Tag: Connecticut Travel

Celebrate the Holidays P.T. Barnum Style

During December, Bridgeport’s The Barnum Museum located on 820 Main Street is offering a limited, yet glorious, series of Victorian Christmas events as part of the Celebrate the Season programming.

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On Friday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. the Annual Holiday Tree and Menorah Lighting, on McLevy Green will take place. Everyone is invited to join Mayor Bill Finch and other city officials for this holiday tradition to ‘light up’ Downtown Bridgeport.

On Sunday, December 8 at 2 p.m. and on December 18 at 12 noon, Kathleen Maher, Executive Director will present “Celebrate the Season”. This program will take participants on a fascinating journey back in time to holiday festivities of bygone days. Maher will present the evolution of the tales and traditions of a Victorian age Christmas. Admission $5.

A Reading of The Night Before Christmas by Sonia Finch Bridgeport’s First Lady will take place on Wednesday, December 11 at 11 a.m. Mrs. Finch will read Clement Clarke Moore’s timeless holiday tale, the enchanting The Night Before Christmas, under the twinkling lights of a Victorian Christmas tree. Children attending the nearby Early Learning Lab at Housatonic Community College have been invited, but the public is also encouraged to bring their pre-school children for a $2 suggested donation to participate in this traditional way to ring in the holidays.

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A Lecture on Tom Thumb by Eric Lehman is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 at 11 a.m. Attendees will get a first look at Eric D. Lehman’s new biography of Bridgeport’s own Charles Stratton, Becoming Tom Thumb. Lehman tells the full story of this iconic figure for the first time. The book details his triumphs on the New York stage, his epic celebrity wedding, his meetings with Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria, and his around-the-world tour, drawing on newly available primary sources and interviews. From the mansions of Paris to the deserts of Australia, Stratton’s unique brand of Yankee comedy not only earned him the accolades of millions of fans, it helped move little people out of the side show and into the lime light. Admission $5 Eric D. Lehman teaches travel literature, history, and creative writing at the University of Bridgeport. He is the author of seven books about Connecticut, including A History of Connecticut Food and Insiders’ Guide to Connecticut.

Call for more information 203-331-1104 ext.100, M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit visit barnum-museum.org for more information.

About the P.T. Barnum Museum
The back exhibition hall of the museum, featuring artifacts that belonged to P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb and others, is open for viewing and exploration on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more about The Barnum Museum’s current programs visit barnum-museum.org. You can also visit the museum on Facebook, view past programs at http://www.barnummuseumexhibitions.org or communicate on Twitter @BarnumMuseum

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Farm to Table Dining at Trumbull’s Parallel Post

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The Parallel Post located in the Trumbull Marriott Hotel is one of Connecticut’s newest dining hotspots. Best of all, the menu is reasonably priced. The food is farm to table fresh prepared by chef Dean James Max, a James Beard-nominated chef who is widely respected as one of the foremost seafood provocateurs in America. Max is also a cookbook author; in his book, “A Life By the Sea: The Atlantic Ocean (2006) he notes, “My love of food is fed from fond memories of smells and tastes of my childhood.” Considering all these achievements, it is not a surprise that he “wows” diners with his creative farm to table offerings.

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Originally, from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, Max spent his summers living on a farm. This experience, along with his family’s culinary traditions, helped him to understand the seasonality of food. His journey as a chef has taken Max to many states; he has created many successful menus and has been recognized as “Best Chef” many times. One of his most prestigious accolades is from the highly regarded James Beard Foundation, which has recognized Max as a “Great Regional Chef of America.”

Max’s farm to table outlook is not part of a trendy movement rather it is his philosophical approach to food and his diligence to his profession as a chef. To that end, Chef Max uses many area purveyors such as Norm Bloom and Sons in Norwalk for oysters and lobsters, Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury for beef, Beltane Farms in Lebanon for Cheese, Gilberties and Sherwood Farms in Westport for fresh herbs. The menu changes with the seasons so there is always something new to try.

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Before dinner, or after work, cocktails can be enjoyed at the swank new bar area that offers all manner of drinks in a convivial and comfortable setting. Signature drinks include a “healthy” gin tonic upgrade that contains quinine, cucumber and juniper, a refreshing Appleton rum continental with fruits and honey and an evocative Belgian style drink with beer, Orangecello, lemon juice and St. Germain.

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When dining at Parallel Post, don’t miss the Katama Bay Oysters that are plump and succulent; they are served with a tarragon mignonette cocktail sauce; another winner in the oyster family are fire roasted with preserved lemon butter and smoked bacon. A perennial favorite are the hand cut sea salt french fries, they have just the right amount of crunch and are served with a spicy ketchup and old bay vinegar.

Tomatoes are in season so now is the time to try the burrata cheese, heirloom tomato salad that is elegantly mixed with hot soppresata, arugula, piquillo paint, peach oil and grilled bread. Another refreshing salad is a combination of baby greens, cucumbers, blistered tomatoes and aged farm cheese mixed with delicious hazelnut vinaigrette.

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As for entrees try the grilled mahi that is cooked to perfection and served with yukon puree, grilled broccolini, fried okra, and buttery corn with verbena jus. On the lighter side, pineapple glazed shrimp with sticky rice and grilled vegetables are just enough to satisfy. The grass-fed beef double burger, voted VT’s Best Burger is from OxHollow Farm in Roxbury and is served on a fresh sesame brioche roll with Vermont cheddar and Benton’s bacon. This burger is delectable and pairs well with the hand cut fries.

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The desert menu offers a medley of goodies from espresso flan to a luscious white chocolate lavender cheesecake with strawberry sauce.

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The menu is seasonally inspired and always evolving. For current menu offerings visit http://parallelpostrestaurant.com. The Parallel Post is located in the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull CT. Call 203-380-6380 for reservations.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Sheldon’s Horse – A Revolutionary Tale

The Danbury Museum & Historical Society located on 43 Main Street will be hosting a fascinating history presentation by Eric Chandler on Saturday, November 23 at 2:00pm in Huntington Hall titled, A History of Sheldon’s Horse: The 2nd Continental Light Dragoons.

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Many people are unaware that one of General Washington’s four Congressional commissioned cavalry regiments was raised largely from Connecticut and operated extensively in Fairfield County and across Long Island Sound. “Sheldon’s Horse” is credited with having played a significant part in the winning of the War of Independence and a key role in revealing Benedict Arnold as a British spy and in the capture of John Andre.

“Sheldon’s Horse” was the first commissioned United States cavalry; executed the first cavalry charge by United States cavalry on American soil; operated the first “pony express” as military couriers; participated in America’s first organized espionage ring; achieved victories on foot, horseback and by boat.

This history presentation will be given by Eric Chandler of Norwalk. He has been a member of the recreated “Sheldon’s Horse” for over 15 years. He has been involved with Revolutionary War Living History since 1974 as a charter member of the 5th Connecticut Regiment, formed in Ridgefield in that year for the Bicentennial. Mr. Chandler has portrayed infantry, light infantry, whaleboat privateer, and both mounted and dismounted dragoons. He may also have been spy. Come and find out.

This program is FREE and Open to the Public. For more information visit www.danburymuseum.org.

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Coffeehouse at The Wheelers – Westport Historical Society

The Westport Historical Society’s Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery will sway to the rhythms of music and poetry t0n November 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. when it morphs into a Greenwich Village-style coffee house featuring singer/songwriter Suzanne Sheridan and friends.

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Westporter Sheridan, whose music influences include Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, will appear with Westport poet Ralph Adams. She will be accompanied on keyboards by Bob Cooper of Westport and Chris Brown on bass. The sessions are titled “Coffee House at the Wheeler’s,” a reference to Wheeler House, the society’s headquarters at 25 Avery Place.
A jingle and New York club singer in the 60s, Sheridan says she dropped out in the 70s because she couldn’t relate to disco and decided she was going to do it her way, performing music that made her happy. Her goal has always been to bring “intelligence and heart to the music scene,” she says. In addition to tunes by Mitchell and Cohen, her dates at the WHS will feature Kansas City blues, jazz and such all-time rock faves as “You Send Me,” “New York State of Mind,” “Johnny Be Good” and “Stand By Me.”

Adams, whom Sheridan considers the unofficial poet laureate of Westport, draws on his experiences growing up on the Kansas plains dreaming of buffalo and Indians and his days sailing the world’s seas with the Merchant Marine.
Cooper played piano with the John Mooney Blues Band in the late 1970s, performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He was also the keyboard player for Harvey Robbins’ Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame concerts from 2000 to 2009.
Brown, who has homes in Bethel and on Candlewood Lakes, studied jazz and classical music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A horn player in addition to a bassist, he enjoyed a long collaboration with Paul Winter and the Winter Consort, serving as music editor of Winter’s Grammy-winning 1994 album “Prayer for the Wild Things.”

Though contemporary music programs are something of a departure for the WHS, executive director Sue Gold says they serve the mission of “enriching the community and creating an opportunity for Westporters to gather together. A $10 donation will be requested at the door, and reservations are required. For more information visit www.westporthistory.org, to reserve,call the Westport Historical Society at (203) 222-1424.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

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Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia

At 1 p.m. on November 17, the Gunn Historical Museum will present Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library in Washington Connecticut. Katie Trautz, a native Vermont fiddler who has toured nationally and internationally sharing traditional music and original folk songs, will give a performance of Swedish music playing fiddle, guitar and banjo crossing genres with her varying ensembles.

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Trautz’s bands include: Mayfly, Wooden Dinosaur, and Kick ’em Jenny Stringband. She has studied with some of the greatest fiddle players in the US, including Dirk Powell, Pete Sutherland, James Bryan, Jimmy Tripplett, and Bruce Molsky. Katie has played alongside and shared the stage with many well-known bands including: Aoife O’Donovan Band, Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, Deadly Gentlemen, Sheesham and Lotus, David Wax Museum, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Rusty Belle, Michael Chorney and Dollar General, Brown Bird, Devil Makes Three, 4tet, Pete Sutherland, Brown Bird, and many others. Katie is also the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school ‘The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture’ based in Montpelier, VT.

Traditional Swedish music is known for the rich harmonies expressed by twin fiddles, lilting polska rhythms, and the thematic play on light and dark. These are the motifs that drew the Vermont-based fiddle player, Katie Trautz, to Scandinavia. Her travels landed her at an intensive musical immersion on a farm north of Stockholm, where traditional music and culture are still thriving. After a visit with one of the country’s most renowned folk artists, a journey through the Fjordlands of Norway, and a stop at a small venue along the way to give a performance, Katie brings her travels to life with a demonstration of Swedish fiddling, storytelling and imagery.

Gunn Historical Museum is located on 5 Wykeham Rd. in Washington. For additional information call (860) 868-7586 or visit At 1 p.m. on November 17, the Gunn Historical Museum will present Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician’s Journey Through Scandinavia in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library in Washington Connecticut. Katie Trautz, a native Vermont fiddler who has toured nationally and internationally sharing traditional music and original folk songs, will give a performance of Swedish music playing fiddle, guitar and banjo crossing genres with her varying ensembles.

Trautz’s bands include: Mayfly, Wooden Dinosaur, and Kick ’em Jenny Stringband. She has studied with some of the greatest fiddle players in the US, including Dirk Powell, Pete Sutherland, James Bryan, Jimmy Tripplett, and Bruce Molsky. Katie has played alongside and shared the stage with many well-known bands including: Aoife O’Donovan Band, Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, Deadly Gentlemen, Sheesham and Lotus, David Wax Museum, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Rusty Belle, Michael Chorney and Dollar General, Brown Bird, Devil Makes Three, 4tet, Pete Sutherland, Brown Bird, and many others. Katie is also the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school ‘The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture’ based in Montpelier, VT.

Traditional Swedish music is known for the rich harmonies expressed by twin fiddles, lilting polska rhythms, and the thematic play on light and dark. These are the motifs that drew the Vermont-based fiddle player, Katie Trautz, to Scandinavia. Her travels landed her at an intensive musical immersion on a farm north of Stockholm, where traditional music and culture are still thriving. After a visit with one of the country’s most renowned folk artists, a journey through the Fjordlands of Norway, and a stop at a small venue along the way to give a performance, Katie brings her travels to life with a demonstration of Swedish fiddling, storytelling and imagery.

Gunn Historical Museum is located on 5 Wykeham Rd. in Washington. For additional information call (860) 868-7586 or visit www.gunnlibrary.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

JanetLeave a comment

Get Real at the Bruce Museum

Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962) Above the Yards, Weehawken, 1918 Aquatint and etching, 17 ½ x 23 ¼” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly ©Estate of Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962)
Above the Yards, Weehawken, 1918
Aquatint and etching, 17 ½ x 23 ¼”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
©Estate of Martin Lewis

Highlighting the work of nine American artists who at the beginning of the twentieth century were inspired by the world around them to realistically depict everyday scenes, the Bruce Museum presents the new exhibition Telling American History: Realism from the Print Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly from August 31 through December 1, 2013.

The show features more than 40 original fine art prints including lithographs and etchings that chronicle daily life – the bustle of urban streets, boisterous moments of leisure, modern modes of transportation, and bucolic rural images – by leading artists who approached their subject matter through the lens of realism: George Bellows (1882-1925), Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), Edward Hopper (1882-1967), Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Reginald Marsh (1898-1954), John Sloan (1871-1951), Benton Murdoch Spruance (1904-1967), Stow Wengenroth (1906-1978), and Grant Wood (1891-1942).

The artworks present visitors with a snapshot of America from 1905 through 1967. Each print featured in the exhibition was chosen for its subject matter and artistic merit and placed together they present windows into scenes of America’s past. Set amid a backdrop of events such as World War I, the Great Depression, New Deal programs, and World War II, the country was experiencing changes in its cultural, geographic, and demographic nature. The nation experienced a great upheaval as citizens and immigrants alike flocked to urban areas in hopes of greater economic prospects. At the same time, advances in technology and transportation were transforming rural regions.

Wengenroth_Grand Central Stow Wengenroth (American, 1906-1978) Grand Central, 1949 Lithograph, 8 ½ x 15 ¾” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
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Stow Wengenroth (American, 1906-1978)
Grand Central, 1949
Lithograph, 8 ½ x 15 ¾”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly

Drawn from different areas of the country, the artists shared a similar goal of creating artwork that was available to all. They embraced realism, using it to capture images of modern American society as it quickly changed around them. This distinguished their work from the traditional, idealized and romanticized work of European art. By illustrating everyday scenes, the artists featured in this show created connections for the average American and invited them to become part of the artistic dialog,because their images appealed through accessible subject matter and to the pocketbook of the everyday person.

A fully illustrated catalogue of the show will be available in the Bruce Museum Store. A series of public programs will be offered to complement the show, including Monday morning lectures, hands-on printmaking workshops for adults and students, a program for families with toddlers and one for seniors suffering from memory loss, as well as school tours.

Lewis_Misty Night Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962) Misty Night, Danbury, 1947 Lithograph,11 x 15 ¼” Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly ©Estate of Martin Lewis
Lewis_Misty Night
Martin Lewis (American, 1881-1962)
Misty Night, Danbury, 1947
Lithograph,11 x 15 ¼”
Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly
©Estate of Martin Lewis

About the Bruce Museum
Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum, located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities. For additional information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376 or visit the website at www.brucemuseum.org.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

JanetLeave a comment