 2013 spring season is the Mansion’s Victorian Tea on Sunday, May 5 at 2:00pm. The family-friendly event features a formal English tea in the Mansion’s Rotunda, including a wide selection of desserts, sandwiches, the traditional scones and cream, as well as music and other entertainment. The Tea is sponsored by Cottages & Gardens Publications and King Industries.

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The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark located at 295 West Avenue in Norwalk. Tours will begin in April and are offered Wednesdays through Sundays, at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

For more information on tours and programs, visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

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Concerts at Keeler Tavern

The Louise McKeon Chamber Music Concerts will return to the Keeler Tavern Museum, (http://keelertavernmuseum.org) located at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield on Sunday April, 14th at 3 PM . The first concert of the season will feature Threeds, an oboe trio based in New York City. The trio includes oboists Kathy Halvorson, Katie Schele and Mark Snyder. Formed in 2008, the trio enjoys creating new paths for the oboe and English horn.

keeler tavern

The ensemble plays their own arrangements of pop, rock, jazz, folk and world music while using improvisational techniques. A special guest of Threeds at this concert will be Christof Knoche who plays the bass clarinet. Threeds has also arranged music to accompany local singer-song writers and has recorded at Avatar Studios and Daytone Records.

One of the founding principles of Threeds is to make the oboe an instrument more accessible to the general public by bringing their music out of the concert hall to bars, galleries and other public places that include sites from Joe’s Pub to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Recently, the trio was invited (by audition) to participate in MTA’s Music under NY where they will play in the New York subway.

Over the last few years Threeds have performed in Los Angeles, Providence, Philadelphia, Cape May as well as at the New York and Arizona Summer Music Festivals. The trio is composed of accomplished musicians that have performed with many prestigious orchestras, including Broadway Shows and Emmy nominated independent film tracks. In addition to the trio, the artists of the trio have taught at WestConn University, C. W. Post, Rudolph Steiner School, and the Brooklyn Conservatory among others.

Tickets at the door are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 children under 12 years. Members of the audience are invited to enjoy conversation with the musicians following the concert. Light refreshments will be provided

The final performance of the 2012-2013 season on Sunday May 19th at 3 PM will feature the Devonshire Players, a string quarter.

For area information www.visitwesternct.com or www.litchfieldhills.com

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The Beauty of Botanical Illustrations in Litchfield Hills

Betsy Rogers-Knox has been drawing and painting since childhood. Her interest in botanical illustration began in Boulder, Colorado where she worked for a botanist and learned by close observation to appreciate the intricate beauty of Colorado wildflowers. This interest led her to the botanical illustration program at the New York Botanical Garden. Her final project included paintings of historic plants from the gardens of the Bellamy Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

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Betsy is enchanted by the full lifecycle of the plants she portrays in watercolor, and typically observes a plant for a full year before beginning a composition. Published work includes cover designs for Herb Quarterly magazine, the illustrations for the bookHerbs, Leaves of Magic and White Flower Farm’s catalog, as well as over thirty greeting card designs internationally distributed by Renaissance Greeting Card Company and Sunrise Publications.

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She has exhibited extensively including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., London’s Kew Gardens, the Horticultural Society of New York, and the New York Botanical Garden. In April 2013 she will show several works at the Royal Horticultural Show in London. Betsy also teaches drawing and watercolor painting to both adults and children from her studio in Bethlehem. Her website is www.betsyrogersknox.com.

Betsy_R-Knox-_Indian_Corn

A selection of the work of Betsy Rogers Knox will appear in the Gallery of the Oliver Wolcott Library located on 160 South Street, Litchfield, CT. through April 26 2013. For more information call 860-567-8030. or visit www.owlibrary.org. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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African Penguins Return to Maritime Aquarium At Norwalk through April 22

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is bringing back one of the most popular species it’s ever displayed: African penguins, who will waddle in for a celebratory encore exhibit through April 22, 2013.

Aquar.AfricanPenguin

African Penguins” will be open through April 22 in an outdoor exhibit on the Aquarium’s riverfront courtyard. It’s free with admission. The small colony of penguins will be on loan from the Leo Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich (www.LEOzoo.org).

Educating visitors on where penguins live may be one of the first basic goals of the exhibit. None of them live at the North Pole, or with Eskimos or polar bears. Some species do live in Antarctica. But many penguins can be found in warmer climates of the southern hemisphere, like African penguins in South Africa and several species that live up the western coast of South America, all the way to the equator and the Galapagos Islands. The African penguins – whose conservation status is listed as endangered – will help call attention to Africa’s troubled coastal environments, which receive far less conservation protection than the continent’s inland savannahs, plains and jungles.

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) stand about two feet tall and weigh 8 pounds. They’re recognizable by the black stripe that loops up across their chest and their pink “eyebrows.” The pink “eyebrows” actually are an adaptation that helps them to survive in a warmer habitat like South Africa – or Norwalk. The “eyebrows” are featherless patches with lots of blood vessels underneath. When a penguin gets too hot, these patches get brighter as the penguin circulates more blood there to dissipate body heat.

African penguins also have evolved shorter feathers because, unlike Antarctic species, they do not face extreme cold.

The previous penguins exhibit at the Aquarium was open from February 2009-December 2010. For more details about The Maritime Aquarium’s exhibits, programs and IMAX movies, go to http://www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700.

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Ride a Vintage Train to Visit the Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny will once again pay a visit to the Danbury Railway Museum located in downtown Danbury in Litchfield Hills and you can take a ride in a vintage train through the historic rail yard to visit him. This popular annual family event will take place on Saturday & Sunday, March 23 & 24, and Friday & Saturday, March 29 & 30.

Bunny_with_Conductor

Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; noon – 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Trains leave every 30 minutes from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m..
Admission is $9.00 (age 2 and up); each child will receive a small gift from the Bunny. Reservations are suggested and may be made by visiting the museums Web site at www.danburyrail.org. The short train ride in a fully-restored 1953 New Haven RR Rail Diesel Car (Budd RDC), will take visitors past the fully operational turntable, over 70 vintage railroad cars and locomotives, and many unique pieces of railroad history, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive built in 1907 The highlight of the trip is when the train stops at the Easter Bunny’s special railroad car.

The museum’s beautifully restored circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car is open for tours. The exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be open, along with a coloring station, temporary tattoos, Thomas® play table, and the operating model train layouts. Don’t miss a visit to the fully-stocked gift shop chock full of affordable items.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further information, visit the Web site at www.danburyrail.org email info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

For area information visit www.litchifeldhills.com.

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Step Into Art™ at Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Have your kids ever wanted to curate their own gallery, create a self portrait at a designated computer station, take part in an art hunt through an exhibit and let their imaginations run wild by creating as many different images as possible at the three-dimensional Pattern Puzzle? Now through May 12 kids can do all this and more by literally stepping inside the framework of famous paintings and experience art in Framed: Step into Art™, at Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk located on 303 West Ave. For information www.steppingstonesmuseum.org or 203-899-0606. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Step Into Art™<br /><p class=photo credit: Minnesota Children’s Museum ” width=”660″ height=”439″ class=”size-full wp-image-1858″ /> Step Into Art™
photo credit: Minnesota Children’s Museum

Kids enter the special exhibit by stepping through an over-sized frame and instantly become immersed in the worlds created by well-known artists. Each work is re-created as a three-dimensional, sensory, walk-in environment that includes a print of the artist’s original work, as well as important facts about the artist’s life and painting style.

There are four featured paintings in this bi-lingual exhibit that provides a different cultural experience for participants. Dinner for Threshers by Grant Wood for example teaches children about rural life at the turn of the century. Kids can tend to a chicken and eggs, prepare a meal in the kitchen, set the dining table, enjoy a noontime dinner, and mix and match the farmers’ patterned shirts. The detail the featured painting provides includes theme of patterns, the farmers’ tan lines and the hour of the meal.

John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara Minnesota Children’s Museum

John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara Minnesota Children’s Museum

At the popular Camp at Lake O’Hara visitors are transported to the Canadian Rockies circa 1916 to the John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara. Children can climb inside a tent and explore camping gear like Sargent would have used. After cooking a pretend meal over the campfire, kids can tell stories around the fire and arrange items in a magnetic frame to show what a painting of today’s campsite may look like.

The Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter is a salute to Louisiana’s most famous female artist and folk art icon that creates imaginary animals like Hunter’s “goosters” by mixing body parts. Children and adults can load the cart in this exhibit with cotton, climb behind the reins of the giant rooster and take their load to town.

Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter Minnesota Children’s Museum

Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter Minnesota Children’s Museum

Travel south of the border when visiting Corn Festival by Diego Rivera through this work from the Court of Fiestas in the Ministry of Education Building in Mexico City. Kids will have fun exploring a rendition of one of Rivera’s frescos while adding their own whimsical flourishes such as flowers and ribbons of “corn husks” to the flower tower and on a miniature building’s mural.

About Framed: Step Into Art™
Framed: Step Into Art™ was created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum for the members of the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative (YMEC): Bay Area Discovery Museum, Boston Children’s Museum, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, Children’s Museum of Memphis, Long Island Children’s Museum, Minnesota Children’s Museum and Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The exhibit is sponsored locally by Xerox Foundation.

About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org. The museum is open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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MapleFest Audubon Sharon’s Maple Sugaring Open House

Audubon Sharon in the Litchfield Hills will be holding its annual MapleFest on Saturday, March 16 between 10 am and 4 pm at the Sharon Audubon Center, Route 4, Sharon, CT. On-going guided 40-minute tours will lead visitors through the Center’s sugaring operation, including a working sugarhouse and a re-creation of Native American and early colonial sugaring methods.

Participants can watch as pure sugar maple sap is collected from the trees and turned into delicious maple syrup. Admission for the event is $5.00 adults and $3.00 children.

This hands-on, sensory-based experience focuses on trees as living organisms and the concept of sustainable agriculture in a forest ecosystem. The staff of the Sharon Audubon incorporates forest ecology and cultural history into the joy and excitement of maple syrup production. Participants will visit 3 different stations during their guided tour with members of the staff.

The first stop is the forest, which is on the way to the sugarhouse. Visitors will be guided down the “maple trail” that is lined with sugar maple trees. Silver buckets are hung from the trees and guests are invited to take a peek under the lids to observe the watery sap dripping from the spiles into the buckets. Guests will learn proper tapping techniques and how the Audubon Center collects the sap from the buckets before transporting it to the Sugarhouse.

sharon aud maple sugar

The next stop is the sugarhouse where participants are invited to use their five senses to explore the process of syrup production. Steam can be seen bellowing from the evaporator as soon as the doors are slid open and the sweet aroma of syrup fills the air. The Sugarhouse Guide explains the entire process of how the sap is brought into the sugarhouse, fed into the evaporator and boiled down to the finished product. Tools such as syrup thermometers, hydrometers and filter presses are put to use right in front of the visitors’ eyes and guests even learn what it means to “grade” the fresh maple syrup before it is placed into bottles. Before leaving the Sugarhouse, everyone is treated to a taste of the delicious finished product.

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The last stop of the tour includes a re-creation of Native American and Early Colonial sugaring methods. Guests watch steam rise from the sap in a hollowed out log as educators add Native American hot rocks from the fire ring and tell the legend of Woksis and how maple syrup was first discovered. Moving forward to Colonial times, guest watch the creation of a Colonial spile from a piece of sumac tree that one lucky guest per group gets to take home. Lastly, the “lazy man’s balance” is demonstrated to show how colonists made making maple syrup just a little simpler.

miles-wildlife-sanctuary

Fresh syrup will be available for purchase in the Sharon Audubon Center Nature Store while supplies last. For more information on MapleFest or the Audubon Sharon sugaring operation, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520 or visit www.sharon.audubon.org. Depending on sap flow, the sugarhouse will also be open each weekend in March for visitors. Call ahead to see if Audubon staff will be boiling sap. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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Maple Syrup in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County

If it seems as though this winter will never end, take heart, The sweet scents of maple syrup in the making clearly announce that spring is coming—and they are a good reason to plan a visit to Litchfield and Fairfield counties in Western Connecticut.

Trees are being tapped...

Trees are being tapped…

Sugar maples are plentiful in these scenic areas and more than a dozen sugarhouses from private farms to nature centers welcome visitors during peak syrup season in March. Guests will view the process from tap to tastes, see how the big bubbling kettles of thin sap boil down to thick fragrant syrup and get to sample the delicious results. Some operations are open every weekend, some have special maple celebration days and some smaller farms request a call to be sure they are ready for company.

For the sap to run, nights below freezing and warm days are required, so dates can vary. A call always is a good idea before visiting.

The Maple Calendar

Lamothe’s Sugar House on 89 Stone Rd. in Burlington starts the season early with the chance to see how syrup is made every weekend from February 9 to March 24 from 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom. Coffee and cider are complimentary to visitors. The shop has a multitude of interesting maple sugar products that includes: maple sugar spice rubs, maple candy, kettlecorn and nuts, and even maple barbeque sauce. Check their website for a special discount on Lamothe’s spices. Along with the maple syrup business the family also raise pigs, and mini-lop bunnies. For more information www.lamothesugarhouse.com

Lamothe's Sugar House

Lamothe’s Sugar House

One of the busiest sugaring spots is the Flanders Sugar House at Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary in Woodbury. Staff and volunteers conduct maple syrup demonstrations on on March 2, & 3 and 9 &10. On March 3 the day begins with a pancake breakfast, topped with Flanders own maple syrup, a treat not to be missed. The maple sugar season ends with the annual grand finale Maple Celebration on March 16. The final festival on March 16 features music, vendors, walks, cooking and maple candy making demonstrations, maple food sampling and special kids’ crafts and activities.

Sugaring Off at Stamford Museum and Nature Center

Sugaring Off at Stamford Museum and Nature Center

Audubon Sharon will be holding its annual MapleFest on Saturday, March 16 between 10 am and 4 pm at the Sharon Audubon Center, Route 4, Sharon, CT. On-going guided 40-minute tours will lead visitors through the Center’s sugaring operation, including a working sugarhouse and a re-creation of Native American and early colonial sugaring methods. Participants can watch as pure sugar maple sap is collected from the trees and turned into delicious maple syrup. Admission for the event is $5.00 adults and $3.00 children. This hands-on, sensory-based experience focuses on trees as living organisms and the concept of sustainable agriculture in a forest ecosystem. Our teaching method incorporates forest ecology and cultural history into the joy and excitement of maple syrup production. Fresh syrup will be available for purchase in the Sharon Audubon Center Nature Store while supplies last. For more information on MapleFest or the Audubon Sharon sugaring operation, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520 or visit www.sharon.audubon.org. Depending on sap flow, the sugarhouse will also be open each weekend in March for visitors. Call ahead to see if Audubon staff will be boiling sap.

At Warrups Farm on 11 John Read Rd. in Redding, visitors are welcome the first three weekends in March to watch the whole process, sap to syrup in the log cabin sugar house, to take a taste of the sap direct from the trees and as well as the almost-ready syrup. Guests can savor all of the harbingers of spring on a farm. The sugaring demonstrations take place from noon to 5 p.m. For more information www.warrupsfarm.com.

Special Maple Days

March 2
The Institute for American Indian Studies will have a different take on sugaring at its annual festival on the March 2. Demonstrations in the outdoor Algonkian Village
will show how local Native Americans traditionally made maple syrup and its importance to their culture. Pancakes made by IAIS staff will be served with local maple syrup. The festival will take place from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fee: $10 Adults; $8 Children. www.iaismuseum.org.

MapleSugaringFestival

The Indian Rock Nature Preserve located on 501 Wolcott Rd. in Bristol is hosting a maple sugaring and pancake breakfast on March 2 from 8 a.m. – noon. Along with breakfast, visit with the farm animals and learn how maple syrup is produced from sap to syrup. Sample New England syrup, which will also be available for purchase. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children under 10 years old, and free for children under 2 years old. For more information call (860) 589-8200 or visit www.ELCCT.org.

Maple Sugar Saturday and Sunday at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, the museum’s traditional family festival, will offer the chance to learn how sap from their own trees is made into syrup, to sample the syrup and to enjoy lots of fun for children including a scavenger hunt, maple-themed crafts, games, storytelling, and music. On Staurday, watch local chefs create delicious dishes using local maple syrup and vote for your favorite. On Sunday, enjoy the populat pancake brunch from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission fees: Members $5, non-members $10, kids 3 and under free. www.stamfordmuseum.org.

Sweet Delight!

Sweet Delight!

March 9
The Annual Maple Festival at Sweet Wind Farm in East Hartland will be a busy day with a tree tapping demonstration, maple syrup and sugar making with free syrup samples at the sugar house, a narrated slide show and video, a cooking and recipe class story time for kids, and –almost everyone’s favorite activity– a sugar-on-snow candy making demonstration. The event takes place rain or shine from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. http://www.sweetwindfarm.net

March 2 – 3 and 9-10
At the Open House Maple Festival at the Great Brook Sugar House on Sullivan Farm, located on Rte. 202 in New Milford is a maple sugaring program for families on Saturdays and Sundays March 2,3,9 and 10 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants will learn the natural and cultural history of maple sugar as well as try the bit brace drill, see sap flowing as well as cook and taste the syrup. For more information http://sullivanfarmnm.org.

sullivan farm maple sugar

March 16

This busiest March weekend is when the New Canaan Nature Center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. will hold tree-tapping demos, and a real maple sap boil down at their Sugar Shack, as well as give a look at historic methods of making maple syrup. Families can also enjoy a delicious Pancake Brunch with maple syrup, join naturalists for a hike along “Maple Lane” to learn tree identification tips, warm up around the campfire to share tall tales, make a Maple craft and take home souvenir treats from a Maple Bake Sale. Members $8 and non-Members $12, kids 2 and under free.

flandsere maple

Audubon Sharon will be holding its annual MapleFest on Saturday, March 16 between 10 am and 4 pm at the Sharon Audubon Center, Route 4, Sharon, CT. On-going guided 40-minute tours will lead visitors through the Center’s sugaring operation, including a working sugarhouse and a re-creation of Native American and early colonial sugaring methods. Participants can watch as pure sugar maple sap is collected from the trees and turned into delicious maple syrup. Admission for the event is $5.00 adults and $3.00 children. This hands-on, sensory-based experience focuses on trees as living organisms and the concept of sustainable agriculture in a forest ecosystem. Our teaching method incorporates forest ecology and cultural history into the joy and excitement of maple syrup production. Fresh syrup will be available for purchase in the Sharon Audubon Center Nature Store while supplies last. For more information on MapleFest or the Audubon Sharon sugaring operation, contact the Audubon Center at (860) 364-0520 or visit www.sharon.audubon.org. Depending on sap flow, the sugarhouse will also be open each weekend in March for visitors. Call ahead to see if Audubon staff will be boiling sap.