Category: Connecticut Travel

The Washington Art Association & Gallery located on 4 Byron Plaza in Washington Depot is presenting “Objectivity,” an exhibition of sculpture and photographs through June 3. This exhibition explores how five artists working in different media deal with the quality of being objective – through the lens of a camera or the touch of the hand. Gallery Hours are Tues. – Sat., 10 am – 5 pm.

Mary Adams is a sculptor concerned with figural representation. Her clay and bronze figures are able to capture movement, expression and mood in three dimensions. Her sense of touch is so attuned that her sculptures give the viewer not only the keen sense of a figure but also of place and time.

Dan Murray studied with esteemed master sculptor, Paul Suttman. Employing the lost wax casting method, the hawks and mountain lions around his rural studio in Kent have inspired him. The animals’ connections to nature grounds Murray and gives him insight into our greater world. His stylized forms give the animals authority and grace.

Jon Riedeman’s reliefs and sculptures also focus on wildlife. His work is realistic and evokes touch of whimsy that the natural world tends to cleverly possess.

William de la Mare’s photographs are interested in the interconnectedness of environmental systems. He concentrates on photographing water in its various forms. As profoundly important as water may be in that direct and measurable context there is another contemplative benefit that water provides – water depicts simplicity, and yet its complexity challenges us to find patterns in apparent chaos.

Catherine Noren’s lure of photography as a gateway to Truth has been intense. Yet, curiosity about people and events has become less intense than the metaphors that illuminate them: light, color, shadow, shape, juxtaposition, scale with out-of-the-way relationships and geographies. Noren works to make the familiar strange to the viewer.

For more information, please contact the Washington Art Association & Gallery by telephone at 860.868.2878 or by email at washingtonart@snet.net.

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on things to do and see, special events and travel tips in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Capture the sights, sounds and experience of a real New England farm when Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust holds its annual “Farm Day” on Saturday, May 20th at the Van Vleck Farm and Nature Sanctuary, 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury. This family fun event is taking place from 10AM to 4PM this fun filled celebration will be packed with farm based activities that will build memories for families and kids alike.

Families can visit with live farm animals like sheep, rabbits, horses, cows and chickens as well as the newest Flanders’ spring arrivals including a set of triplet brother goats and a miniature horse born last month named “April Surprise”! There will be great food, music and lots of family-friendly entertainment that will take place on the grounds, throughout the day. Farm Day” visitors can hop on to a wagon to go for a hay ride, touch a wide collection of vintage tractors, take a pony ride, watch wood carving demonstrations, buy unique items from local artisans, enjoy delicious homemade food and treats and more.

Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservation will be on hand to talk about some of their rescued birds and Dianne Parmelee, author and Flanders educator will be available for a meet & greet and book signings of her new release, “Spot A Lot Dot”.

In addition, the trails at Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust will be open from dawn to dusk for hiking, at no charge so families are encouraged to make a full day of it while celebrating the great outdoors and getting a taste of the farming life!
The cost for “Farm Day” is $7 per person and free for children aged two or under. All proceeds from the day go toward Flanders’ environmental education programming. For more information visit Flanders website at www.flandersnaturecenter.org

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on things to do and see, special events and travel tips in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com

The Wilton Historical Society is hosting a “colonial” boot camp for kids from June 26 through June 30 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm daily. This program is led by certified instructors and four assistants and is perfect for kids ages 6 – 10 and grades 1 – 5. From the moment they arrive, twelve lucky kids will be up to their elbows experiencing life in historic Wilton in this engaging and fun Colonial Boot Camp!

Kids will get a chance to dig into a variety of activities, including making bread and churning butter; soap making; tin punching; dying T-shirts with natural materials such as onion skins; woodworking; paper marbling; Colonial cookery; and more! There will be time every day to play outdoor games, learn something new, and make new friends. Daily Colonial snacks provided!

To register contact the museum educator at 203-762-7257. The cost per child is $175 for members and $225 for non-members.To sign up for a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills or Fairfield County www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

 

On June 10 the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden located on 9 Main Street North in Bethlehem is hosting the Lilac Girls Tour and Walk with best selling author Martha Hall Kelly. This event is based on the best selling book about Caroline Ferriday and guests are invited to her Connecticut home.

New York Times Best Seller Lilac Girls is based on the true story of New York socialite Caroline Ferriday who championed Ravensbrück Concentration Camp survivors known as Rabbits. The story is based on the lives of three real women that intersect when one is sent to Ravensbrück. This acclaimed debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades.

The author, Martha Hall Kelly will be the highlight of this event, Lilac Girls. The book details a great story of Caroline Ferriday, a warm hearted generous woman whose courageous actions are no longer forgotten.

There will be a Lilac Girls Tour and a Lilac Walk with the author and a book signing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for $35 per person. Beginning at 3 p.m. and running to 5 p.m. there will be a French Inspired Reception and author presentation for $55 per person. Tickets for both sessions are $75 and patron tickets sell for $125. Tickets should be purchased by Friday, June 2. For questions call 860-247-8996 x 23.

To sign up for a free monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills or Fairfield County on things to do and see and special deals visit www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com
 

If you are up for a wild time and a unique safari experience Connecticut style, don’t miss the most popular event of the year, the Wine, Beer and Food Safari hosted by the Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave. in Bridgeport that is taking place on June 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This year guests 21 years of age and older can go on the hunt for more than 60 different types of wine from all over the country. As for food, there is food aplenty prepared by favorite local restaurants and caterers — they know you will work up an appetite while exploring the Zoo and meeting all the wild residents that make Beardsley Zoo their home! Please note, all wine & beer will be sampled from 6:00 PM through 8:30 PM (alcohol serving ends one half-hour before event close). Keep in mind that participating vendors are serving tastings, not full servings – the Zoo staff wants to encourage guests to sample as much as they can! There will also be plenty of non-alcoholic beverages such as soda and water at snack stations.

In addition to beer, wine and food tastings, there will be live music performed on the stage in the Peacock Pavilion, and even a silent auction with eighty great prizes to set your sights on! And, while on “safari”, be sure not to miss visiting the Zoo’s Amur tigers & leopards, otters, wolves and more outside; then stop in to the South American Rainforest to see monkeys, ocelot, and tamarins. Be sure to check the schedule of events that evening for animal demonstrations and feedings.

Admission to this event is $75 per person, groups of four or more are $70 per person and VIP admission is $120. VIP guests enjoy early admission, and a special cocktail reception hosted by Tito’s Handmade Vodka from 5 pm – 6 pm, hors d’oeuvres and a special animal encounter! As a travel tip, buy your tickets in advance because this event is a sell out! Tickets are sold online.

On May 20, the Barkhamsted Historical Society is once again hosting its annual Old Barkhamsted Day on May 20 beginning at 12 noon on the grounds of the Squire Tavern located on 100 East River Road in Pleasant Valley, a bucolic village in the township of Barkhamsted.

Festivities will include a variety of live demonstrations featuring some of the domestic skills our ancestors used in their daily lives. There will be a blacksmith on the grounds of the Squire Tavern with his portable forge showing how a number of iron items were produced that were needed around the farms that once populated the area. In addition there will be weaving, spinning, candle making, basket weaving, rush chair seat weaving demonstrations as well as examples of corn husk dolls. For the young and young at heart there will be old hand tools and games to try. New this year is a sheep shearing demonstration as well as several friendly goats that will be roaming the grounds.

Once again, the Lebanon Towne Miltitia have set up an encampment that shows how these men lived while being ready to defend their town. To round out the fun, Squires Tavern will also be open for tours.