Category: Family Fun

Touch A Shark April 16-24 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in Fairfield County CT

Visitor response was so positive to “Touch A Shark” in February that the special exhibit will return for an encore April 16-24 to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

As similarly offered in February, “Touch A Shark” will feature live nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a comparatively docile species that tolerates having their backs gently touched by human fingers.

“We had a great response to ‘Touch A Shark’ during the winter school break,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Visitors were surprised at the feel of the sharks’ tough skin. And, importantly to us, they also learned that sharks aren’t the violent bloodthirsty beasts that they’re portrayed as in the media.”

Aquarium volunteers will be on-hand to make sure the shark-human interactions are safe for both parties.

Interpretative graphics will provide details about nurse sharks and how they hunt and eat their prey, and also about how sharks sense their world.

Plus, be sure to bring your camera to “Touch A Shark” for a shark dive-cage photo opportunity! A real diving cage, used for safe approaches to large sharks, will be positioned next to the Aquarium’s cast model of a 16-foot great white shark caught in the eastern end of Long Island Sound in the 1970s. Step inside the cage and pose to look like you’re having a real underwater encounter with the largest species of predatory shark – a species you don’t want to touch.

“Touch A Shark” will be free with Maritime Aquarium general admission: $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children 2-12.

For more details, go online to http://www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700 or visit http://www.MaritimeAquarium.or

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New Roller Coaster Ushers In 103rd Season At Quassy Amusement Park

What do you get when you put more than 140,000 board feet of lumber, 200,000 nails and 35,000 nuts and bolts all together? In this instance, a wooden roller coaster! Quassy Amusement Park is celebrating the year of the “Wooden Warrior” in 2011 as the 103-year-old park ushers in its new marquee attraction on April 23 and 24th with its Annual $35 Campership Fund Weekend where proceeds go to help send underprivileged children to summer camp.

Designed by The Gravity Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, the “Wooden Warrior” is more than 1,200 feet long and towers 35 feet into the air. With the natural topography of the park playing into the blueprints, the ride drops more than 40 feet overall and crosses over the park’s miniature railroad twice, adding additional thrills for riders on both attractions. The ride will obtain a maximum speed of 35 mph with one six-car train, with a capacity of 12 persons, running the course. “Our new roller coaster is a family ride – one parents and grandparents alike can ride with children,” park owner George Frantzis II asserted. “It will not be an extreme or white-knuckle experience – that is not who and what we are.”

Later in the season, Quassy will usher in the summer of its new marquee ride by staging the “Rock ‘N Roll ‘R Coaster” laser light spectacular on May 27 and 28. The outdoor laser light show will take place in the great lawn area of the park after dark. Canned food donations will be accepted as admission to the show area in support of the Connecticut Food Bank.

The park will be staging a variety of other special events and live entertainment, including the African Acrobats International July 2 – Aug. 12 at the Silverleaf Resorts Carousel Theatre. For a complete listing of events visit http://www.quassy.com.

About the Park

Quassy Amusement Park features more than two-dozen rides and attractions, beach, “Saturation Station” interactive family water play area, redemption arcade and restaurant.

All-day wristbands or individual ride tickets are available. There is no general admission fee to walk around the amusement park, but guests must have an all-day wristband or pay a fee to enter the beach and waterpark area. Parking is $5 on weekdays and $6 on weekends. July 4 parking is $7.

The park is open weekends through mid-June and then operates daily through Labor Day, before returning to a weekend schedule to close out the season.

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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.

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BOULDER DASH TO BE FEATURED APRIL 3RD, 4TH, 10TH AND 11TH ON TRAVEL CHANNEL’S BERT THE CONQUEROR

Lake Compounce, America’s oldest continuously operating amusement park,will be featured on the Travel Channel series ‘Bert the Conqueror’ as he conquers one of the world’s most popular wooden roller coasters, Boulder Dash. Boulder Dash is the only roller coaster built on a mountain and it has been voted the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today Magazine. The episode will be the first of the show’s new season, and will air on Sunday, April 3rd at 8:00 P.M. on the Travel Channel. The episode will air again on Monday April 4th at 3:00 P.M., Sunday April 10th at 8:30
P.M. and Monday April 11th at 3:30 P.M.

“We were excited, but not surprised to hear that Bert wanted to come to Lake Compounce to ride our signature ride” said Jerry Brick, General Manager for the park. “You have not lived until you’ve ridden Boulder Dash!”

About Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce, part of the Palace Entertainment family of parks, is New England’s Family Theme Park and the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America and is preparing for its 166th season. Season passes are now on sale for the 2011 season, and can be purchased
for $69.99 for a limited time (Regularly $79.99). Unlimited parking passes are available to all season pass holders for $33.00. Regular admission price for the 2011 season will be $35.99. Junior admission, which is for guests under 52 inches tall, is $25.99. Senior admission, for ages 61 and up, will be $17.99. Children 3 years of age and younger are admitted free. All tickets and season passes may be purchased by visiting http://www.lakecompounce.com.

About Palace Entertainment
Palace Entertainment hosts over 13 million visitors annually at 40 locations with eight theme parks, eleven water parks and 21 family entertainment centers and is the largest operator of water parks and
family entertainment centers in the nation. For more information, visit http://www.palaceentertainment.com.

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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

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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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