Category: Connecticut Travel

Christmas Display at the Osborne Homestead Museum Litchfield Hills CT

Derby, CT –
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) invites you to take a
break from the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations by coming to enjoy the sights and sounds of Treasured Holiday Traditions showcased at the Osborne Homestead Museum this holiday season.

This annual seasonal event at the museum delightfully depicts scenes of customs and a way of life prior to computers, cell phones, and other more recent inventions. The museum is open for special holiday guided tours November 26 – December 19, Thursday through Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM. The home will be even more magical on the Friday evenings of December 3, 10, and 17, when the museum will present “Twilight Tours,” highlighting the special glow of the decorations in the evening hours from 4PM to 6:30PM. Admission is FREE; donations are accepted.

Each year, as they have done for more than twenty years, volunteers create beautiful holiday displays. Talented, committed members representing the Ansonia Garden Club, the Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton, the Oxford Garden Club, the Naugatuck Garden Club, the Roxbury/Bridgewater Garden Club, the Derby Garden Society and the Pomperaug Valley Garden Club of Woodbury beautifully decorate this historic homestead for the winter holidays.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum was the home of Frances Osborne Kellogg, who lived in the house her entire life, from 1876 to 1956. Exhibits include fine art and antiques collected by her family.

The Osborne Homestead Museum is located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby, CT and is operated through the CT DEP’s Division of State Parks and Public Outreach. Group tours for adults and youth programs are available during the weekdays. For directions, further information or to schedule a group of eight visitors or more please call (203) 734-2513.

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Connecticut Ballet Company Performs the Nutcracker in Fairfield County CT

The Nutcracker Ballet is a holiday tradition in Fairfield County Connecticut and what better way to celebrate the season than to attend a performance by the Connecticut Ballet. On Saturday, December 11 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm and Sunday, December 12 at 1:00pm at the Stamford Center for the Arts’ Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic Street, Stamford the Connecticut Ballet will perform the classic full-length ballet, The Nutcracker. A special holiday discount of 50% for children ages 12 and under for the December 11th 7:00pm only was announced by the Connecticut Ballet.

Artistic Director Brett Raphael’s production has been called ‘beguiling and a feast for the eyes’ by the Connecticut Post and stars American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreño, appearing at all three public performances. The ballet also features a corps de ballet of 30 professional dancers and over 100 children from the Fairfield County region. In the spirit of giving, Connecticut Ballet request that members of the public bring a can or non-perishable food item to the performance in support of its holiday food drive. All items will be delivered directly to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.

Affordable tickets range from $20-$45 in price (plus a $7.00 theater surcharge) and may be reserved online at www.scalive.org or by calling the box office at 203-325-4466.

A festive Nutcracker Gala benefit will take place in the Upper Ballroom of the Palace Theatre following the Saturday, December 11th 7:00pm evening performance. Marcia Selden Catering will provide delectable dinner-by-the-bite and patrons will dance to the inspiring rhythms of the Silver Streaks Band. For gala information, call 203-964-1211. Lead production sponsor for The Nutcracker is Xerox Corporation and Nutcracker Gala sponsor is HSBC Bank. For more info, call Connecticut Ballet at 203-964-1211 or visit www.connecticutballet.com.

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Bethlehem’s Christmas Town Festival Marks 30th Anniversary in the Litchfield Hills

They call this little town of Bethlehem “Christmas Town”, and with good reason. The annual Christmas Town Festival, scheduled for December 3 and 4, celebrates its 30th birthday this year as one of New England’s favorite celebrations. Thousands travel to this small village in the Litchfield Hills every year to mail holiday cards with a special Bethlehem greeting. The town’s historic Bellamy-Ferriday House opens to visitors for the occasion, and Bethlehem boasts a rare Christmas jewel, a museum-quality 18th century crèche on view in a vintage barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis

30th Anniversary Celebration

This year’s special birthday celebration starts on Friday night at 6 p.m. when Santa turns on the lights on the towering 75-foot tree on the village green, with festive background music by the Region 14 choirs and bands, talented local groups. On Saturday, the gaily- decorated quaint buildings around the green will brim with over 70 art and craft exhibitors and there will be good food galore. Strolling carolers and musicians from the First Church Bell Choir will keep things lively, hayrides will be offered in front of First Church and Santa will be waiting at the firehouse to pose for pictures with young friends. Collectors can garner this year’s unique annual Christmas Town pewter ornament, sold only during the Festival.

The Bethlehem post office will open for special hours during the festival, Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The idea of mailing cards from Bethlehem dates to 1938, when a local Postmaster, the late Earl Johnson, realized that people were coming to town just to mail their cards. He designed a “cachet,” a special rubber stamp featuring a tree and lettering that said “From the Little Town of Bethlehem, Christmas greetings.” New cachets have been added each year since. More than 60 are now available and over 200,000 cards are now mailed each year from this small town post office.

Historic Home Tours

Bethlehem’s beautiful eighteenth century Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden also will open on Saturday, lavishly decorated for the holidays. Guides will be on hand to give tours and the family-friendly program will include games, prizes and surprises for children. Special entertainment is planned by The Sweetest Key, an all-female a cappella group, with a concert at noon and caroling from 1 to 2 pm. Refreshments and hot cider will be offered in the Visitor’s Center.

Magnificent Crèche

Another eighteenth century treasure is the crèche housed in a barn on the 400-acre property of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. The recently restored Neapolitan crèche is similar to the famous crèche in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and came from the same donor, Loretta Hines Howard. It is a remarkable creation containing 68 figures 14 to 16 inches high dressed in their original elaborate costumes. Along with the Holy Family, the figures vividly portray children, women bearing gifts, merchants, peddlers, angels, the Three Kings, and peasants with their farm animals. The Crèche is thought to have belonged to Victor Amadeus the Second, King of Sardinia, and is believed to have been presented to him on the occasion of his coronation in 1720. It is open free to visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Christmas Town Festival will be held at the junction of Rte. 61 and Rte. 132 in Bethlehem on Friday, December 3rd from 5 to10 p.m., and Saturday. Dec. 4th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free parking is available at the Bethlehem Fairgrounds on Route 61, where free shuttle buses will take visitors to and from the Festival. For additional information, see

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Mark Twain’s 175th Birthday Bash in Redding CT

The Parks and Recreation Dept of Redding Connecticut has arranged an exciting 175th Birthday Bash for Mark Twain, who died in Redding. With his passing, Redding, Connecticut acquired a unique distinction: Mark Twain’s final home. And while that distinction is of trivial interest, it is what transpired after his death that has kept Twain’s life and legacy alive and well in Redding.

Almost immediately after his arrival, Twain took interest in founding a public library for the residents of Redding. Why was this of interest to him? Perhaps it was in his genes…John Marshall Clemens, Twain’s father, is said to have been instrumental in founding the first Hannibal, Missouri Library.

To create Redding’s first public library, Twain donated books from his own collection. Next Twain went into fundraising mode, a role he greatly enjoyed. Male visitors to Stormfield were “taxed” $1 dollar, concerts were held, and his friends and associates were urged to contribute to the cause. He was very successful. Large contributions of books were sent to Redding by Collier’s Weekly, Harper & Brothers, and by Page & Company.

From 1908 to 1910, the library was a focal point for Twain. In fact one of his final acts was approving a check for the library building fund. Since that time, the Mark Twain Library has grown and it has evolved but what it has remained is a tribute to Mark Twain’s legacy. Visitors of the Mark Twain Library are surrounded by photos, paintings, quotations, artwork and sculptures… there is little doubt that you have entered the “Mark Twain” library. But, more importantly, the Mark Twain Library keeps Mark Twain alive.

On Tuesday November 30th, Twain’s 175th Birthday, the town of Redding is planning an exciting day that includes a Mark Twain impersonator who will visit points of interest throughout the town. The impersonator will give two performances at the Redding Community Center.

There will also be a showing of the 1939 Huck Finn movie starring Mickey Rooney, at 4 pm. at the Redding Community Center because it is the 125th anniversary of the first publication of this book. Nationally recognized Mark Twain impersonator, Alan Kitty, will be on hand before the film’s 4:30 showing to discuss one of his favorite characters. The film will be viewed in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the book’s first printing.

At 7:00 pm at the Redding Community Center there will be a world first preview of “Dangerous Intimacy” an exciting documentary produced by History Film Inc, a non-profit organization. The documentary, based on the book by Karen Lystra, tells the untold story of Mark Twain’s final years. Many of the scenes were filmed in Redding using local actors and locations. The director and producer of the film, Richard Altomonte, will give a brief talk about it’s creation and a question answer period after the film. Tickets are $5.00 each & can be purchased at the Redding Park & Recreation, call: 203-938-2551.

A display of The Mark Twain Centennial Collection” of limited edition prints, by Portrait Artist Susan B. Durkee, will be on sale, and a Mark Twain and Redding Historical Display will be on view at the Redding Community Center.

The proceeds of the event are to benefit http://www.historyofredding.com. historyofredding.com created by historian, Brent Colley.

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Bartlett Arboretum Receives Green Coast Award

The Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens was recognized as a Fairfield County Green Coast Award winner for Organic Gardening/Education. The awards were announced Wednesday, November 17th, at The Annual Green Faire Business Expo. The Green Coast Awards, sponsored by the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa, honor and recognize individuals, businesses, services, and organizations throughout Fairfield County that are socially and environmentally responsible, promote sustainability, have high ethical standards and make conscious decisions everyday to improve our communities and the health of the planet.

The Bartlett Arboretum, a non-profit organization, is a dynamic educational and recreational resource for residents of Fairfield County and beyond. The 91-acre property located at 151 Brookdale Road in Stamford is a living museum of champion majestic trees, rare plant collections, themed gardens, and natural landscapes traversed by hiking and walking trails as the former residence and training school of Dr. Francis Bartlett since 1913. When the Bartlett Arboretum was opened to the public for the first time in 1966, the grounds and facilities were under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Protection while the University of Connecticut’s Department of Plant Science managed the operations and programming. In 2002, the title to the land was transferred to the City of Stamford with the Bartlett Arboretum Association responsible for al oversight of the property.

The Bartlett offers on-site and outreach community education programs for all ages, an extensive horticultural library, a herbarium, summer plant clinics, and seasonal events and family festivals.

In 2011 the Silver Educational Center will open and will enhance the Center’s offerings to the community including topics on sustainability, environmentally friendly plant care, good gardening practices, and a wide variety of topics that preserve the integrity of botanical study and appreciation of our natural resources.

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SANTA’S ON BOARD FOR FUN IN LITCHIFELD HILLS

If you want to find Santa in Northwest Connecticut, catch a train. On weekends, you can join Mr. and Mrs. Claus taking a break for a fun ride aboard the Santa Express, a restored 1920s train from the New England Railroad Museum in Thomaston. To see Santa at work, ride a train to visit the great man and his busy elves in the weekend Toyland he sets up in a vintage train car at the Danbury Railroad Museum. Santa works late this time of year, and the special Northern Lights tours from Thomaston let you make a stop to see him at Santa’s Train Workshop. Wherever you find him, you can be sure that Santa has gifts ready for all young children.

Fans of miniature trains also will find irresistible holiday exhibits of whizzing, whirring miniature trains at many spots in this scenic part of the state.

Riding the Rails

The Santa Express leaves the 1881 station in Thomaston on Saturdays and Sundays for an hour and a quarter round-trip scenic ride beside the Naugatuck River in 1920s-vintage coaches. Mr. and Mrs. Claus make sure to visit with each child on board and often they bring elves along. Evening light displays inside and outside the train greet passengers after dark on the very special Northern Express journey to Santa’s Train Workshop.

The gift shop inside the gaily decorated historic station has a host of ideas for train fans young and old, including railroad books, children’s books, Thomas the Tank Engine™ merchandise and lots of train memorabilia. And there is an operating miniature Christmas train layout.

Santa Express trains, $14 adults, $12 children, leave at 2 p.m., Northern Express trains, $22 depart at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on 12/4-5, 12/11-12 and 18/19. Additional Northern Express trains are scheduled for 11/27-28 and 12/3.

Santa’s Rail Yard

At the Danbury Railway Museum, which includes a classic 1903 station and a railroad yard with vintage train cars, visitors can ride a working vintage train through the yard to Santa’s own train. They will find him in his workshop supervising his elves, who are busy making toys. Santa rides begin at noon and run every half hour until 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays, December 11 and 18, and Sundays December 5, 12 and 19 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The $8 admission includes the ride, a gift from Santa, and exhibits and displays in the yard and indoors. A miniature layout is in action in the station, along with a coloring station.

Once again, there is a tempting Gift Shop, with over 600 different items, including Thomas the Tank™ and Little Engine That Could™ merchandise, books, clothing, puzzles, and other railroad items. The station is at 120 White Street in Danbury. Reserve tickets in advance at http://www.danbury.org/DRM or phone (203) 778-8337.

Mini Magic

Miniature train displays are a traditional holiday favorite for many families. The Wilton Historical Society’s annual Great Trains exhibit features a range of makes, models and gauges of model trains rolling around curves, passing scenic local landscapes and rushing through mountain passes. Each model landscape is intricately designed by the Society’s “Trainmen” and the holiday exhibit includes a vast collection of toys, dolls and miniatures. Dates are December 4 through January 17. Admission is $5; Hours are Tuesdays – Fridays, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sundays 1 – 4 p.m. The Society is located at 224 Danbury Road. Check online or phone for holiday closings: http://www.wiltonhistorical.org or 203-762-7257.

The 23rd Annual Hands On Train Display at New Milford’s restored vintage train station December 18th through 31st offers four big operating train layouts. Each year the waiting room of the station is transformed into a Lilliputian landscape of hills, valleys and villages. The towns, populated by tiny figures dressed in winter finery, are crisscrossed by whizzing layouts of scale model Lionel trains. The setup includes almost 100 feet of track. Visitors can do more than admire the trains. They are invited to take the controls, starting and stopping the action and operating signals and lights. The trains operate daily from noon to 4 p.m. This yearly free event is sponsored by the Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about trains, directions to events and listings of all the holiday doings in the region, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, http://www.visitwesternct.com. They offer a free copy of UNWIND, a 112-page color guide to the Litchfield Hills and a free Fairfield County Getaway Guide.

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