Category: Connecticut Travel

Norfolk Connecticut’s Husky Meadows Farm Celebrates Earth Day

Husky Meadows Farm, located in Norfolk, Connecticut kicks off its 2023 season of events with a weekend-long Earth Day Celebration from Friday, April 21 through Sunday, April 23. While primarily an organic market garden, the entirety of Husky Meadows Farm includes 300 acres of mixed native meadows, woodlands, hay fields, and an orchard. Earth Day offers the perfect opportunity for visitors to explore the whole farm ecosystem.

Guests can join for a full weekend farm stay that includes overnight lodging, meals, a farm tour with farmer Brett Ellis, a wild foods cooking class with Culinary Director Tracy Hayhurst, and a tour of the farm’s apiaries with Dan Watkins of Beeworks, LLC, as well as break-out sessions that are also open to the public. Husky Meadows is delighted to offer these sessions with acclaimed teachers from the community to help guests identify ways to create healthy ecosystems for flora and fauna in their own backyards.

On Friday, April 21, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Husky Meadow Farms will host a screening of “What’s the Rush.” The film, presented by co-founder Michelle Alfandari features the work of Homegrown National Park®, a grassroots movement to increase biodiversity one person at a time. In the film co-founder renowned ecologist Doug Tallamy, a New York Times best-selling author and leading voice on solving the biodiversity crisis, showcases the importance of creating new ecological networks by replacing invasive plants with native plants, right in your own backyard. Alfandari will lead a Q&A after the film when light refreshments will be served. This event is open to the public at the Norfolk Hub @ 2 Station Place in the center of Norfolk.

On Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mike Nadeau will present “Native Grasses and Wildflowers.” There is a limited number of individual tickets for the program, Mike is a leading authority in the field of sustainable and ethical land care strategies and the co-founder of NOFA’s Organic Land Care Program. Mike recently transformed one of the fallow pastures at Husky Meadows into a native grass and wildflower meadow while using only organic methods and materials. He’ll use this meadow as the backdrop for his discussion.

On Sunday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the farm presents brunch with author and gardener, Page Dickey, well known for her books, “Uprooted” and “Embroidered Ground.” Page has rich experience with classical horticulture and a deep understanding of the interdependent nature of native plants and pollinators. Page will share how these elements can complement each other in one’s home landscape and gardens.

For more information, event tickets, and farm stay bookings visit huskymeadowsfarm.com or email tracy@huskymeadowsfarm.com

About Husky Meadows Farm

Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

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Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Has –One, Two, Three…Four! River Otter Pups

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is happy to announce the birth of four North American river otter pups (Lontra canadensis), born on March 23, 2023. After a two-month gestation period and a few days past her fourth birthday, Tahu gave birth to her litter of four. Freshwater river otters give birth on land, in dens, where the pups remain secluded with their mother for a period of about eight weeks.

The pups underwent a quick neonatal exam on Wednesday, March 29 by the Zoo’s animal care staff, ensuring that all four pups were of adequate weight and healthy. The birth is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program, designed to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable population for the long-term future. The Zoo allows animals to exhibit natural behaviors, so first-time mother Tahu is being given space to raise her litter without staff assistance.

“This is a great time of year to visit the zoo and witness the new life that spring brings — whether it’s new baby animals or the beautiful flowers that are in bloom,” said Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “River otters are extremely active and playful animals so it will be a great deal of fun for guests to watch the four pups grow. We are more than grateful that Sedge and Tahu were able to produce offspring and that they are doing so well.”

Tahu came from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Wash. in December 2020. The otter pups’ father, Sedge, died last month. His necropsy, standard for all animals who pass from an undetermined illness, is being performed by the Pathology Lab at the University of Connecticut. In the wild, female river otters raise pups on their own, so Tahu is well-equipped to care for the family without a mate.

About North American River Otters

As a species, river otters have suffered from habitat loss, water pollution, and fur trapping. Their numbers are on the rise due to reintroduction programs in parts of the U.S., better water quality, and protection of their habitat. River otters, members of the weasel family, can run on land as well as swim. They are playful and agile athletes, sliding down hills of mud or snow to land with a splash in the water. Their tail is muscular and comprises up to 40 percent of the otter’s body length. They can move through the water as fast as eight miles per hour and can dive to 36 feet. Found throughout most of North America, the river otter lives in aquatic habitats: streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes. They prefer unpolluted water with minimal human disturbance.

About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo

Get your ticket to adventure! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 101st year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tiger and leopards, maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves. Other highlights include our Spider Monkey Habitat, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, the non-profit Zoo is committed to the preservation of endangered animals and wild habitats. Tickets must be purchased on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org.

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BraeVal in Litchfield has Ideas how to Celebrate National Tartan Day!

There are many ways to celebrate National Tartan Day on April 6, even if you aren’t Scottish! One of the most unique places to honor National Tartan Day, or get ready for it, is in the center of Litchfield, Connecticut, at a shop called BraeVal that specializes in custom-designed tartans. This exclusive shop is owned by Gregor McCluskey, whose great uncle, Big Jock McCluskey, brought the Rob Roy MacGregor Tartan to America in the 1800s.

Today, we know this tartan pattern as “Buffalo Plaid” – which is authentically and ancestrally reproduced by BraeVal on the cuffs and collar of every custom tartan shirt sold here. What makes BraeVal’s shirts different is that they are custom tartan designs made from technically advanced proprietary, all-natural Tierra fabric that is ring spun out of merino wool and long-staple cotton.

The shop’s name is of Scottish origin too. BraeVal is a Scottish word for the Upland River Valleys that exist between the mountains and the rugged brae of the Scottish Highlands, where streams and rivers tumble to the loch and sea. At this shop, Tartan Day is a year-round celebration! That said, Gregor McCluskey, founder of BraeVal, has a few great suggestions on ways to celebrate National Tartan Day.

His first suggestion is to enjoy trying traditional Scottish food like haggis, Scottish pie, smoked salmon, tatties (mashed potatoes), herring, shortbread, and a wee dram of whisky! To add to the conviviality of the meal, play your favorite Scottish or Celtic tunes, they add so much atmosphere and fun.

To add to your celebration, watch your favorite Scottish movie. An oldie but goodie is Whisky Galore, a comedy where Scottish islanders try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a stranded ship. According to The Scottish Statesman, two of the top movies about Scotland include The Angel’s Share, set in Glasgow, which tells the tale of a father that narrowly avoids jail and visits a whisky distillery to find inspiration, and the classic, Highlander which follows the adventures of the immortal warrior of Clan MacLeod.

Another suggestion is to have a poetry reading – reciting Robert Burns of course! Or, read portions of the Declaration of Arbroath to see why the founders of our country were inspired. “As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honors, that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”


About National Tartan Day
Did you know that National Tartan Day is celebrated in the United States on April 6 in honor of Scottish heritage? This date is a special commemoration of the Declaration of Arbroath, which was a letter written by the nobles of Scotland to the Pope in 1320. The letter asked the Pope to recognize Scotland as an independent kingdom from England that was attempting to subjugate it and recognize Robert Bruce, as the country’s legitimate king. What many people don’t know is that the Declaration of Arbroath was the foundation for the Declaration of Independence when America declared itself free of British rule. Today, over 11 million Americans claim Scottish and Scottish-Irish roots, making them the eighth-largest ethnic group in the United States.

About BraeVal
BraeVal is a lifestyle brand of clothing that has endured for generations. It is an American design born of comfort that offers time-tested classics in the Scottish tradition.

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W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project Announces Major Grants

The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project of Great Barrington, Massachusetts has exceeded its fundraising goals for February and is now poised to hire a sculptor for a monument to Du Bois in downtown Great Barrington.

A donation of $7,500 and an offer of an additional $7,500 in matching funds from Anne Fredericks and Mark Fasteau resulted in $22,000 in private donations in February. In addition, the Sculpture Project has received three important grants: $10,000 each from Berkshire Bank, The Whitehead Foundation, and Housatonic Heritage.
These donations bring the total funds raised in February to $67,000. An additional pledge of $25,000 from The Feigenbaum Foundation of Pittsfield raises the anticipated funds to $92,000. Total funds raised exceed $150,000 for the project, which is estimated to cost approximately $350,0000.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment for our all-volunteer Board, and a testament to the enthusiasm for a sculpture of this distinguished civil rights leader on our main street,” said Julie Michaels, co-chair of the Du Bois Sculpture Project.

The group’s Call for Applications from qualified sculptors has resulted in 17 contestants for the sculpture commission. The three finalists will be announced on April 5.

Donations to the Du Bois sculpture can be made online at www.webduboissculpture.org or mailed to W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project, P.O. Box 155, Great Barrington, MA 01230. “Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated; they will help us reach the goal of recognizing a great man who is part of our nation’s story,” said Michaels.

About the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project

The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project was launched in May 2022 by a volunteer group of local citizens with the goal of recognizing Du Bois’ scholarly achievements in the fight for racial equality. The Project celebrates Great Barrington, a town whose long abolitionist history and powerful commitment to public education helped shape the person Du Bois became. The Sculpture Project is endorsed and supported by town officials including the Great Barrington Select Board, the Great Barrington Library Trustees, W.E.B. Du Bois Town Legacy Committee, among many others.

About W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born and educated in Great Barrington. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. A world-famous sociologist, historian, and founder of the NAACP, he wrote The Souls of Black Folk, a seminal work in African American literature.

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Woven Art @ Tina’s Baskets “Rocks” @ Whiting Mills

Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art has just announced the first-ever Rock and Mineral Show at Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, Connecticut on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Win this Basket – enter drawing on March 18 or 19

Start your day exploring the labyrinthine halls of Whiting Mills at Tina’s Baskets in Suite 305, on the right as you enter this amazing factory complex. Tina, a National and International award-winning artist will be in her studio (with George her ginger-colored cat) weaving her colorful wares that range from baskets, bowls, wall hangings and sculptures, to her newly released line of Hands, called “Perceived Languages.”

A highlight of this weekend’s visit to Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art is the chance to enter a contest she is sponsoring. The winner will receive one of Tina’s artfully created baskets made with hand-dyed reeds and locally foraged bittersweet vine, a signature of Tina’s baskets.

As you make your way, to the main hall where the Rock and Mineral Show is taking place, you may find several other artisans that have thrown open their studio doors to celebrate this event, the first of its kind at Whiting Mills. In addition to baskets and woven art @ Tina’s, you may discover a fascinating selection of curios, antiques, jewelry, herbs and tea, crystals, candles, and even a hobby shop.

Rock and Mineral shows are popular the world over. At this show, you will find amazing rocks, gemstones, minerals, and fossils from all over the world from twenty-three-plus professional dealers. There will be a wide array of rock specimens, cabochons, crystals, and healing stones, in addition to jewelry. If you work up an appetite, there will be sandwiches and hot drinks for purchase. Best of all, the entrance to this show is free of charge.

The combination of visiting the working studio of award-winning artists and learning what inspires her work and the chance to delve into the world of rocks and minerals is the perfect way to chase the end of the winter blues away!

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is an internationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven arts. You can see her works in her studio #305/ Tina’s Baskets. Located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet vines, and a variety of found objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at galleries across the World and as well at her own gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are preferred and can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

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Passes for RIFF2023 Go On Sale ALL ACCESS $99 until March 30th

This year Ridgefield Independent Film Festival will bring films and filmmakers from around the world and around the corner to six venues in Ridgefield Connecticut for 4 days of in-person screenings, parties, and panel discussions. Official selections will be announced March 15th.

Ridgefield Independent Film Festival was founded in 2015 by local playwright and filmmaker, Joanne Hudson and presented its first iteration in May of 2016 at ten venues throughout Ridgefield, CT; screening 72 films from 26 countries. Since then (under Festival Directors: Megan Smith-Harris, Jill Mango and Sean Murphy, and from 2018-2021 Executive Director, Geoffrey Morris), the festival has attracted the likes of celebrities Allison Williams, James Naughton, Barry Levinson and Paul Dano, as well as talented local and international filmmakers. This highly curated festival attempts to bring films, filmmakers, and community together in Ridgefield Connecticut to share all it has to offer with the same independent spirit in which it began: in the hopes of making the world a more compassionate place through the sharing of stories through cinema.

RIFF 2023 Venue Partners

The Ridgefield Playhouse

The Prospector Theater

Ridgefield Theater Barn

Ridgefield Library

Keeler Tavern Museum

Lounsbury House

Please visit RIFF’s website https://www.riffct.org for more information.

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