Category: Connecticut Travel

This summer a wee bit o’ Scotland comes to the Litchfield Hills on June 25 at Lime Rock Park when the Round Hill Highland Games takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual festival celebrates Scottish heritage and culture; a highlight of this event is the traditional traditional professional and amateur highland game competitions. The Round Hill Highland Games are the third oldest in the United States and this is the 93 year this event has been organized.

This tradition dates back to King Malcolm III (1057-93) who started the Scottish Highland Games nearly a thousand years ago at Craig Choinich by Braemar near Balmoral, in order to sort out the smartest, swiftest, strongest, most nimble, accurate, agile and coordinated Cumbrians with the most prowess, endurance, stamina and character from amongst his subjects! These subjects became the King’s Royal Inner Circle of protectors and couriers when going into battle.

Scottish and Scottish at heart are welcome to attend and will enjoy traditional piping and drumming competitions, pipe major competitions, pipe band competitions, Scottish country dancing, heavy athletic competitions, races and amateur sports for the whole family and children’s games & crafts. There will plenty of Scottish entertainment and folk music to add to the fun as well as fabulous Scottish food and drink plus vendors offering a wide assortment of Scottish merchandise.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children recognizes that many special people may play the role of dad in children’s lives, and that “dad” can mean different things to different people. That’s why, for the first time ever, one caregiver per family gets into the museum in Norwalk for FREE on June 18th – not just dads!

Children can honor someone special by creating a “You’re Worth Every Penny” greeting card during their visit from 11:15 – 11:45am, or a personalized #1 Dad Cheer Finger from 1:15– 1:45pm. While supplies last.

Also from 11:15 – 11:45am everyone can make Hulk-inspired Gamma radiation slime! Limited Space – Ticketed. 2 sessions of 12 participants.

The weekend fun actually starts on Saturday, June 17th when parents and kids are invited to explore music and movement through song, dance and the playing of instruments at Around the World: Performance Series from 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Folklore Urbano NYC will perform Cumbia for Kids, an interactive dance performance featuring Colombian music. Songs in Spanish are based on rhythms from the region like bambuco, pasillo and torbellino.

In addition to the many fun and educational exhibits, families can check out the travelling Healthyville exhibit that teaches children and adults about fitness and nutrition. It offers hands-on opportunities to explore topics in ways that helps kids understand their bodies, the importance of making healthy choices and apply concepts in everyday situations.

One free adult admission per family and the adult needs to be at least 18 years of age. Cannot be combined with other offers.

ABOUT STEPPING STONES MUSUEM 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 http://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are: Labor Day through Memorial Day, Tuesday-Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; and Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday-Sunday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free.

On Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 pm. the Wilton Historical Society located on 224 Danbury Road is hosting a special Father’s Day program for kids on one of their favorite topics…cartoons! When people think of cartoons, they may think of comic books, political cartoons and “the funnies” in the Sunday newspaper when they were kids. But cartoons have been around in print and visual media for several hundred years; some of the earliest date to the 18th century in Britain.

Museum Educator Lola Chen will be discussing how cartoons evolved, and will use the Society’s current exhibition Dr. Seuss, Political Cartoons and the Battle Over Isolationism vs Intervention to show some examples. From the start, cartoons have been a way to lampoon and poke fun at the establishment and government. The kids will have a chance to draw their own cartoon, which may be a great gift for Father’s Day! Snack included, which the children will help prepare.

Suggested for ages 6 – 12. Wilton Historical Society members $10 per child, maximum $25 per family; Non-members $15 per child, maximum $35 per family. Please register: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.

Did You Know?
“The cartoon art form began with ‘caricatura’. A caricature – from the Italian caricare, to load or exaggerate – is a drawing that gives weight to the most striking features of its subject for comic effect. The great Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Annibale Carracci and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, all drew caricatures. These were technical exercises in virtuosity with the aim of defining the essence of a person in a few deft strokes of the pen.” — The Cartoon Museum, London

Now in it’s 11th year, Experience the Sound hosted by the Greenwich Shellfish Commission is once again taking place on June 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich and best of all this event is free and you don’t need a beach pass or car sticker to attend! This year the theme is “From Streams Through Soil to Sea” to emphasize that the local ecology in our own backyard is connected to the Sound and to encourage the public to be good caretakers of the land and the Sound. Activities will take place around the Innis Arden Cottage and the Old Greenwich Yacht Club and it’s docks at Greenwich Point. A free shuttle bus will be available to take participants back and forth between the two areas.

One of the highlights of this event is the Board a Boat exhibition. Festival goers are invited to climb aboard commercial shellfishing barges as well as the other boats that dock at the Old Greenwich Yacht Club. The Soundwaters Schooner, an 80 ft. three-masted representation of a 19th Century Sharpie Schooner used for teaching science to students of all ages will be docked along with the Atlantic Clam Farms barge, and the Copps Island Oyster boat, a traditional shellfishing boat operated by the third generation of shell-fishermen in the Bloom family.

If you have worked up an appetite, no worries as festival goers are invited to sample fresh clams and oysters from local waters. The raw bar hosts are local commercial shellfishing companies Atlantic Clam Farms and Hemlock Oyster Company.

The Greenwich Historical Society is teaming up with the Greenwich Point Conservancy and Old Greenwich Yacht Club to host a historical boat tour of the waters off Greenwich Point. Taking a new tack in honor of its exhibition Close to the Wind: Our Maritime History, the Historical Society is offering lucky guests a chance to test their sea legs during this 45-minute cruise. Each of the two tours (scheduled at 9:00 and 10:00 am) is limited to 11 passengers, so reservations must be made prior to the event and will be confirmed the day before. Participants will meet at the dock at Old Greenwich Yacht Club and are advised to dress appropriately for the weather, wear boat shoes or other footwear with soft, non-marking soles and apply sunscreen.

The Historical Society will also host a booth at Innis Arden Cottage from 1:00 to 4:00 pm featuring a fun family craft project involving the design of your very own nautical flag. In addition, outside the Innis Arden Cottage, attendees will have a chance to connect with many of the wonderful community groups and organizations in Greenwich and the surrounding area which organize water sports and other environmental and naturalist pursuits. The Greenwich Audubon and Wild Wings for example will be in attendance to talk about birds and other wildlife that make the Long Island Sound their home. The Bruce Museum Seaside Center will have a large touch tank with crabs, oysters, clams, fish, and more, and Naturalists on hand to answer your questions.

Wildlife artist Melody Asbury, a signature member of the prestigious Society of Animal Artists is offering a four-week class series where individual instruction will be given on learning anatomy, gesture and characteristics of various animals. Now that the weather has warmed this will include the animals grazing in the Flanders’ pastures and homed in their North Barn as well as a collection of taxidermy and photographs. Any medium can be used and all artistic levels are welcome. Students should bring a sketchbook, pencil and other supplies of their choice to the first class.

The first four class series will begin on Wednesday June 28 with classes also held on the following Wednesdays of July 5, 12 and 19. All classes will be held from 7 to 9 PM at the Flanders’ studio which is located on the corner of Flanders Road and Church Hill Road in Woodbury.

The cost for the four class series is $100 for members or $150 for non-members. Preregistration is required. Those interested may register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

The Connecticut Art Trail, a collaboration of world-class museums and historic sites across the state, welcomed three new and returning members in 2017: Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, and Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden.

The CT Art Trail began as the CT Impressionist Art Trail in 1995; it has since grown considerably to expand the group’s scope beyond Impressionism to showcase the diversity of collections within the state.

“As a founding member of the Connecticut Art Trail, the Florence Griswold Museum has seen the Trail grow from representing museums specializing in Impressionist art to embracing the variety of Connecticut’s contribution to American art. We value our association with the state’s finest art institutions. Participation in the group is one of the most effective tactics in our yearly marketing plan,” notes Tammi Flynn, Director of Marketing at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

New CT Art Passport
The collaboration between the 18 CT Art Trail members makes it possible for CT residents and visitors alike to visit all member museums within one year with a $25 Art Passport. The Art Passport is an enhanced version of the previous Art Pass, which will offer pass-holders additional benefits, discounts, free gifts, and a valuable cultural experience suitable for all generations. The Passport has a $90+ value, and is available to buy at any member museum and online at http://ctarttrail.org/the-art-pass/ starting May 1, 2017.

The upgraded Passport is made possible by an exclusive sponsorship from Delamar Hotels.

“The Delamar Hotels and the Greenwich Hospitality Group are delighted to partner with the Connecticut Art Trail and its wonderful array of 18 member institutions, said Charles Mallory, Founder and CEO of Greenwich Hospitality Group. “We pride ourselves on delivering a level of hospitality and culinary excellence that will nourish the visitor experience in the same way that the Art Trail members will stimulate their patrons and Passport holders.”

About the Connecticut Art Trail
The Connecticut Art Trail is a nationally recognized partnership between eighteen world-class museums and historic sites, created to promote Connecticut’s rich cultural assets as part of a travel experience.

The Trail was launched in 1995 as the Connecticut Impressionist Art Trail, celebrating Connecticut’s ten museums and historic sites that highlighted American Impressionism. In 2005, the member museums voted to expand its membership beyond Impressionism to include even more quality museums and historic sites, increasing the membership to eighteen today. This strategic initiative was accomplished in order to reach a broader audience and showcase the diversity of collections within the state. The Connecticut Art Trail also offers the Art Passport, granting visitors one-day access to each museum along the trail for a small fee. More information about the Art Trail can be found online at ctarttrail.org.