Connecticut Travel

The American Museum of Tort Law created by Consumer Advocate and author, Ralph Nader is opening for the season with a special event on April 1. Join Award-winning illustrators Matt Wuerker and Barry Blitt & Consumer Advocate and author Ralph Nader in a fascinating program about cartooning and political satire on April 1 beginning at 11 a.m. The programs will take place at the Winsted Methodist Church located on 60 Main St. in Winsted. Advance tickets are available online.

There will be a cartoon and illustration workshop at 11 a.m.that is led by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Matt Wuerker and Hall of Fame The New Yorker magazine cartoonist/illustrator Barry Blitt. Be sure to visit the website for advance tickets at $10 in order to guarantee participation.

At 1 p.m. Blitt and Wuerker will be joined by Ralph Nader to speak on the Art of Political Satire. Blitt and Wuerker will talk about their creative processes; how they transform news into art and satire; and will show examples of their work. This session promises to be a fascinating look into the minds of two of the leading illustrators of our time.

The day is rounded out with a visit to the American Museum of Tort Law located on 654 Main St. in Winsted that will open for the season from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Ready to chase away the winter doldrums? The town of Kent in the unspoiled Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut has the answer! The Kent merchants have gotten together to organize a family fun event on March 24, 25 and 26 with something for everyone and they are calling it the Kent Shop Hop.

Visitors to Kent are invited to stop in at any of the participating shops to pick up a map of shops that offer a treasure trove of bargains, special sales, exciting promotions and special events. As you go from shop to shop be sure to enter the drawing for a fabulous gift basket worth hundreds of dollars.
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ent’s varied and unusual shops and restaurants will have you remembering a gentler time when friendly, personal service and customer appreciation were the hallmarks of the shopping experience. The Shop Hop may just cure your winter blues – and have you returning quick as a bunny to this small town with big charm.
For more information visit www.kentct.com. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills or Fairfield County www.litchfieldhills.com

Calling all mogul skiers and snowboarders to Ski Sundown in New Hartford to take unlimited bump runs on Gunbarrel until those quads burn and bust! People can peal in and out of the event as often as they like. The fun starts on Saturday, March 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This event will be held on the “Gunbarrel” and is free with lift tickets and passes.

The judges will be tossing out prizes throughout the event for awesome style, air and speed! Bumpers will also be given drawing tickets during segments of the event; drawing for prizes will take place at 3:00pm for some sweet swag (must be present to win): Thule racks, goggles, helmets, outerwear, ski shop gift cards, and more!

To add to the fun, Ski Sundown is hosting an Outdoor BBQ; plus there will be Adult Beverages (age 21+) and general Spring Skiing shenanigans!

The skiing conditions at Ski Sundown are amazingly good The event is a great spectator sport, and celebrates the spring skiing and snowboarding season, characterized by longer, warmer days, sunny skies, soft snow, kick-back barbeques on the deck, and losing some layers! In this land of steady habits, it’s fun to cut loose a little and enjoy some March Radness and Madness! Expect some costumes, and the appearance of Gumby vs. The Easter Bunny as they go head to head in the bumps!

For people who need to brush up on their bump skiing skills or just want to learn how to tackle the bumps, we are offering Mogul Clinics three times on Saturday, March 18 and three times on Sunday, March 19 for $48. http://skisundown.com/Lessons-Packages/Lessons-Packages/Group-Lessons-Packages/Adult-Junior-Group-Lessons

For a free monthly newsletter on things to do and see and travel tips on Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com

The New Canaan Nature Center‘s Syrup Saturday festival returns on Saturday, March 18 from 10:30 am – 2:00 pm. This annual event celebrates the New England tradition of maple syrup making and includes a pancake brunch with different varieties of syrup, including the Nature Center’s own.

To celebrate the bounty of the 2017 syrup season, we’ll be serving up flapjacks, syrup and an array of tasty toppings (fruit, chocolate chips, and more!) in the Visitor Center. All are welcome and encouraged to dress in their PJS!

How does it work? Freezing temperatures create suction that draws water in through a tree’s roots, and warm periods create pressure which causes the sap to flow out through a tap hole where it’s collected in buckets. This sap, a combination of water, salt and sugar, serves as the tree’s food and is the sole ingredient of pure maple syrup.

During Syrup Saturday, visitors will get a chance to observe the entire process from tree tapping to boiling into syrup at the “sugar shack”. Educators will also demonstrate historic methods of maple syruping.

Local maple syrup and maple baked goods will be for sale. Guests can test their taste buds on real vs. fake syrup and learn what the different grades mean.

A highlight of this event is the Family Lumberjack Challenge! ry your hand at wood heaving (how far can you throw a log of firewood?), before tackling our firewood stacking competition. Does your family have what it takes to complete our entire log rolling obstacle course? Join us to find out! This event is primarily held outdoors and activities will be ongoing throughout the day.

Members: $10/per person / Non-Members: $15/ per person. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on Litchfield Hills or Fairfield County www.litchfieldhills.com or www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Eight exhibitions, currently running through Friday, April 14th, mark the first of five rounds of this year-long, multi-site program joining Business with Art in Danbury. The year’s schedule plans for 39 exhibitions showing through Friday, December 29th.

This year’s premier Accessible Art mounting highlights the works of Brian Bardo (Danbury), Debra Burger (Danbury), Ted DeToy (New Fairfield), Maressa Gershowitz (Danbury), Renato Ghio (Danbury), Toni Miraldi (Sandy Hook), Helga Ruopp (Hawleyville), and Tara Tomaselli (Newtown). Hours at the venues vary, so call ahead. For more information about Accessible Art, call (203) 798 0760 or visit www.artswesternct.org All exhibitions are subject to change.

Brian Bardo
INTERACTIONS: A photographic essay portraying the dignity of people who have multiple disabilities
YMCA’s ESCAPE to the Arts, 293 Main Street, Danbury, (203) 794-1413

Brian Bardo is a retired Special Education Teacher with 39 years of experience in Danbury area. He was named Teacher of the Year in1986 for Unified School District #3, Connecticut State Department of Developmental Services. He has exhibited at the State of Connecticut Capital Building in Hartford and the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, sponsored by CT Senator Lowell Weicker, and the Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC, sponsored by CT Representative William Ratchford.

Debra Burger
Bethel Public Library, 189 Greenwood Ave, (203) 794-8756

Throughout the years, Debra Burger has been capturing images from her other creative passion – her garden. Challenging herself to create a body of work from the objects in her garden, she has created larger-than-life images that examine the color, shape, texture, and life of each plant and flower. They provide the viewer with a unique perspective on the fragile, yet bold impression each flower offers. She is President of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Western New York Chapter.

Ted DeToy
Mothership Bakery & Cafe, 331 Main Street, Danbury, (203) 417-6914

Ted DeToy’s paintings in acrylic on canvas offer sharp and colorful encounters with familiar imagery related to pop culture, race and gender, American politics and daily life. Rendered in expressive primary colors with contemporary neo-cubist flair, DeToy takes an innovative approach to painting, drawing from books, magazine, movies and the internet as he allows both the most intimate and the most universal aspects of modern existence to influence his art.

Maressa Gershowitz
Can Imagine That
Danbury City Hall, 155 Deer Hill Avenue, (203) 797-4511

Maressa Gershowitz claims her story is the same as always. “No photoshop, no flash, no strobes, just me and the camera looking at the world,” she says.

Renato Ghio
CityCenter Danbury, 268 Main Street, (203) 792-1711

Renato Ghio’s collection is inspired by his continued fascination with mobile photography. He says, “My goal is to demonstrate that mobile devices are an extension of photography as an art form. I enjoy pushing the limits of what’s possible with mobile-created imagery by transforming seemingly normal snapshots into another world. All the photographs in this exhibition were taken and edited on my phone.”

Toni Miraldi
Hodge Insurance Agency, 283 Main Street, Danbury, (203) 792-2323

Toni Miraldi writes, “As a mural artist, my mission is to transform plain walls into stimulating walls. I believe our attitudes are subtly influenced by our environs. If we surround ourselves and our communities with small positive messages–whether they be art, nature, inspiring architecture or kind words–we will see the world differently than if we are surrounded by suspicion, fear and despair. This is why I love murals. They take a thing that literally surrounds us–a wall–and turn it into an encouragement.”

Helga Ruopp
Danbury Public Library, 170 Main Street, (203) 797-4505

Helga Jensen-Ruopp was born in a refugee camp in Czechoslovakia into a family displaced after WWII, Helga eventually emigrated to the USA. Since she didn’t understand English, she took to art as a way of expressing herself. Later, she attended Adelphi University receiving Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Education with a concentration in Fine Arts. She has taught at Danbury High School, Western Connecticut State University, and teaches cooking and painting to children at YMCA’s Escape to the Arts.

Tara Tomaselli
Filosa/Hancock Hall, 31 Staples Street, Danbury, (203) 794-9466

Tara Tomaselli is a fine art photographer with over 20 years working in the industry. Primarily self-taught in photography, she has been professionally exhibiting and selling her photographs since 2012. She notes,”When I come upon an interesting subject, I like to observe and take it in from all angles, then I hone in on what I feel is the most appealing part – most often a close up view of an object or section of something larger. I want to show the beauty in things no matter their current state, objects that are old, discarded, junked, rusted, decayed, interesting. Many of these rusty relics are transportation-related, exciting to find, and windows into the past.”

The New England Carousel Museum located on 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol has organized three fun events in March that are sure to chase away the winter doldrums!

The Chaparrals will perform live at the museum on March 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and the cover cost to hear this indie rock quintet band that is based out of Boston. Their music is best described as being strongly melodic with an emphasis on reflective lyricism and instrumental thematic parallelism, Chaparrals weave organic and synthetic sounds alike in and out of a lush sonic backdrop of ethereal and haunting beauty. This is the perfect time of year to get out with friends and enjoy a night of music and dancing on the museum’s large wooden dance floor. Call 860-585-5411 to reserve a table or pay in advance.

To usher in spring, the New England Carousel Museum is hosting a spring ball with Al Fenton’s Big Band on March 25. Tickets are $15 and pre-paid tables of 8 or more may be reserved ahead of time.

This is a BYOB event and snacks and set-ups will be available for purchase. Dress to impress and get out on the museum’s large wooden dance floor in their ballroom as you swing, dip and jive to the live music. The Al Fenton Big Band performs a variety of music including blues, jazz and swing. This music lends itself to many styles of dancing, either alone or with a partner. This will be a night to remember, as you swing and jitterbug the night away. The museum will be filled with lights, music and, as always, their beautiful carousel animals. There will be many opportunities for fun festive photos and memories to cherish for years to come!

The month of March concludes with children in mind. On Sunday, March 26 the Princess Tea will take place at the Museum from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a tea perfect for a princess! There will be face painting, dancing, story tellers and rides on the carousel and delicious snacks. Children are encouraged to wear their favorite princess dress and tiara…they will be treated like royalty!

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