Category: Connecticut Travel

The Seaport Association is looking for vendors, sponsors, and exhibitors that want to get in on the fun at the 43rd annual Norwalk Oyster Festival being held this year on September 10,11, and 12, 2021 at Veterans Park in Norwalk. The festival has a proven track record making it the perfect place to showcase your business or non-profit organization.

The Norwalk Oyster Festival offers artists and craftspeople, non-profit community groups, museums and institutions, vendors, food concessions, and sponsors the opportunity to be associated with one of the most popular events in New England that attracts tens of thousands of people year after year. “We are seeking local and regional food merchants, clothing, jewelry and merchandising vendors, museums and institutions as well as artists and craftspeople that have interesting and unusual items to sell at our event,” said Mike Reilly, President of the Norwalk Oyster Festival. “We are always open to talented and innovative vendors and exhibitors. The festival is ideal for people in search of an opportunity to earn money and work at a high-energy and popular event that has been successful for 42 years. Our reputation is stellar because our festival provides valuable exposure for all that participate because it is well known and popular with the public.”

Applications for sponsors are now available online. Sponsors get extensive in-person exposure at this event and are aggressively promoted on the Seaport’s social media platforms and in their highly successful public relations and advertising campaigns. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your business in a highly cost-effective way. For sponsorship opportunities click here. For an arts and crafts application and all the details of how to display your products click here. Applications are being accepted now through August 17, 2021. The Seaport Association will select approximately 125 arts and crafts exhibitors for the festival, so get your applications in today. Applications for nonprofits are available by clicking here.

The Norwalk Oyster Festival is tailor-made for brands and specialty products that want to interact and engage with the public. A booth at the festival allows sales and merchandising participants to enjoy valuable face time with prospects. Click here to get your Marketing and Merchandising application. If you are a food vendor or have a concession and would like to be considered for this year’s festival click here for details.

Slots are expected to fill up quickly for this highly anticipated annual event so it is recommended to get your applications in early.

About the Norwalk Oyster Festival
Started in 1978 by a small group of people to celebrate Norwalk’s maritime heritage, this festival has grown exponentially over the years attracting tens of thousands of people to one of the best events in New England of its kind. Proceeds from the Festival’s support the Seaport’s Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Ferry service for public access and environmental programs. Over the years, the Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival has been recognized by the state of Connecticut, Library of Congress, American Bus Association and the International Festival and Events Association as one of the top events in the country and for the vital role of the volunteers and nonprofit organizations in the production and continuing success of the Oyster Festival.

If you like beer and a walk in the woods, the Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton has dreamed up a one-of-a-kind hike on Saturday, April 24, from 12 pm to 5 pm. The “Frothy Forage” hike and beer tasting experience is fun for the whole family. A good walk, a good beer, and a good soft drink should be savored and enjoyed…and what better way than to do this than at a “forage party!”

Hike to secret locations along the Woodcock trails, they will feature a unique craft brew from our partner Nod Hill Brewery plus soda tasting with Hosmer Mountain Soda!

Nature Center Staff will delight the senses along your trek with everything from animal encounters, to live music and food for purchase from Taproot Restaurants On the Fly food truck. Furry family members will enjoy some sips and goodies along the way, courtesy of Ridgefield Pet!

For your tickets that go on sale April 10, 2021, click here.. The raindate for this event is April 25, 2021.

The Litchfield Historical Society is hosting a program via Zoom on Thursday, March 25 at 6 pm about the Law of Slavery and the Alumni of the Litchfield Law School, the first in the United States.

After attending Tapping Reeve’s law school, graduate Eugenius Nisbet traveled home to Georgia, where he used his legal education to uphold the institution of slavery. The work done by alumni of the Litchfield Law School brought them into direct contact with the law of slavery. Join the Litchfield Historical Society for a special virtual lecture, “The Law of Slavery and Alumni of the Litchfield Law School” with Professor Justin Simard on Thursday, March 25th at 6:00pm. In his talk, Simard will explore the legacy of slave law, the involvement of graduates from Tapping Reeve’s Litchfield Law School, and how slave cases continue to be a part of modern judicial decisions.

Justin Simard is an assistant professor at Michigan State University College of Law, where he teaches Professional Responsibility, Legal History, and Commercial Law. He received his bachelor’s degree in History from Rice University, and he completed his J.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. Justin’s research focuses on the relationship between lawyers and economic development. His recent work analyzes how the commercial role of lawyers brought them into direct contact with the law of slavery and how this encounter supported slavery and shaped the development of the profession and the law.

To register, email registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org

Not many people can tell their story to such acclaim that they get invited to be a presenter for the MOTH, have a play written about it, and now have a movie deal in the works! And that is just how the beginning of Mary Lou Piland’s 2ND ACT story begins! On April 20 at 3:00pm, come meet the effervescent author of For the Love of Spumoni (with12 a million FB Fans & counting!) and hear her tell her own story firsthand with a brand new (and surprising) epilogue!

Tickets are $20 and available for either in-person or virtual streaming of the event and may be purchased online at www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St, Waterbury. Hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to noon. Box Office doors remain locked. Please ring the doorbell for entry. Masks are required. To ensure the safety of all during the presentation all COVID -19 safety guidelines will be adhered to.

ABOUT 2NDACT
2ND ACT is a storytelling series featuring ordinary people sharing the extraordinary things they are doing in the 2ND (half) ACT of their lives! Inspirational, experiential, and comical, these after-50 life stories will ignite your own imagination to join the growing community of 2ND ACTers!

About the Palace Theater
The Palace’s primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.

Escape rooms are the new medium for learning, storytelling, and play. In December 2020, Wigwam Escape located at The Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut won the coveted escape room “2020 Golden Lock Award” by the Room Escape Artist. They were impressed by Wigwam Escape’s unique take on learning through play, with their innovative and interactive puzzles allowing for problem-solving and critical thinking from multiple perspectives.

“We are thrilled that Wigwam Escape has won this award – it is truly an honor. It is really rewarding to have Wigwam Escape recognized not only for its educational value but also for the fact that it is fun,” said Lauren Bennett-Dionne, Manager of Wigwam Escape.

The Wigwam Escape journey begins in the year 1518 – players leave all modern-day devices like watches and cell phones behind, learning to take cues from the world around them. The room itself has hand-painted murals of New England forests, fields, streams, ponds, and gardens that allow players to be immersed in the pre-contact environment of Connecticut’s woodlands. The centerpiece of the room is a to-scale wigwam, crafted using traditional methods from local bark and trees. Players learn that a nearby fishing village has requested help, so they must hunt, forage, and gather supplies for a journey ahead. This unique, hands-on approach connects players to the ways Native peoples lived and the skills they relied on 500 years ago in their daily lives. Some of these lessons are timeless, allowing for an even broader takeaway from the experience of Wigwam Escape.

If you have friends and family members that are puzzle lovers, history buffs, story seekers, and enjoy immersive experiences, this adventure will definitely challenge and delight them! Wigwam Escape is committed to keeping visitors and staff safe by having each escape room be a private experience, with only one group playing at a time and strict sanitation of all touchable game surfaces and waiting areas between groups.

This spring from March 15th – April 25th, Wigwam Escape is offering players a special deal. 20% off your ENTIRE booking with discount code DEERANTLER

If you are looking for a safe and exciting outing that is sure to chase away the winter doldrums, call Wigwam Escape at 860-868-0151 or book online at https://wigwamescape.org/book-now