Category: Connecticut Travel

On December 13 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. the Westport Historical Society is presenting a special program for kids and their families where they can express their oneness with people everywhere at this interactive Family Holiday Concert.

The sing-along, presented by Mary Ann Hall’s Music for Children & Beyond™ program, will feature Christmas, Hanukkah and other songs of the season accompanied by faculty from MFC on guitar, harp, keyboard and flute. The intimate setting of the WHS’s Sheffer Gallery will allow guest families and performers to enjoy an up-close and beautiful sharing of holiday songs.

This year’s tenth edition of MFC’s holiday concerts at the Westport Historical Society will celebrate the themes of peace, gratitude and kindness. The mission of this event is to develop musicianship and a life long enjoyment of music by “connecting the ART of the music with the HEART of the child.

Tickets are $15 for families, $5 per person, free for kids 2 and under, reservations are strongly suggested, call 203-222-1424.

Kent will once again be the scene for one of the largest Gingerbread Festivals in Connecticut! Dozens of gingerbread creations will be revealed in participating shops in Kent starting November 27th. Sponsored by the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Village Barns and SoDelicious Bakery.

Lots of places feature colorful gingerbread houses for the holidays, but Kent, CT goes a step further. The whole town will take place in this sugary sweet celebration. Everyone is invited to follow the Gingerbread Walk through town to view imaginative and ingenious gingerbread delights. Visitors can enjoy the displays as they navigate the gingerbread map and solve the mysterious riddle the Ginger Girls have cooked up this year. At the end, we need you to vote for your favorite creations. Displays are guaranteed to delight all ages!

In addition to gingerbread displays, Kent will have special holiday events every weekend, from cookie decorating classes to Pancakes with Santa to an old time horse-drawn carriage ride through town and a Messiah sing-along. Please visit the calendar for more details. http://kentct.com/events/ or call 860.592.0061.

For more holiday event information on the Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Frosty the Snowman was a popular song written in 1950 and became an overnight classic by being adapted to a popular television special. The song of Frosty recounts the fictional tale of a snowman that is magically brought to life through a black top hat that a group of children place atop his head. Although Frosty enjoys frolicking and romping throughout town with the children who constructed him, the sun becomes too much for him to bear and Frosty is forced to leave town, promising his friends that he will return.

On December 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20: The Beardsley Zoo is getting into the holiday spirit by offering a special “Breakfast with Frosty & Friends” that will take place from, 9 a.m. – 10 am. Families are invited to join Frosty and his friends for breakfast at Connecticut’s only Zoo. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Amanda Bolanos at (203) 394-6574. The cost of this special event that includes Zoo admission and breakfast is $10 per person for Zoo members and $15 per person for non-members.

ZOO GIFT GIVING IDEAS:
As the holidays are approaching fast if you are looking for something unique you might consider picking up an unusual and thoughtful gift from the Beardsley Zoo for everyone on your list!
Membership to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo for example can be enjoyed year-round. Your loved one gets free admission to the Zoo and free or discounted admission to over 150 zoos and aquariums nationwide. Membership also includes ZooBucks, carousel rides & guest passes! Contact Amanda Bolanos at 203-394-6574 for more information.

If you are looking for a more permanent gift, consider purchasing and engraving a Zoo Brick for someone special. Bricks will be displayed at the Zoo’s Front Gate for all to see! Contact Emily Bobowick at 203-394-6569 for more information.

If you have a real animal lover on your list, consider a gift of Animal Sponsorship. With this gift, you will receive a Sponsorship Certificate, Fact Sheet & Photograph of your sponsored animal that you can visit at the Zoo.
If you are seeking something different, don’t forget to check out the gift shop at the Zoo. The Beardsley Zoo’s fabulous gift shop offers everything from children’s games and handmade jewelry to clothing and animal-themed Christmas ornaments. You’ll be amazed at the wide selection of gifts for him and her and for the little ones, too!

Give a Zoo Birthday Party — Party like an animal and make your loved one’s wishes come true by gifting a party at the Zoo! Connecticut’s only zoo is available on Saturdays and Sundays year round for birthday parties. Make a lasting impression with a Zoo animal guest, a critter craft, and a ride on our colorful carousel! Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a fun and exciting place for any child’s birthday party. To learn more, call (203) 332 4243 or email lisner@beardsleyzoo.org for more information!

For more holiday event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo celebrates its 90th birthday in 2012 and is closer than you think! Connecticut’s only zoo features 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species. Visitors won’t want to miss our Amur (Siberian) tigers, Brazilian ocelot, Red wolves, and Golden Lion tamarins. Other highlights include our South American rainforest with free-flight aviary, the prairie dog exhibit with “pop-up” viewing areas, the New England Farmyard with goats, cows, pigs, sheep, and other barnyard critters, plus the Grasslands trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, and more. Visitors can grab a bite at the Peacock Café, eat in the Picnic Grove, and enjoy a ride on our colorful carousel. For more information, visit beardsleyzoo.org

The elegant Ritz Crystal Room at Remember When at 111 Main Street in Torrington will open its doors for a festive “Deck the Halls” Martini Tasting Party on Wednesday, December 2nd from 5:30 – 7:30pm. It is a special event to benefit the FISH/Friends in Service to Humanity of Northwestern Connecticut’s Food Pantry and Homeless Shelter. Arriving guests will be greeted by Christmas carolers as they enter the vintage shop gleaming with holiday splendor and the classic music of yesteryear from the likes of Cole Porter and Bing Crosby. The evening will be hosted by Karen Rossi, area artist, and owners Karen and Rit O’Donnell, who have transformed their antiques shop into an atmosphere of old time romance and nostalgia. Guests will be ushered up the staircase to enjoy the Ritz Crystal Room restaurant, glittering with sparkling chandeliers and a dance floor, as well as a sampling of tasty martinis provided graciously by Skyy Vodka. Ms. O’Donnell will also be preparing delicious refreshments, appetizers and beverages to suit every palate.

Whether attendees choose to ascend the stairs or remain within the downstairs shop, decorated with fairy lights dancing on the table tops, they will enjoy the delicious ambiance, as well as door prize drawings of vintage and handcrafted gift items. Contributors to the prize drawings include – Karen Rossi Studios; Sheila Ivain, photographer; Charlotte Rossi, Reibman’s; Hatfield Jewelers; Lily Juliet; Cheryl Rossi, Toy Jam; Karen O’Donnell, Ritz Crystal Room at Remember When; and First Act Bakery. Ms. Deirdre Houlihan DiCara, Executive Director of FISH NWCT, who works tirelessly to inspire and guide the lives of those in need, will also be on hand to mingle and visit with supporters.

Tickets for the very merry “Deck the Halls” Martini Tasting Party are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. To purchase tickets one may visit Remember When, or FISH NWCT at 332 South Main Street in Torrington at the side pantry entrance, or by phoning Remember When at 860-489-1566 or FISH NWCT at 860-482-7300, or by going on line to http://martinitasting.eventbrite.com.

For more holiday event information www.litchfieldhills.com.

Mission
The mission at FISH NWCT is to provide the most basic of human needs – food, shelter and hope – to those neighbors in our communities in economic crisis and desperate need. At FISH NWCT, the focus is to improve residents’ lives by providing them with the resources, guidance, medical assistance, and educational and work opportunities needed to be independent and able to manage their own households. Last year FISH NWCT had 2000 registered food pantry clients and nearly 100 residents, representing all ages from infants to seniors, in their 35 bed homeless shelter. Funds raised from this holiday gala will be donated to FISH NWCT to support their services.

The lighting of Sharon’s town Christmas tree will take place on Saturday, December 5, beginning at 4:30. The festivities will include music by the Salisbury Band’s “Christmas Brass & Hot Chocolate Society”, and carol singing.

Afterward, the festivities continue at the Sharon Historical Society that has thrown open its doors with holiday cheer. All in attendance at the tree lighting festival are invited to the Sharon Historical Society for hot cider and home-made goodies.

While at the historical society, don’t miss their juried show that runs through December 18 called “What’s the Big Idea”. This juried show and sale is an exhibition of small scale artworks in a variety of mediums, not exceeding 12 inches in any direction.

Please note that the Sharon Historical Society and Museum will be closed for the holidays November 26-28th and December 24th-January 2nd. Otherwise the Museum will be open our usual hours of Wednesday to Saturday 12:00-4:00 pm. For more information http://sharonhist.org and for more holiday event information in the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Noted Connecticut artist Angelo Perrone captures the vibrancy of New York in a new collection of paintings at The Stairwell Gallery, located in the Gunn Memorial Library in Washington, CT. The exhibit is on display through December 26.

Perrone, who has been painting for over 50 years, grew up in Harlem and graduated from the prestigious Cooper Union Art School. He won a scholarship to study painting at Oxford University in England and pursued a career as a book designer and art director at Reader’s Digest where he worked for 38 years. He has had several solo shows and his paintings are in private collection throughout the US and Europe. Today, he lives in Oxford, CT but looks back fondly at his time in New York.

The city is in my blood,” says Perrone. “I’m interested in depicting it in all aspects, trying to show its vibrancy from dusk ’til dawn, from roof tops to traffic jams.” Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at the juncture of Route 47 opposite the Green in Washington, CT. Library hours may be found on our website, www.gunnlibrary.org. For more information call (860)868-7586 or email the library circulation desk, gunncirc@biblio.org.

For area event information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com