Category: Connecticut Travel

Fairfield Museum and History Center Will be Open During its Regular Weekday Hours for Presidents Week and Limited Space is Still Available for Kids and Family Programs

Fairfield History Museum

Fairfield Museum and History Center www.fairfieldhistory.org will be open everyday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m. on weekends during the Presidents Week vacation and there is still space available for kids of all ages to come and explore theatre with activities. An array of exciting programs, including a family time gallery tour, sketching of costumes and set designs; making mixed media masks, improvisation and so much more are open to various ages. Details are below. And pick up a Scavenger Hunt for a family-friendly activity.

And there are two ongoing exhibitions on view in the Museum’s galleries. Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County continues through April 1st . Visitors will discover Connecticut’s theatrical history, a legacy that dates from the 19th century to the present.

Fairfield Historical Society

And an innovative exhibition, showcasing innovative computer models, writing, poetry and photography of a group of 8th grade students from The Unquowa School in Fairfield, who partnered with 5th grade students from New Beginnings Family Academy in Bridgeport on sustainable plans for empty lots and abandoned buildings on upper Main Street in Bridgeport along with the students should be a must-see for visitors. Through their collaboration, the students looked to the future and became problem-solvers and urban planners to develop proposals for revitalization in Bridgeport.

Here are the February vacation programs and there is still time to make reservations through our web site www.fairfieldhistory.org

Special Family Time Gallery Tour!
Monday, February 20 2pm
Free for members, free with admission
Get a whole new perspective on theatre with this family-friendly tour featuring a Scavenger Hunt and Reader’s Theatre!

Sketching Theatre
Tuesday, February 21
with artist and illustrator Deborah Bassino 10am – 12pm Workshop for ages 8 – 13 $25; Members, $20
Learn sketching techniques inspired by the rich and glorious costumes and set designs in the theatre exhibition.

Mad Masks
Wednesday, February 22, 10am – 12pm Workshop for ages 6 – 10, $15; Members, $10. Create a mixed media mask inspired by the costumes and creatures in the Bravo! theatre exhibition, like Egyptian gods, feathered headdresses, donkeys and lions!

Theatre Explorers
Wednesday, February 22, 1pm – 3pm, Workshop for ages 6 – 10, $15; Members, $10. Dive in to our costume trunk and explore fun theatre games, playwriting, improv and more in the Bravo! theatre exhibition.

*Consider a Wednesday all-day option: $35; Members, $30, includes both workshops and a staff-supervised lunch break. Please bring a peanut-free lunch.

American Girl Afternoon
Thursday, February 23, 1pm – 4pm, Workshop for ages 8 – 12, Materials Fee; $30; Members, $25. Explore the history and adventures of the historical American Girl dolls, including the new pair from New Orleans, Marie-Grace Gardner and Cécile Rey, who lived in 1853. Learn about the fascinating culture of New Orleans and the French traditions that were adapted in America. We’ll make mardi gras masks, inspired by a fancy masquerade ball in the storybooks. Find out about the delicious foods popular in New Orleans and create a delicious snack!

Winter Back in Time
Friday, February 24, 9am – 12pm, Grades 3 – 6, Materials Fee; $30; $25 Members. Discover how boys and girls spent the dark days of winter in colonial times. Participants will get the chance to try on period costume and write their own stories with a feather pen and ink. We’ll also prepare a recipe inspired from times past.

Rapunzel
Presented by Purple Rock Productions, Friday, February 24, 2:30pm, $7 adults, $5 children. Free for children 3 and under.
n this wild and wacky adaptation of the classic tale, an old washerwoman tells the story of Rapunzel, who is very clever in this version. She has learned a few tricks from the witch, especially how to “sing” things to grow. She is able to “sing” a boat into existence in order that she and the Prince can get away on the ocean. The washer woman tells the story using a variety of household objects, as well as puppets. The audience is encouraged to participate in creating the story. Contact http://www.purplerock.org/html/shows/Rapunzel.html for more information.

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CHOCOLATE DINNER TO BENEFIT AUDUBON CENTER, SATURDAY, MARCH 3, HERITAGE HOTEL SOUTHBURY

New Morning

Let the Bent of the River take you on a Chocolate Holiday! New Morning’s The Provender will transport you to Mexico through Chef Carol Byer-Alcorace’s Mexican Antojito inspired menu. Your palate will take you to the winter destination of the beautiful birds that summer here in Southbury CT and the Bent of the River.

Tickets are now on sale for the annual Chocolate Dinner being held on Saturday, March 3rd at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, to benefit Southbury’s very own Audubon Center at Bent of the River. Tickets are $85 per person. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Tickets only $70 if purchased by February 17th. Visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/219802 or stop in at New Morning Market on Rte. 6 in Woodbury CT to purchase tickets.

The evening will begin with a ‘Cocktail Hour and a Half’, where guests can mingle, visit the live Birds of Prey exhibit, enjoy creative, Mexican inspired appetizers like Chocolate, Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas and taste wines from local vineyards; White Silo, Walker Road and Hopkins.

During the dinner hour, Laura Volpintesta, originally from Mexico City, and the Sol Shine Band will be performing live suave ensembles. Latin dance demonstrations and lessons are being provided by Fred Astaire Studios.

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the dishes crafted by Chef Carol: Mole Chicken, Coconut and Shrimp Seviche, and Chocolate Chili Cake, just to name a few. Woodbury’s own Winding Drive Jams will also be serving a spicy, sweet chocolate brownie dessert.

Why Audubon & Chocolate? Each year, the menu draws from a locale where cacao is grown. The Audubon’s dedication to the preservation of habitats for birds and wildlife is well known. As the snow flies in New England, so fly the birds- to warmer climate and, to the lands where chocolate originated. Bird migration, habitat protection and community engagement are integral to Audubon’s mission. The Atlantic Flyway Initiative (AFI) is a strategic Audubon initiative that targets bird habitats needing preservation from South America to Canada. The Flyway is the migration route for millions of birds each season.

About The Bent of the River

Bent of the River

The Audubon Center at Bent of the River lies on 660 acres in Southbury, Connecticut, near the historic village of South Britain. It’s an inviting, outdoor sanctuary with 15 miles of walking trails and an environmental education center with inspiring programs. Please come and enjoy yourself, learn more about the important work of the Bent, and discover the value you’ll gain from a relationship with the Bent. www.bentoftheriver.audubon.org

About New Morning Market New Morning Market

Located on Rte. 6 in Woodbury Connecticut, New Morining is a purveyor of natural, organic and eco-friendly foods and wellness products. They also offer nutritional counseling and free classes regularly. The 7,500 square foot retail center is currently located at 738 Main Street South in Middle Quarter Mall. Construction is being completed on a brand new, larger facility which will be located two miles north at 129 Main Street North in Woodbury. The move is scheduled for later this year. More information can be found at www.newmorn.com

About Heritage Hotel

Heritage Hotel

Heritage Hotel Golf, Spa, Conference Center, 522 Heritage Road, Southbury, CT 06488. (I-84 Exit 15). (203) 264-8200, (800) 932-3466. Set in the Litchfield Hills, the resort features 163 guestrooms, state-of-the art conference and banquet facilities, indoor and outdoor heated pools, fitness center, racquetball, tennis, sauna, whirlpool, a challenging 9-hole golf course, pub with billiards and wide screen TV, award-winning dining and extensive wine list at Eight Mile Brook, and Tres Jolie Day Spa. Located off I-84, just 90 minutes from New York City. For getaway package information contact us at: 1-(800) 932-3466. www.heritagesouthbury.com.

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Sweet Deals for Valentine’s Day!

If the winter doldrums have set in, a welcome cure is in sight…Valentine’s Day! Whether you want to get out on the ski slopes or retreat to a fireside, the inns and resorts of Connecticut’s Fairfield County and Litchfield Hills are offering a host of special packages for Valentine’s Day.

Champagne and Dinner Packages

The Doubletree by Hilton in Norwalk is offering a Champagne Dinner for two that includes overnight accommodations and a 3 course dinner for Two. This offer is availabile Feb. 10-12, 2012 and is $159.00 inclusive of all taxes and gratuties. Call 203 853 3477. www.norwalk.doubletree.com

Doubletree by Hilton

The Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk is offering a Valentine’s Day Package thru Feb 29th. The package includes: Luxurious overnight accommodations for two, Chilled bottle of champagne, Gourmet chocolates, PLUS $50 gift certificate at the Great American Grill (May be redeemed for room service!) and a Full American breakfast. Rates for this package start at $169. Call: 203-523-4000.www.norwalk.stayhgi.com

Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk

On Valentine’s Day, the Sheraton Stamford is offering a complimentary Valentine’s Day dinner from pre-fixe menu, one bottle of sparkling wine, and a chocolate or fruit, plus a Full American breakfast for two and a 4pm late checkout (based upon availability). Rates start at $239, Call (203) 358-8400 for details. www.sheratonstamford.com

Sheraton Stamford Downtown

The newly renovated Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich is offering a “Amour” Package that includes chilled champagne upon arrival, breakfast for two in Winfield’s Atrium Restaurant, valet parking, evening turndown service and 3 p.m. late check out. Rates start at $209 plus tax. Call 203-637-1234 for details or www.greenwich.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/

Hyatt Regency Greenwich

Danbury’s Ethan Allen Hotel offers a Valentine’s Day Dinner at Fairfield’s Restaurant & Bar from 02/10 – 02/14. The cost is $95.00 (plus tax and gratuity) per couple. Call (800) 742-1776 ext. 185 to make reservations. www.ethanallenhotel.com
Ethan Allen Hotel

Interlaken Inn in Salisbury is offering a Valentine’s Day package on Feb. 11 that includes overnight accommodations and breakfast fro two, a red rose for her, a complete three-course dinner for two, and a glass of house wine or cocktail for each of you. This page is $259 plus tax for two. Call 1 (800) 222-2909 or www.interlakeninn.com.

Interlaken Inn

Rock Hall Luxe Lodging in Colebrook is offering a Valentine’s Day Package from 02/10-02/15 and features one Night’s Stay, Champagne, Chocolates, Mediterranean Breakfast with Mimosa. Available add-ons: Spa services couple’s massage, flowers, as well as Valentine’s Dinner at Sunset Meadow Vineyards on Saturday 2/11 (www.sunsetmeadowvineyards.com) and Valentine’s Chocolate Decadence & Wine at Haight-Brown Vineyards 2/12 & 2/14 (www.haightvineyards.com). The cost is $375 per couple per night. For details call 860-379-2230 or www.19rockhallroad.com.

Rock Hall Luxe Lodging

Mayflower Inn located in Washington Connecticut is also offering a Valentine’s Day Package on Feb. 14 that includes a romantic retreat to Mayflower Inn & Spa’s five-star, five-diamond accommodations. Relax with a bottle of champagne in room upon your arrival and enjoy an incredible fine dining experience with Mayflower Inn & Spa’s special Valentine’s Day Pre-Fixe Dinner. Rooms start at $750; the pre-fixe 3 course dinner is $85 per person. For details call 860-868-9466 or www.mayflowerinn.com.

Mayflower Inn and Spa

Torrington’s Quality Inn is offering a Wine and Stay Package that includes a bottle of wine, flowers and jacuzzi room on Feb. 14th for $144.99 plus tax. For details call 860-496-8808 or visit www.choicehotels.com

Quality Inn Torrington

Southbury’s Heritage Hotel is offering a Valentine’s Day Package from 02/10-02/14 and includes overnight accommodations and a special Valentine’s Day Dinner for two (including tips and gratuities) and breakfast for two the next morning. Rates start at $229. For more information call 203-264-8200.www.heritagesouthbury.com

Heritage Hotel

Winvian is offering the “Essence of Love Package” from Feb. 12-16. The package includes a one night stay double occupancy in a five-diamonds Cottage accommodation – American Breakfast – Couple 60 minutes Swedish Massage – Bubble bath, in-cottage, following massage – 3 Course Dinner with Winvian Signature Martini (others beverages not included) in our five-diamonds restaurant. Rates start at $1070. www.winvian.com.

Beaver Lodge at Winvian

Bella Alpacas Bed and Breakfast is offering a “Love and Peace” romantic Valentine’s Day getaway through March 30. Stay in our lovely rooms that overlook the alpacas and lots of land, All room have private bath, queen log beds, sitting area, bamboo floors. Take a hike on our 50 acres then sit down and pet the alpacas and the pigs and enjoy a yoga class. Jump into a hot tub, under the stars.Breakfast included. Rates $215 per couple for one nite, $400 for weekend. 860- 946-3076 or www.bellaalpacas.com.

Bella Alpacas

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Annual Polar Bear Open Feb. 12, 2012

Golfing in the Fields at the Annual Polar Bear Open

It’s time to get ready for the first golf tournament of the year at the Burlington Golf Center, Route 4, in Burlington, Connecticut. The Seventeenth Annual Polar Bear Open will be held on Sunday February 12, 2012.

The nine-hole event with holes ranging from 150 to 250 yards was established by Chet Dunlop, Connecticut PGA Teacher of The Year, founder of the Burlington Golf Center and Director of The New England School of Golf. The Polar Bear Open began in 1994 as an informal event between Chet and other local pros caught in the deep freeze of a tough New England winter. It proved so popular that Dunlop decided to make it an official annual event.

Over the years players have contended with everything from ice and snow, to thunder, lightning and mud. This group of hearty New Englanders seems to revel in the challenge of the elements.

With temperatures some years hovering near 10 degrees a full field of men and women’s and junior divisions vie for first, second, and third place prizes, as they ignore the calendar. Each loop brings the participants back to the Pro Shop for free mugs of hot mulled cider and tasty treats from Hogan’s Cider Mill, also located on the property. Players warm themselves by the wood-burning stove as they discuss their strategy before heading out to brave the elements and the whims of the golf gods. The Polar Bear Open will begin at 10AM and runs through mid-afternoon.

Participants must register in advance. Entry fee is $25 per player. The Burlington Golf Center is on Route 4 in Burlington, Connecticut. For more information call 860-675-7320 or email: info@burlingtongolfcenter.com or visit www.newenglandschoolofgolf.com

About Chet Dunlop PGA

Golf is a sport that anyone can play, and everyone can play better. Chet believes that the game of golf is accessible to every student who wants to play, and his mission is to help each player discover their own ability in a relaxed and supportive environment. He knows he cannot give his student a swing, but he can help that student find their own.

It is this approach to teaching that is sustainable as this method allows the student to become their own coach, recognizing their strengths and reinforcing them as they play. As the Director of the New England School of Golf for over 25 years Chet has coached thousands of students utilizing his particular approach to the game of golf.

In that time he has been named Teacher of the Year by the CT PGA, while receiving recognition for his coaching ability not only by national publications including Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, but he has also been featured in Japan’s own Golf Magazine. Chet’s impact on his students reveals their natural ability and helps them find their own way into the game.

As long time local golfer Norm August explains: “Chet helped me find my natural swing, (and showed me how not to) let all the other stuff that I was trying to do get in the way, and it was perfect … it was just natural.” Chet is pleased to be a part of the Canton Indoor Golf Center Team and looks forward to exploring the game with his students in CT’s own world class practice and teaching venue. Please call 860-675-7320 to schedule an appointment. www.newenglandschoolofgolf.com.

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Beardsley Zoo to Host Asian New Year Celebration !

Asian New Year at Bridgeport's Beardsley Zoo!

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, the state’s only zoo, invites families to celebrate Asian New Year on Saturday, February 4, 2012 from Noon to 3:00 p.m. The Dragon is one of the most revered years of the Chinese New Year calendar, and those born under the sign are regarded as innovative, passionate people who are colorful, confident and fearless. The Dragon is anything but a formidable foe in Chinese culture. Unlike the demon that gets slayed in Western literature, the Dragon is a symbol of good fortune and intense power in Eastern culture. In Chinese tradition, the Dragon is regarded as a divine beast.

At the Beardsley Zoo Year of the Dragon festivities will feature activities for the entire family including a special children’s parade around the Zoo grounds, story time, crafts, and many more fun activities. Don’t miss a visit to the colorful indoor Carousel. Here you will meet some of the Zoo’s special lizard guests and be invited to partake in the festivities. A special “Zoo” highlight is the return of Viktor, an Amur (Siberian) tiger whose pale, yellow-orange fur with his pale blackish stripes and distinctive face will delight young and old alike. Viktor was one of three cubs born in 2004 at the Zoo. He was transferred to the Detroit Zoo in 2008, but is back in Connecticut to greet his fans.

The snow date for this event is February 11.

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 ocelots, 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 hoofstock 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 http://www.beardsleyzoo.org.

Area Information
For information on all there is to see and do in Fairfield County visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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emancipation

Fairfield Museum and History Center will continue its promotion of a ticket stub discount from the new movie, “Lincoln” for reduced admission to its exhibition, Promise of Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation through the engagement of the film. Visitors, who present a ticket stub, will receive $2 off of an adult admission to the exhibition, which runs through February 24th, 2013. The Museum is located on 370 Beach Road in Fairfield and is open Mon–Fri: 10am – 4pm and Sat–Sunday: 12 noon – 4pm or visit www.fairfieldhistory.org. For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

The Fairfield Museum planned this exhibit as the ideal educational component for Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking movie, “Lincoln”, which focuses on the war-weary president’s strategic journey from what he knew to be the “Band-Aid” fix of the Emancipation Proclamation January 1st, 1863 (150 years ago) to the final passage of the 13th amendment, which promised to abolish slavery.

The actual 13th amendment still left room for slavery to be applied as punishment for anyone who commits a crime. Nevertheless, the Proclamation and the Amendment, which are on display at the Fairfield Museum through February 24th, 2013, marked the journey towards ending slavery in America.

Promise of Freedom includes not only a rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation but also an even more rare-signed copy of the Thirteenth Amendment, signed by Lincoln and by almost all the members of the House and Senate who voted for it. Both documents are on loan to the museum from a private collection. The Thirteenth Amendment, which was not fully ratified by the states until well after Lincoln’s assassination, provided a stronger foundation for the elimination of slavery than did Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which rested on his wartime authority as commander-in-chief.

Today, there are very few copies of the 13th amendment bearing Lincoln’s signature, like the rare one the Fairfield Museum has in the exhibit. The reason for this is that after Lincoln signed a several souvenir copies, the Senate passed a resolution stating that signing souvenirs was unseemly, so he stopped. Ironically, at the beginning of the Civil War, there was a completely different 13th amendment proposed, which would have protected slavery. Lincoln did not always support this amendment and had to be convinced by abolitionists and women’s rights activists that an amendment abolishing slavery was important.

ABOUT THE FAIRFIELD MUSEUM

The Fairfield Museum creates experiences that make history personal, engaging and meaningful and in so doing strengthen people’s connection to the world around them. The Museum’s collection and archive is one of the most important humanities resources in southwestern Connecticut and a valuable resource for teaching history and related disciplines. Museum exhibitions attract more than 18,000 visitors annually from New York to New Haven, and our educational programs annually serve more than 5,000 students from southwestern Connecticut. We are committed to providing educational experiences, particularly to lower income constituencies that allow all students the opportunity to participate.

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