“Turtle Family Day” at The Bruce Museum Dec. 11

The Bruce Museum celebrates the International Year of the Turtle with “Turtle Family Day” on Sunday, December 11, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Fun-filled activities for the entire family include explorations of the Museum’s natural history galleries in search of turtles and turtle-themed crafts in the Education Workshop. The afternoon event features a live “Turtle and Tortoise” program at 3:00 p.m. presented by Erik Callender of Erik’s Reptile Edventures. Erik and his crew work with turtles from around the world including the African Spur Thighed Tortoise, Chinese Box Turtle, Mata Mata Turtle from South America, and Gopher Tortoise from the southeastern United States.

All activities are suitable for people of all abilities, ages 5 years and up, and are free with Museum admission. The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students. Bruce Museum members are free. For information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376, or visit the Bruce Museum website at brucemuseum.org.

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HOLIDAY SPIRIT GETS AN EARLY START IN THE LITCHFIELD HILLS – Dec. 2 and 3!

One good place to start is Connecticut’s own little town of Bethlehem, a quaint, village that is transformed each December, when it becomes New England’s favorite Christmas Town. Thousands of visitors arrive to mail their Christmas cards with a Bethlehem postmark and to enjoy the 30th annual gala Christmas Town Festival, set this year for Friday night December 2 and Saturday, December 3. The town green is transformed for the occasion with some 70 vendors offering crafts and good food. Bring the family for musical entertainment, hayrides and the chance for a photo with Santa. Find the complete schedule at www.christmastownfestival.com

Bethlehem’s historic Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden will be festively decorated for the weekend, with themed decorations in each of the first floor rooms. Children will enjoy games, prizes and surprises and refreshments in the Visitor’s Center. This house will be open during festival hours, December 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and December 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For details, phone (203) 266-7596.

Bethlehem also offers the chance to visit a rare museum-quality 18th century Neapolitan Crèche housed in a barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Check the hours at abbeyofreginalaudis.com.

Family Fun

Kids will love the Grinch Festival a the Imagine Nation Children’s Museum in Bristol on December 2, where the Dr. Seuss world of Whoville, complete with crafts, sing-alongs and special visitors–including the Grinch. www.imaginenation.org

December 3 marks the opening of the Winter Indian Arts & Craft Market at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, and from 1 to 2 p.m. parents can shop in peace while their children are happily occupied making cornhusk holiday angels to decorate the tree at home. The market continues the whole month of December. www.birdstone.org

More holiday ornament-making for kids will take place at the Sharon Tree Lighting on the green and Sharon Historical Society Open House starting at 4:45 on December 3. Everyone is invited to enjoy hot chocolate and homemade cookies furnished by Sharon residents at the society’s headquarters, the historic Gay-Hoyt House, which is beautifully decorated for the occasion. www.sharonhist.org

The Merwinsville Hotel and Museum is transformed into a winter wonderland every year for Christmas in Gaylordsville, a world of snow villages, model trains around the Christmas tree, caroler’s displays of snow globes, nutcrackers and music boxes. Art, crafts, jewelry, weavings, birdhouses, and photography by local artists are among the tempting items for sale. A special Story Time for children will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 11AM. www.gaylordsville.org

Festive Shopping

This will be the 22nd year for St. John’s Bazaar in Woodbury December 2 and 3. A live auction will take place at Friday night’s preview party, with offerings such as a week in Tuscany or a Nantucket getaway. The Bazaar continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with festive gift shopping and delicious treats from the famous St. John’s Larder. www.stjohnwoodbury.org

Another favorite historic celebration is the annual Holiday Festival at the Glebe House in Woodbury, also Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3. Free tours will be offered of the museum house, beautifully decorated for the holidays with wreaths, holiday lighting, and garlands, all for sale. A bazaar offers many original gift ideas. www.theglebehouse.org

The Holiday Tea at the historic Rider House is a happy tradition presented by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on December 3. A variety of teas and an assortment of sandwiches, savories and sweets will be served and the Danbury Museum’s Holiday Bazaar will be open with a host of gift ideas. Reservations are required–space is limited. Call (203) 723-5200 for further information.

The Bethel Holiday Craft Festival at The Best Western Berkshire Inn on December 3 will be another opportunity to find unique gifts made by many talented artisans. Phone (203) 261-2414 for hours.

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Ride a Vintage Train to Visit Santa Claus at Danbury’s Railroad Museum !


That portly gent from the North Pole will once again pay a visit to the Danbury Railway Museum and you can take a ride in a vintage train through the historic rail yard to visit him. The event will take place on Saturdays and Sundays, December 4th, December 10-11 and December 17-18. Trains will depart every half-hour from 12:00pm to 3:30pm on Saturdays and on 12:30pm to 3:30pm on Sundays.

The short train ride in a fully restored 1953 New Haven Railroad Rail Diesel Car (RDC), will take you through the rail yard and past the only powered turntable in Connecticut that has been recently listed on the National Historic Register. On your way to visit Santa, you will see over 70 vintage railroad cars, locomotives and many unique pieces of railroad history.

The train ride will bring you to Santa’s very own private railcar where you’ll be greeted by Mrs. Claus and Santa’s helpers in Toyland. Of course, the exhibits and multiple operating model train layouts inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will also be open as will the be the well-stocked gift shop. Also inside the station, you will find hot chocolate, temporary tattoos and other activities for the little ones.

Admission is $9.00 for ages 2 and up (under 2, free). Each child will receive a small gift from Santa. Based on the popularity of this event the past couple of years, reservations are suggested.

About the Danbury Railroad Museum
The Danbury Railway Museum is a non-profit organization, staffed solely
by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education
about, railroad history. The museum is located in the restored 1903
Danbury Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT. For
further information, visit the Web site at http://www.danbury.org/drm, e-
mail to info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337.

For area information visit www.visitwesternct.com

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WATERBURY’S PALACE THEATER ANNOUNCES DECEMBER LINE-UP


Warm up with a hot show this December at the Palace Theater! Tickets and gift certificates can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, or in person at the box office, 100 East Main Street in Waterbury. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted rates and should call the group sales hotline at 203-346-2011.

Christmas at the Palace

Saturday, December 3 – 8pm

The Waterbury Chorale and the Waterbury Chorale Festival Orchestra present a program of secular and religious Christmas music that will delight and inspire audiences of all ages.

Tickets: $25/ $30/ $45

Waterbury Arts Magnet School presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Thursday, December 8 – 7pm; Friday, December 9 – 7pm; Saturday, December 10 – 2pm & 7pm

The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from a bitter and disillusioned creature into the most caring and generous of men comes alive at the Palace Theater.

Tickets: $12

aFTER WORK sMOOTH jAZZ & r&b

Friday, December 16 – 5:30pm
Kick-off the weekend right with smooth vibes on a Friday night! ACTJamsProductions.com presents an after-work social event featuring performances by The Ron Howard Experience, R&B vocalist Marquist, and Jazz vocalist Andrea Deyo, who will celebrate the sounds of Christmas during the event’s “Tis the Season” segment. Hors d’oeuvres and drink specials will be served.

Tickets: $10

Woodbury Ballet presents The Nutcracker

Saturday, December 17 – 4pm

Enjoy a family holiday tradition where Sugar Plums dance, Flowers waltz and Snowflakes leap across the stage weaving a splendid tale of a little girl’s dream of first love.

Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48

Swan Lake

Wednesday, December 21 – 7:30pm; Thursday, December 22 – 7:30pm

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, from the city of Voronezh, brings the world’s most beloved ballet – Tchaikovsky’s SWAN LAKE – to glorious new life.

Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48/ $58

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Monday, December 26 – 7:30pm; Thursday, December 29 and Friday, December 30 – 7:30pmInspired by the spirit of ancient China, Shen Yun Performing Arts brings to life a bygone culture with a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show of classical Chinese dance and music.

Tickets: $50/ $70 / $90/ $120

About the Palace Theater

The Palace’s primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to build a strong sense of community and an appreciation for the arts by operating, maintaining and sustaining itself as a financially viable not-for-profit performing arts center that generates a positive artistic, educational, social and financial impact on the Greater Waterbury area. For more information, visit: http://www.palacetheaterct.org.

The Palace Theater gratefully acknowledges support by Comcast, Webster Bank, Bank of America, City of Waterbury, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Naugatuck Savings Bank, Waterbury Hospital, FOX CT, Republican-American, WATR Radio and WTNH/WCTX.

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ALL ABOARD FOR “THE POLAR EXPRESS AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK Nov. 25-Dec. 31

Polar Express at the IMAX Theatre Maritime Center Norwalk

Renew (or begin) a family tradition by securing your tickets for a magical ride to the North Pole as “The Polar Express” steams back onto the giant IMAX screen for a limited engagement at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Based on the 1986 Caldecott Award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, “The Polar Express” follows a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, a locomotive arrives to take him and other doubtful children to Santa’s North Pole headquarters. Their shared experiences ­– onboard with a mysterious conductor, at the North Pole and then on the return leg – make a compelling adventure.

The star of this adventure is Tom Hanks who cleverly plays five roles, including the train’s officious conductor, a ghostly hobo and Santa Claus. Hailed by critics nationwide, this film, shot entirely in Performance Capture, a process by which an actor’s live performance is digitally recorded by computerized cameras and becomes a human blueprint for creating virtual characters has been tapped to become a perennial classic that will be shared by the generations. Polar Express manages to sidestep all the tiresome Christmas cliches that children have inflicted on them this time of year and presents a fresh look at this magical time of year.

Tickets for “The Polar Express” are specially priced at $11.50 for adults, $10.50 seniors 65 and older, and $9.50 for children ages 2-12. Maritime Aquarium members save $1 and can be reserved in advance online at www.maritimeaquarium.org or by calling (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

The show runs from November 25 – December 31st. Show times through Dec. 24 are 4 & 7:30 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. After Christmas, “The Polar Express” will play at 4 & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26-30 and at 4 p.m. Dec. 31.

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Dec. 2nd, The Barr Brothers, Fresh and Edgy Folk, Come to StageOne

StageOne, part of the Fairfield Theatre Company on 70 Sanford Street in Fairfield is presenting “The Barr Brothers” on December 2nd at 7:30 pm. “The Barr Brothers aren’t just brothers,” says Sticky Magazine this month, “They’re more like a close-knit family with a vision of what modern folk should sound like.” Not unlike the Fleet Foxes or Dawes, the Barr Brothers (built around Brad and Andrew) are at the forefront of a sort of revival of ’70s folk rock aesthetics, through their sound, lifestyle and recording approach.

Best known as founding members of the spirited and unpredictable rock trio The Slip, brothers Andrew and Brad Barr had spent most of the ’90s on tour with that band. With The Barr Brothers, they are keeping on their experimental, explosive and curious musical career while exploring sounds quieter and more ethereal than anything in their previous work.

Sara’s classical harp was recorded through a fuzz pedal and they used a fretless peanut-bowl banjo and a bamboo angklung to create a masterfully modern and organically smooth Americana folk album. This kind of non-traditional music is not made every decade, never mind every year or every day.

Prepare yourself for a folk rock show that comes complete with a full-size classical harp! “Their tremendous talents shine through in this album and capture an Americana folk that keeps up with today’s demands for a fresh sound.” – Paste

The Details – The Barr Brothers on Saturday, December 2; Doors open at 7:00 PM; the Show begins at 7:30 PM.
Venue: StageOne 70 Sanford St., Fairfield, CT 06824 Tickets: $15 Member Discount: $3 Buy tickets: Box Office: 203.259.1036 or buy online: http://www.fairfieldtheatre.org

Upcoming Shows to Watch For

Sat., Nov. 26 @ StageOne: Corey Glover and Daniella Cotton: Daniella rocks out with hard rock band Living Colour’s lead singer
Wed., Nov. 30 @ StageOne: Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks: a “folk jazz” holiday show

Thu., Dec. 1 @ StageOne: Chadwick Stokes: The reggae/folk rock Dispatch singer

Sat., Dec. 3 @ The Klein: Alice Cooper: The nightmarish classic rock legend

For additional information please visit http://www.fairfieldtheatre.org

About Fairfield Theatre Company

FTC manages two venues, StageOne in Fairfield and The Klein in Bridgeport. FTC is dedicated to presenting the best of live entertainment and performing arts education in the region.

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