Month: November 2019

Skip the mall and head to Kent for a weekend of shopping, dining and champagne sipping. The 7th Annual Kent Holiday Champagne Stroll takes place Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30 from 4:00 to 7:30 PM. The event is sponsored by the Kent Chamber of Commerce.

Considered the benchmark for all holiday strolls, the town of Kent will play host to over 25 distinctive shops, galleries & restaurants set to serve delicious champagnes and other bubblies, poured alongside special promotions, exclusive sales, and a few outstanding events. Event strollers will find everything from stylish clothing, one-of-a-kind antiques, artwork, books, toys for kids, delicious teas and coffees, gifts, amazing jewelry to trendy western boots.

The Kent Champagne Stroll also coincides with “Small Business Saturday” — a nationwide marketing campaign sponsored by American Express — which celebrates and recognizes small retail businesses as being the backbone of local economies.
Once you have strolled, shopped and tasted, head to one of Kent’s fine restaurants for dinner where you will find unique menu items to compliment the weekend as well as more champagne. Like Sex in the City author and local resident, Candace Bushnell wrote, “Champagne – it’s just beer for girls”, although men will enjoy this, too.

Advance tickets $22/person (must be 21 years or older to attend); day of event tickets $25/person (must be 21 years or older to attend). To purchase tickets please visit http://www.kentstroll.com

To learn more about this great event go to http://www.kentct.com or call 860-592-0061

Litchfield Hills is dotted with many holiday fairs and festivals. For those that are looking for something really unusual, take a trip to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut to shop for authentic Native American Arts and Crafts.

At the Institute’s annual Native American Holiday Arts and Crafts Market you will find a wide array of unusual holiday gifts from local Native American crafters. Visitors can shop for a wide variety of Native American crafts, jewelry, and artwork. Among the more unusual items are beautifully handwoven baskets from colorful reeds and bark, hand-painted decorative gourds, authentically made Native American pottery, rattles, and elegant handcrafted flutes.

All the items found here are offered at a variety of price points so no matter what your budget is, you might very well find that perfect gift item. In addition to finding something truly unusual, visitors will have the opportunity to chat with Native American crafters as they create these unique and beautiful items.

The Native American Holiday Arts and Crafts Market is taking place at the Institute on November 30 and December 1; December 7 and 8, and December 14 and 15. This special Native American Holiday Market will be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 pm to 5 p.m. The entrance to the Holiday Market is free!

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.

The history of hats is so long and has been part of our wardrobe for thousands of years. In time many designs have appeared and disappeared, only to reappear again. In the 16th century, women began to wear structured hats, similar to those that were worn by men. In the 18th century, milliners started appearing, usually, women, that created hats and bonnets but also designing overall styles. Materials of the highest quality and best hats came from the Italian city of Milan. That is where the term “milliner” comes from.

With this in mind, the New Cannan Historical Society has organized an exhibition from November 15-March 1, 2020 called Hat Madness. “Mad as a Hatter” was a term used to describe dementia experienced by men in the hat-making business. The mercury used in the production of felt, which was then used for hats, caused the problem. In the 19th century, the Danbury Hatters experienced what was then called the “Danbury Shakes.” Without labor laws to protect them, these workers struggled to keep up with production as they lost their minds.

In Hat Madness, the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society opens up its extensive clothing and textile collection to explore the history of hats, hat design and hat-making. From the simple bonnets worn in Colonial times to stunning pieces of art that were popular in the 1920s to the “Pussy Cap” of the 2017 Women’s March, this exhibition spans more than 200 years. Period garments and related accessories will also be on display.

The show is curated by Penny Havard and runs through March 1, 2020. Opening Reception Friday,

Cooking and dining with friends and family during the Holiday Season that begins with Thanksgiving and ends with New Year’s Eve is a much loved Connecticut tradition. Many nonprofit organizations, historic house museums and nature centers host holiday art and craft festivals in addition to workshops on wreath making and ornament creation. The Westport Historical Society has taken the holiday festivities one step further by offering something perfect for food lovers and those that also love to learn about the history of food.

So, this year to get in a holiday state of mind, head to the Westport Historical Society to learn about the dessert says holidays – Plum Pudding! On December 4, 2019 from 7 pm – 9 pm join the Executive Director, Ramin Ganeshram, a trained chef, food historian and award-winning cookbook author to talk about the history of plum pudding and to make your own special mix of brandy-soaked fruit and pudding mix to take home and bake or give as a gift!

This delectably moist, dessert, heady with the flavor of brandy, is a Victorian tradition that recalls the charming holidays of yore and is sure to be a modern-day treat.