Month: September 2017

Sharon Connecticut is a quintessential New England town in the Litchfield Hills with a long village green bordered by perfectly manicured white clapboard colonial homes. On Saturday, Sept. 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. visitors to Sharon are in for an “artistic” treat.

Darren Winston Bookseller, Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, The Gallery @the SHS of Sharon Historical Society & Museum and Sharon Town Hall Art Gallery are collaborating to present the first Sharon Art Walk. Each of the participating galleries will be open from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 16, 2017 and will host a reception with light refreshments for artists and visitors.

Darren Winston Bookseller will display “Picture Book: New Works by Jeff Joyce” (on view September 14 through September 30).

Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will exhibit a solo show of artwork by Danielle Mailer entitled “Tiny Tremors: Paintings, Prints, Sculpture” (on view September 4 through October 31).

Sharon Historical Society & Museum will present an invitational group show of multimedia landscape art called “The Land We Love” featuring the work of area artists Basia Goldsmith, Norma Kimmel, Ellen Moon, Patty Mullins, Ray Olsen and Babs Perkins (on view September 16 through October 27).

The Sharon Town Hall Art Gallery will display “Female Perspective,” a group show of recent work by local women artists including Linda Amerighi, Eve Biddle, Purdy Eaton and Tara Lisa Foley.

In addition to gallery hopping among the participating galleries, visitors will have an opportunity to visit Standard Space and The Porchlight and to view art by Sharon artists Theresa Kenny, KK Kozik and Will Trowbridge, who will open their studios to the public during the Sharon Art Walk.

All participating galleries are convenient to the Sharon Town Green: Darren Winston Bookseller at 81 Main Street; Hotchkiss Library of Sharon at 10 Upper Main Street; The Gallery @the SHS, located at Sharon Historical Society & Museum at 18 Main Street; and Sharon Town Hall at 63 Main Street. A list of addresses and locations of artists’ studios will be available at each participating gallery and studio.

The aroma of steaming chowder, the tantalizing scent of garlic, and the chance to sample the best specialties of Iceland await autumn visitors to Western Connecticut, home to three of the season’s top food festivals.

Chowdafest, New England’s largest cooking competition, will be held at Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park on October 1, a new location spacious enough to accommodate the growing fan base, while another popular event, the tenth annual Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival takes place October 7-8, 2017 at the Bethlehem Fairgrounds.

YOU ARE THE JUDGE AT CHOWDAFEST

At this SOUPerbowl of festivals to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank, attendees are the judges as more than two dozen of the regions best restaurants compete in four categories: classic New England Clam Chowder, Traditional Manhattan and Rhode Island chowders, “creative” chowders that might be anything from sweet potato to Cajun shrimp, and bisque soups such as Butternut Squash and Golden Corn. Everyone receives a spoon, pencil and ballot and can sample unlimited chowder and soups, grading entries on a scale from 7 to 10. Winners are announced at the end of the event.

For tasting variety, samples are offered at the Cheese and Cracker Corner, at ChowdaMex featuring salsas and chips and at a beverage center stocked with beer and wine. The ChowdaKIDS area will provide samples of ice cream and milk as well as free chef hats, coloring books and stickers provided by Stop & Shop, the event sponsor.

Admission is $15 for adults, and ages 6 to 12 pay $5, children under 6 are free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds from this food festival to fight hunger have provided over 100,000 meals for the CT Food Bank. For information, see www.chowdafest.org
GARLIC IN ITS GLORY
Foodies flock each year to the Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival where they enjoy cooking demonstrations, informative food talks, lessons in growing garlic, plus free samplings of garlic dips, spreads, cheeses and oils from specialty food vendors. Visitors can buy farm-fresh garlic as well as other bounty from the fall harvest. All of that is the warm-up for some serious eating that includes treats like homemade roasted garlic sausage with peppers and onions, garlic marinated steak sandwiches, garlic roast pork sandwiches, deep fried garlic, and even garlic ice cream.

Live bands add to the festive feel, fine artisans are on hand offering hand made crafts and young visitors will find rides and games to keep them entertained.

The Garlic Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday October 7 and 8 at the Bethlehem Fairgrounds, Route 61 just north of town. Adult admission is $8, Seniors: $7, under age 12, just $1. Find more details at www.garlicfestct.com

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking announces the opening of STILL LIFE on Sunday, September 10, from 2pm-4pm, with an artist talk from 3pm-4pm, featuring Jane E. Goldman, Nancy Lasar, Katja Oxman and Norm Stewart of Stewart & Stewart. The exhibition will run through December 3, 2017.

The exhibition of approximately 40 original fine prints by artists: Jack Beal, Janet Fish, Sondra Freckelton, Jane E. Goldman, Daniel Lang, Katja Oxman and Nancy Lasar, present a variety of techniques including etchings, aquatints, lithographs, monoprints, screenprints, and hand painted archival pigment prints, highlighting the intricacy and beauty of this densely orchestrated genre. A set of progression proofs for a print edition by Katja Oxman will be included, showcasing the range of possibilities and processes within this subject matter. Stewart & Stewart, a printer and publisher of fine art prints in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, will loan a number of original prints to the exhibition.

If you enjoy scotch and want to learn more about it, you can experience the Scottish Highlands at the Norwalk Historical Society’s Scotch Tasting at Mill Hill on 2 East Wall Street on Thursday Sept. 14 at 7 pm.

Gregg Glaser, a nationally recognized spirits and beer connoisseur, will take you on a journey through the Scottish Highlands. Learn how Scotland’s national drink is made, what the different styles are and the history behind this celebrated beverage. A curated variety of six to seven styles of Scotch whiskey will be sampled throughout the night. To add to the fun, guests will enjoy appetizers from local Norwalk restaurants, including O’Neill’s Pub & the Winfield Street Deli.

Tickets: $45.00 per person until September 11, 2017; $50.00 per person after September 11 and at the door (if available). Must be 21 years old+ to attend. IDs will be checked at the door.

On Sunday, September 17, the Kent Historical Society is presenting a program: The First Great Awakening: Fervor and Ferment” as part of its Sunday Series lectures in the Kent Town Hall Sunday, September 17, at 2 p.m. The featured speaker is Thomas Key of Salisbury, who is an instructor for the Taconic Learning Center and a speaker at the Scoville Library, and has given over 75 lectures on a number of historical topics.

In the 1730s, a wave of religious revivals, sponsored by the established clergy of the Reformed Churches, swept the Thirteen Colonies. The fervor disrupted the connection between church and state in New England. These revivals involved extreme emotional displays by the thousands of people who heard the sermons of Jonathan Edwards and various itinerant preachers. Though there was little lasting impact on the religious commitment of the colonies, the ideas presented probably moved the colonies closer to declaring independence from Great Britain.

Mr. Key studied engineering, was a flight officer in the US Navy and retired as a Commander in the US Naval Reserves. His professional career was with an international engineering firm, designing and constructing nuclear and fossil power plants, steel mills, and chemical plants. He’s also had a career as a landscape painter exhibiting in over thirty galleries and invitational/juried shows from Delaware to Maine.

The Sunday Series lectures have been designed to give context to the Kent Historical Society’s 2017 exhibit, “The Founders of Kent,” on the emergence of one New England town in the 18th century. The exhibit and related Sunday Series events are sponsored by the Kent Barns and the Kent Lions Club.

The Kent Historical Society sponsors the Sunday Series every other month September through May. Free admission for members; $5 suggested donation for non-members.

For more information please call 860.927.4587 or visit www.kenthistoricalsociety.org. To sign up for a free monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com

This year, a Taste of Litchfield Hills is being held at South Farms on 21 Higbie Road in Morris on September 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This is the culinary event of the year that will feature restaurants, specialty markets, winemakers, craft brewers, and others in the beautifully restored white barn and through out this beautiful 90-acre property.

Expect to be wowed at South Farms as participants serve their signature cuisine, curated cocktails and beverages to foodies and fun-loving folk in the area. To add to the fun, there will be two live bands as well as engaging and convivial roving entertainment.

The pre-purchased general admission is $50, which includes food, drink, and entertainment all afternoon. A VIP pass is $100 and provides food, drink, entertainment, private parking, and access to a lounge with TV and food service. Children 15 and under are $20. Day-of-the event tickets are $60 for general admission and $110 for the VIP lounge. You do not have to be 21 to purchase a ticket, however, you do have to be 21 to drink alcohol, so don’t forget to bring along your ID.

Parking is available at the facility. If you are directed to overflow parking there will be a shuttle to transport you to the event and back to your car.