Category: Connecticut Travel

SummerFest – Rewind in Ridgefield July 18 & 19

This year the theme for Ridgefield’s “Summerfest” is 1964 and it will take place in Ballard Park on Friday and along the Main Street on Saturday. This fun filled family event kicks off on Friday, July 18 in Ballard Park at 5:30 p.m. with Sgt. Leffert’s Phoney Hearts Club Band that will perform Beatles music until 7 p.m. If you are ready to dance, the Fred Astaire Dance Studios will perform dances of the 60’s from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. that are sure to inspire you. The Groove Zone featuring the sounds of Motown will entertain festival goers from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and the night will finish off with a movie from 1964 at the “lawn blanket drive -in” from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

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On On Saturday, the Main Street comes alive with shops decorated to re-create Ridgefield in 1964. Festive retro windows, great sales and special discounts will abound. Look for the merchants that will be offering special retro merchandise from the period including recreated jewelry that Jackie O wore! Pop-up shops and art booths will also feature vintage style artwork, paintings and much more.

There will also be a car show that will feature Mustangs, Corvairs, MGs, Studebakers, Jaguars, hot rods and other great vintage autos. Restaurants will even offer vintage items on their menus—some at vintage prices. The Main Street Stage will feature live 60s music, along with dance instruction (want to Frug and Watusi?), karaoke—and polish your go-go boots for the costume contest. There will also be a 1964 swap meet with great vintage items, including donated goods whose proceeds will support promoting Ridgefield tourism. Enjoy vintage candy and Good Humor bars, and get your snapshot from the photo booth.

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For an up to date event schedule visit http://www.destinationridgefield.com/july-18th-to-19th-summerfest-64-ridgefield-rewinds. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

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Railway Post Office Dog Day at the Danbury Railway Museum

On Saturday, July 19, the Danbury Railway Museum will host a celebration
honoring the legacy of Owney, the Railway Post Office dog. A centerpiece
of the day will be the museum’s fully-restored Pennsylvania Railroad
circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car. The museum at 120 White Street
is open from 10am to 4pm. Admission for this event is $8.00 (under 3 is
free) which includes a train ride, access to all activities, and a free hot
dog!

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Owney was a stray dog which found its way into the Albany, NY post office
in 1888 and was soon adopted by the Railway Mail Service clerks and became
the mascot of this elite government service. He traveled throughout the
state, and then all over the country, in the RPO cars, eventually venturing
around the world as a U.S. Post Office Department “emissary” in 1895. In
2011, the U.S. Postal Service issued a postage stamp to honor him. Owney
has been preserved and is on display at the National Postal Museum in
Washington, DC. Visitors to the museum on the 19th will hear the true
story of Owney, the mascot of the U.S. Railway Mail Service, and can tour
the lovingly-restored RPO car.

The “Railyard Local” – a short train ride in a 1920’s passenger coach or a
vintage caboose pulled by a 1947 GE “44-Tonner” or ALCo RS-1 locomotive –
will take visitors through the historic rail yard and past over 60 vintage
railroad cars and locomotives, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive
built in 1907. Riders will have an opportunity to “go for a spin” on the
operating turntable. Trains depart hourly from 10:30 to 2:30. Of course,
the fascinating exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be
open, along with a fully-stocked gift shop. The model train layouts inside
will also be operating.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely by
volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about,
railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury
Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For further
information, visit the Web site at http://www.danburyrail.org, email to
info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

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Westport Arts Festival July 19 & 20

This year marks the 41st for the popular Westport Arts Festival that is taking place this year in the center of Westport in Parker Harding Plaza and on Gorham Island on July 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on July 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Festival goers can expect original juried works in Painting, Watercolor, Photography, Sculpture, Drawing, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Glass, Ceramics, Fiber, Jewelry, Wood and Digital Art dispayed along the lovely Saugatuck River in the heart of this charming riverside community.

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Best of all, visitors will experience more than just the visual arts at the Westport Fine Arts Festival: there will be unique street performances, live music, hands-on art activities, and delicious food from local restaurateurs. As for kids, they will enjoy the special Beach Bonanza Children’s Tent Zone provided by the Westport Arts Center. This area will feature both collaborative and individual hands-on projects, all with a seashore inspired theme! From string murals to large-scale jellyfish, kids will be sure to have a blast; just look for the the palm trees to find the Kid Zone.

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As for entertainment, there is plenty with an exciting line up as follows:

Saturday July 19
10:15 – 11:30 Chris MacKay and the Tone Shifters

11:45 – 1:00 Shiny Lapel Trio

1:15 – 2:30 Paul Brockett Roadshow Band

3:00 – 4:30 Mill River Band

5:00 – 6:30 Dr. B and The Brotherhood

Sunday July 20

10:15 – 11:30 Josi Davis and Hot Damn!

11:45 – 1:00 Pete Herger Band

1:30 – 2:45 Dylan Conner

3:10 – 4:30 Washboard Slim and the Bluelights
For More information visit www.westportfineartsfestival.com. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Tips on NYC at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 11 a.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue in Norwalk, CT, urban historian Justin Ferate will give a talk entitled, Nooks and Crannies of New York City. Based on his popular tours, this lecture will explore some of New York City’s great, but often overlooked, treasures.

Fonthill Castle.
Fonthill Castle.

Mr. Ferate will take attendees on a virtual tour through some of New York City’s rich, secretive landmarks, many unknown to even the most diehard New Yorkers. He will reveal fascinating, yet lesser-known points of interests in one of the most iconic cities in the world, including some of New York’s more offbeat treasures, secret gardens, hidden houses, and covert byways.

Justin Ferate is an internationally known guide and the Director of Tours of the City, a specialty tour company that has created educational tours of New York City, focusing on the architectural, social, ethnic, literary, and cultural histories of New York for over 30 years. He has a background in Architectural and Social History with a B.A. in Education from Antioch College with subsequent studies in Architectural History at the University of Washington, University of London, University of Pennsylvania, and Salve Regina College. Recently The AAA Guide to New York rated Ferate’s weekly tour of the Grand Central Terminal neighborhood as New York’s “Best Walking Tour!” The New York Times described Justin Ferate as New York City’s “revered city Tour Guide among Tour Guides.”

The lectures are $25 for members, $30 for non-members per session. Please RSVP by Friday, July 11, 2014. The price includes lecture, lunch and a first floor Mansion tour. Lunch is courtesy of Michael Gilmartin’s Outdoor Cookers. The chair of the Lecture Committee is Mimi Findlay of New Canaan. Please contact info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or 203-838-9799, ext. 4.

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Contemporary Crafts Gallery presents exhibition of original prints from around the world

Revel in a professional display of recent works by local national and international printmakers; landscapes, portraits, animals, botanicals, representational and abstract original artwork, created by hand using traditional and contemporary printmaking methods. Over 210 diverse images, each print one-foot square, are on view this summer at the 4th Biennial Footprint International Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP), 299 West Ave., in Mathews Park, Norwalk, Connecticut 06850, www.contemprints.org, 203-899-7999.

Waving Goodbye
Waving Goodbye

The call for entries for the “Footprint International” exhibition is sent all over the world, to printmaking ateliers, gallerys, schools and individuals, at least 6 months before the exhibit opens. A juror is designated to reviews the original artworks after they arrive at the gallery, to select works for inclusion in the exhibit and award prizes. The Biennial Footprint International Exhibition is held on even-numbered years, alternating with the Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition, which is held on odd-numbered years.

Cavemen Kaleidoscope
Cavemen Kaleidoscope

The exhibition runs through Sunday, August 31, 2014 and the hours are Monday through Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, 12 to 5 pm. The Center is closed on July 4. Admission is free, and the gallery is handicapped accessible. This biennial exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to acquaint themselves with current trends in the art of the original print from around the world. All artwork is for sale. The “footprint” in the exhibition title refers to the size of the artwork on display; each image is a one-foot square print.

The Great Expectation
The Great Expectation

Prize Winners

Juror Elisabeth Hodermarsky, Sutphin Family Senior Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, Photographs at the Yale University Art Gallery awarded Best in Show to Miriam Rudolph, (Minnesota) for her artworks, Waving Goodbye, 2012, intaglio/ chine colle/hand coloring, and Return, 2012, intaglio /chine colle. Elisabeth awarded two Juror Prizes: to Anne Desmet (United Kingdom) for Cavemen/Kaliedoscope, 2014, lithograph/engraving/ collage, and Changing Perspectives – Homage to Piero della Francesca, 2014, engraving/ collage; and to Josef Werner (Germany) for The Silence, 2014, etching/drypoint/embossing and The Great Expectation, 2014, etching/drypoint/embossing.
Two Connecticut artists, both CCP members, received Honorable Mentions: DeAnn Prosia (Newtown,) and Karen Kalkstein (Stamford). In addition, the juror awarded Honorable Mentions to 11 other artists including: Daniel Chiaccio, Kate Higley (New Hampshire); Katerine Kyselica, Sigita R Pranevicius (New York); Ellen Price (Ohio); Daniela Zekina (Canada); Christa Manz-Dewald (Germany); Aoiffe Layton, Bernadette Madden (Ireland); Adam Czech (Poland); and Kirsty Olivier (South Africa).

Participating Artists

Fairfield and New Haven Counties Well Represented by Area Artists
Other Connecticut artists in the exhibition include: Karen Vogel (Darien); Susan Newbold (Fairfield); Nomi Silverman (Glenville); Marian “Bing” Bingham (Greenwich); Anita Soos (Guilford); Thomas Stavovy (Hamden); Cynthia MacCollum (New Canaan); Oi Fortin, Evie Lindemann, Liz Pagano (New Haven); Binnie Birstein, Karen Brussat Butler, Katharine Draper (Norwalk); Allison Meyler (Ridgefield); Betty Ball, Hanneke Goedkoop, Mindy Green (Rowayton); Lou Hicks (Stamford); Kathleen DeMeo (Wallingford); Brenda Giegerich, Ruth Kalla Ungerer, Cecilia Moy Fradet (Westport); Renee Santhouse (Wilton); Margot K Rocklen (Woodbridge); and Karen Sorensen (Woodbury).

National and International Artists in the Exhibition
Stateside. In the USA, art by other printmakers from New York State towns and cities were by far the largest group, including: RM Gallimari (Astoria); Jane Cooper (Katonah); Christine S. Aaron, Ellen Lazarus, Annette Lieblein (Larchmont); Katharine Dufault, Lynne Lederman (Mamaroneck); Richard Sloat, (New York, New York); Lenny Librizzi (Staten Island); Susan Miller (Sparrow Bush); and Mitchell Visoky (White Plains). Printmakers from other states included: Liz Lyons Friedman (California); Dakota Nanton (Colorado); Sal Sidner (Florida); Karl LeClair (Idaho); Christine Beneman, Scott Schnepf (Maine); Steven Matthews (Maryland); Paula DeSimone, Cheryl Sutton Adams (Massachusetts); Jean Allemeir Boot, Andrew Jagniecki (Michigan); Rachele Unter (New Jersey); Joan Potkay (New Mexico); Anne Cushman (Ohio); Carrie O’Coyle (Oregon); and Sergey Zlotnikov (Pennsylvania).

Overseas.
International artists also included a good showing from our neighbors in Canada: Marie
Ange-Brassard, Daemon Baldwin, Peter Barron, Lysandre Donaldson, Ingeborg Jurgensen Hiscox, Louise Simard, Robin Smith Peck; and Cleo Wilkinson (Australia); Savina Montovska, Roland Shneevays (Bulgaria); Gerda Muehl, Marianne Riss (Germany); Aidan Flanagan, Joan Gleeson, Paula Pohli (Ireland); Adiana Lucaciu (Romania); Angus Buchanan, Gervasio Robles, Michele Rolstone (South Africa); Raul Ceville (Italy); Kristina Norvilaite (Lithuania); Toshinori Tanuma (Japan); Bo Cronqvist (Sweden); and Neala Glass (New Zealand).

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Hollister House – Twilight in the Garden

Horticultural enthusiasts and bon vivants are cordially invited to savor the enchantment of Twilight in the Garden in the cool of the evening from 6 to 8 pm on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at Hollister House Garden. In a remarkable setting of charming views in all directions and the company of like-minded gardeners and friends, Twilight in the Garden guests can enjoy the garden with a glass of wine and cheese and hors d’oeuvres.

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An exciting aspect of the garden this year is the new rill, a very narrow, 28-foot long water channel on the upper lawn behind the house. The rill is a classic but uncommon element of landscape design that places the sound and movement of water into the garden.

Stars of this very English garden at its early-summer peak are an exuberant abundance of daylilies, hydrangeas and old-fashioned phlox, plus various other happy plants spilling onto walkways, tumbling over walls and climbing up arches. Dahlias add masses of color and also offer quiet moments in certain places in the garden that are surrounded by a profusion of texture and form.

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A 36-year labor of love by Washington resident George Schoellkopf, gardener extraordinaire and respected Early American antiques dealer, the romantic Hollister House Garden is beautifully situated on a gently sloping hillside behind a rambling 18th century farmhouse. The garden ‘s intimate outdoor spaces, bordered by dramatic hedges and the natural landscape, are lavishly planted with both familiar and exotic species in often surprising color combinations and open onto stunning vistas. Like many great gardens, it continues to be a work in progress. Hollister House Garden is one of only 16 exceptional gardens currently designated a Preservation Project by the Garden Conservancy, whose mission is to identify and preserve important and historically significant gardens across America for the education and enjoyment of the public.

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Hollister House in 2010 achieved its prestigious listing on the National Register of Historic Places and the property was also named a Town Landmark Site by the Town of Washington.

The Twilight in the Garden party is priced at $30 per person, or for HHG members at $25 person. Reservations must be made in advance either on the Special Events page of the website a www.hollisterhousegarden.org or by phone at 860-868-2200. Hollister House Garden is open to visitors every Saturday through September. For June, July and August, hours are 8 to 10 am and 3 to 6 pm; September hours are 10 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm. Directions to the garden’s 300 Nettleton Hollow Road location are also available on the website.

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