Category: Connecticut Travel

Mark your calendars and plan to join the Derby Historical Society to mark the end of the Christmas season with its annual “Twelfth Night Celebration” at the David Humphreys House. This event features tours of their 17th century house by costumed docents. You’ll take a trip back to an earlier time in American history.

Try mulled cider and punch alongside the lovely buffet. Partake in samples of some items which would have been served in this house during the American Revolution. There will also be modern-day samples to enjoy.

Colonial skills such as spinning and weaving and an open hearth cooking demonstration will take place. This year they will have a Dickens Reading at 3 pm. Before you leave, be sure to visit their Gift Shop, that will be open during this event.

For more information call 203 735 1908 or visit our website www.derbyhistorical.org. Limited parking is available in back of the house. Additional parking is available on nearby Thomas Street.

Admission price for 12th Night: $5.00 per per person. Thanks for your continued support of the Derby Historical Society!!

The feature exhibition, Rising Tide: Fairfield’s Coast: Past to Future at the Fairfield Museum and History Center located on 370 Beach St. just off the green in Fairfield is on display through February 28, 2017.

This timely exhibition explores the past and future of Fairfield’s coast, as rising sea levels are expected to reshape the experience of living in shoreline communities. Rising Tides looks at the history of the coast, from fishing, shipping, and recreation to how residents have dealt with devastating storms in the past. Looking towards the future, explore how rising sea levels are affecting the region and the efforts being made to promote coastal resiliency.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum will host a variety of programs for all ages, including panel discussions, community forums, teacher workshops, family hikes and sailing tours. Program partners include the Town of Fairfield, Soundwaters, Save the Sound, Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), UCONN, CTDEEP, The Nature Conservancy, Common Ground High School and CT Audubon Center. Visit http://www.fairfieldhistory.org for a complete list of events.

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Webster Bank Arena located on 600 Main Street in Bridgeport is presenting Disney on Ice Dream Big on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, @ 7 pm, Jan. 7 at 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm. and on Jan. 8 shows at 1 pm and 5 pm. Tickets sold online.

Enter a world where adventure is awaiting and courage leads the way at Disney On Ice presents Dream Big. Through enchanted pixie-dust, Tinker Bell takes you on a journey of beloved Disney tales LIVE ON ICE.

Audiences make a splash with the fearless dreamer Ariel as she yearns to explore life above the waves and watch Rapunzel, Cinderella and Belle as they learn about the power to make their own magic.

Travel to the wintry world of Arendelle with sisters Anna and Elsa, and the hilarious Olaf from Disney’s Frozen as they learn that true love is the greatest magic of all.

Be there to discover a whole new world with the daring Jasmine, and join Snow White, Aurora and Tiana as they remind you to always be strong, kind and fearless.

High-flying jumps, daring acrobatics, breathtaking skating and lovable Disney friends make this an experience your family will never forget. Believing is just the beginning when Disney On Ice presents Dream Big.

A long awaited tradition in Fairfield County, the Holiday Express is now open through January 8, 2017 at the Fairfield Museum and History Center located on 370 Beach Road in Fairfield. This year features even more tracks and set-ups where the trains can zip around and weave their magical spell. Kids and adults alike will delight in the magic of the train show.

A Fairfield Museum holiday tradition! Kids and adults alike will delight in the magic of this wondrous display of model trains winding around a spectacularly decorated tree and through beautiful holiday scenery.

Holiday Express Schedule is Weekends: Sat. & Sun. through January 8: 10am – 4pm and Weekdays: Monday, December 26 – Monday, January 2: 10am – 4pm. (including Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve) Thursday, December 29 & Friday, December 30: 10am – 7pm Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Thursday, December 29 & Friday, December 30: 10am – 7pm Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

A special build a train workshop for kids ages 6 to 10 is taking place on Dec. 27-30 from 11 am to 12 pm. Kids will put together wooden parts with glue to construct a mini model train. They will finish their toy by painting it with colorful and creative designs. It is recommended that participants bring a smock for painting.

To sign up for a monthly newsletter on travel tips and events for Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

The Mattatuck Museum is delighted to present four new art exhibitions that will remain on view through March 12, 2017. From abstract to representational painting and experimental ceramics, there is something for everyone this winter @ The MATT.
Components: The Art of Robert Cottingham features subjects derived from cameras, typewriters and machine parts. The “components” are isolated against boldly colored backgrounds in contrasting light and shadow that highlight these manufacturing details in depth, celebrating them as symbols of American industry.

In her lifetime, self-taught artist Linda Nelson produced folksy scenes of simple life inspired by her childhood days on a farm in Illinois. Small towns and country settings provided imagery for the calendars and cards that has made her work familiar. Her estate of original paintings is administrated by the Connecticut Community Foundation which has lent more than 25 works for this exhibit at the Museum, Winter Scenes: Linda Nelson, focusing on Nelson’s winter and holiday scenes.
Line and Volume: Mindy Horn and Ann Mallory features work by two contemporary artists who contribute to the rich tradition of ceramic art with vibrant and original expressions in clay. Their works vary in size: some are delicately small, inviting close-up inspection, while others are imposing in scale. These technically and aesthetically ambitious works are experimental in shape and dazzle in an array of glazes.

In the 1970s, James Biederman created minimalist drawings and wall sculptures that examined two-and three-dimensional ways of seeing. In recent years he has moved to painting boldly colored gestural abstractions. This exhibition, Zing! Recent Works by James Biederman, consists of works completed since 2010 that show the current state of the artistic journey, the legacy of both abstract expressionism and minimalism, and the manner in which Biederman has taken these movements and reshaped them in new ways.

For more information on all of the museum’s programs, events, and exhibits visit the website http://www.mattmuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381. Located on the green in Waterbury, CT at 144 West Main Street, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Convenient, free parking is located behind the museum in the lots on Park Place.

Looking for that unique gift idea for a child who loves animals? Or need a fun activity for out-of-town guests during the holiday week?

Send them behind the scenes – and let them feed some of the marine life – of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk!

The Aquarium’s “Feeding Time” program on Wed., Dec. 28 goes “backstage” before the popular family attraction opens for the day. This fun experience gives participants exclusive access to some of their favorite marine animals by letting them join educators and the animal-husbandry staff during morning rounds. Opportunities include:
• Feeling the vacuuming power of rays on your palm as you offer morsels in the Shark & Ray Touch Pool.
• Hand-feeding a horseshoe crab and diamondback terrapin.
• Going above the Aquarium’s 110,000-gallon Ocean Beyond the Sound exhibit to watch as Aquarium staff feed the 7-foot sharks prowling just below your feet. Toss in some bonus food for the sharks and the exhibit’s rays and other fish.
• Attending a private seal feeding open only to “Feeding Time” participants.

“Feeding Time” participants get fed too: the program starts at 8 a.m. with a hot breakfast in the Aquarium’s Cascade Café.

“ ‘Feeding Time’ is perfect for anyone who is curious about a career in marine biology or animal husbandry,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “But it’s also just plain fun for anyone who wants to enhance their experiences here at The Maritime Aquarium beyond a typical visit.”

Children must be at least 5 years old.

Cost is $50 for adults and $25 for ages 5-12 ($45 and $20 for members). Aquarium admission at 10 a.m. is included.

Advance registration is required. Call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206, or register online at www.maritimeaquarium.org (under Public Programs).