Category: things to do in connecticut

Visit Two Historic Lighthouses in Norwalk June 8 and July 13 Sheffield Island Lighthouse and Greens Ledge

The Norwalk Seaport Association and the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society have teamed up to offer a five-hour exclusive cruise that includes an hour-and-a-half stop at both Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the recently opened Greens Ledge Lighthouse on Saturday, June 8, and July 13. The boat will depart the Seaport’s new dock at 70 Water Street at 10 a.m. and return at 3 p.m. This tour is open to the public and offers the rare opportunity to visit two architecturally unique lighthouses that have guided ships with welcoming beacons through Norwalk Harbor for hundreds of years. Tickets are available online at http://www.seaport.org.

This fascinating cruise begins as the Seaport’s vessel wends its way through Norwalk Harbor passing a necklace of habited and uninhabited islands, to its first stop, Greens Ledge Lighthouse. This recently refurbished Spark Plug Lighthouse sits on a reef named after Pirate Green, who sailed with the infamous Captain Kidd. Local legend has it that Pirate Green was tied in chains to Greens Ledge as a warning to deter the dastardly deeds of marauding buccaneers.

Greens Ledge, on the National Register, is only one of 33 remaining spark plug lighthouses in existence in the United States. Named sparkplug because of their unique shape and water-tight structure made of metal, Greens Ledge construction was completed in 1902, for $60,000 ($2.5 million in 2024 dollars) to help mariners through the rocky shoals at the west entrance of Norwalk Harbor. Today its 90-foot tower remains an active aid to navigation with its automated light and foghorn maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. This lighthouse, whose Rip Rap was added from the Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center excavation in 1932 is thought to be the inspiration for the legendary “Green Light” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. It was occupied by lightkeepers for 70 years and is owned by a non-profit that restored it for 2.5 million in 2023.

Visitors on this cruise will be able to tour both the inside of the Lighthouse as well as the outside pad and lower decks. The indoor tour includes the Trombos Research Center, the Pettee Family Gallery, the Bunkroom, Kleeman Keeper Quarters, the Maclean Watch Room, DeChellis Lookout, and the Beacon Room with its automated light. Afterward, passengers can relax at the picnic tables and in Adirondack chairs located on the deck.

Located at the southern end of the outer harbor, Sheffield Island Lighthouse, on the National Register, is the final stop on this maritime excursion. Constructed in the Victorian style in 1868 of limestone masonry, Sheffield is a classic lighthouse replete with a distinctive metal octagonal light tower in the gable that offers views of the Manhattan skyline.

This lighthouse has a fascinating history of industrious lighthouse keepers before being decommissioned in 1902 by the opening of Greens Ledge. After it closed, the island became a haven for rumrunners during prohibition, a sanctuary for mothers and children during the cholera epidemic, and the location for a country club, before the Norwalk Seaport Association saved it in 1978. Visitors can climb the tower that affords splendid views and tour the many rooms of the lighthouse that are being reinterpreted to the way lightkeepers would have lived here in the 19th century. Afterward, there will be enough time to picnic in the wooden pavilion, walk along the beach, use the telescope, and explore the adjacent Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, a birding hot spot.

It is suggested that you pack a picnic lunch and beverages for this excursion in coolers or carry-ons that can fit beneath the seats of the vessel (18-20 inches). It is best to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. If the trip is canceled due to weather conditions, you will be notified by email. For safety reasons, wear closed-toe shoes and pack plenty of sunscreen, and don’t forget to bring your sense of fun and adventure to this extraordinary experience.

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Litchfield Restaurant Week Returns for 2nd Year March 22 – 29

Litchfield Restaurant Week returns for a second delicious year on March 22 – 29 and will feature 20 destinations ranging from bakery cafes and delis to pizza places, gourmet shops, and fine dining establishments.

West Street Grill

Each venue will offer a three-course prix fixe menu at $25, $35, or $45, some for lunch/during the day, others for dinner, and some for both lunch and dinner. See the official Restaurant Week page on the Visit Litchfield CT website (visitlitchfieldct.com) for a full list of participants, their locations, and their website and social media links. Restaurant Week menus will be added to the page in early March.

@ the corner

Litchfield Restaurant Week includes Connecticut’s Chef of the Year for 2023, David DiStasi, and his Materia Ristorante in Bantam, which was named Restaurant of the Year in Litchfield County by the Connecticut Restaurant Association and honored with a 2024 Overall Excellence award from Connecticut Magazine’s dining experts.

Many other participants also earned top awards from Connecticut Magazine’s dining experts, including Best Traditional American for The Village Restaurant, Best New American for West Street Grill, and At the Corner – which also won a Best Beer List award. Petraroia Deli won for Best Deli/Sandwich Shop, and Meraki for Best Lunch, Hidden Gem, and Best Deli/Sandwich Shop.

Litchfield Distillery is also participating in Litchfield Restaurant Week, and last year the craft distillery donated a bottle of its spirits to each participating restaurant that featured a cocktail or food item incorporating those award-winning spirits.

Visit Litchfield CT is the official source of news and updates about Litchfield Restaurant Week, which is sponsored by the Town of Litchfield CT Economic Development Commission.

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Orchard Farm Stay at Husky Meadows Farm

September at Husky Meadows, a certified organic working farm, is a very special time to experience a farm stay. The gardens and orchards are brimming with fruits, vegetables, and flowers, just as the leaves are beginning to turn. The Orchard Farm Stay taking place from Friday, September 22 through Sunday, September 24 invites guests to enjoy the season in a beautiful setting on this small New England farm.

Farm stays include two nights lodging in one of four elegantly appointed and very private guest suites. A favorite among guests is the Pergola Apartment because it has two bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms, a sitting area, a kitchenette, and even a balcony. This totally separate guesthouse is perfect to book with four friends or family members. Another favorite guesthouse is called The Coop, which is the most private of all the rooms. It has a cozy loft bedroom and a large sitting room replete with a rustic stone fireplace. All meals with beverages and cocktails are included in the farm stay package. Highlights of the package include a Friday night welcome dinner around a communal table, light breakfast, and lunch, a Saturday evening cooking class dinner, and a sumptuous and healthy Sunday brunch.

The Coop

During the Orchard Farm Stay, guests will have the opportunity to go into the garden and harvest its bounty with Farmer Brett, who tended the gardens at California’s famous restaurant, The French Laundry. There will be a cider-making donut class and a pie-making class with Tracy Hayhurst, the farm’s Culinary Director followed by a Hard Cider Tasting that features the best hard
ciders made in the Northeast.

The two-acre orchard at Husky Meadows Farm is a treasure trove of peaches, plums, pears, and too many types of apples to name. A highlight of the weekend will be the Saturday night cooking class that combines fruit from the orchard into a mélange of savory dishes inspired by the harvest. Guests will be amazed at the number of ways there are to incorporate fruit into savory dishes. Cooking is an art and the classes at Husky Meadows Farm are designed to help guests make magic in their kitchens long after the weekend is over.

To book the Orchard Farm Stay visit huskymeadows.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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Savor Indigenous Foods @ the Founders Clambake September 16 With the Institute for American Indian Studies

Lobsters, clams, corn, and potatoes are all hallmarks of Indigenous foods and every September, the Institute for American Indian Studies celebrates the bounty of New England and its waterways with a Founders Clambake. This year, on Saturday, September 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the public is invited to the annual Founders Clambake. The location for the event is 11 a School Street in Washington Depot.

Guests will experience a sumptuous seafood feast while enjoying drumming and dancing performed by the members of the Redhawk Indigenous Arts Council. Traditional dances are combined with stories that have thrilled audiences around the globe and are sure to be the highlight of this event. In addition to being invited to dance with the troupe, guests will have the opportunity to meet the dancers and learn about the importance of dancing, regalia, and music to indigenous peoples.

Brought back by popular demand, the Institute is also holding a Silent Auction during the clambake. Auction items will be on display during this event and winning bids will be announced after the dancers’ performance.

To attend this festive event that gives thanks to the many members, visitors, and volunteers who have made this museum a success for 45 years register online at https://www.iaismuseum.org by September 14. Tickets are $60 per person for members and $65 for non-members and include a lobster dinner. A children’s menu is offered for $10 and includes hot dogs, chips, and lemonade. No tickets will be sold at the door.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

About the Redhawk Indigenous Arts Council

Formed in 1994, this non-profit organization founded by Native American artists and educators is dedicated to educating the general public about Native American heritage through song, dance, works of art, and other cultural expressions.

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August Cooking Classes @ Husky Meadows Farm

August at Husky Meadows Farm, a working certified organic farm located in Norfolk, Connecticut is a special time of year. The garden on this 300-acre farm is at its peak for summer produce. With this in mind, Husky Meadows Farm is offering a series of cooking classes in August and early
September to celebrate their peak gardening season and more. What makes these cooking classes special on this working certified organic farm, is that participants will learn techniques from professional chefs and guest instructors that know how to bring out the freshest flavors from the produce grown right here on the farm.

seed and spoon husky meadow farm

Husky Meadows Farm’s cooking classes are open to all skill levels. The hands-on classes are small with no more than ten participants. Tracy Hayhurst, the Culinary Director, has enjoyed over 25 years in the field of nutrition as a consultant and celebrated chef. Hayhurst’s passion is to share her deep understanding of fresh fruit, veggies, and locally grown products with participants and to teach them the best ways to cook them. “It gives me great joy to share my knowledge of creating delicious meals because I believe sharing a dinner or lunch together is a primal bonding experience that defines our humanity,” says Hayhurst. For more information and to book a cooking class, click here.

Create a garden fresh bouquet!

On August 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Husky Meadows Farm is offering a “Build a Bouquet Happy Hour” that is a perfect introduction of how to grow and care for cut flowers at home. The event begins by going into Husky Meadows’s organic garden and choosing freshly picked flowers then heading back to build a flower bouquet with the farm crew. Enjoy sipping wine, signature non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks while creating your floral arrangement. Best of all, you will take your arrangement home and enjoy it for days to come.

Its so much fun to build a cheese board @ Husky Meadows

In New England, there are a multitude of artisanal cheese makers and this class will introduce you to some of the best. On August 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. join Genevieve Watts at the “Build Your Own Cheese Board” to learn how to build an unforgettable cheese board that will be gobbled up at your next soiree. Watts is a San Francisco native and has been a cheese monger at The Cheese School which teaches the in-depth study of cheese varieties and production. Watts also was involved with Cheese Plus which specializes in gourmet cheeses, and Cowgirl Creamery which specializes in artisan and organic cheese. Need we say more? In this informative class, cheese lovers will learn how to build a balanced and delicious cheese board for entertaining while sipping wine and non-alcoholic pairings that compliment the luscious cheese participants will taste.

Learn to cook fireside!

To herald the end of summer, Husky Meadows is hosting a very special cooking class… “Campfire Cooking.” There is something romantic about campfire cooking, even for those of us that don’t like to camp! A carefully tended open fire with food sizzling and friends sitting around swapping stories are how memories are made. On September 2, from 5 p.m. to 9 pm, Husky Meadows Farm is hosting the not to be missed, Campfire Cooking Class. The process of cooking on an open fire not only brings out some real and unexpected flavors it also becomes an enjoyable experience. This hands-on cooking class at Husky Meadows goes far beyond burgers and steaks and will show their campfire guests how to get creative around the campfire as they learn to make everything from starters with garden fresh veggies to desserts. Cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages add to the ambiance, not to mention, the beauty of the landscape at Husky Meadows Farm.

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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Seaport Association Participates in Summer @ the Museum – Funding Provided by a Grant from CT Humanities

The Seaport Association was awarded a grant from CT Humanities for participating in Connecticut Summer at the Museum 2023 initiative. This program invites Connecticut children ages 18 and under plus one accompanying Connecticut resident adult to visit participating museums free from July 1 through September 4, 2023.
CT Humanities is honored to partner with the CT Office of the Arts again to administer the CT Summer at the Museum Initiative in 2023. The Department of Economic and Community Development, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, Connecticut State Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood, and Connecticut Humanities, will deliver these financially accessible summer enrichment opportunities to families and children of all ages using funding provided through ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act).

“The Summer at the Museum program in 2022 was very successful. We were delighted to be able to introduce so many new children to Sheffield Island Lighthouse and can’t wait to do it again this summer. We are very proud to be among the grant recipients,” said Mike Reilly, President of the Seaport Association. “This grant program allows us to expand our reach and also helps us achieve our mission of education by introducing children from Connecticut to our historic lighthouse and its maritime history, which is such an important part of Connecticut’s cultural heritage.”

In accordance with this program, the Seaport Association has set aside a limited number of free seats at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a three-hour cruise to Sheffield Island for Connecticut children ages 18 and under plus one accompanying Connecticut resident adult from July 1 – September 4, 2023. Reservations must be made in advance online only. There are a limited number of tickets allocated each day. To make reservations for a cruise to Sheffield Island Lighthouse Museum click here. Tickets are subject to availability. Special events are excluded.

Children will enjoy a narrated tour on the way to the island and an hour and a half of picnicking on the beach or in the new wooden pavilion, touring the historic lighthouse, looking for shells on the beach, and taking a walk through the Stewart B. McKinney Wildlife Refuge to view the colorful sea birds sheltered in the marshes and sandy shoreline of the island. An added bonus is the telescope installed by the Seaport Association which is free to use and affords fabulous views of the Connecticut coastline and the skyline of Manhattan. A visit to Sheffield Island is an interactive and immersive learning experience, which is a cornerstone of the Seaport Association’s mission.

About the Seaport Association
The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens who had the vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage. The Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands. The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational venue that strives to increase awareness, appreciation, and consideration for the environment and how the preservation of historic buildings contributes to our quality of life. The combination of the Lighthouse and the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate children of all ages and adults about the importance of preserving Long Island Sound, our environment, and our maritime heritage.

About Connecticut Humanities
CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

About Connecticut Office of the Arts
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

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