Shamrock Shindig in Kent

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Kent Chamber of Commerce during a Shamrock Shindig on Friday, March 15. This traditional Irish holiday honoring the 5th-century bishop has become a cultural celebration across the globe, and Kent is no exception!

Following on the heels of the recent and wildly popular Scottish Burns Supper in January, “We wanted to create another community event,” explains Gary Kidd, a member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Kent CommUNITY Group. “There’s definitely a desire for folks to be able to come together for social gatherings and have fun,” he continues.

The evening of festivities will include:

Irish Ceilidh Dancing with 45 on Main Coffee and Creamery

Live Music with bagpiper Jesse Ofgang and friends and Dueling Pianos

Luck of the Irish Game with Merryall Center

Irish Whiskey and Liquor Tastings with Town Center Wines + Spirits

Corned Beef and Cabbage Tastings with Old Oak Tavern

In addition to the Shamrock Shindig, other businesses in Kent will have festive offerings in honor of the Irish holiday. Visit the shops, restaurants, art galleries, and other Main Street businesses to get in the spirit and show your support.

This event will take place at the Kent Community House located at 93 N Main Street in Kent, CT on Friday, March 15, 2024, from 7 to 10:30 pm. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased online HERE or in-person with cash at 45 on Main Coffee and Creamery. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided; no full meals. Attendees are welcome to bring their own beverages. All proceeds benefit the Kent Chamber of Commerce.

About the Kent CT Chamber of Commerce

For over 50 years, the Kent CT Chamber of Commerce has been bringing local businesses together to develop and promote balanced economic growth that enhances the quality of life in our community. We host many events throughout the year, including a seasonal weekly farmers market, Sidewalk Sale Days, Pumpkin Run, and more. To stay in the loop, sign up for our newsletter HERE.

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Tequila Tasting to Benefit the Weston History & Culture Center

Start your Cinco de Mayo fun a week early at the Weston History & Culture Center’s Tequila and Mezcal Tasting Party on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 7pm – 10pm. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased at: https://westoncthistory.org.

Ticket includes a variety of tequila and mezcal samples, a tasting talk led by the publisher and editor of Modern Distillery Age, Gregg Glaser, hearty appetizers by Old Mill Market & Cafe, specialty cocktails, beer and wine service. Bid on fabulous silent auction items that include JetBlue tickets, an overnight stay at the Union League Club, and more! All to support the Weston History & Culture Center’s mission to discover, collect, and preserve Weston’s history! Sponsored by Diageo. Attendees must be 21 and over. IDs will be checked at the door.

About the presenter: Gregg Glaser is the Publisher/Editor of Modern Distillery Age, a weekly trade magazine covering the spirits business; Editor in Chief Emeritus of Yankee Brew News, a bimonthly consumer newspaper covering craft beer in the Northeast; and the founder and producer of the Great International Beer, Cider, Mead & Sake Competition, the largest such professional competition on the East Coast. For many years he was a contributing editor for Modern Brewery Age, a trade magazine for the beer business established in 1934, and also a News Editor for All About Beer Magazine, a consumer magazine. Gregg has a degree in Communications with concentrations in Cinema, Television, and Radio from Ithaca College. He studied comparative media in Britain at the BBC, IBA, and Pinewood Film Studios and in Italy at RAI and Cinecittà.

The Weston History & Culture Center is located at 104 Weston Road Weston, CT. Parking and entrance is on High Acre Road. The Weston Historical Society D/B/A The Weston History and Culture Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Center would like to thank its annual sponsors: Fairfield County Bank and KMS Team at Compass as well as the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust. For more information and how to donate, visit www.WestonCTHistory.org email: info@westoncthistory.org or call: 203-226-1804.

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Opening Celebration of the Suzanne Benton’s Unmasked @ Mattatuck Museum

The Mattatuck Museum will host the Opening Celebration for Suzanne Benton’s Unmasked, on Sunday, March 17 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Mattatuck Museum’s Chief Curator, Keffie Feldman, and Museum Director, Bob Burns, will give remarks at 1:00 PM in the Munger Gallery.

Pioneering feminist artist Suzanne Benton has had a career spanning nearly seven decades and extending to 32 countries. Suzanne Benton: Unmasked celebrates her legacy of feminist activism by presenting female figures from myth and history in her characteristic welded-metal masks and colorful monoprints. Telling the stories of influential women across time and space, this exhibition highlights the contributions of women to global history. The exhibition will be on view from March 17 through May 12, 2024.

The Museum is offering reduced admission of $5 for the day. Register online at mattmuseum.org/calendar or by calling (203) 753-0381 x130

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Tap into a Native American Tradition @ Maple Sugar Festival @ Institute for American Indian Studies March 2

Maple syrup has long enjoyed pride of place on many breakfast tables. The origin of this sweet spring elixir isn’t part of a trendy branding campaign; it is the widely unknown discovery of Native Americans, who have tapped trees for maple syrup since time immemorial. On March 2, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut is hosting its annual Maple Sugar Festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate the original legacy of maple syrup.

Indigenous communities in the Northeast and Canada harvested sap from maple trees, boiling down sap and turning it into sugar water and maple syrup long before European contact. Special sugar camps were set up in groves of sugar maple trees and much like this festival, sugaring became a social event. “At the Institute’s Maple Sugar Festival, families will see firsthand how Native Americans harvested this sugary delight, a process that has been passed on through stories and demonstrations from generation to generation,” said Chris Combs, Executive Director of the Institute. “Most importantly, they’ll learn why this process is such an important part of Native American culture,” Combs added.

At this event, IAIS Educator and Ecologist, Susan Scherf will demonstrate various traditional Native American techniques of collecting sap and boiling it down into syrup and sugar. Visitors will learn the importance of maple sugar to the diet of Native Americans as well as its usefulness as an item of trade, and even as medicine.

In keeping with the fun-filled traditions surrounding Native American sugar camps, children are invited to listen to Native American stories and play traditional family-friendly games that will take place throughout the day, adding to this culturally enriching experience. To satiate your taste buds, maple syrup, samples from the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine are being offered. And, if you want to bring some of this delicious amber nectar home, head to the Institute’s gift shop which is stocked up with maple syrup made by the Passamaquoddy Tribe.

The cost of participation is $15 for adults, $10 for children, and $5 for members of the Institute. To pre-register head to The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum & Research Center, email events@iaismuseum.org, or call (860) 868-0518.

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 a 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, in Washington, Connecticut.

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The Magic of Courting Flutes @ Institute for American Indian Studies Feb. 17

The Institute of American Indian Studies at 38 Curtis Road in Washington has a wonderful way to end Valentine’s Day week. On Saturday, February 17, beginning at 1 p.m., Ojibway artist, and musician Allan Madahbee will explain the cultural significance and demonstrate the hauntingly beautiful sound of the Native American courting flute. A highlight for participants is to learn why the courting flute is deeply rooted in the traditions of many Native American Cultures.

Today, makers of Native American Flutes like Ojibway artist and musician Allan Madahbee craft their style and sound into their creations. Madahbee began to research the Chippewa flute culture and was influenced and mentored by Joseph Firecrow of the Cheyenne Nation. “We became friends and he provided guidance and feedback and explained some of his methods of flute making. With his passing, we have all lost a great Native American flute maker and musician. I am proud to continue our flute-making traditions.” The sound of the courting flute, which is usually made of cedar, has an uncommon scale for Western music and is entrancing.

Participants will listen to this haunting music performed by Madahbee, hear the legend of the courting flute, and examine the unique construction of a collection of flutes on display. There will also be a limited number of original, one-of-a-kind handmade courting flutes for purchase. Space is limited and pre-registration is requested. To reserve a spot head to http://www.iaismuseum.org, email events@iaismuseum.org, or call (860) 868-0518. The price of participation is $5 for IAIS Members and $15 for Non-Members.

About Allan Madhbee
Born on Manitoulin Island, the Home of the Great Spirit, Allan Madahbee is a member of the Ojibway (Chippewa) Nation who has pursued the traditional arts and crafts of his ancestors. He has been making Native American flutes for about ten years. “I had always thought they were a product of the Southwest Indian tribes, but a book that I found that was written during the 1800s about Chippewa culture, had a passage about the Chippewa flutes, along with pictures. This made me realize that they were indeed a part of my Chippewa culture. Knowing that my ancestors constructed these flutes for hundreds of years has inspired me to continue this tradition. Also, the haunting sound from these mystical instruments is a large part of my inspiration.”

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.

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Valentine’s Day Gifts They’ll Fall in Love With @ Tina’s Baskets & Woven Art & Shop and Sip Event

This February Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art at Whiting Mills in Winsted is celebrating love in all its forms with a wonderful array of handmade baskets, bowls, woven wall hangings, and sculptures. These meticulously beautiful pieces of art are perfect to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the enduring bonds between close friends, family, and seldom-seen pals.

This amazing studio is filled to the brim with swoon-worthy art created by Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning artist, known for her woven art and dimensional weaving. It is fun to visit a working art studio to explore this exquisite selection of thoughtful gifts that you’re nearest and dearest will be smitten with!

Not to be missed is the Second Annual Valentine’s Day “Shop and Sip” event at Whiting Mills on Sunday, February 11th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Whiting Mills will be buzzing with activity with more than 20 art studios and artisan shops open and offering complimentary refreshments and treats, along with one of a kind gift items perfect for Valentine’s Day. To add to the fun, there will be live acoustic music throughout the day in this festively decorated historic mill building that is Instagramable.

While browsing in Puckett’s studio, and chatting with Tina as she weaves her magic, enjoy chocolates and champagne. If you are on the hunt for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift basket to fill with goodies, this is the place, a real artist’s studio in fact, to check out! Tina’s Studio is open every weekend in February from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment, Shopping for your Valentine has just become easy because a gift from Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art shows your special someone that you truly care.

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art who is the owner of Tina’s Baskets which is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Custom orders are accepted and appointments can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

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