Category: Fairfield County Connecticut Travel

Meet The Snakes… At Earthplace !

Earthplace in Westport Connecticut has a long history of educating the community about nature and the environment. True to their mission on Saturday, April 16 from 2:30 – 3:15 pm families are invited to get up close and personal with a snake ! Animal Care Technician, Andy Todd, aka The Snake Guy, will take participants on a journey to learn all about the world of snakes.

Andy will answer questions and provide key information and insights into snake behavior, snake size, daily diet, and which snakes make good pets. “Snakes are one of the most misunderstood and unjustly feared and hated animals on the planet” said Todd. “I want kids to come away feeling like they just got to participate in something exciting and out of the ordinary; something that they will remember when they are adults.”

Children over the age of 3 will have the opportunity to see and touch different types of snakes. The program runs from 2:30-3:15 and is included with the price of general admission and free for members. Contact Linda Roberts at (203) 227-7253, ext. 115 for more information.F

Founded in 1958 and accredited by The American Association of Museums, Earthplace, a non-profit organization maintains an 84-acre wildlife sanctuary with trails, contains an interactive natural history museum, houses live wildlife for public viewing and hosts many public nature programs and events for children and adults. Other activities include a state-licensed and accredited nursery school, summer day camp, a wildlife rehabilitation program, and the Harbor Watch/River Watch water quality testing program, which this year is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its formation.

Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center is located on 10 Woodside Lane, Westport, CT 06880.(I-95 Ex.17. Rte. 15 Ex. 41). (203) 227-7253. Grounds are open daily 7 to dusk and the Center is open Mon.-Sat. 9-5, Sun. 1-4. http://www.earthplace.org.

JanetLeave a comment

MAPLE SYRUP SCENTS ARE SURE SIGNS OF SPRING IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT


If it seems as though this winter will never end, take heart, The sweet scents of maple syrup in the making clearly announce that spring is coming—and they are a good reason to plan a visit to Litchfield and Fairfield counties in Western Connecticut.

Sugar maples are plentiful in these scenic areas and more than a dozen sugarhouses from private farms to nature centers welcome visitors during peak syrup season in March. Guests will view the process from tap to tastes, see how the big bubbling kettles of thin sap boil down to thick fragrant syrup and get to sample the delicious results. Some operations are open every weekend, some have special maple celebration days and some smaller farms request a call to be sure they are ready for company.

For the sap to run, nights below freezing and warm days are required, so dates can vary. A call always is a good idea before visiting.

The Maple Calendar

Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington starts the season early with the chance to see how syrup is made every weekend from February 12 to March 26. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom. Coffee and cider are complimentary to visitors. Along with the maple syrup business the family also raise pigs, and mini-lop bunnies.

One of the busiest sugaring spots is the Flanders Nature Center Sugar House at Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary in Woodbury. Demonstrations are conducted by staff and volunteers on March 5, 6, 12 and 13th and the season ends with an annual grand finale Maple Celebration on March 19. On March 6 the day begins with a pancake breakfast, topped with Flanders’ own maple syrup. The final winter festival on March 19 features music, bird talks and walks, cooking and wood bowl turning demonstrations, maple food sampling, cooking demonstrations and special kids’ crafts and activities.

At Warrups Farm in Redding, visitors also are welcome the first three weekends in March to watch the whole process, sap to syrup in the log cabin sugar house, to take a taste of the sap direct from the trees and as well as the almost-ready syrup. Guests can savor all of the harbingers of spring on a farm.

Special Maple Days

March 6

Maple Sugar Sunday at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, the museum’s traditional family festival, will offer the chance to learn how sap from their own trees is made into syrup, to sample the syrup and to enjoy lots of fun for children including air bounces, maple-themed crafts, games, storytelling, and music.

March 12

The Fifth Annual Maple Festival at Sweet Wind Farm in East Hartland will be a busy day with a tree tapping demonstration, maple syrup and sugar making with free syrup samples at the sugar house, a narrated slide show and video, a cooking and recipe class story time for kids, and –almost everyone’s favorite activity– a sugar-on-snow candy making demonstration.

March 12, 13

At the Open House Maple Festival at the Great Brook Sugar House on Sullivan Farm, guides will escort visitors around the farm to various sites to see demonstrations reflecting a 300-year history of maple sugaring. Syrup and other maple products will be available for purchase.

March 19

This busiest March weekend is when the New Canaan Nature Center will hold tree-tapping demos, and a maple sap boil down at their Sugar Shack, as well as give a look at historic methods of making maple syrup. Families can also enjoy a delicious Pancake Brunch with maple syrup, join naturalists for a hike along “Maple Lane” to learn tree identification tips, warm up around the campfire to share tall tales, make a Maple craft and take home souvenir treats from a Maple Bake Sale.

The Institute for American Indian Studies will have a different take on sugaring at its annual festival on the 19th. Demonstrations will show how local Native Americans traditionally made maple syrup and its importance to their culture and pancakes made by IAIS staff will be served with local maple syrup.

The sweet aroma of boiling sap and syrup will fill the air and samples of fresh syrup will be handed out to guests at the annual Maplefest! at the Sharon Audubon Center on March 19th. Tours throughout the day will show how maple syrup is produced at the Center and samples will be available for purchase.

Maple Sugar Contacts
To be sure sugarhouses are in operation, always phone ahead.

Flanders Nature Center Maple Sugar House, Church Hill Rd., Woodbury Phone: 203-263-3711, flandersnaturecenter.org. March 5, 6, 12, 13, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Free.

Pancake breakfast fundraiser, March 6, 8 a.m.-noon, adults $7, children ages 5 – 11, $5; under 5 free. Maple Celebration, March 19. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., $5 per person or $15 per family.

Great Brook Sugarhouse at Sullivan Farm, 140 Park Lane, Route 202, New Milford, 860-354-0047, March12, 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road off Route 199, Washington, 860-868-0518, March 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance Tickets, Adults $8, Children, $6; At the door: Adults $10, Children, $8

Lamothe’s Sugar House, 89 Stone Road, Burlington, 860-675-5043, lamothesugarhouse.com. Saturday and Sunday p.m. February 12 to March 26. 1 to 4:30 p.m. Free

New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, Phone: 203- 966-9577, newcanaannature.org. March 19, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Members, $8, non-member $12

Sharon Audubon Center, 325 Route 4, Sharon, 860-364-0520,Sharon.audubon.org March 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults, $5, children, $3.

Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Road, Phone: Stamford, 203-322-1646, stamfordmuseum.org, March 6 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Members $5, non-members, $10

Sweet Wind Farm, 339 South Road, East Hartland, 860-653-2038. Sweetwindfarm.net March 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free

Warrup’s Farm, 11 John Reed Rd., off Route 107, Redding, Phone: 203- 938-9403, warrupsfarm.com, March 5, 6, 12,13, 19, 20, noon to 5 p.m. Free

These farms also welcome visitors, but an advance appointment is necessary.

Brookside Farm, 79 East Chestnut Hill Road, Litchfield, 860-567-3805

Brothers and Sons Sugarhouse, 998 Saw Mill Road, Torrington, 860-489-2719

Dutton’s Sugarhouse, 28 Sunny Ridge Road, Washington, 860-868-0345

Kasulaiis Farm and Sugarhouse, 69 Goose Green Road, Barkhamsted, 860-379-8787

West Hill Sugarhouse, 525 West Hill Road, New Hartford, 860-379-9672

Woodbury Sugarshed, 41 Washington Road, Woodbury, 203-263-4550

JanetLeave a comment

New Suite at The Inn at Kent Falls

Recently voted as the Best Bed and Breakfast by Connecticut Magazine, the charming Inn at Kent Falls has just announced the introduction of the “Gables Suite”. The Inn is located in a historic house built in 1741 that is located between the center of Kent and Kent Falls State Park.

The Gables is a comfortably elegant suite located in the former attic of the original inn and is crowned with exquisite beams that are 272 years old. These are the beams that actually hold up this historic property that has been featured in Travel and Leisure, Conde Naste Traveler, CT Magazine and many other national publications. The room features a queen size bed, six foot walk in shower, a large loft area with a large screen TV and DVD player and a desk and work area. There is a private staircase to this very attractive suite.

The carefully updated Inn at Kent Falls has four suites, and two luxurious rooms, five fireplaces, a pool, air conditioning, phone and Internet access. The common rooms include a screened porch, TV, and living room. The Inn is well known for serving guests a sumptuous Breakfast.

Visit their website for a list of special packages and promotions offered by the Inn at Kent Falls, 107 Kent Cornwall Rd., Kent CT

JanetLeave a comment

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.

JanetLeave a comment

The PT Barnum Museum Celebrates the Holidays Mark Twain Style

The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport CT is celebrating the 200th birthday of Phineas Taylor Barnum, born July 5, 1810 in Bethel CT by chronicling the life and times of this extraordinary showman who once served as the Mayor of Bridgeport. For a complete listing of anniversary year events celebrating this amazing – and sometimes outrageous – showman, civic leader and politician, visit http://www.barnum-museum.org. The original museum building, owned by the City of Bridgeport is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Barnum Museum has planned a special holiday presentation, Christmas with the Clemens Family that will take place at The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport CT on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m.

Patti Philippon, Chief Curator at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford will regale guests with tales about the Samuel Langhorne Clemens family, better known as the family of hailed American novelist Mark Twain. This special program will describe the friendship between Clemens and P.T. Barnum and then take a look at the intricate details of the way the Clemens family celebrated Christmas at Nook Farm in Hartford.

Philippon will enlighten the audience with Mark Twain’s tales of holiday celebrations that took place in the Clemens family home and show images of the glorious Victorian era holiday decorations at the museum in Hartford. Hear some engaging quotes from Twain and the wonderful tales which he told his children while they gathered around the fireplace. Tea, hot chocolate and cookies will be served to warm your holiday spirit!

Holiday visitors to the museum will also be able to view the David Millen “Celebrating the Spirit of P.T. Barnum! Energy, Balance, Vitality” sculpture exhibition and a display of the original artwork created by the winners of the annual Kennedy Center “Unique Perspective 2011 Calendar.” The Kennedy Center publishes a full color calendar featuring artwork created by artists with disabilities. The calendars, along with other unique and memorable holiday gifts, are for sale in the Barnum Museum store.

Admission for these programs: Adults, Seniors and College Students: $5, $2, Children 4 – 17: $5, Under 4: Free. Events take place Dec. 4-16. please visit the website for exact times.

JanetLeave a comment

Annual Christmas Luncheons & Holiday Boutique at Ridgefield’s Keeler Tavern

On of the most popular holiday traditions in Connecticut is the Annual Christmas Luncheons and Holiday Boutique at the historic Keeler Tavern Museum located on Main Street in the heart of Ridgefield Connecticut. This year’s luncheon and boutique are scheduled for Tuesday, December 7th through Saturday, December 11th.

The highlight of this event is the lavish lunch that will be served in the festively decorated Garden House that overlooks the sunken garden. There will be two seatings each day the first at 11:30 AM and the second at 1:00 PM. To make your reservation please call the Museum Office at 203-438-5485 from Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, or download a reservation form by going to the events page on the museum web site http://www. keelertavernmuseum.org.

Prepaid reservations are $23 per person. This event is a major fund raiser that helps support the Keeler Tavern Museum and has become a seasonal pleasure for many.

The Holiday Boutique will be open each day from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM and Sunday, December 12 from 1:00-4:00 PM. A wide variety of seasonal ornaments, gift items and crafts will be on display in the Cass Gilbert Dining Room in the Museum building. Gifts for family, friends and some especially to please you are there to purchase.

JanetLeave a comment