Category: Connecticut Travel

Time is running out to see flamingos in their only Connecticut location this summer: The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. The Aquarium’s exclusive summer exhibit of the popular birds ends on Labor Day (Sept. 4). The flamingos have been standing – often, on one leg – in the aviary on the Aquarium’s riverfront courtyard since Memorial Day weekend. The exhibit is free with Aquarium admission.

Displayed at The Maritime Aquarium are six Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis), a larger species – 4 to 5 feet tall – native to southern South America. They’re distinguished from other flamingo species by their paler plumage, by the downward half of their bills being black, and by their greyish legs with notably pink “knees.” (Although, technically, what looks like their knees are really their “ankles.”)

Chilean flamingos are considered to be “Near Threatened,” with humans representing their main threat because of hunting, egg harvesting and by the loss of – and changes to – their natural habitats. After Labor Day, the Aquarium’s birds will return to a zoo in Louisiana.

Get details about all of the Aquarium’s summer offerings – including cruises onto Long Island Sound, a new expanded jellyfish area, and the IMAX movie “Amazon Adventure” – at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

As the summer season begins to come to an end, the country fair and festival season is just beginning. Once again, this year, the bucolic village of Colebrook located in the far northwest corner of the Litchfield Hills is hosting their annual Labor Day Weekend Festival on Sat. Sept. 2 from 9 am to 4 pm. Colebrook is an architectural gem; the heart of this village located at the crossroads of Rtes. 182A and 183 is a perfectly preserved reminder of Connecticut’s architectural past.

The Colebrook Fair began as an event of the school children at the old Center School, a two-room schoolhouse once located at the foot of Schoolhouse Road. The year was 1943, and the country was embroiled in the sad events and worries of World War II. Ruth Bushnell, the teacher of the 5th through 8th grades, came up with the idea of a children’s fair to instill a sense of happiness when happiness was in short supply and, 73 years later, the Colebrook Fair is still providing family fun with lots of smiles.

This year, fair goers will enjoy unique crafters, a variety of vendors, great food, raffles, a flea market and more. Kids can compete in pie eating or frog jumping contests, a pet show or the “make-your-own” Cardboard Boat Regatta.

The frog jumping contest dates back to the first fair held in Colebrook and kids have fun competing in several categories in this time-honored tradition. To round out the fun, kids will enjoy, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, games, the Fire Department’s “touch-a-truck” and smokehouse.

The 5th Annual Car Show will feature an incredible array of antique and classic vehicles. There are several awards categories and cars run the gamut from antiques, muscle and classics to imports, trucks and, new and cool!

For additional information visit the website of the fair.

There is nothing as delicious as a summer peach and the Oxford Historical Society has organized a festival to celebrate this delicious fruit on Saturday, August 26 from 4-7 pm at the Great Hill United Methodist Church, located beside the Route 188 rotary at 225 Great Hill Road in Seymour.

Thi star of this event is scrumptious homemade peach shortcake with fresh Market 32 peaches and Rich Farm handmade peach ice cream plus a choice of beverages. Admission to the festival is $1.

Each year the Peach Festival has a theme and this year’s is “Oxford 100 Years Ago”. Highlights of this theme showcase life in this small New England farming town from 1915 -1920, as residents served abroad in World War I and worked at home to support the troops. One soldier who enlisted and was wounded in France was Clarence Roberts from Quaker Farms. His letters, uniform, and a number of artifacts from his years of service will be on display.

The festival also features displays on the Hale-Coleman Peach Farm, once located on Great Hill and Peach Farm Roads. Raising peaches was once a major enterprise in Seymour and Oxford.

This summer in Salisbury every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the beautifully manicured lawn of the Scoville Memorial Library (38 Main Street) there will be a farmers market. The lawn bordered by towering maple trees is the perfect backdrop for the market that will feature a large variety of vegetables, meats, cheeses, eggs, rustic breads and more. There is plenty of on and off the street free parking making visiting this market a pleasure. The market was organized by the library to further its community mission beyond the borrowing of books and movies.

Among participants, Crooked Oak farm from Lakeville and Mountain Falls Farm from Sheffield will be bringing an large variety of vegetables. Meats including chicken, beef, pork and sausage will be provided by Skipp Hobbs of Mountain Falls in Sheffield, MA and the Cockerlines from Whipporwill Farm in Lakeville. Savory baked goods are featured by Carol Bonci including breads, focaccia, sesame salt rolls, savory turnovers, plus vegetarian pate.

Jams and jellies will be provided by Adamah Farm from Falls Village and Averill Farm of Washington Depot, who will also feature apple butter, apple cider syrup, and honey in addition to apples and pears in season. The Adamah will offer their wonderful pickles and a variety of cheeses will available from Sprout Creek Farm from Poughkeepsie and vinegars from Brother Victor.

Additionally there will be maple syrup, eggs, seedlings and eventually cut flowers and other plants. On occasion there will be special guests and chef demonstrations.

The Washington Art Association & Gallery in collaboration with The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present, The Nordic Tapestry Group: Weaving Knowledge into Personal Expression through September 9, 2017.

The Nordic Tapestry Group consists of weavers from Sweden, Iceland, and the United States who formed a decade ago when Swedish-born tapestry artist, Helena Hernmarck http://www.hernmarck.com returned to Sweden to offer workshops in
her weaving technique.

The craft of interweaving natural materials to create functional ware and decorative objects has been practiced for centuries. Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The method in which the warp, the longitudinal threads, and the weft, lateral threads are interwoven affects the characteristics of the cloth.

Hernmarck is an internationally acclaimed artist and weaver recognized for revolutionizing weaving tapestry as a medium suited to modern architectural environments. Her technique is a play on traditional Swedish weaving techniques, which she has evolved to achieve powerful photorealistic effects. A close look at her tapestries reveals bundles of variously hued yarns that combine at a distance to create a remarkable illusion of depth.

This exhibition features tapestries from the Nordic Tapestry weavers’ most recent exploration, Face to Face. It reveals their shared passion and ongoing exchange, and celebrates the transfer and evolution of weaving knowledge into personal expression. Their works display their expertise in using light, color, and the different qualities of yarn to weave images, create space and depth, and to depict three-dimensional forms. Their skillful mastery of the loom truly elevates the craft of weaving to a sophisticated and elegant style of painting with threads.

The Stamford Art Association will present “Far Away Places” at its Townhouse Gallery through August 24, 2017. This show highlights the work of 40 artists that will present their multimedia representations of far away places, which may be real or imagined.

Established in 1971, the Stamford Art Association is a nonprofit 501(3)c organization whose members include painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and multimedia artists. Beginning its 47th year, our mission as an arts organization is to provide a forum where emerging and professional artists can exhibit their work to the community and compete in juried shows. We host an international exhibit yearly, the Faber Birren Color Award Show, and a High School Student Show for Fairfield County students.

The Association’s Townhouse Gallery holds eight consecutive shows each year, two of which are solo exhibits and six are juried exhibits with prominent jurors from art schools, galleries and institutions in New York and surrounding areas, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, Bruce Museum, and Museum of Modern Art. All artists, not just members, are welcome to submit their work for exhibits. Annual competitions draw submissions from local, regional, and national artists. The SAA also curates the 4 “Art at the Ferguson” exhibits a year at the Ferguson Library.

The Stamford Art Association is supported by grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the City of Stamford and the Kuriansky Foundation and generous donations from individual artists and friends.

The SAA Townhouse Gallery is open every Thursday/Friday from 11 am to 3 pm and Saturday/Sunday from Noon to 3 pm. Admission is free and there is ample parking.