Connecticut Travel

The lighting of Sharon’s town Christmas tree will take place on Saturday, December 5, beginning at 4:30. The festivities will include music by the Salisbury Band’s “Christmas Brass & Hot Chocolate Society”, and carol singing.

Afterward, the festivities continue at the Sharon Historical Society that has thrown open its doors with holiday cheer. All in attendance at the tree lighting festival are invited to the Sharon Historical Society for hot cider and home-made goodies.

While at the historical society, don’t miss their juried show that runs through December 18 called “What’s the Big Idea”. This juried show and sale is an exhibition of small scale artworks in a variety of mediums, not exceeding 12 inches in any direction.

Please note that the Sharon Historical Society and Museum will be closed for the holidays November 26-28th and December 24th-January 2nd. Otherwise the Museum will be open our usual hours of Wednesday to Saturday 12:00-4:00 pm. For more information http://sharonhist.org and for more holiday event information in the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Noted Connecticut artist Angelo Perrone captures the vibrancy of New York in a new collection of paintings at The Stairwell Gallery, located in the Gunn Memorial Library in Washington, CT. The exhibit is on display through December 26.

Perrone, who has been painting for over 50 years, grew up in Harlem and graduated from the prestigious Cooper Union Art School. He won a scholarship to study painting at Oxford University in England and pursued a career as a book designer and art director at Reader’s Digest where he worked for 38 years. He has had several solo shows and his paintings are in private collection throughout the US and Europe. Today, he lives in Oxford, CT but looks back fondly at his time in New York.

The city is in my blood,” says Perrone. “I’m interested in depicting it in all aspects, trying to show its vibrancy from dusk ’til dawn, from roof tops to traffic jams.” Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at the juncture of Route 47 opposite the Green in Washington, CT. Library hours may be found on our website, www.gunnlibrary.org. For more information call (860)868-7586 or email the library circulation desk, gunncirc@biblio.org.

For area event information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Thirteen musicians present a unique take on George Fredrick Handel’s masterpiece as the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra (WSO) presents “An Intimate Messiah” on Saturday, December 5th at 8 PM at St. Michael’s Parish in Litchfield, and on Sunday, December 6th at 3PM at the First Congregational church in Washington, CT.

States WSO Music Director and Conductor Leif Bjaland; “For the last 274 years George Fredrick Handel’s Messiah has been performed in churches and concert halls all over the world. It has been adapted for school bands, re-orchestrated by Mozart, Sir Hamilton Harty and a host of others, performed by huge choral societies and ‘sing it yourself’ audiences and even been danced to by ballet companies. There is always something new to discover in this music.”

This season, the WSO will present another new variation on Messiah; four outstanding solo singers and a quintet of strings along with trumpet, timpani and harpsichord will perform the Christmas portion of Handel’s masterpiece, capped off by the “Hallelujah Chorus”. Solo singers are soprano Evelyn Gard, mezzo-soprano Karolina Wojteczko , tenor David-Marc Finley, and bass, Chris Drago Fistonić. “Often Messiah performances are like a monumental edifice,” says Bjaland. “In these performances, it will crackle with the precision and brilliance of a fine Swiss watch. I’m excited at the prospect of experiencing Handel’s brilliant counterpoint with wonderful clarity and detail.”

Tickets are $50 & $35. Tickets may be ordered online at www.waterburysymphony.org or by calling the WSO office at (203) 574-4283.

As nostalgic as a Currier and Ives lithograph, so is the town of Kent, CT during the holidays. What better way to experience the town than to come to the 3rd Annual Kent Holiday Champagne Stroll, November 27 & 28, 5:00 – 8:00 pm.

Considered the benchmark for all holiday strolls, the town of Kent offers 30 shops serving 30 champagnes and bubblies, and offering 30 different promotions and sales. Kent has distinctive shops operated by the owners themselves. You can find everything from stylish clothing, teas and coffees, jewelry to cowboy boots. Many of the shops are featuring special sales and promotional events. R.T.

Facts will be holding a drawing of items from their unique design line. Rolling River Antiques is 20% off storewide and Fitness Matters has a special price on their training sessions. And that’s just the beginning!

The event coincides with Small Business Saturday, a marketing event campaign created by American Express, celebrating the small businesses that are the backbone of local economies.
Strollers begin by visiting The Swift House, 12 Maple Street, to check in and purchase a champagne flute and map to use for the evening. The map divides the town into four zones. Visit at least three businesses in each zone, get your map stamped and your name will be entered into the drawing for one of three great bottles of champagnes: a Dom Perignon 2004 valued at over $200, a Tattinger Brut Française and a Roederer “Estate” vintage. At the end of the evening, strollers are invited to stay and enjoy dinner at one of the many great restaurants in this charming Connecticut town.

Interested parties can register on-line at www.kentstroll.com. The ticket price is $10 for advanced registration. If you purchase your ticket at the door the price is $12. For more information on the Litchfield Hills and holiday events www.litchfieldhills.com

The Warner Theatre located on Main Street in Torrington will open the holiday season this year with two classic holiday films shown on their 50 foot screen on November 28.

The first film that will be shown is The Year Without a Santa Claus, the 1974 stop-motion animation television special featuring George S. Irving and Mickey Rooney, will be shown at 1:00 pm, doors will open at 11:30 am for a visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus. Admission is FREE! No tickets are required; line will begin under the marquee.

At 7 p.m. the theatre will open its doors again for a screening of the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood at 7:00 pm; doors will open at 6:00 pm for a visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus. Tickets for Miracle on 34th Street are $5.
Tickets for Miracle on 34th Street can be purchased by calling the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or online at www.warnertheatre.org.

For area holiday event information www.litchfieldhills.com

THE WARNER THEATRE
Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as “Connecticut’s Most Beautiful Theatre.” Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat studio theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA’s mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region

Litchfield’s White Memorial Foundation located off Rte. 202 has several late November events not to be missed. There is a “Star Party” on November 20 that promises to be great fun. Participants will hook up with members of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club and the Mattatuck Astronomical Society and discuss supernovas! Weather permitting, there will be Star gazing after the program. The program begins at 7:00 P.M., in the A.B. Ceder Room. Please note that children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You are invited to bring your own telescope or binoculars.

On the afternoon of November 21 get ready to spend some quality time with your family meeting and greeting internationally acclaimed artist and author Wendell Minor as he reads and signs his latest book for children, Daylight Starlight Wildlife. Enjoy cider and cookies during the book signing. Chat with White Memorial’s court photographer, Leo Kulinski, Jr and hear about the role he played in Mr. Minor’s beautiful book!

Wendell Minor’s 45-year career as an illustrator and author in the world of books has brought him international acclaim. He has produced over 2000 book covers and 60 children’s books. He has been the exclusive designer of the covers for David McCullough and Pat Conroy for the past four decades. Minor’s children’s books celebrate the world of nature, historic figures and moments in America’s story. His books have been published around the globe in several languages. Minor’s work can be found in many museum collections, including the Norman Rockwell Museum, Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, The Library of Congress, The New Britain Museum of American Art, Kennedy Space Center, University of Connecticut, and the United States Postal Service.

A highlight of the month takes place at 10 a.m. on November 28 when participants are invited to go on a llama walk with with Debbie Labbe from Country Quilt Llama Farm. Stroll along the trails of White Memorial with a new friend! Meet in the Museum parking lot. 10:00 A.M., $20.00 per person. A portion of the fee will be donated to the Conservation Center. Please register by calling Debbie at 860-248-0355 or email: countryquiltllamafarm@gmail.com or to schedule a private walk!

Also on November 28 visitors are invited to take a walk on Cranberry Pond Trail with Gerri Griswold. This is the 6th Annual Edition of this popular walk! Nothing could cap off a wonderful “on the cusp of winter” stroll along this spectacular trail better than a cup of hot coffee and a thick wedge of Crimson Pie swimming in a pool of thick ginger crème anglaise! Meet in the Museum. 2:00

For more area information visit www.litchfieldhills.com